2029 Free Agent Roundup (FINAL)

[SourKittles]

You get a writeup! You get a writeup! You get a writeup!

After an exhilarating week of trades, I wanted to create a Free Agent Glossary for anyone who played a role in 2028.

Feel free to chime in with thoughts, additions, and corrections! Thanks to Jesse for the per-36 stats that are occasionally referenced here.

Positions as listed on player page.

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Ace Bailey SG
Last Team: Timberwolves
23
B+ A C C+ C+ C
Bird Years: 4

Bailey has loads of scoring potential but struggled to expand his range in 2028. In the SF spot, though, he grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game and posted another sub-2.0 turnover campaign.

Alex Condon C
Last Team: Mavericks
25
C+ C C- C+ B- C
Bird Years: 1

Condon played a modest role off the bench for a strong Dallas team, and averaged 10.45 rebounds per 36 minutes.

Alex Sarr C
Last Team: Pacers
24
B+ C+ C- B C+ C
Bird Years: 5

Tong tinkered with depth chart placement of Sarr in 2028. Ultimately, the sixth-year big faded relative to the young core of Indy bigs.

Amari Williams C
Last Team: Heat
28
C+ D- B A- B
Bird Years: 4

Why did Will inherit like… 6 centers? This one possesses some decent traits and emerged with a solid 2.85 stocks per 36 minutes.

Andrew Nembhard PG
Last Team: Knicks
29
C+ B+ B+ C+ C- D
Bird Years: 1

Nembhard shot fairly well in an enhanced role with the Knicks (48/79/40) to start the 2028 season. Unfortunately, his turnovers were untenable and Nav upgraded with a Tyus Jones move prior to the deadline.

Andrew Wiggins SF
Last Team: Cavaliers
34
A- B+ C C C D
Bird Years: 1

In the twilight of his SLN career, Wiggins offered a slight scoring punch as a veteran Cavs backup.

Ariel Hukporti C
Last Team: Grizzlies
27
C D D B- B- C
Bird Years: 3

Backup big in Western Canada.

Asa Newell PF
Last Team: Bulls
24
B+ C C- B+ C+ B
Bird Years: 4

Newell played 33 minutes per game on the rebuilding Bulls: there's a ways to go but plenty of time to get there with his B-potential.

Austin Reaves SG
Last Team: Trail Blazers
31
B A- C+ C D+ C
Bird Years: 8

The flashes of scoring brilliance have somewhat worn off. He's still a steady offensive-minded player and reliable 47 percent shooter.

Bam Adebayo C
Last Team: Nuggets
32
B C C A A- D
Bird Years: 12

One of those interesting players to evaluate. Nuggets declined a 9M/year extension. A lot of rebounding and defense, but also a lot of shooting and some turnovers. Curious to see his destination, fit, and impact.

Benn Mathurin SF
Last Team: Bullets
27
B A- C C+ C C
Bird Years: 1

Mathurin had low impact in occasional appearances with the Bulls.

Bobby Portis C
Last Team: Cavaliers
34
B- B D B- B+ D
Bird Years: 1

Even with the B+ rebounding, Portis figures to sign on a minimum in the closing stages of his seemingly quiet SLN career.

Bogoljub Markovic C
Last Team: Trail Blazers
24
C+ B C B B C
Bird Years: 4

Just 24, the NDL callup grabbed 11.1 rebounds per 36 minutes with a solid 1.47 stocks-minus-turnover ratio. Thought there was a chance the Blazers accepted his offer, but Quady leveraged his cap to add Ziaire in addition to the late-season Towns add. I think Portland will prioritize bringing him back.

Bones Hyland PG
Last Team: Pacers
29
C+ A C+ C+ C- C
Bird Years: 8

He's a bucket, but highlighted the rotation of Pacers tank commanders with his hefty turnover rate. Could eventually provide an effective off-ball shooting punch, IMO.

Brandin Podziemski SF
Last Team: Lakers
26
C A- C+ B C+ C
Bird Years: 6

Decidedly not his IRL self, Podziemski has talent without a ton of desirable FBB traits.

