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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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May 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) dribbles against Houston Rockets guard Corey Brewer (33) in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Los Angeles Clippers won 117 to 101. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) dribbles against Houston Rockets guard Corey Brewer (33) in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Los Angeles Clippers won 117 to 101. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

19. Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford had his worst of his three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, shooting only 39.6 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from three as he put up just 15.8 points per game. Crawford is going to want to bounce back from this past season during his 2015-16 campaign if he wants to get one last substantial contract in his career.

Crawford has long been established as one of the premier sixth men in the NBA. The crafty guard has an uncanny ability to create his own shot while also getting buckets from essentially anywhere on the court. His handles are still top-tier at this point in his career, allowing him to get his jumper or get to the rim often.

The negative, of course, is that Crawford will be 36 years old next summer and is in the final stages of his career. There’s a chance that he’s on the decline given what we saw this past season, only adding to the importance of how he plays in the upcoming season. If he’s able to have a more efficient and productive run, though, there will surely be a bevy of teams inquiring about his services.

18. Lance Stephenson (Team Option)

Though players whose player option will determine whether or not their free agents next summer are not included in these rankings, it feels relatively safe to include Lance Stephenson. The newest member of the Clippers has a team option for the 2016-17 season, which the Clips will likely decline given the current contract that he’s under that would pay him $9.4 million for that season.

Stephenson is coming off of his lone season with the Charlotte Hornets in which he performed abysmally. Stephenson shot only 37.6 percent from the field and an atrocious 17.1 percent from deep while his productivity across the board declined from his time with the Indiana Pacers.

Even with that highly disappointing output last season, he’s going to have value on the open market. We’ve seen him be an integral part of a high-caliber team before, playing a key role on both ends of the floor. He clearly needs to be in the right situation, but given that he doesn’t collapse even further in L.A., teams should be willing to take a chance on the guard.

17. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Restricted)

Injuries limited Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s time on the floor for the second consecutive year this season, but he did show massive improvements. After looking like his jump shot was near unfixable, MKG showed reworked mechanics on his jumper that improved his mid-range shooting a great deal to go along with his ability to slash on the offensive end.

His increased effectiveness offensively adds tremendous value to Kidd-Gilchrist as a player given his already tremendous efforts as a defender. The Hornets forward and second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft has already proven that he belongs mentioned among the league’s best wing defenders. He doesn’t get the shine that others do, but scouts and other organizations are certainly aware of his ability on that end of the floor.

If he’s able to continue his improvement offensively, teams are undoubtedly going to be willing to try and offer him a deal that the Hornets might not be willing to match. He’ll still only be 22 years old next summer, meaning a ton of growth and maturing still ahead of him. He’s quietly one of the more desirable wings in the 2016 free agency class.

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