The Top 25 free agents in 2017

<p>25. Dion Waiters (Player Option). 15.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.3 rpg. Had a breakout season in Miami as one of the main pieces of the overachieving Heat. Played way more efficient basketball than he used to.</p>

<p>24. Derrick Rose (Unrestricted). 18.0 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.8 rpg. His play was solid if unspectacular in New York. Didn’t help himself by going AWOL before a game vs. New Orleans.</p>

<p>23. Andre Iguodala (Unrestricted). 7.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg. One of the most efficient perimeter defenders around. Still pretty athletic at his age. Performance is way better than stats show.</p>

<p>22. Rudy Gay (Player Option). 18.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg. Probably hoping he can pull a Wesley Matthews and land a big contract following a season-ending injury.</p>

<p>21. Mason Plumlee (Restricted). 10.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg. The Nuggets gave up Jusuf Nurkic to acquire him. Hard to picture them letting him go.</p>

<p>20. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Restricted). 13.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg. Many of us expected him to have a breakout season with the Pistons. Didn’t happen. There will still be a market for him.</p>

<p>19. Dirk Nowitzki (Team Option). 14.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg. Father Time definitely started to beat Dirk Nowitzki this season. He’s not looking to retire, though.</p>

<p>18. JJ Redick (Unrestricted). 15.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg. Excellent shooter, decent defender and great locker room guy. Regressed a bit this season.</p>

<p>17. Nerlens Noel (Restricted). 8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg. Defense-oriented big man with a lot of upside and some red flags.</p>

<p>16. Jeff Teague (Unrestricted). 15.3 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.0 rpg. Still only 28, the dynamic Teague has many good basketball years ahead of him.</p>

<p>15. Greg Monroe (Player Option). 11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg. Great low-post game and nice touch around the rim. Has not been a hit with the Bucks.</p>

<p>14. Otto Porter (Restricted). 13.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg. His strong play has been a quite welcome event for the Wizards. Timing couldn’t be better for him money-wise.</p>

<p>13. George Hill (Unrestricted). 16.9 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.4 rpg. The always reliable Hill is having his best year on the offensive end. Has missed a lot of games, though.</p>

<p>12. Dwyane Wade (Player Option). 18.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg. Wade has started to show his age. Has not been a great fit in Chicago. Can pick his team again this summer if he opts out.</p>

<p>11. Pau Gasol (Player Option). 12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg. Like most, he’s sacrificing stats in order to fit with what the Spurs do. His stint in San Antonio is mostly a success story so far.</p>

<p>10. Serge Ibaka (Unrestricted). 14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg. He’s no longer in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, but remains a high-quality power forward with ever-improving three-point prowess.</p>

<p>9. Danilo Gallinari (Player Option). 18.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg. A big forward with unlimited range? That’s very valuable in the NBA these days. Likely to land a massive deal.</p>

<p>8. Jrue Holiday (Unrestricted). 15.4 ppg, 7.3 apg, 3.9 rpg. Highly productive player when healthy. Durability is an obvious issue with him.</p>

<p>7. Paul Millsap (Player Option). 18.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.7 apg. Overachieves year after year. May not have superstar talent, but makes a very noticeable impact on both ends of the court.</p>

<p>6. Kyle Lowry (Unrestricted). 22.4 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.8 rpg. The Raptors playmaker is having a career year… again. His backcourt combo with DeMar DeRozan is just top-notch.</p>

<p>5. Chris Paul (Player Option). 18.1 ppg, 9.2 apg, 5.0 rpg. Chris Paul is on the wrong side of 30, but suitors will line up for his services regardless. You would expect him to lose a step by now. It hasn’t happened yet.</p>

<p>4. Blake Griffin (Player Option). 21.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.9 apg. Look for him to opt out and get a humongous deal. With the Clippers’ championship window closing, will he look for greener pastures?</p>

<p>3. Gordon Hayward (Player Option). 21.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 apg. The versatile forward becomes a free agent right in the middle of his prime years. Keeping him in Utah will not come cheap.</p>

<p>2. Stephen Curry (Unrestricted). 25.3 ppg, 6.6 apg. The back-to-back MVP hits free agency in July and he’s a mortal lock to get a maximum contract. With the Warriors rolling, it’s hard to picture him leaving the Bay Area anytime soon.</p>

<p>1. Kevin Durant (Player Option). 25.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.9 apg. One of the most gifted offensive players in NBA history. Will be looking to re-up with Golden State in July 2017 – perhaps after winning his first championship ring.</p>

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