With Summer League drawing to a close and Olympic exhibition games in full swing, the 2024 NBA offseason is all but over.
But in mid-July, the league's 30 teams still have spending capacity and free agents still on the market who either have cap space, cap exceptions or are worth minimum contracts.
Here, we've matched up some of the best players still available, pairing each one with their ideal landing spot based on team needs, their skill set, and their chances of excelling this season in order to earn bigger rewards next summer.
During Luka Doncic's rookie season, Dennis Smith Jr. didn't have much chemistry with him. They both seemed to need the ball to be successful, so keeping a young player on the team who could potentially hinder Luka's performance didn't make sense.
So the Mavericks traded Smith to the New York Knicks and he's been a journeyman ever since. While Doncic has improved into an MVP candidate year after year, it took the Mavericks a while to realize that Smith might be a true defensive specialist.
According to Michael Scott of HoopsHype, the Mavericks may now be willing to use the two together again.
Of course, things will be different — Kyrie Irving is with the Mavericks and no one expects DSJ to start alongside either star — but there were times this season and into the Finals when it seemed like Dallas needed another playmaker to spark the offense when Luka was off the court.
Smith could do that while also giving the second unit a dynamic offensive point defender.
Jaden Hardy or Dante Exum could also fit those criteria, but it would make sense for Dallas to spend some of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception or semi-annual exception on backcourt insurance.
Isaac Okoro entered restricted free agency hoping for a small raise beyond the $8.9 million he made in the final year of his rookie contract, but the Cleveland Cavaliers only have 12 players under contract and are about $9.6 million below the luxury tax.
It may be difficult for Okoro to make much more in Cleveland unless one of the two teams with the cap space to spare (the Utah Jazz or San Antonio Spurs) signs an offer sheet. There's a good chance the Cavs could match that amount in the $10-15 million per year range, but Utah could still justify making such an offer.
The Jazz don't have many pure wings under contract, and Okoro is still only 23. He fits into Utah's mostly young and developing depth, and a three-and-defensive wing on a reasonable contract could have trade value in February if he proves too good for a team that should cut back in 2025 and take on lottery odds.
Things wouldn't be too bad if Cleveland were to match the Jazz's offer for Okoro. Then again, Utah would have to prepare for the possibility of losing a player in 2024-25. Adding a player like Cooper Flagg to the core of this young team could be a game changer.
Pushing other teams into the luxury tax would be a nice side benefit.
The same thing will soon happen to many NBA players, and now it looks like Gordon Hayward can be added to the category of players with championship aspirations.
Hayward made $33.3 million last season, so a minimum contract would be a dramatic cut for him, but it would be a big loss for him given his various injuries, age 34 and zero total playoff points in 2024.
There are still teams who can only make a minimum contract, but they may need another winger/forward, possibly a starter.
The Philadelphia 76ers completely revamped their supporting cast around Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid this summer, but they may still need some experienced, underused forwards in the lineup, including those two and Paul George.
Hayward, who has shot 38.5% from three-point range over the past five seasons, could be a dangerous stationary catch-and-shoot threat with a star player on his back, and he could also do damage against opposing low-level perimeter defenders with his close-out attack as a scorer and creator.
When the Memphis Grizzlies declined Luke Kennard's $14.8 million team option ahead of free agency, it was assumed he would immediately re-sign with them.
Nearly three weeks into free agency, Kennard is still unsigned, and the Grizzlies own Bird Rights, which allows them to re-sign their own players even if they are over the salary cap, making them the favorites for the shooter.
Even a modest contract with Kennard would likely put Memphis under the luxury tax, but getting past that line is almost inevitable for a championship or even championship contender team. Keeping the team's payroll below the first apron seems more likely.
If the Grizzlies can accomplish that and still bring back Kennard, this seems almost a no-brainer.
Despite Kennard being on the 2023-24 roster, Memphis was 29th in 3-point shooting percentage, and if he doesn't return and Jaren Jackson Jr. ends up playing alongside a center who doesn't shoot from outside again (such as Zach Eddy), their outside production could be even worse.
Kennard ranks third all-time in 3-point shooting percentage and has some underrated playmaking talent, and the Grizzlies could use his offensive skills as they prepare for Ja Morant's return.
Tyus Jones made $14 million last season, so signing with the Orlando Magic for the $8 million mid-level exception would mean a pretty significant pay cut.
But among teams with actual spending power, this makes the most sense for Jones.
Orlando has plenty of one-on-one scoring power in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, plenty of defensive versatility and transition ability in Wagner, Banchero, Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs, and the playmaking potential of Suggs, Banchero and Wagner could even surpass last season's success.
But having a traditional, error-free table-setter like Jones makes the whole offensive line's job a lot easier. It's great that Wagner and Banchero can take shots and make them, but Banchero was woefully inefficient last season.
The closer, wide-open shooting opportunities that Jones can provide, both from the 3-point line and in the paint, should boost the shooting numbers of other Magic players and make Orlando's offense more dangerous overall.
