10 most underrated NBA free agents of 2016

E’Twaun Moore (UFA)

Looking for this year’s version of Kent Bazemore—a three-and-D swingman who transforms from an unheralded, lightly used reserve into a legitimate starting-caliber player? Look no further than Chicago’s E’Twaun Moore.

Even prior to the Chicago Bulls installing him as an everyday starter in late January, Moore had the makings of a free-agent steal. He rated highly in a number of Vantage Sports’ defensive metrics at the time, including Passes Denied per 100 Chances (third), Pressure Rate per 100 Chances (seventh) and Deflections per 100 Chances (24th), as he served as a sneaky disruptive weapon off the bench for Chicago.

Once the Bulls moved Moore into their starting lineup on Jan. 28, his free-agent stock went skyrocketing, relatively speaking. Over his 22 games as a starter, the Purdue product averaged 12.0 points on 48.5 percent shooting (including 46.2 percent from deep), 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 treys, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in just 31.1 minutes per night. Save for his inability to get to the charity stripe—he averaged just 0.7 free-throw attempts per game as a starter—Moore emerged as a tantalizing free-agent option for teams in need of a three-and-D combo guard.

The Bulls’ disappointing 2015-16 campaign may wind up depressing Moore’s asking price, but teams that miss out on top-tier 2-guards such as DeMar DeRozan, Dwyane Wade and Bradley Beal should give him a long look in free agency.

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