Technically, most of this year’s top free agents remain unsigned. Until the moratorium in place at the start of the 2021/22 league year lifts at 11:01am central time on Friday, most of them are ineligible to sign their new contracts.
However, over the last 16 hours, more than half of the players from our list of 2021’s top 50 free agents have taken themselves off the market by reaching contract agreements with teams around the league.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
While those are just tentative agreements and could still fall apart, that usually doesn’t happen more than once or twice in a given offseason, so it’s safe to pencil those deals in for the time being and assume those free agents are off the board.
So who does that leave? Here are the top free agents from our top-50 list who have yet to agree to new deals:
(Note: This list is up-to-date at the time of publication, but won’t be updated throughout the day as some of these players inevitably come off the board.)
- Kawhi Leonard, F, Clippers
- John Collins, F, Hawks (RFA)
- DeMar DeRozan, G/F, Spurs
- Dennis Schröder, G, Lakers
- Spencer Dinwiddie, G, Nets
- Note: Dinwiddie is reportedly nearing a deal with the Wizards, but there are sign-and-trade obstacles to work out and no agreement is in place yet.
- Lauri Markkanen, F, Bulls (RFA)
- Kelly Oubre, F, Warriors
- Reggie Jackson, G, Clippers
- Kendrick Nunn, G, Heat (RFA)
- Josh Hart, F, Pelicans (RFA)
- Bruce Brown, G/F, Nets (RFA)
- Danny Green, G/F, Sixers
- Talen Horton-Tucker, G, Lakers (RFA)
- Andre Drummond, C, Lakers
- Hamidou Diallo, G, Pistons (RFA)
- Patty Mills, G, Spurs
- Terence Davis, G, Kings (RFA)
- Rudy Gay, F, Spurs
- Paul Millsap, F, Nuggets
- Malik Monk, G, Hornets
- Lou Williams, G, Hawks
- Victor Oladipo, G, Heat
The following free agents were noted in the honorable mention section of our top-50 list and aren’t yet spoken for:
- Carmelo Anthony, F, Trail Blazers
- Khem Birch, C, Raptors
- Nemanja Bjelica, F, Heat
- Avery Bradley, G, Rockets
- James Ennis, F, Magic
- Bryn Forbes, G, Bucks
- Enes Kanter, C, Trail Blazers
- Robin Lopez, C, Wizards
- Markieff Morris, F, Lakers
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, G, Thunder (RFA)
- Georges Niang, F, Jazz
- Elfrid Payton, G, Knicks
- J.J. Redick, G, Mavericks
- Ish Smith, G, Wizards
- Jarred Vanderbilt, F, Timberwolves (RFA)
- Justise Winslow, F, Grizzlies
While the idea of our top two free agents – Leonard and Collins – still being available may be intriguing, both players are considered highly likely to return to their current clubs.
Leonard chose the Clippers in free agency two years ago and has given no indication he wants to leave. While one report suggested he may be open to listening to pitches from other teams, another report stated that the Clippers are operating as if he’ll be back, and it doesn’t look like there are any clubs preparing to take a run at the star forward.
As for Collins, right before free agency began, a report indicated that he and the Hawks weren’t yet close to a new agreement. But he’s a restricted free agent, which limits his leverage, and multiple reports over the weekend suggested that his potential suitors were becoming resigned to the idea that he’d remain in Atlanta.
Still, while Leonard and Collins may not provide any surprises, there are some interesting names whose destinations remain very much up in the air. We don’t have a clear sense yet of where players like DeRozan, Schröder, Oubre, or Markkanen will end up, so there are plenty of storylines worth keeping an eye on today and the rest of the week.
Why is Victor Oladipo ranked so low on the top free agents list? Shouldn’t someone of his caliber be ranked in the 15th-20th range at worst?
I agree completely. I mean I know the guy had a down season, but I would still rather have Oladipo than say Josh Hart or Reggie Jackson.
lol ill take Reggie Jackson over Oladipo. did u watch the playoffs? oladipo is too injury prone
Yeah, and I also don’t base a man’s career on a tiny sample such as four games. Oladipo has completely outplayed Jackson on a career basis.
And please don’t quote win shares to me as if it was a stat that matters. Any stat that say Enes Kanter has had a better career than Klay Thompson is utterly useless. Seriously both 2011 picks, Kanter has 51 win shares and Klay has 46.
There comes a point for an injury prone player where the dings just get to be too much. Dipo will never be the player he once was. And in fact his basketball career may be close to over.
You could be right, but I still think Oladipo has some legs left. I believe he will closer to a comeback player of the year award than the end of his career.
