The remaining free agents who just might help your favorite team

Some important players have signed to teams late in the second or even third week of NBA free agency in recent years. It may happen more often than we even realize. Marcus Morris famously had an agreement in place with the San Antonio Spurs, and apparently was offered even more to join the Los Angeles Clippers, but opted to ink a one-year deal with the New York Knicks two weeks into free agency two summers ago. He went on to have a career-year in New York, was traded for, among other things, a first-round pick, and is now a core member of the Clippers, who see themselves as title contenders. Other meaningful names who officially signed even after that were Kelly Oubre Jr., Richaun Holmes, Reggie Bullock, and Daniel Theis, among others. 2020 was just too weird to track and use as an example, though, there were probably some then as well.

Teams are rounding out their rosters and there are some damn possible helpful players still left unsigned to NBA squads. Here are a few that should wind-up on teams in important roles in some capacity, even though we’re late in the process.

Paul Millsap might not only be on the back-nine, but on the last hole. Still, the 35-year-old forward is available for someone and should find himself on a contender before training camp. Millsap’s a few years removed from his peak stretch of four consecutive All-Star appearances but is still highly productive. In 56 games last year, 36 of which were starts, he posted 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per contest, shooting 48 / 34 / 72 splits. He’s said to be receiving intrigue from the Golden State Warriors and his former team, the Atlanta Hawks. There’s a slight chance he’s back in Denver with the Nuggets, but that isn’t expected locally. As a whole, every contender who needs size should have intrigue, and how could you not expect the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers not to be in the discussion.

Oh, and get him some recommendations while you’re at it.

Josh Hart is a confusing name still on the board that talks have been oddly quiet around relative to some of his peers. Perhaps that’s because he’s a restricted free agent, so others have been hesitant to try and poach. The 26-year-old wing played in 47 games last season, starting four, averaging 28.7 minutes per game, a career-high for the Villanova alum. He posted 9.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game with shooting splits of 44 / 33 / 78, and he had a career-best offensive rating of 117. He’s one of the best non-big man rebounders in the league who would play an important role wherever he goes, assuming the New Orleans Pelicans don’t just try and keep him. Apparently, a sign-and-trade centered around Hart and Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield has been discussed. 

The two-time NBA All-Defense guard still has something left, so don’t let a disappointing 2020-21 fool you. The 2020 offseason signing to the Miami Heat felt perfect for what both sides needed at the time. Miami badly needed someone to help defend primary ball-handlers at the point of attack, and Bradley obviously wanted to be on a contender, so going from one NBA Finals team (the Lakers) to another made sense. Because of COVID and injuries, he was limited to 10 games with the Heat, in which he played well — averaging 8.5 points on 47 / 42 shooting splits from the field and three — before being traded with Kelly Olynyk for Victor Oladipo before the trade deadline. Bradley only shot 31 / 27 in Houston, averaging 5.2 points in 17 games, but at soon to be 31, he should still find himself in the league because of his defense. If the shots fall, you’re even happier, and to his credit, he’s a 36 percent free-throw shooter. One team rumored to be in the mix are the Boston Celtics, who drafted Bradley No. 19 overall in 2010 and kept him on the team for seven seasons.

He’s not a name that jumps off the page at first glance, but he’s one of the most productive guys remaining, one could argue. Ennis has consistently averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds through 21.7 minutes per contest since the 2016-17 season. His shooting splits since then have been 46 / 36 / 79. Last year, the then Orlando Magic forward scored 8.4 points and pulled down 4.0 rebounds while shooting 47 / 43 / 81. He appeared in 41 games and started 37, logged 24.0 minutes per night. The recently turned 31-year-old is entering his eighth season and coming off his second-best three-point shooting season. He was reportedly drawing interest from contenders as of three weeks ago, but evidently, that was to a point. As of Thursday, the Lakers are the most recent squad mentioned. Still, Ennis should absolutely find himself on a playoff rotation.

Frank Ntilikina is complicated. The New York Knicks have renounced his rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. In four NBA seasons since the team took him at No. 8 overall in the 2017 Draft, Ntilikina’s averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 assists per game. He barely played last season, posting a career-low 9.8 minutes per contest while averaging 2.7 points per game. He’s a career 36.6 percent shooter from the field, and just 32.8 percent from three, but here’s where it gets interesting: His three-point percentage climbed from 28.7 in year two (2.7 attempts per game) to 32.1 in year three (2.4 attempts) to 47.9 percent in year three (1.5 attempts, but a personal-high 5.4 attempts per-36 minutes).

On top of all this, he could defend like hell. Ntilikina was drafted as a point guard and has been listed anywhere from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6 through his career. He should be given an opportunity by anyone willing to rebuild him as a 3-and-D wing instead of a floor general. He’s probably been out of position since entering the league, and with his defense already a plus, if he could hit a respectable three-point percentage, he could hang around on good teams with important roles in a lengthy career. For now, it would be a low-risk add-on.