2019 NBA free agency: 5 players to stay away from

Certain NBA free agents may be highly coveted once the frenzy begins this summer, but others should be avoided at nearly all costs.

Free agency provides a perfect opportunity for all 30 teams to improve on whatever roster may have already been previously constructed. Certain front offices take that as a call to go big-game hunting for superstar-level talents. Those with more stability tend to operate on a much smaller scale.

June 30 will not be the first time each organization thinks about who to target for a potential signing. The entire season is spent watching hours of film and doing research in the hope it will pay off in the summertime.

Just as important as it is to know who to target, however, is the equally vital knowledge of which available players to avoid at all costs. There are always a number of factors that can detract a team from a specific player. Sometimes it’s a difference in money or simply two parties who just don’t mesh.

The five players listed here all have certain talents they bring to the court ranging from elite rebounders to capable scoring threats. Each also manages to tack on sizable baggage along with them, luggage that should outweigh any pros a general manager can think of when assessing a possible fit within their respective franchises.

In fairness to these guys, their inclusion in this list is extremely relative. Any flaw in one’s abilities can be masked by the right asking price, preferably on the cheaper side. Given past contracts and the likelihood of their demands with money to go around, however, they’ll likely ask for more than their game suggests they’re worth.