Brandon Clarke PF
Last Team: Clippers
33
B- B- C- B A D
Bird Years: 2

Incredibly popular. Incredibly good at living up to the hype. Should have good years remaining. Does Bobby pony up with a coring offer? (He does have plenty of space.) Or do the masses line up their mid-level offers? The winner will and should brag repeatedly.

Bronny James SG
Last Team: Spurs
25
B- A- C+ C+ C A
Bird Years: 2

A-potential! Bronny sustained his dad, but does LeBron need sustaining anymore? What's the status here? To the 25-year-old's credit, he did shoot the ball well in limited minutes.

Bruno Fernando C
Last Team: Spurs
31
B D+ F+ C A C
Bird Years: 1

The man rebounded well in his 37 appearances with San Antonio! That said, there are other parts of the game. Today I remembered that "F+" exists as a rating.

Buddy Hield SG
Last Team: Heat
37
B- A D C- D+ F
Bird Years: 13

Will he be the Knueppel family shooting coach on a Birds expiring? Or have a surprising last gasp as a "shooting-only" specialist? Only about a half-decade removed from multiple seasons with 25-26 points per game.

Cam Thomas SG
Last Team: Pistons
28
B A C C D+ B
Bird Years: 1

Grew up in the Swamp. An OK outside shooter and that's it.

Cason Wallace SG
Last Team: Nets
26
C B+ C+ A- D+ C
Bird Years: 6

A well-liked guard backup with a high floor and nonexistent ceiling. Averaged a career-high 16 minutes per game in New Jersey.

Christian Braun SF
Last Team: Bullets
28
C+ A- C B- C C
Bird Years: 1

Braun doesn't jump off the page but did play 24 minutes per game for a good Bullets team. Shot 40 percent from three.

Christian Wood PF
Last Team: Bulls
34
B+ C+ C C+ B- C
Bird Years: 5

Has had what appears to be a messy SLN career.

Chuma Okeke SF
Last Team: Bullets
31
B B- C B B D
Bird Years: 6

Chuma succeeded for winning teams and provided a bench spark for the Bullets. Hits FA after his re-signing offer was declined. Excited to see what moves / priorities are in store for Washington.

Collin Sexton SG
Last Team: 76ers
31
B- A C C D+ B
Bird Years: 2

Bought out, then re-signed by Philly and played reduced role. Some folks want to see this man cook as a featured scorer!

Cooper Flagg SF
Last Team: Nets
23
A- A- B- A- B- B
Bird Years: 4

RFA'd by New Jersey, Cooper importantly improved his offensive efficiency in Year 4.

Dain Dainja PF
Last Team: Bulls
28
B+ D+ D C+ C+ C
Bird Years: 1

Featured on the then-rebuilding Bulls, Dainja shot 46 percent and flashed turnover issues.

Dalano Banton PG
Last Team: Celtics
30
C A- C+ B- C C
Bird Years: 1

One of my IRL favs (I used to work at Big Ten Network) and jwoo's IRL favs as well, Banton earned the "winning player" label during his recent stints on Orlando, Toronto and Boston.

Dalton Knecht SF
Last Team: Lakers
28
B- A- C B C- C
Bird Years: 5

The shooting/scoring failed to translate fully from NDL to SLN. However, his turnovers are quite low and the defense plays. Interesting development arc for the 28-year-old.

Deandre Ayton C
Last Team: Raptors
31
A- C+ C B A C
Bird Years: 11

No one really wanted him. And he ended up having the best year of his career, even earning Player of the Game honors in key playoff games. Deserved more discussion in the Fultz win-win trade postmortem. Perhaps I'm biased since jwoo and I have gone to about 30 concerts in the past week, but Ayton is a key reason why I thought both nolan and jwoo had cases for GMOTY balloting.

Deividas Sirvydis SG
Last Team: Nets
29
B- A C+ B C C
Bird Years: 1

Sirvydis looked good to close 2027, but broke in the wrong direction one season later. Fails to possess much upside if the shooting percentage isn't there. Traded from Lakers to Nets as matching salary in the Robert Williams move.