Wait, does the NBA have a comeback player of the year award? If not, they should add one.
Its funny you pointed out jackson and hart as the comparisons because that is exactly who i was thinking of when looking at oladipos ranking. Jackson will probably always be a backup point guard on a good team and possibly a starter on a bad team. Oladipo if healthy is an all star. Im not a big oladipo fan but if you ask who moves the needle more, its easily Oladipo. Which isnt that kind of how the rankings should be?
Take any good team, if you tell me a team like the sixers sign Reggie Jackson, does that do anything at all for you in how you value their team? But if you tell me the sixers sign Victor Oladipo, well now you start immediately thinking about what could be if he is healthy. 82 games of reggie jackson is not better than 10 games of Victor Oladipo as long as both are healthy come playoff time
Thing with Oladipo is he can’t stay healthy. He needs one “show me” year to re-establish his high-ranking.
I just went and looked at his career stats and his last full season when he played 75 games was 2017-18 !! If this season is 21-22 then that was four years ago.
What do you think of Oubre? Doesn’t look like he is getting that big fat contract that he was hoping for. probably sign a 1 year deal.
Him and Schroder are gonna take the fattest Ls of this free agency cycle. When betting on yourself goes wrong
Both were probably offered good deals but they decided they wanted max. Now both will be looking for whatever they are offered at this point.
arc I think you’re right. Maybe a one-year deal for Kelly Oubre and he plays like he did in stretches last year for the Warriors and puts it together for a whole season next year. I think he was confused about his role this season and it took a while for he and the coaches to figure it all out.
He has skills, he puts in 100%, he’s a team player, and some team will appreciate him if they can figure out the role a lot sooner than golden state did last year. He’s running out of time to establish himself as a big-time player versus a marginal seventh man.
Number one he has to get a consistent 3-point shot to be a starter on a playoff team. I think he’ll put in the work to get it done. But the big contract is not coming this week. He’s another guy that will have to show it on a one-year deal, just as you say.
He probably won’t even play this season, so no, I don’t think he should be ranked anywhere close to that. Even when he did play last year, he was awful
“invariably” or “inevitable”
Neither, wise guy..,
Inevitably.
“as some of these players INEVITABLY come off the board.”
Why do some people nitpick one word from a 200-word article from a guy who’s working his tail off, probably slept 2 hours last night, and is putting out excellent content for his readers.. at zero cost !!? Why do people knock others down like that?
It would be great to give these writers a little pat on the back for all the hours they put in and giving us the BEST coverage of this NBA free agent period. Out of all the sites I’ve seen, unless you’re looking at Twitter and a thousand different writers, you come here for the total package of info. Great job guys !!
Thanks Gary. Though I don’t mind being called out for a typo or grammatical error! We’re mostly self-editing, so we occasionally miss something.
(Also, for the record, I managed to squeeze in three hours of sleep last night.)
We appreciate the hard work Luke. I have been here for half a decade and I always know the quality of content is going to be top notch, this year I chose to follow the draft and free agency through the draft instead of cable, it’s just that reliable of a product.
Definitely appreciate all the hard work thats been put in, ESPECOALLY over the past week or so.
I know sleep has to he hard to come by right now, especially with the different time zones, news can drop any minute from 8:00am EST to 1-2am EST…
Thank you, and all the guys here at hoopsrumors for making this a one stop shop for everything NBA free agency!!
Keep those excellent Bulls’ posts coming too, great off-seasok so far by the Bulls and their new regime!!
Yeah I cant believe how well the Bulls have done this off-season. We have a competent front office, a solid popular coach, and a young team with upside. I didn’t know these things were possible for us Bulls fans.
Amen Gary !
My head hurt yesterday just as a fan , can’t Imagine banging out 50 articles as well !!
Just want to make sure that HR guys are consummate professionals! I certainly appreciate everything they do.
How would Collins feel if he didn’t get offered what he thought he was worth? Will he leave as a full FA or force a trade this year? Seems weird that he has not been extended like Jarrett Allen.
Atlanta wants to give Collins the Max but every dollar it saves helps them get the third star they need plus they have many other young players that will need to be paid too.
I wonder if Markieff is going to throw another baby fit since he won’t be able to play with his brother like they did in Phoenix. That video was sooo funny and sad at the same time. Grown As# man crying like a baby cause he could no longer play with his brother while making millions.
Who’s got any money left, besides MLE’s? Knicks could renounce Nkitlina I think, giving them one more big signing. Spurs, and I think Memphis. That’s it. No one else could sign a player for over the MLE even if they wanted.
It’s gonna be sign and trades and MLE/MIN deals going forward I would assume.