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NBA: 5 Best Remaining Free Agents

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (23) defends a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (23) defends a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (3) reacts during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Dion Waiters

Inhabitants of Waiters Island, your moment has finally come! Dion Waiters is the top candidate on a list of the best remaining free agents!

Sure, all the marquee names like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons, Nicolas Batum, Pau Gasol, Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard are all off the board. And yes, Waiters’ most likely free agency outcome — re-signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder — may be out of the picture thanks to the Serge Ibaka trade that netted OKC Victor Oladipo.

Wait, where was I going with this again?

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    • Oh, right: Dion Waiters still has value for someone! Though his restricted free agency complicates things a bit, Waiters is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 9.8 points per game on 35.8 percent shooting for a legitimate title contender.

    Those numbers are pedestrian alone, but combined with his 37.5 percent three-point shooting and important defensive minutes in OKC’s playoff run, this 24-year-old playmaker shouldn’t be given up on.

    The question is what kind of offer it’d take to lure him from OKC. Though the Thunder might not have interest in an extension, GM Sam Presti would probably be inclined to match an appropriate offer for his restricted free agent now that Kevin Durant’s departure freed up extra cap space.

    If Russell Westbrook is not interested in leaving OKC and the Thunder aren’t trying to trade him, retaining Waiters makes sense. He’s a competitive player who fits alongside Russ off the bench and for Westbrook to stay with the Thunder long-term, this team needs to remain competitive.

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    But if a lucrative offer were to swoop in — which would be a substantial risk for that team, even in this market — perhaps we would see Presti opt for around $20 million in cap space and the flexibility that comes with it rather than remain an inhabitant of Waiters Island.