There is a month left until the 2021-22 season begins and the teams have already made their big moves – waiting for Ben Simmons – but that does not stop the wheel from turning. The time has come to face the training camp and, with it, close the final templates to start the regular season. The big names already have equipment, but there are always interesting pieces on the market that, due to qualities or experience, can be a good fit for some specific outfits. Today we review, by position, the most interesting players who continue without a team.
Bases
Brandon Goodwin: At 25, Goodwin is looking for a team. After spending his first three seasons in the NBA between Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks (where he has lived his best moments), the point guard formed in Florida Coast appears as a more than interesting option for those who want to give depth to their backcourt; so much so that in recent days it has been known that he has been exercising with the Boston Celtics in the face of a possible incorporation to carry out the training camp. Last season he averaged 4.9 points and 2 assists in 13.2 minutes per night.
Yogi Ferrell: From more to less, but still with a certain poster. Yogi Ferrell has passed a complicated 2020-21 course. Forming part of the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers in just nine months, he finally closed his participation combining such moments with only 10 games played. Although it seems somewhat forgotten, it is a guard that can contribute both scoring and defensive intensity. It would not be strange if some team ended up noticing him.
Jeff Teague: The veteran item on this list is put by Jeff Teague. In October 2000, he assured that he wanted to go to a team where he could win. He signed with Boston, but it didn’t go well and ended up in Milwaukee, where he helped the Bucks achieve their first ring in 50 years. He is no longer that fast player who dazzled in Atlanta, but his intelligence on the floor continues to grant him a status that could convince a team. As a third baseman and momentum player, he can still be effective.
Tim Frazier: He has sounded to complete the Lakers roster, but he is still a free agent. With a long NBA career spanning up to seven seasons, Frazier is another kid you would miss at a training camp starting next week. He is not a boy who is going to make a difference, but he can help cover casualties or in specific breaks from colleagues. In addition, it is well known what it can offer, so there will be no surprises; yes, he comes from playing only five games in the 2020-21 season to average 1.6 points and 3.2 assists with Memphis Grizzlies.
Escorts
Wesley Matthews: Without a doubt the escort with the most name of those who are free. In the last two seasons, teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers trusted him, and curiously the respective champion of each course was the opposite. It’s 34 years old now, but it can still deliver good performance in limited minutes. Last season, playing for the Angels, he averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes a night. He couldn’t help them get past the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.
Tyler Johnson: Far is that summer of 2016 in which he signed a $ 50 million contract with Miami. At 29, Johnson has been a couple of seasons seeing how his game has deteriorated; as much as to be without equipment a week before the start of the training camp. Despite such a situation, it is possible that some team noticed him. Last season he had a small role, but in 2019-20 (without Kevin Durant, James Harden and with little participation from Kyrie Irving) he was really good at averaging 13.8 points in the playoffs.
Langston Galloway: Another case of a player who is suffering the consequences of a poor 2020-21 campaign. As part of Phoenix, his role was so small as to play just 11 minutes a night (his lowest in seven NBA years). Now he is looking for a new destination with the poster of being able to offer defensive work and a good three-point shot, it is that last year he went up to 42.4%. He is another player called to at least have the opportunity to show that he is still valid for the League.
Damyean Dotson: He is the youngest of those mentioned (27 years old), but that does not mean that he would add less to whoever chose him. He came to the NBA in 2017 with the Kincks and just with the New Yorkers he lived his best moments, averaging 10.7 points in 2018-19. That was his cap. A year later he could not repeat and in the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that cut him to make room for Denzel Valentine, he did not take a step forward either. He is a neat player, but whose outside shot does not quite convince.
Eaves
James Ennis: The classic defensive three that everyone needs. With seven seasons behind him, Ennis has worked to maintain his strength in avoiding the basket while establishing a decent outside shot. Last season he was really good in Orlando to average 8.4 points and 4 rebounds with 43.3% in triples. They are numbers that could convince anyone. During the month of September, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and again the Magic have been interested in his situation. A contract could be down.
