We are now almost a month into NBA Free Agency, and a majority of the big names have already chosen where they will be playing next season (some even signing for some lucrative money). But some contenders are lacking in certain areas as the free agent market thins out.
The NBA’s cap space overall jumped to $123.6 million for this upcoming season, and many players took advantage of their opportunities early. Here’s what Keith Smith of Spotrac had to say regarding this year’s cap room:
The 2022 NBA Draft is behind us and 2022 free agency opens in less than a week. For @spotrac I broke down where all 30 teams fall as spenders this summer:
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 24, 2022
-Cap space teams
-Non-Taxpayer MLE teams
-Taxpayer MLE teams - both close and definitely over
Enjoy!https://t.co/UoEp8WYVum
Which players in free agency can help title contenders this season?
Despite the limited market with diminishing cap space for most teams, there are still some free agent gems that should be picked up heading into next season, especially for some contenders around the league.
Whether they know it or not, some of these players could be the missing piece to a championship contender, providing a boost a team never knew they truly needed.
There’s plenty of time for these free agents to get signed, but if a team is looking to contend for the title this season, it’s important for NBA title hopefuls to get a jump on the competition before they’re snatched away by another squad.
I would add names such as Collin Sexton to this list, but with him looking to demand an expensive contract this late into free agency as a restricted free agent, it’s unlikely that teams will have enough cap space to sign him.
Furthermore, here are three of the best remaining players that contenders should look to sign before training camp starts in September.