NBA free agency 2023: Russell Westbrook, Dillon Brooks headline top players remaining as Day 2 is underway
The first day of free agency was, as always, a whirlwind. We’ve handed out 39 instant marks for various transfers and signings, along with play-by-play rankings for all 30 teams.
There will be plenty more signings to come as free agency continues, and there are a handful of high-profile names yet to be signed.
Here are the top remaining players by position.
MORE: Live tracker for all free agency moves
The NBA Free Agency’s top remaining point guards in 2023
1. Russell Westbrook | Status: Full free agent
Westbrook reinvigorated his career after signing with the Clippers. He has shown that when he is in the right system, he is still a very effective player.
Which system is this? Westbrook needs the ball in his hands to play his best. He also needs shooters around him. If he has those two ingredients, he can still wreak havoc by getting to the edge and splashing the ball to his teammates.
If Westbrook is in the wrong situation like he was with the Lakers, he’s going to look terrible. Teams need to be careful, but when the ingredients for his success are in place, he can still help a team a lot.
2. Ayo Dosunmu | Status: Restricted free agent
The Bulls made Dosunmu a qualifying offer, allowing them to accept any other team’s offer for the 23-year-old. But it’s still possible for Dosunmu to leave Chicago this offseason for the right offer.
The two-year-old point guard started in 51 games last season, averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He’s struggled with his three-point shooting this year, but he’s a good defender with a lot of room to grow.
3. Cory Joseph | Status: Full free agent
Joseph is a 12-year veteran who has lived in Detroit for the past two and a half seasons. He’s a good shot and a decent defender.
The NBA Free Agency’s top remaining shooting guards in 2023
1. Donte DiVincenzo | Status: Full free agent
DiVincenzo has restored his value with the Warriors after suffering a serious ankle injury two seasons ago that left him unable to play.
He’s a smart defender and a good 3-point shooter, hitting 39.7 percent of his attempts last season. At 26, his next contract will see him through his prime. He could get the full mid-range exception of $12.4 million somewhere.
2. Lonnie Walker IV | Status: Full free agent
Walker made the playoff breakthrough for the Lakers, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter of their Game 5 win over the Warriors. He knows how to find his own shot and can score on all three levels of the field.
He is also only 24 years old. He needs to improve defensively as he can sometimes lose focus.
3.Malik Beasley | Status: Full free agent
Beasley started in 14 games for the Lakers in 2022-23 and finished the game on 11.1 points per game with a 39.2 percent shot rate from the field. However, he struggled late in the season and into the playoffs, playing just a single minute in LA’s Western Conference Finals series against Denver.
At just 26, it’s possible Beasley could still turn his career around if a team is willing to give him a chance. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that he was averaging nearly 20 points a game with the Timberwolves. But that was before he was handed a 12-game ban following a guilty plea in a criminal case, and he’s been struggling to get back into shape ever since.
Top Small Forwards Remaining in NBA Free Agency in 2023
1. Dillon Brooks | Status: Full free agent
Brooks is one of the most polarizing players in the league. His defense is extremely valuable – he was named to his first all-defensive team last season. He’s a nuisance willing to do the dirty work at this end of the floor.
Brooks can also shoot his teams out of games. He’s one of the most inefficient players in the league. His 3-point rating has dropped in recent years and he will unleash some shots that completely destroy a team’s offensive flow.
And then there’s Brooks’ unique personality. The Grizzlies have leaked they have no intention of bringing him back due to the distractions he caused last season.
Brooks has a chance to be a very helpful player if he gets his shot selection and attitude issues under control.
2. Kelly Oubre Jr | Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Oubre has always presented good scoring stats and last year was no different. He averaged 20.3 points per game, the highest of his career.
But he keeps making head-snapping plays from game to game, leading to serious questions about how he feels. He should be a good defender, but it’s often where he makes his biggest mistakes.
Oubre is a very cunning player. However, when it comes to its tools and perks, there aren’t many wings.
3.Torrey Craig | Status: Full free agent
Craig was hesitating between starting XI and moving off the bench for the Suns. He is a good defender but struggles with being too passive on offense.
Like Oubre, he can make some tough decisions, but he’s good in a specialized role as a 3-and-D winger.
4. Jalen McDaniels | Status: Full free agent
McDaniels is a talented player who has yet to find his place in the league. The Sixers traded for him last season, but he didn’t play him much in their playoffs. In his early years in the league, he never quite settled with the Hornets.
However, McDaniels promises a lot. He’s a good defender whose 6-9 frame allows him to guard multiple positions. He also showed a decent 3-point shot.
He’s not the type of player to ever average 20 points per game, but he’s a good role player.
The Best Remaining Power Forwards in NBA Free Agency 2023
1. Grant Williams | Status: Restricted free agent
A fine two-way player, Williams has continued to develop his 3-pointer since entering the league, shooting over 40 percent of his attempts from deep over the past two seasons. He’s got the strength to cover some of the league’s tougher forwards and good feet to stay in front of the guards too.
Williams is a good rotation player, but for some reason he doesn’t seem to have earned coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust. The Celtics are also grappling with a difficult salary cap situation in the coming years, so a big offer from anyone could see Williams switch teams.
2. PJ Washington | Status: Restricted free agent
Washington is a good scorer. Last season, he averaged a career-high average of 15.7 points per game on an offensive Hornets team. With a 36.6 percent shot rate from 3-point range, he’s a good stretch option in his career and also has some momentum when attacking closeouts.
He’s a good rollerball player with the ability to get things done with his passes or finish on the edge. Defensively he’s more of a mixed opponent as he can sometimes struggle to stay in front of the boys.
3. Jae Crowder | Status: Full free agent
Crowder sat out most of the year after the Suns told him his role would be reduced, then played just 18.9 minutes a game for the Bucks after they traded for him in February.
He turns 33 in July and is no longer the player he once was. But he can still stretch the ground for teams — he shot 43.6 percent from distance for the Bucks. And he’s a robust, changeable defender.
The NBA Free Agency’s top remaining centers in 2023
1. Christian Wood | Status: Full free agent
Wood couldn’t quite earn Jason Kidd’s trust due to his defensive weaknesses. It looks like he’s on his way from Dallas.
Wood is a good talent who can bomb from deep and hit 37.9 percent of his 3-pointers in his career. He’s also a good vertical threat in pick and rolls.
He’s a capable rim protector, but undisciplined on defense.
2. Mason Plumlee | Status: Full free agent
A fine athlete, Plumlee is a solid back-up with the size to take on some of the bigger players in the league. He is outwardly limited despite having worked on a terrifyingly effective midfield jumper who, given his form, looks like he should never go in.
He won’t score many points, but he will use his good feeling to play mostly clean basketball.
3. Dwight Powell | Status: Full free agent
Powell is a great locker room guy and a player who knows his role in the league. He’ll push hard on defense, sprinting from rim to rim and doing a few dunks when he’s on the ground.
He will rarely make bad shots, but doesn’t pose much of a threat from the outside and can’t build his own offense.