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NBA Free Agency: Top 10 2016 Free Agents

By Ryan Blackburn

Apr 25, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) waits to be introduced prior to action against the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) waits to be introduced prior to action against the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Toronto Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) during the third quarter in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Toronto Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) during the third quarter in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

7. DeMar DeRozan

Ah, the curious case of DeMar DeRozan.

Bashed for inefficiency and shoddy shot selection, DeRozan did his best to push down those issues,and because of his efforts, he was rewarded with an All-Star appearance in February. His stat line for the 2015-16 season was 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while his efficiency crept up to 44.6 percent from the field.

This combination of usage and efficiency gave Raptors fans hope for the postseason, and while it’s generally accepted that scoring is harder in the playoffs, DeRozan’s first four games were atrocious. He recovered with an impressive performance in Game 5, but his 17.4 points per game are currently coming on 33.3 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from distance. Ouch.

DeRozan is still just 26, so he’s entering the prime years of his career. He will likely be given a max extension, but it will be difficult for him to live up to that billing if he cannot fix his efficiency issues. He has shown defensive capacity in the past, but this is also an issue that teams will have to take into account.

His Defensive Real Plus/Minus ranked a cool 82nd out of 98 shooting guards, showing that whatever DeRozan obtains on the offensive end may be given up defensively due to his poor play.

That being said, Toronto would love to have its All-Star back and the most likely destination for the shooting guard is north of the border. His bond with Kyle Lowry is key in this decision, but it may be contingent on if Toronto can pull out a first-round victory over the Indiana Pacers.

If Toronto loses, look for DeRozan to explore his options on the open market. Plenty of teams will be willing to pay him, including the Knicks or a surprise team like the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz have no incentive to tank next year given that they owe their 2017 first-round selection to the Denver Nuggets with only top-five protection.

With Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in place, general manager Chris Wallace could look to add a player of DeRozan’s caliber while retaining Mike Conley. Toss in Matt Barnes to glue the starting lineup together and the Grizzlies could return to competing very quickly.

Next: Number 6