JaKarr Sampson: This forward trained at the University of St. John’s does not finish establishing himself in the League. It seemed that with the Pacers he had found an accommodation, but he has not. In Indiana he has had opportunities, but he has not finished convincing. During the summer it has sounded for several teams, but for now it is still unemployed. His physical power is undeniable, but in the offensive section he is limited. If a team is looking for a player to empower them in a specific role, they may be the one.
Justin Jackson: Number 15 of the 2017 draft is free. Sacramento bet on him, but since his departure in 2019 he has already gone through up to three teams. He is only 26 years old and could still take a leap in his game; the question is whether that is enough to convince a franchisee. It is not a 10 at all, but the 6 gives it to you regularly. To complete a template at minimal risk may be a good option.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: One of the great victims of the evolution of the game in the NBA. In intensity, rebound, delivery, energy … In that it would be a fixed in any roster, but it turns out that it does not directly have a shot. Despite such a problem, seeing him on a team that wants to have a bulldog to defend specific players seems logical. He is one of those who can go out for five minutes and close the door to almost any opponent. In addition, he acts as both ‘three’ and ‘four’. Like others on this list, last season was a slowdown in his career when he played just 11 games with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Power forward
Mike Scott: Your shot can give you a contract. If it’s about playing small-ball With five players shooting from the outside, Mike Scott would be like a fish in water. A bit unruly at times, what cannot be denied to Scott is that he perfectly fulfills the role of waiting in the corner and shooting. In his career he amasses 36.2% in triples. Perhaps a contender needs something more. Philadelphia has stopped having him after two years on the roster.
TJ Leaf: Player of contexts, at 24, Leaf is without a team after four years in which it has not taken off. As a paint stripper, his main strength is on the rebound, but it’s something he has barely been able to show by playing just 8.5 minutes a night between Indiana and Oklahoma City. On a defensive-minded team, he could find an egg in the rotation.
Ersan Ilyasova: Another flashy veteran. The Turkish player is without a team after a short stay in Utah that did not bring him much joy. As with Mike Scott, his outside shot is perhaps his benchmark, but it remains to be seen if a team remembers him. In any case, its future is not in jeopardy, as it is highly regarded in Europe. For a contender If you want to add experience to your staff, that would be more than valid.
D.J. Wilson: He may be the most complete power forward of those left free. He has plenty of physique and when it comes to defending he does not save efforts, and if that sounds like a little, he is not one-armed when shooting from the outside, and it is that last season he signed 34.5%. In addition, it can be accommodated to play ‘five’ in small-ball, which makes the value grow. At just 25 years old, at the very least he should be given the opportunity to show that he deserves a place in the NBA.
Pivots
DeMarcus Cousins: The second All-Star of this list after Jeff Teague could take a new step in the League; that yes, far from those moments in which there was still hope that he would recover his best version (or get closer). In recent days there has been talk of a possible return to the Sacramento Kings, but also of taking a flight to China. In previous courses some aspiring to the title have trusted him. Will it happen again? Despite his decrease in performance, with the Clippers he had 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 12.9 minutes on the track, also signing 42.1% in triples. Not so bad …
Bismack Biyombo: After 10 consecutive seasons in the NBA and a total of 702 games, Biyombo is now in the position of looking for a team a few days before the training camp begins. Being a center away from what has been demanded for years, his strong point is the paint, where he defends and rebounds (many offensive) at a high level. It would be a perfect acquisition for a team that wants to give depth to their area with a player who knows one hundred percent what he will contribute.
Jordan Bell: He started his NBA career with a ring in Oakland, but since then his career (hit by injuries) has been in a downward line. Since leaving the Warriors, he has gone through three teams to play a total of 35 games in two years. They are only 26 years old and could help in the tasks of administration (as Andrés Montes said). Third pivot of a team? It is possible, but it has also sounded to make the leap to Europe and go to Virtus in Bologna.
Ed davis: We close with a veteran who has been through numerous battles. At 32, Ed Davis has been able to remain an interesting piece when it comes to always contributing from the bench. He is another player who will not make an important leap to any team, but who can give security and weight to the second unit. Last season he played 23 games for Minnesota to average 2.1 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes a night.
(Photograph by Steph Chambers / Getty Images)