Dejounte Murray SG
Last Team: Bullets
33
C+ B+ B+ B+ C D
Bird Years: 2

Faded after a promising start to his career. Played 8.7 minutes per game in a reserve role for Washington.

Desmond Bane SF
Last Team: Grizzlies
31
B+ A C B C D
Bird Years: 9

Bane is coming off of two (nearly identical) productive scoring seasons on good Grizzlies teams. We'll see if he switches teams after six years in Vancouver, with Josh potentially realigning his roster.

Dillon Brooks SF
Last Team: Hornets
34
B- A- C B C D
Bird Years: 12

Brooks has long been a hot commodity but turns 34 this offseason. Still a good source of steals and a reliable perimeter threat.

Duncan Robinson SG
Last Team: Clippers
35
B- A C D+ C- D
Bird Years: 5

Robinson played his role brilliantly on a great Clippers team. Eventually supplanted by Lauri Markkanen at the shooting guard spot, Robinson posted 19 points and just 1.1 turnovers per game.

Dylan Harper SG
Last Team: Suns
24
C+ A- B+ A+ C- C
Bird Years: 4

It goes without saying that Harper is an extremely intriguing free agent. After a shooting-focused super camp, and a bump to A-plus defense at just age 24, how (and who) will Harper impact in upcoming seasons?

Frank Ntilikina PG
Last Team: Hornets
31
C B C+ A- C- C
Bird Years: 12

Ntilikina functions as a loud backup point guard: surprisingly decent jump shot, good steals rates, high turnovers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo PF
Previous Team: Timberwolves
35
A- C C A- A C
Bird Years: 16

Giannis has flown under the radar in my previous observations. But good god, he's still excellent. Shot 49 percent for the first time in his career, with nearly unparalleled rebounding at the power forward position. We'll see if he spends a 17th year in Minnesota or relocates to a warmer climate. (Editor's Note: Send or keep these guys out West!)

Goga Bitadze C
Previous Team: Grizzlies
30
B- C C A- A C
Bird Years: 6

Goga leaped from very good-to-excellent in Vancouver and ranks among the top rebounders and shot blockers on the file. Offered re-signing at a gaudy price tag and will likely command top dollar in free agency. Fueled Josh's GMOTY campaign in 2026.

Henry Ellenson PF
Previous Team: Clippers
33
B B+ C- C B+ C
Bird Years: 3

Ellenson strung together a solid five years with the Kings and Clippers, even earning an all-star nod in 2026. He's an effective frontcourt scorer and rebounder whose only blemish is the C-grade defense. Still has time to contribute to more winning teams.

Herbert Jones SF
Previous Team: Hawks
31
B B C- A- C C
Bird Years: 8

The no-fuss defensive specialist was once again effective as an SG/SF backup type for Atlanta.

Ian Jackson SG
Previous Team: Pacers
25
C B+ C+ C C- B
Bird Years: 3

Go Johnnies! Jackson got some good run in Indy (47/88/41 splits), and could serve as an interesting flier based on TC outcomes.

Isaiah Hartenstein C
Previous Team: Nuggets
31
C+ C D B B C
Bird Years: 1

Hartenstein served as a usable backup big in Denver.

Jakob Poeltl C
Previous Team: Pistons
34
C+ D+ C+ A- B+ D
Bird Years: 13

Poeltl is still in the A-/B+ sweet spot range for now, but saw his playing time halved after Detroit won his waiver claim lottery.

Jalen Duren C
Previous Team: Cavaliers
26
B C C- A- A- C
Bird Years: 3

Duren played a major role in the Cavs' successes from the last two years. He plays good defense, isn't a walking brick, and rebounds at a high level. With a little more "stockiness," he could turn it up another notch in future seasons.

Jalen McDaniels SF
Previous Team: Mavericks
32
C B- C- A- C C
Bird Years: 1

Depth piece at backup PG/SG/SF in Dallas. Saw a career-high 16.7 minutes at age 31 and should crack another rotation in 2029.

