With the Denver Nuggets having won the 2023 NBA championship, a new season is right around the corner. For 29 other NBA teams, the offseason provides a beacon of hope, an opportunity to bolster the roster in hopes of winning a championship the following year. And one of the most obvious ways for any team to fill glaring needs on their roster or up their talent base is to secure the services of impactful players in NBA free agency.
With names such as Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook headlining this year's free agent class, teams will have no shortage of options to choose from in the open market. However, only a select few will be able to make a run at the cream of the crop in NBA free agency due to this thing called the salary cap.
Nevertheless, there will be plenty of unsung free agents who could, perhaps, contribute to a contending team and even swing the outcome of the 2023-24 season. For example, the Nuggets signed Bruce Brown to a two-year, $13.3 million deal last offseason, and Brown proved to be such a huge part of how the Nuggets got over the championship hump.
It'll be interesting to see which underrated NBA free agent could make a similar impact as Brown did for the Nuggets. And these may be the five guys who are next in line to do so.
Here are five underrated free agents who could swing the outcome of the 2023-24 NBA season.
The likes of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus may have played too well for the duration of the playoffs to be considered “underrated”. The Miami Heat backcourt duo could be in line for a contract in the eight digits after proving they could contribute to winning at the highest level.
5. Hamidou Diallo
Hamidou Diallo has never been a huge contributor for a winning team, although is it really fair to hold that distinction over his head? Diallo was only 21 when he last played for a winning team (2019-20 Oklahoma City Thunder), so he doesn't have the longest track record of being a winning contributor. But he may very well find another level to his game should he land on a team where he won't have to do too much.
Diallo does not have a good outside shot, which definitely limits his ceiling as a contributor. He shot 23.8 percent from deep last season on a limited number of attempts, and he has the shot profile of a big man. At 6'5, that is not the most promising sign.
But despite that, he shot 57.3 percent from the field, and he did so despite playing for the Detroit Pistons, a team that doesn't exactly space the floor well. Thus, it speaks to Diallo's athleticism that he's able to carve up defenses on the interior despite not having the most well-rounded game.
Perhaps with a team such as the Nuggets, Diallo could flourish all the more, feasting on the open looks he'd be getting playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
4. Jevon Carter
It's crazy to think now how Jevon Carter was waived by the Brooklyn Nets in 2022… to sign a way-past-his-prime Goran Dragic, no less. Carter has always produced in limited minutes for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he stands out as an incredible insurance option whenever the Bucks' regular starters are resting.
However, the Bucks will have more pressing orders of business this offseason. Khris Middleton may decide to decline his player option in search of a long-term payday, while Brook Lopez will be commanding a huge deal of his own after a DPOY-caliber season.
There's a chance that Jevon Carter will be out of the Bucks' price range in NBA free agency. And another team will be better off for it.
Carter is known for his heat check transition triples, but he can also stick to ballhandlers like glue on screens, and he doesn't try to do too much on either end of the floor. His diminutive stature may put off some teams, but despite standing at 6'1, Carter will surely be worth adding as he contributes on both ends of the floor. He shot 42 percent from deep after all, which should be of use to any contending team.
It's not that hard to see Carter nailing a few timely threes in the middle of a playoff run — playing a role similar to the one Gabe Vincent played for the Heat this past postseason.
3. TJ Warren
There's a big chance that TJ Warren is definitely an over-the-hill forward, which is quite the shame, given how exhilarating to watch his scoring exploits were at his best. Who would soon forget how Warren tore up the NBA during the bubble?
But Warren is not even close to being the player he once was. After arriving with the Phoenix Suns, a team in dire need of depth in the wake of trading Kevin Durant, Warren still failed to get consistent minutes. And yes, he wasn't nursing an injury, so it speaks volumes to how far off he is from his pre-injury form that he couldn't get on the floor.
However, TJ Warren is only 29 years old. Perhaps a fully healthy offseason of work would do him wonders, three years after he initially suffered a major injury. Warren's potential as a 15-points per game scorer for, perhaps, the veteran minimum simply cannot be ignored.
2. Trey Lyles
Trey Lyles is starting to shake off his reputation as the uninspiring return the Nuggets received during the 2017 NBA Draft for the pick that ended up being Donovan Mitchell.
After toiling through uninspiring stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons, Lyles has become an instrumental part of a winning team — the 2023 Sacramento Kings team that won 48 games and challenged the Golden State Warriors to a competitive seven-game first-round series.
Lyles is a versatile big man who can play either the four or the five. He played a lot of minutes alongside Domantas Sabonis, providing the Kings with some source of offense in the post as well as a solid spot-up threat off the corner. His defensive mobility may not be the best, but he showed that he can hang with perimeter players at a solid enough level for a team with contending aspirations.
Given how well he fit the Kings' system, Sacramento may not want to give up on him in NBA free agency. But plenty of contending teams will value the offensive versatility Lyles provides, as it's not too hard to envision him knocking down huge triples or securing crucial boards, featuring heavily in a postseason rotation.
1. Naz Reid
Naz Reid, is, without a doubt, the most “talented” player on this list. Reid has an array of offensive moves that's not typical of a big man; he can carve up opposing teams with his ballhandling, and he can knock down shots from all three levels of the court with ease.
His situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves isn't the most conducive to success; at the moment, he's playing behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Given his status as an unrestricted free agent, he may very well choose to sign for a team in need of frontcourt reinforcements, priming him for a breakout season.
When it comes to his potential contending viability, Naz Reid hasn't had the most glowing reviews for his defense. But skilled size reigns supreme in today's NBA. Betting on Reid means betting on the immense talent he possesses offensively that allows him to be a walking mismatch problem, good enough for a 20 to 25 minute role a night depending on the matchup.
Could Reid emerge as a nightly double-double threat? Perhaps. He certainly has the skillset and talent to do so. And it's looking like all he needs is the opportunity.
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