2023 NBA free agency is flying fast and furious! Here are five deals that aren't getting enough shine.
With NBA teams now operating under the complex restrictions of the new collective bargaining agreement, there were fears that free agency would be less eventful than we're accustomed to. Not so — there have already been plenty of gobsmacking deals, both good and bad.
The focus has naturally been on the max names: Khris Middleton re-signing in Milwaukee, the Rockets stealing Fred VanVleet, the Blazers backing up the Brink's truck for Jerami Grant and Draymond Green staying put.
Several lower-level deals, however, have the potential to shift the landscape of the NBA. A lot of smart teams have squeezed excellent value out of their limited cap space or even their mid-level exceptions.
These five deals qualify as absolute home runs and should have your attention.
No. 5 underrated NBA free agency deal: Shake Milton to Timberwolves
Contract details: 2 years, $10 million
Shake Milton was buried under the Sixers' guard depth last season, but he shined when afforded the opportunity to spread his wings. In eight starts without either Harden or Maxey in the lineup, Milton averaged 21.3 points and 6.0 assists on 65.7 TS%. Those numbers aren't sustainable, but he's clearly capable of extensive production when the minutes are there.
The Wolves should hand Milton the keys to the second unit. He doesn't shoot the highest volume of threes, but Minnesota has a wide array of shooters on the roster and can stagger the rotation to pair Milton with Karl-Anthony Towns at the five, keeping the floor spaced for Shake's trademark middies.
Milton loves to probe the middle of the floor, working patiently to gain advantages over his defender with strength and craft. He has the tough shot-making gene in spades and he's a good finisher around the rim due to his length and ability to absorb contact.
While not a great defender, Milton offers inherent versatility with his long 6-foot-7 frame. He's probably better suited to guarding wings than point guards, but the Wolves can rely on the likes of Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, and Jaden McDaniels to handle high-leverage ball-handler assignments.
No. 4 underrated NBA free agency deal: Yuta Watanabe to Suns
Contract details: 1 year, $2.3 million
The Suns have compiled quite the list of minimum-contract contributors to surround the triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. A few stand out, but Yuta Watanabe feels like the player who has the greatest upside within Frank Vogel's offense next season.
Watanabe emerged as a reliable bench cog for Brooklyn last season on the basis of his blistering 3-point shooting. He hit 44.4 percent of his 2.3 long-range attempts in 16.0 minutes per game. He also showed a great capacity for cutting and finishing at the rim — his 55.7 percent success rate on 2-point shots is promising for someone billed as a 3-point specialist.
He's also 6-foot-9. There simply aren't many big wings who can shoot the ball like Watanabe, especially not available for the veteran minimum. The Suns have plenty of minutes open on the wing; Watanabe is a real candidate to start. He should feast on open threes while defenses are occupied with Phoenix's gaggle of star creators.
The cherry on top is Watanabe's built-in familiarity with Kevin Durant, who he shared the floor with in Brooklyn. He's the exact kind of scrappy bucket-getting role player who will win over national audiences while Phoenix charges toward a deep postseason run.
No. 3 underrated NBA free agency deal: Max Strus to Cavs
Contract details: 4 years, $63 million
The Cavs were swiftly ousted from the first round of the playoffs in large part because of the wing rotation. The list of wings who could survive both offensively and defensively in a postseason environment was approximately nonexistent. Well, now at least there's one player on the roster who fits the bill.
Strus is exactly what Cleveland needs. On offense, he's a dynamic shooter who's constantly in motion. He runs the floor hard, he's capable of beating closeouts and making the simple passing read, and he will have stretches of absolute torrid shot-making from long range. The Cavs' spacing can get a bit murky with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the frontcourt; Strus will keep defenses stretched thin.
On the defensive end, Strus simply competes. He's not the best athlete but he's strong with positional size and great instincts. A product of #HeatCulture, Strus knows where to be and how to make the best use of his limited tools. He was on the floor for 28.2 minutes per game in the playoffs with Miami. Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro are fine 82-game players. Strus is a proven 16-game player who should immediately take over the fifth starting spot.
Cleveland should be a contender next season. With the Sixers about to lose James Harden and the Bucks and Celtics looking more vulnerable than ever, the door is wide open. Strus won't solve every issue that led to Cleveland's stunning first-round exit, but he's a step in the right direction for a team with the ability to really make noise in the East.
No. 2 underrated NBA free agency deal: Gabe Vincent to Lakers
Contract details: 3 years, $33 million
The Lakers' guard rotation will look very different next season. Dennis Schroder took on significant bench duties last year as a veteran minimum signing. He even ended up starting in the Denver series. Now, he's off to Toronto while his presumptive replacement, Gabe Vincent, joins LA's title pursuit on a three-year contract.
Vincent is another product of #HeatCulture, just oozing with winning qualities that make this feel like a home run for the Lakers. D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves are both candidates to re-sign, but Vincent should have the starting point guard spot locked up no matter what. If he comes off the bench behind D'Lo, he's a sneaky Sixth Man of the Year candidate — especially with the inherently bright spotlight on the Lakers.
Smaller guards can be hit-or-miss in the modern NBA, but Vincent was absolute aces as the lead ball-handler for a title team last season. He ultimately spent considerable time off the ball while Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo headlined the offense, but that's exactly the role he'll find himself in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in LA. His spot-up shooting, off-ball movement, and quick decision-making will translate seamlessly to the Lakers' offense.
6-foot-3 guards can only do so much on defense, but Vincent competes extremely hard at the point of attack. He's strong for his size and blessed with quick hands that make him a regular pest for ball handlers looking to get downhill and initiate the offense. Vincent has proven that he can contribute on the biggest stage. The Lakers will place a lot of faith in him.
No. 1 underrated NBA free agency deal: Bruce Brown to Pacers
Contract details: 2 years, $45 million
The best deal of free agency? A lot of the discussion around this deal has centered on the Pacers "overpaying" to steal Brown from Denver, but is this really an overpay? Indiana is a small-market franchise at the back end of a rebuild. Brown's contract is only two years in length; no max free agents will be clamoring to join the Pacers next summer and Brown's contract is imminently tradeable in the unlikely event of complete failure.
For now, the Pacers have a proven winner to round out the starting lineup. Brown is the ultimate Swiss Army knife. Want him to set screens and play Draymond-lite in the frontcourt? He's down. Want him to run pick-and-roll, push the tempo in transition, and operate as a backup point guard? He can do that too.
Brown is a rapid-fire processor who doesn't need to dominate possessions to impact winning. He's a premium connector, making the right read every time and frequently setting up teammates for success. The combined I.Q. of Brown and Tyrese Haliburton will have the Pacers' offense sailing smoothly. Add in the passing acumen of No. 8 pick Jarace Walker in the frontcourt, and Rick Carlisle's offense should have a lot of fun wrinkles next season.
The Pacers were also desperately short on quality wing defenders last season. Brown supplies instant versatility with his length and competitiveness at the point of attack. He can comfortably toggle between 1-4 in most matchups and he brings tremendous instincts off the ball as a help defender.
Indiana is going to win more games than people expect and Bruce Brown will be playing 35+ minutes per game in the playoffs. Book it. That's worth $22.5 million per year.
