With less than two months to go until the post-season begins, who is still without a squad? There is still a handful of talent available to NBA teams in the free agency market ahead of the 2022-23 playoffs, and we’re taking a look at the five best options who could provide valuable minutes on a contending side.
Some honorable mentions are athletes like LaMarcus Aldridge who last played for the Nets in 2021, 26-year-old Stanley Johnson who was recently waived by the Spurs, or even Hassan Whiteside who some Miami fans believe the player should’ve never left the Heat.
With approximately one-third of NBA teams still with an available roster spot, free agents include: Serge Ibaka, John Wall, LaMarcus Aldridge, Will Barton, Stanley Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson, Sterling Brown, Hassan Whiteside, David Nwabe, Michael Carter-Williams.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 21, 2023
Just as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, at least a third of the NBA teams still have an available spot in their roster, as some franchises strategically like to leave an open space for a future youngster or a surprising waive from another squad. However, now that we are to face the playoffs, it’s important to have a diverse roster in case of injuries.
Here are our choices for the Top 5 free agents still remaining this tournament:
Serge Ibaka
Two weeks Serge Ibaka had a terrible day. Just as the Bucks had traded the Spanish player to Indiana, the Pacers decided to waive him shortly to make room in their roster. The 33-year-old had only played in 16 contests so far this season, but still the foward averaged 4.1 points in only 11.6 minutes per game.
Scoring 48.1% of his field goal attempts, Ibaka would be a strong offensive addition to any team in the league. The athlete born in Congo, Africa, has participated in 13 NBA seasons for 5 squads, including the Thunder and Raptors. He has averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 903 regular-season matches.
Although the has been linked with a move to Miami, there still hasn’t been further news about these negotiations.
DeMarcus Cousins
32-year-old DeMarcus Cousins has really been trying his best for any NBA team to give him another shot. Not too long ago, he was spotted training with the Lakers to see if he would fit into Darvin Ham’s available roster spots back before the trade deadline, but never landed a deal in Los Angeles.
Just recently, it has been reported that there are two teams in the league with very clear requirements for a backup center. The squads that have shown interest for the big man are Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors.
Cousins, who suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets last year, played between 14 and 17 minutes per game, averaging 9 points per contest with a 46% efficiency from the field. In addition, with the Colorado squad the player shot 32.4 % from beyond the arc, also averaging 5.5 rebounds per match.
John Wall
Once a street legend, John Wall just went through a rough patch this past weeks. Right before the trade deadline this past February 9, it was announced the player was returning to a Rockets team in desperate need of reconstruction, only to be waived a couple of days later.
The team with the worst record in the entire league (13-45) is dissing John Wall? That is a move that’s hard to wrap your head around. This season, he was averaging 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5,2 assists per games with the Washington Wizards.
Throughout his 11 campaigns in the NBA, the 32-year-old has averaged 18.7 points in his career, also adding 4.2 rebounds and 8.9 assists in his 647 games as a professional basketball player. He’s also been selected 5 times in past All-Star games.
Carmelo Anthony
Will some just please give the man the farewell tour he deserves!? While the ten-time All-Star player is still searching for an NBA team to let him show us what he can still do on court, he is always indulged in basketball activities.
Two weeks ago he started a foundation that invested 750 millions dollars in sport development, as just last night he was spotted in Manila, Philippines to grace the FIBA World Cup Global Ambassador Presentation.
He is also the first U.S. basketball player to participate in four different Olympic stages, becoming a gold medalist in three of those ocassions. The list of accolades behind the 28-year-old is long as he has played 1,260 NBA matches throughout his career, averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds during his time as a pro.
Kemba Walker
After the Dallas Mavericks let Kemba Walker go back in January, the four-time All Star player is still a free agent no team has picked up. The reason was simple, the Mavs management didn’t trust the athlete’s latest injury development would recover soon enough for him to actually make an impact for his former team this campaign.
And that has been the discourse for every NBA franchise so far, as reports suggest he is yet to enter serious negotiations with any team. Will we see Walker again this 2022/23 season, or should we simply wait until the next championship?
After 750 NBA games throughout his career, Kemba is thought as a basketball great by most. Still only 32-years old, it’s a wonder why any team would doubt investing in such a high-profile player, considering he at least has 5 more years to go. Averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in his career, let’s hope we can see more of the point guard soon.
