5 under the radar NBA free agents
With the 2013-14 season in the books and the start of free agency just a couple of weeks away, fans and media alike are wrapped up in the upcoming decisions of big names such as James, Anthony, Bosh and Wade, just to name a few.
But what about some of the smaller name free agents who may be going under the radar right now? There are plenty of capable, non-All-Star type free agents who could help shift the balance of power themselves if they land in the right situations with the right teams.
On that note, here are five under the radar UFA's to keep an eye on once the 2014 off-season officially kicks off in July.
(All salary information courtesy of ShamSports.com)
Patty Mills
2013-14 salary: $1,133,950
Nearly half of Mills' career minutes played in five NBA seasons came in the 2013-14 season alone, as the Australian guard proved an impactful spark off the bench for the championship winning Spurs. Mills shot 42.5 percent from three-point territory this season, is a career 40 percent three-point shooter, and has seen over 49 percent of his field goal attempts over the last two seasons come from behind the arc in the Spurs' three-happy system.
At 25, Mills figures to just be entering his prime, and whether back in San Antonio or elsewhere, he'll help any team looking for shooting and a backup point guard. He'll surely command a noteworthy raise, though.
Jodie Meeks
2013-14 salary: $1,550,000
Meeks' career-high scoring average of 15.7 points per game was understandably overshadowed by the fact that the 26-year-old shooting guard posted those numbers on an atrocious Lakers team, and any good team probably wouldn't want him starting 70 games, as he did this season in L.A. But for the right price as a scoring option off of the bench, Meeks could fill a nice role somewhere else.
He averaged those 15.7 points this season on 46 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from deep on over five three-point attempts per game, and if you take out his rookie season in a now five-year career, Meeks has shot 38 percent from deep over the last four seasons while attempting 4.6 threes per game. He's also durable, having missed just 17 games total over those four seasons.
Al-Farouq Aminu
2013-14 salary: $3,749,602
Most people will see Aminu's career average of 6.5 points per game and an ugly Effective Field Goal percentage of 48.7, and dismiss the small forward's NBA potential altogether. Yes, the 23-year-old is basically an offensive zero, but there's more to basketball than just scoring, and if the right team with the right developmental prowess can pick him up, Aminu still has an NBA future.
The eighth overall pick from the 2010 Draft is an impact defender with elite defensive tools, and he compliments that defense with arguably the best rebounding of any small forward in the league, especially on the defensive end (He's finished in the top-three in Rebound Rate and No. 1 in Defensive Rebound Rate among SF's in each of the last two seasons). Aminu has also suited up for 303 out of a possible 312 games in four NBA seasons.
A cheap, durable, 23-year-old, 6-9 forward with elite defense and rebounding is something that should intrigue teams, even with Aminu's lack of offensive production a well known drawback.
Josh McRoberts
2013-14 salary: $2,652,000
McRoberts just declined his $2,771,340 player option earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer surely looking for more than that modest figure. The 6-10 big man posted modest averages of 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in starting all 78 games he appeared in for the surprising Bobcats Hornets, but it was his passing ability - in addition to his usual three-point competency - that opened a lot of eyes this season.
McRoberts averaged a career-high 4.3 assists per game, which ranked third among big men behind only such play making bigs as Kevin Love (4.4) and Joakim Noah (5.4), and matched Noah with 66.8 passes per game, according to NBA.com's Player Tracking database. The power forward also shot just over 36 percent from three-point territory in 2013-14 while taking over half of his shots from there after a disappointing shooting season in 2012-13.
Charlotte will be looking to retain McRoberts, who was a key figure in their turnaround, but any team looking for a floor spacing big man with the ability to keep an offense moving will give them competition for his services.
Emeka Okafor
2013-14 salary: $14,487,500
Unlike most players on this list who are due for raises, Okafor is due for a considerable pay cut after not playing a single game in the 2013-14 season thanks to a herniated disc in his neck.
Many fans have probably forgotten Okafor exists altogether, and the uncertainty surrounding his status should make him available for a bargain price. Remember, when healthy Okafor was one of the best rim protectors in the game and had double-double potential on any given night. If a team can bring the 31-year-old in as a bench big man to solidify their frontcourt rotation at a low-risk price, it might be one of the more underrated moves of the summer.