Jalen Smith PF
Previous Team: Rockets
29
C B D- C+ B+ C
Bird Years: 1

Much better than Day'Ron Sharpe, per Joe. Smith focuses almost exclusively on rebounding when he touches the floor.

James Wiseman C
Previous Team: Kings
28
B B- C- B+ B+ C
Bird Years: 9

Interesting player who's worn many hats. (I always felt like he ate young Cooper Flagg alive.) Has some flaws but also many positives. Featured on the 2027 champion Spurs.

Jared McCain SG
Previous Team: Clippers
25
B A- B- C D+ B
Bird Years: 1

"Is he the worst shooting guard of all time?" GX once asked. The answer seems to be "probably not," as McCain shot a more reasonable 45 percent in a reserve role with LA.

Jared Sullinger C
Previous Team: Suns
37
C+ C C B+ A- D
Bird Years: 2

Sullinger authored probably the worst moment of my sports-watching life (2012 game-winner vs Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena. I might not bring much, but you can say you know the only person on earth who cares deeply about Northwestern basketball, outside of Chris Collins and the active roster.) Anyway, back to the action. Jared saw his bad FA grade and shrugged it off, with his usual blend of solid defense and rebounding.

Jaren Jackson Jr. PF
Previous Team: Warriors
30
B- B C A- C+ D
Bird Years: 1

It has never quite gelled for JJJ, who's quiet offensively and merely OK on the glass. He can make an impact on the defensive end.

Jarrett Allen C
Previous Team: Celtics
31
C+ C C A- B+ C
Bird Years: 8

Hard Knocks is set to feature the tense relationship between Celtics management and Allen's agent. The emergence of Malachi Moreno left Allen as just another guy in Beantown, although he still hasn't left the building.

Jase Richardson SG
Previous Team: Hawks
24
B- A- C+ B+ C- C
Bird Years: 4

It was the Darius Adams show in Atlanta, not the Jase Richardson show. I think he'll get a more thorough look in the coming years, whether that happens with the Hawks or a new team.

Jaylen Brown SG
Previous Team: Pacers
33
B- B+ D+ A- C D
Bird Years: 13

Per jwoo's "Ranking Every No. 1 Pick of All Time": "Jaylen Brown has been extraordinarily consistent but also exceptionally boring for most of his career. He scores 20 per game, plays quality defense, doesn't turn it over that much, scores with above average efficiency, and yet I feel like we collectively stopped caring about him like six seasons ago. He's been traded so many times I don't know where to start. Jaylen, sorry bro, enjoy free agency. He was taken ahead of Jamal Murray and Domantas Sabonis, two guys who wound up having better careers."

I still care, Jaylen!

Jeremy Sochan SF
Previous Team: 76ers
26
B- B C A- B C
Bird Years: 3

I'm surprised he's only 26. Sochan played heavy power forward minutes for Philly on the final year of his mid-level extension. Could see him signing a similar-looking deal in his upcoming FA stint.

Joan Beringer C
Previous Team: Clippers
23
B D+ D A- B- A
Bird Years: 4

Beringer still sits at A potential with explosive shot blocking. Supported Bobby's GMOTY campaign and the Clippers' 2028 finals run.

Julian Champagnie SG
Previous Team: Pacers
28
B A- C- B- C C
Bird Years: 7

Was far too good to play for the tanking Pacers, though he would need to up his overall offensive game to be a relevant factor in SLN.

Julius Randle SF
Previous Team: Knicks
35
B- A- C- C- B D
Bird Years: 1

Did not retire.

Keldon Johnson SG
Previous Team: Magic
30
A- B+ C C C+ C
Bird Years: 1

Keldon floated around until it became abundantly clear that he can really shoot & score. Had some classic high-efficiency games as a microwave scorer off the bench.

Kira Lewis Jr. PG
Previous Team: Raptors
28
C A- B+ B C- C
Bird Years: 1

Oh my god… Kira Lewis has a ring!!!

Liam Robbins C
Previous Team: Lakers
30
C D+ C- A- B D
Bird Years: 6

Would be a capable butt outside of the turnover tendencies.

