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Top 25 NBA Free Agents for 2016

By Cody Williams

Dec 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Thunder 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Thunder 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Thunder 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Thunder 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

NBA Free Agency is often a hectic time around the league, particularly when big names are on the market. This summer with players like Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Jimmy Butler out there on the free agency market, there’s clearly going to be some buzz in the coming weeks regarding 2015 NBA Free Agency.

Why not look ahead and get too excited way too early? The 2016 NBA free agency period could be one of the wildest in recent memory. The salary cap is going to spike tremendously as the NBA’s new television deal kicks in, which means that teams are already clearing cap room for what will almost surely be a lucrative summer in terms of spending.

Finding players to spend that money on won’t be a difficult venture for the organizations looking to be buyers in 2016. Superstars, veterans, aging superstars, and bright young talent will all be available in abundance next year, and that’s just the players whose deals will be ending in 2016. That doesn’t even include players like LeBron James who could opt in for next season and essentially add his name to the 2016 free agency pool. Similarly, that doesn’t include players like Chris Paul who could opt out of their deals after this season and enter the free agency class.

For the sake of ranking free agents, though, we aren’t going to include any of those players whose free agency in 2016 is impending a decision regarding a player option; that simply makes things a bit too assumptive and reliant on estimation. Yes, those players could sweeten the pot tremendously, but there’s also the possibility that they could not wind up being a part of the 2016 free agency class at all.

Looking at the players who will be at the end of their contracts next summer, though, it’s not hard to figure out who is going to be the top target of every team in the league. That being said, the so-called consolation prizes of 2016 NBA free agency could do a great deal to help build contenders or put new faces in the playoff picture.

Without further adieu, these are the top 25 free agents for 2016:

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