10 most underrated NBA free agents of 2016

Tyler Johnson (RFA)

Given Tyler Johnson’s pedigree, he’s not likely to have teams lighting up his cellphone when the clock strikes midnight on July 1. That’s a mistake.

The undrafted Fresno State product worked his way into the Miami Heat’s rotation after they signed him to two 10-day contracts in January 2015, and he finished his rookie campaign with per-game averages of 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in only 18.8 minutes. This past season, he emerged as a crucial contributor off the Miami bench, raising his averages to 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 three-pointers in 24.0 minutes a night. After shooting 41.9 percent as a rookie, the 6’4″ combo guard knocked down 48.6 percent of his shot attempts in 2015-16.

“He started out making you watch him,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. “Then he made you want to invest time in him. Then he made you play him. He’s an irresistible force.”

That irresistible force could find himself priced out of Miami if a team chases him with an aggressive offer sheet once the July Moratorium lifts. He’s subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision, which limits what other teams can offer him, but the Heat have other free-agent priorities (Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng) to juggle, too. Teams in need of a promising young combo guard should target Johnson after the Moratorium, particularly if Miami is still awaiting decisions from Whiteside, Wade and/or Deng.

Next: The injury discount