Lonzo Ball PG
Previous Team: Warriors
31
C A A A C D
Bird Years: 2

One of the guys I'm watching the most in free agency. GX's high-AAV, 2-year offer will fuel another Ball sweepstakes. Plus, he's shooting better than ever before.

Luke Kornet C
Previous Team: Jazz
34
C+ B+ C- B+ B-
Bird Years: 1

Popular winning veteran for a quality Jazz team.

Malik Beasley SG
Previous Team: Knicks
33
B- A- C- C C- C
Bird Years: 6

Beasley hits the market after six years of firing away in New York. Reached a career-high 18.7 points per game in 2028.

Marcus Sasser PG
Previous Team: Suns
29
C A C A- D C
Bird Years: 1

Sasser popped in Boston late in the 2027 season, but quieted down amid a busy Phoenix guard rotation last year.

Marcus Smart PG
Previous Team: Raptors
35
C A- C- A C- C
Bird Years: 8

Put together a nice defensive career, even though the turnovers wouldn't allow him to stick at the point.

Marquese Chriss C
Previous Team: Heat
32
C C+ D- A- B+ D
Bird Years: 13

Another Heat center!

Maxime Raynaud C
Previous Team: Pacers
27
C+ B- C- C+ B+ C
Bird Years: 1

Raynaud rebounded very well in a meaningful stint with the Pacers.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist PF
Previous Team: Hornets
36
C+ C- C- B+ B D
Bird Years: 17

This guy had an exciting prime, and I'm sad I missed it!

Mikal Bridges SG
Previous Team: Nets
33
B+ A- C B C D
Bird Years: 11

Another 82 games from Bridges … Mikal was featured prominently in the Nets' offense throughout his age-32 campaign.

Miles Bridges SF
Previous Team: Bullets
31
B- B+ C- C+ B D
Bird Years: 2

Bench guy who did not feature prominently in the Bullets' offense.

Nathan Knight C
Previous Team: Trail Blazers
32
B- B C B B- C
Bird Years: 2

Journeyman.

Nic Claxton C
Previous Team: Spurs
30
C+ D+ D+ B+ B C
Bird Years: 1

Very good shot-blocking ability.

Noa Essengue SF
Previous Team: Bulls
23
B B- C A- B- B
Bird Years: 4

He's rumored to be French Cooper Flagg.

OG Anunoby SF
Previous Team: Celtics
32
C A- D+ A- C+ D
Bird Years: 12

Depth defensive piece.

Otto Porter Jr. SF
Previous Team: Heat
36
B- A+ C B+ C+ C
Bird Years: 16

Otto managed another 31 MPG in his age-35 season, with typical excellent shooting.

Payton Pritchard PG
Previous Team: Pistons
32
C A- B- B- D+ C
Bird Years: 2

Backup on a Pistons team replete with talented point guards.

Quinten Post C
Previous Team: Spurs
29
B- B+ C- B- B C
Bird Years: 5

Played some backup minutes with the Blazers.

Rasheer Fleming PF
Previous Team: Trail Blazers
25
B B D B B C
Bird Years: 4

Another Portland NDL product, Fleming averaged a double-double with decent block rates and some turnovers.

Ron Holland SF
Previous Team: Bucks
24
B+ B- C A- C+ B
Bird Years: 5

We got to see Ron Holland in action! He's a steals merchant with room to grow in other areas.

Sam Hauser SF
Previous Team: Mavericks
32
C A- C- C+ C C
Bird Years: 1

Another of the Mavs backups, Hauser boasts A-minus shooting and posted a 41 percent clip from behind the arc.

Sandro Mamukelashvili C
Previous Team: SuperSonics
30
B+ B- C C A- D
Bird Years: 1

Did I spell that right? "Mamu" is a solid rebounding role guy.

Scotty Pippen Jr. PG
Previous Team: Cavaliers
29
C B- A- A- C C
Bird Years: 1

Broken. But might be fun to fix!

Semi Ojeleye SF
Previous Team: Clippers
35
B B D B- B+ D
Bird Years: 12

Look at those ratings - just an ordinary guy! Nothing to see here…

In all serious, looking at the "0.5 TO per game" next to 27.5 PPG feels like a threat.

