The Top 25 free agents in 2016

<p>25. Jeremy Lin (Charlotte). Player Option. Helped himself tremendously this year as a bench player for the Charlotte Hornets. Perfect fit there.</p>

<p>24. Evan Turner (Boston). Unrestricted free agent. Long-range shooting is still an issue with him. If you can look past that, a pretty nice player.</p>

<p>23. Festus Ezeli (Golden State). Restricted free agent. Not much of a weapon offensively, but makes an impact on the defensive end with a big body and great athleticism. Somebody is going offer him crazy money.</p>

<p>22. Joakim Noah (Chicago). Unrestricted free agent. Really rough year for the Bulls' big man. First he lost his starting job, then got injured.</p>

<p>21. Jordan Clarkson (LA Lakers). Restricted free agent. Star potential or just a guy putting up nice numbers on a bad team?</p>

<p>20. Luol Deng (Miami). Unrestricted free agent. His best basketball days are probably behind him, but still a safe choice at the small forward spot. Has been pretty effective at the four lately.</p>

<p>19. Ryan Anderson (New Orleans). Unrestricted free agent. A prototypical stretch four. Scored a lot and made threes at a better rate this season.</p>

<p>18. Tim Duncan (San Antonio). Player Option. Can he prolong his career with Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way in San Antonio?</p>

<p>17. Al Jefferson (Charlotte). Unrestricted free agent. The low-post maestro has made eight figures for almost a decade. Can that streak continue with his numbers declining?</p>

<p>16. Nicolas Batum (Charlotte). Unrestricted free agent. The French swingman played the best basketball of his career with a big role in Charlotte. Really bounced back from his poor 2014-15 season.</p>

<p>15. Rajon Rondo (Sacramento). Unrestricted free agent. Signed a one-year deal in Sacramento with hopes of reviving his NBA career. He did just that, although it didn't translate into many wins.</p>

<p>14. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas). Player Option. WIll reportedly opt out of his contract and sign a two-year deal with the Mavericks, the only NBA team he's known.</p>

<p>13. Chandler Parsons (Dallas). Player Option. Has the athleticism and shooting skills to be a high-quality starter in the NBA for many years to come.</p>

<p>12. Pau Gasol (Chicago). Player Option. Could be looking at his last big deal in the NBA. Has made clear he's OK with being underpaid as long as he can get another shot at the title. Probably not happening in Chicago.</p>

<p>11. Harrison Barnes (Golden State). Restricted free agent. He's putting up nice stats and winning every night. But with star potential, is he cool with a secondary role in Golden State?</p>

<p>10. Dwyane Wade (Miami). Unrestricted free agent. Played at his usual All-Star level once again. Likely to re-sign and recruit for the Heat.</p>

<p>9. Bradley Beal (Washington). Restricted free agent. We were expecting a breakout season from Beal, but didn't happen. Concerns about his durability having missed 81 games in the last four years. The Wizards will have to pay top dollar to keep him in DC, though.</p>

<p>8. Dwight Howard (Houston). Player Option. He may no longer be the impact player he once was, but teams will be lining up for his services if he opts out of his contract with the Rockets.</p>

<p>7. Al Horford (Atlanta). Unrestricted free agent. There's little flash to his game, but still a high-quality big man in the Eastern Conference. Mr. Efficiency.</p>

<p>6. Mike Conley (Memphis). Unrestricted free agent. All-Star caliber point guard that has yet to make the All-Star. The player with the most games in Grizzlies history is about to get a pay raise… and deservedly so.</p>

<p>5. DeMar DeRozan (Toronto). Player Option. The three-point shot is still not falling at a good rate, but he's playing the best basketball of his career this season. Likely to opt out and sign a max deal somewhere.</p>

<p>4. Hassan Whiteside (Miami). Unrestricted free agent. Obviously, his 2014-15 performance was no fluke as he averaged a double-double again. Will dunk and block anything around the basket. Some questions about his focus.</p>

<p>3. Andre Drummond (Detroit). Restricted free agent. Always had the tools to become a dominant big man in the NBA. He started to live up to that potential in 2015-16. Absolutely needs to improve free-throw shooting, though.</p>

<p>2. LeBron James (Cleveland). Player Option. Nobody can picture LeBron James leaving Cleveland again. Look for him to sign a humongous deal with the Cavs.</p>

<p>1. Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City). Unrestricted free agent. Hits free agency for the first time in his prime. Outstanding scorer who can make a contender out of most teams. His departure would devastate Oklahoma City.</p>

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