2019 NBA free agency: 5 players to stay away from

3. Emmanuel Mudiay

After two and a half seasons spent struggling to find his niche with the Denver Nuggets, Emmanuel Mudiay was traded to the New York Knicks at the 2018 deadline. The former seventh overall pick was unimpressive early on, but a full season in the Big Apple brought some of his best basketball to light.

Having suffered through a number of ailments, Mudiay would only suit up for 59 games this past season, 42 of which he was named a starter before the arrival of Dennis Smith Jr. In his 27.2 minutes of play, he was productive in averaging 14.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but there are still a number of red flags that negate what he brings to the table.

Despite possessing good size as a point guard at 6’5” and around 200 pounds, Mudiay’s never been able to remain healthy over the course of an 82-game season. The most games he’s ever played in one year was 68 as a rookie. Since then, it’s been 55, 64 and 59 — numbers that don’t exactly build the best trend.

Shooting may be the most important trait any basketball player can have these days, but Mudiay hasn’t gotten the memo. He’s a career 32.0 percent outside shooter who shot just 32.9 percent this past season on a career-high 3.6 attempts per game. If he doesn’t have total command of the offense, he’s useless playing off the ball.

Mudiay has plenty of basketball in front of him, maybe even some of his best. Franchises looking to take a flier may be inclined to bring in a player still just 23 years of age. Front offices looking for more stable options should look past his solid numbers on a 17-win team and come to realize why New York was a -11.2 per 100 possessions with Mudiay on the court.