Tacko Fall C
Previous Team: Heat
34
D+ F+ F A- C+ C
Bird Years: 7

Couldn't take down Duke in the tourney. But could play center minutes for the Heat.

Talen Horton-Tucker SG
Previous Team: Pacers
29
C+ B+ C+ B+ C C
Bird Years: 1

"Play for Winner: 1" on his profile is a self-fulfilling prophecy when he mans the point.

Tidjane Salaun PF
Previous Team: Pacers
24
B C+ D- B- B- C
Bird Years: 5

I'll miss some of these Pacers auditions.

Toumani Camara SF
Previous Team: Spurs
29
B- B+ D+ C C+ D
Bird Years: 6

One of those "SLN Guys' Guys," Camara racked up 3.14 stocks per 36 minutes and had an overall strong season.

Tre Johnson SG
Previous Team: Hornets
24
B- A- C- B D+ C
Bird Years: 4

Johnson's fourth year did not build nicely on top of his third, as the Hornets kickstarted the Dooney era.

Troy Brown Jr. SF
Previous Team: Raptors
30
B A- C B- C+ C
Bird Years: 1

I've been looking through free agency for hours as you can tell… and there aren't many three-time champions. Homage to Patrick McCaw!

Tyler Herro SG
Previous Team: Bucks
30
B- A+ B- C C- C
Bird Years: 10

The offense singlehandedly won some games. The defense likely lost some others. 50/95/52 shooting splits still quite the feat.

Tyrese Maxey SG
Previous Team: Bullets
29
C+ A C+ C+ C- C
Bird Years: 9

Another one to watch: alphabetical order buries the lede. Maxey is a stellar shooter and distributor at the point, and his turnovers plunged sub-2.0 in 2028.

Udoka Azubuike C
Previous Team: Suns
30
C+ D F+ B A- C
Bird Years: 9

Excellent shot blocker and rebounder with free-throw woes.

VJ Edgecombe SG
Previous Team: Trail Blazers
24
A- B+ B- B+ C C
Bird Years: 4

Coming off his rookie deal in Portland. Great steals, good positional rebounding and huge scoring upside. Some work to do on the turnover front. I'm bullish on SLN VJ getting all the way there.

Walter Clayton Jr. PG
Previous Team: SuperSonics
27
C+ A- B+ C+ C- C
Bird Years: 4

Great shooter who had a rough pre-2028 TC, and keeps coughing the ball up.

Wendell Carter Jr. C
Previous Team: Nets
30
B+ C+ C- B B+ D
Bird Years: 11

Reviewed all of Carter's Nets boxes and determined that he was "OK". Calls his own number too often.

Willie Cauley-Stein C
Previous Team: Magic
36
B- D+ C A- B C
Bird Years: 14

A valued butt, he'll do it all over again this year.

Willy Hernangomez C
Previous Team: Hornets
36
C+ C+ D C A- D
Bird Years: 1

Logged heavy minutes for the tanking Hornets.

Yuki Kawamura PG
Previous Team: Mavericks
28
D+ B- A- C+ C- C
Bird Years: 1

Backup point guard who mostly takes care of the ball.

Zion Williamson PF
Previous Team: Timberwolves
29
A C- C+ C B C
Bird Years: 10

Breathlessly analyzed. I have nothing else to add here.

Zymicah Wilkins C
Previous Team: Raptors
23
B- C- D- B+ B- B
Bird Years: 1

Closing time … and we're wrapping it up with "ZW." It's nice to round this out with a two-time champion.

If you've made it this far, good luck in Free Agency! And I hope this is a fun historical document down the road.

Thanks!

[SourKittles]

Completed through Letter M! More to come.

[SourKittles]

Good luck to all in FA. I'll probably track some outcomes here, though I'm looking forward to others' analysis and "grades" as FA progresses!

[jwoo]

Great work

[Wes]

Love the Zion blurb

[SourKittles]

Love the Zion blurb

Saving all my ammo for the Zion retirement pod !!!

[quady]

Grade: 975 (includes first article bonus)