Deadspin fixes NBA free agency, Part VI: The Sleepers

This isn’t a best of, and it can’t be; we don’t even know who will be available by the time this goes up.

That said, if you’re here, you could be for a number of reasons. You’re a sports fan. A basketball fan. A (insert team here) fan. You hate our fucking guts. Whatever it is, welcome. Every year a collection of guys are producing by February, and many of us are like, “How the fuck did they get that guy?” And then you look back, and the player being referred to sneakily joined his club for less than you would’ve anticipated in a low profile fashion after many more sizable moves were made. This is for those motherfuckers, and hopefully, your favorite team gets one of them.

Guys like Reggie Jackson, Cameron Payne, and Bruce Brown for example, are fresh in our heads from the NBA Playoffs. Naturally, we’ll be sleeping on others who didn’t make it deep into the playoffs or didn’t reach them at all.

Enter TJ McConnell, who was one of the better Sixth Men in the NBA last season. He’s as flashy as a 1908 local Kentucky newspaper, but he averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per contest in 26.0 minutes per outing through his 69 appearances with the Indiana Pacers. He also shot 56 percent from the field. He’s not modern-game friendly because he attempted 0.7 threes and free throw attempts per game last season, but as a back-up floor general providing defensive tenacity, his style yearns to be a pain in the ass on behalf of a playoff-bound organization. Picture him on the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, or Miami Heat, for example, if not back on the Pacers.

Reggie Bullock had an essential role on the best Knick team since 2012-13, scoring 10.9 points per game as a full-time starting swingman and shooting 44 / 41 / 91 splits in 30 minutes per game. The 30-year-old sniper mostly struggled in the playoffs, limited to just 8.8 points per game on 39 / 35 / 80 splits. Still, Bullock was a massive upgrade from his 2019-20 self, as were the Knicks as a whole, and he’s in line to get looks from notable squads all around the league. He could be another one of these integral shooters who find themselves in the playoffs regularly at this stage of his career, and we could see pursuits from competitive clubs, including the one he just played on, depending on how they navigate the coming days. The Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics are reportedly among those intrigued.

The Villanova alum quietly became one of the NBA’s best rebounding wings last season, his fourth in the league. The former Los Angeles Laker turned New Orleans Pelican played in 47 games last season, starting four, and was an integral role man for the Pels. Hart averaged 28.7 minutes per game, a career-high, posting 9.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. His shooting splits were 44 / 33 / 78, and he had a career-best offensive rating of 117. Hart’s minutes have gone up each season of his career, and at 26, he’s entering the most important off-season of his career. Like others listed here, he should be considered for a viable role on certain contenders.

We know it won’t be the Detroit Pistons, at least.

Dedmon signed a three-year deal worth $40 million with the Sacramento Kings in July of 2019, and six months later, he was fined for publicly requesting a trade. He wound up on the Atlanta Hawks before they got real good, and the Heat scooped him up as a free agent this past April after missing out on LaMarcus Aldridge. Dedmon only played 16 games but was one of their most impactful players down the stretch, averaging 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in just 13.1 minutes per contest. The Heat should keep him, and he wants to stay, but money talks and Dedmon will turn 32 in August.

Ok, this one’s a little more fun, admittedly.

One of the truly enjoyable names who will be on the board this season: Carmelo Anthony has been with the Blazers ever since they brought him back into the NBA early in the 2019-20 season, and he’s averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds on 43 / 40 / 87 shooting splits ever since. In 11 playoff games with Portland, his averages are 13.6 points and 4.0 rebounds on 41 / 39 / 88 splits. The 18-year-veteran could “ring chase,” in theory, but he isn’t going somewhere he wouldn’t play. Is it finally time for LeBron James to team up with him in Los Angeles? Will Chris Paul instead try to lure him to Phoenix? Is it finally time for a Knicks reunion, possibly setting for a proper send-off? Are we not to ignore Miami or Golden State here? Or, is it none of the above? If we’re entering Melo’s last season, let’s hope it isn’t in obscurity, especially since he can still produce at this stage.