10 most underrated NBA free agents of 2016

Brandon Jennings (UFA)

You won’t often find Brandon Jennings listed among the top-tier point guards on the market, even though the collection of free-agent floor generals outside of Mike Conley can hardly be deemed inspiring. That’s in large part due to the ruptured left Achilles tendon the former prep star suffered in January 2015 with the Detroit Pistons, an injury that’s often a death knell to an NBA player’s upside.

Following Wesley Matthews’ Achilles tear last March, CBS Sports’ Chris Towers noted, “On average, players returning from a ruptured Achilles saw their minutes per game average drop 27 percent from their last full season to their first following recovery.” That trend held true with Jennings, too, as he plunged from 28.6 minutes per game in the 2014-15 season (prior to his injury) to a career-low 18.1 minutes this past year.

The 26-year-old has never been a paragon of shooting efficiency—prior to his injury, he was a career 39.1 percent shooter overall—but he’s at least a reasonable threat beyond the arc, having knocked down 35.0 percent of his three-point attempts throughout his seven seasons. He shot a career-worst 32.9 percent from deep last season, but upon his arrival in Orlando, his long-range shooting percentage jumped from 31.2 (in 23 games with Detroit) to 34.6 (in 25 games with the Magic).

Point guard-needy teams that strike out on Conley, Jeremy Lin and Rajon Rondo should have Jennings’ agent on speed dial. Signing him to a one-plus-one deal would give him the chance to prove he’s recovered from the Achilles injury and cash in when the salary cap skyrockets again next summer.

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