The 2023 NBA free agents will begin on Friday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. All teams can start negotiating with free agents at that time.
1. Fred VanVleet
VanVleet has officially rejected his $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season, making VanVleet a great addition to any team looking to improve on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends.
VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season. He is a confident player who can score anywhere on the pitch. In this free market, VanVleet will attract a lot of interest from the team.
VanVleet may be one of the NBA's most underrated defenders. He averaged 1.8 steals per game last season. VanVleet also leads the league with 3.8 points per game (the third time in the past four seasons).
To be fair, VanVleet poured his heart and soul into the defensive end, disrupting the opposing team's offensive plans on any given night. Although he hasn't made the NBA All-Defensive Team for years, there have been a few occasions when he was selected by just a few votes.
2. Drummond Green
Drummond Green is a central part of one of the great dynasties in the history of the Warriors. Green opted to enter the 2023 NBA free market after turning down a $27.5 million player option for the 2023-24 season. He's the heart and soul of the Warriors, and most of his work is done on the defensive end. Green was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team last season.
Green is one of the defenders with the highest IQ in basketball. As a striker, there are no defensive skills that Green hasn't seen or known. While his back injury and his father's time have slowed him considerably, he remains one of the best off-ball defenders in the league. With his versatility, Green is able to defend multiple positions and can wreak chaos at the end of the court.
3. Brooke López
There is not a single NBA team in NBA free agency in 2023 that isn't considering signing Brooke Lopez. Lopez is the only player on the list to make the NBA's All-Defensive First Team in 2022-23.
Last season, Lopez averaged 2.5 blocks per game, second only to Jared Jackson Jr.'s 3.0 blocks per game. Standing 7 feet 1 inches tall, Lopez can add a lot of value to any team's defense. He's a good blocker and can also open up space on the offensive end. He's probably the best of the modern NBA centers, and he's going to get a lot of interest in free agency.
4. Dillon Brooks
Without a doubt, the most controversial name on the list is Dillon Brooks. Brooks was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team last season. This may come as a bit of a surprise considering he only averages 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. Even more shocking, Brooks received the third-most votes among guards.
Brooks is considered an important part of the Grizzlies' defensive system, but he did attract a lot of negative coverage during the playoffs. Brooks has repeatedly accused LeBron James of trying to play a villain similar to Drummond Green. Brooks tied for first place in the league with the Warriors' Drummond Green for 18 technical fouls in the regular season.
While self-confidence is an important part of basketball and winning, Brooks may have been misled in some way by his abilities. Because of the disrespect for James and some legendary players in history, some fans spit on Twitter that Brooks became popular.
Despite these negative reports, Dillon Brooks was named to the All-Defensive Team, and he should be of interest to teams in the league looking to bolster their backcourt defenses.
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