5 underrated unrestricted NBA free agents

After the odd calm of the 2022 NBA Draft, the next phase of the 2022 off-season begins on Thursday — free agency. Recent trends show that major free agents tend to re-sign from their current teams to reap the max amount of years and money only their current teams can offer. With that in mind, let’s look at the under-the-radar, unrestricted free agents who could take on more prominent roles with teams looking to improve their standings.

The free agents discussed are unrestricted, which means any team can sign them outright without the current team being able to match the offer. As a result, these players will be wild cards this summer and should have multiple suitors vying for their services.

Position: Center Ht: 6-10 Age: 24

2021-22 stats: 7.4 ppg, 4 rpg (35% from 3 for his career)

Over the last two seasons, Bryant has gotten lost in the drama-filled shuffle of the Washington Wizards’ roster. It’s partially Bryant’s fault, as he has struggled to stay healthy while playing only 37 games over the last two seasons. For a player who is supposed to stretch the floor, his shooting splits have been all over the damn place. Over a 27-game sample size last season, Bryant shot 27 percent from three. The season before, he nailed 43% over 10 games. He is a career 35% shooter from three, 59 percent from the field, and 88 percent free-throw shooter.

Those numbers prove that Bryant can space the floor when he’s healthy enough to gain consistency. Health isn’t the only risk. For a 6-foot-10 player, his rebounding numbers are woefully weak at 5.7 rpg over his career. If Bryant can stay healthy, he could be one of the league’s better reserves, playing behind a solid starter and providing spacing on the second unit. His skill set is precisely what modern teams look for from their bigs on the bench.

Best Fits: Knicks, Heat, Suns, Jazz

Position: Point Guard HT: 6-0 Age: 26

2021-22 stats: 8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 apg

While Jalen Brunson has become the most overrated free agent this offseason, Jones might be the most underrated. The stocky guard led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio last season while providing a steady hand for the Memphis Grizzlies when Ja Morant went down with an injury. In 38 games throughout Jones’ career where Morant was out due to injury, he’s averaged 11.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. So it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where a team hands him a starting gig, and he raises those numbers a bit higher across the board.

He will have options to either stay with the Grizzlies as their super-sub or play the same role for a team like the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers. Or he could go to the Knicks, who have needed a point guard for 20 years, and fill the role they desperately envision Brunson taking for $15 million less. Jones deserves a payday as much as he deserves a shot at showing what he can do as a starter. His has the ability to take care of the ball and come up big, which he did in the Grizzlies’ second-round series against the Warriors, where he dropped 21 points and nine assists in Game 5.

Best Fits: Knicks, Pistons, Lakers, Suns

Position: Shooting Guard HT: 6-4 Age: 27

2021-22 stats: 11.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.8 apg

It feels like forever ago when Gary Harris was the starting guard for the Denver Nuggets. He was pretty good while he was there, going so far as to average 17.5 ppg in 2017-18. Since he was traded to Orlando in the Aaron Gordon deal in 2021, he’s been the odd vet on a team full of developing youngsters. But Harris is only 27 years old and has plenty left in the tank. One could imagine him filling a Gary Payton Jr. role for a contender as a spark off the bench.

Harris has always been an above-average defender, and with his passing ability, he can play the one-through-three positions. Teams on the cusp of contention are trying to load up on 3 and D guys. Precisely the archetype Harris fits into. As a result, Harris should expect multiple contenders to be in the mix for his services. The best fit will be a team where he can substitute at various positions, allowing him to fill a similar role as he did with the Nuggets for his first six seasons.

Best Fits: Celtics, Warriors, 76ers, Mavericks

Position: Center HT: 7-0 Age: 24

2021-22 stats: 8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg

The Los Angeles Clippers was Hartenstein’s fourth team in four years. Before landing in coach Ty Lue’s rotation, he was a little-used role player. Once he joined the Clippers midseason in 2022, his shooting efficiency exploded to 63 percent. He suddenly became a three-point threat, shooting a ridiculous 47 percent from three. Nobody expects him to sustain those numbers, but it did show untapped potential lurking in the 24-year-old seven-footer.

Hartenstein is looking to demand a contract beyond what the cap-strapped Clippers can afford. Meaning he will likely find his fifth team in five years. This time though, it’s assumed he will stay put for a while. While teams aren’t clamoring to load up on big men anymore, Hartenstein’s efficiency from the field and potential from the arc make him an intriguing player to take a flyer on. His ceiling could be close to the guy he backed up this season, Ivica Zubac, a fellow seven-footer with a soft touch and graceful balance around the rim.

Best Fits: Mavericks, Timberwolves, Magic, Raptors

Position: Small Forward HT: 6-4 Age: 25

2021-22 stats: 9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.1 apg

As mentioned, 3 and D players are the archetypes modern NBA teams can’t get enough of. It’s why players like Reggie Bullock, who can’t do a single thing on offense beyond shooting a 3, got paid last summer by the Mavericks. As a part-time starter, Bruce Brown Jr. was one of the few Brooklyn Nets who didn’t add to the delusional dysfunction this past season. Last season, Brown was a 405 three-point shooter with a 15 PER available for 72 out of 82 games. To further prove it, Brown ranked fifth on the team in PER, second in Win Shares at 4.8, and tied Kevin Durant for first in Defensive Win Shares at 2.0.

His defensive rating of 111 last season was a notch below the league average, but he was usually tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best offensive players. Although modest on paper, his 9 ppg was a career-high. In addition, his ability to defend the one-through-four slots makes him a desirable player to fill out a contending bench rotation.

Best Fits: 76ers, Trailblazers, Kings, Jazz