Top 25 NBA Free Agents for 2016
22. Terrence Jones (Restricted)
Missing 49 games for the Houston Rockets during the regular season hurt Terrence Jones’ chances of greatly improving his stock over the course of his third season in the league. Moreover, a disappointing performance in the postseason didn’t do anything to help his cause either. However, it’s not all negative when it comes to Jones.
Jones showed real promise during his second season in the league, starting 71 games of the 76 that he played in for Houston. The forward showed off a versatile offensive game that could stretch the defense while also attacking on the interior and picking up the trash on the glass. Sure, he was often a liability defensively, but his offense in the 2013-14 season and in his limited action this past year give him a great deal of value on that end of the floor.
While Jones’ lack of defense is indubitably a detraction from his overall value, his offense at just 23 years old provides enough intrigue for a team in need of a big who can space the floor will take a look at him. Once again, the Rockets can match any offer he gets, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of offers the Houston front office is forced to make decisions about regarding Jones.
21. Nene
Injuries have hampered Nene in his time with the Washington Wizards, but the veteran big man has shown time and again his value when he’s able to stay on the floor. His ability to knock down shots from the high-post and to also score on the interior makes him a quality asset, even with recognizable flaws on the opposite end of the floor.
Focusing on Nene’s offense, though, the big man has shot under 50 percent from the floor in just one season over his career with a career average of 15.4 points per 36 minutes. Moreover, his proficiency with the ball in his hands around the foul line opens up his team’s offense to the point where he’s also racked up solid assist numbers for a big man.
Despite his value, he’s not without flaws. Even still disregarding his mediocre-at-best defense, the current Wizards big man will also be 33 years old next summer. That’s not too enticing considering the injury issues that he’s already had throughout his career. Despite that, he’ll be a coveted option on the free agency market next summer. He won’t be signing a deal worth nearly as much as the five-year, $65 million contract that he’s nearing the end of, but there will be suitors vying for his services.
20. Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings is one of the hardest players in the league to get a handle on in terms of evaluation. His performance often fails to pass the eye test and his efficiency is often problematic. Then there are other times where he looks like he could be a high quality starting point guard in the NBA.
Perhaps the best example of that was his month of January with the Detroit Pistons this season prior to his season-ending Achilles injury. Before that, the wiry guard was averaging 20.9 points and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from deep. He looked to be developing under the tutelage of Stan Van Gundy and developing into something special.
We’ll see in his second season in Detroit under Van Gundy whether that was a flash in the pan or something substantial. Regardless, there will be teams willing to take the risk of signing Jennings next summer. If he performs like he did in January before he was injured, though, it could mean substantially more money coming his way in 2016 from whichever organization takes him in.
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