NBA free agency 2025: Shooting guard class light on star power but not rotation help

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If you’re looking for NBA All-Stars, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s an underwhelming free-agent shooting guard market at the top, with basically no star talent available. At a lower level, however, there is a lot of value to be had. Several players grade out as starting-caliber or as plus rotation options based on my BORD$ formula (more on the methodology here), and at least a few of them could realistically be pried from their current teams due to cap situations.

As always, I’ve included all free agents and potential free agents due to player options, team options and non-guaranteed contracts, except for absurd cases. For instance, Milwaukee isn’t cutting the non-guaranteed minimum deal of A.J. Green, 2024 second-rounders Pelle Larson and Jordan Miller seem safe, and Philly’s Ricky Council IV and Utah’s Johnny Juzang have outplayed their inexpensive non-guaranteed minimum deals.

Here’s how BORD$ evaluates the market:

(TO = team option; PO = player option; R = restricted; NG = non-guaranteed; NGTO = non-guaranteed team option; R-2w = restricted two-way)

Tier I: Max and near-max guys

Nobody.

Tier II: More than MLE but less than max

1.  Keon Ellis, Kings, $24,714,831 (NGTO)

Ellis is a valuable player on a cheapo contract for at least one more season, making just $2.3 million on the final year of his minimum deal. The Kings can extend his contract for up to four years and $85 million and absolutely should be looking at doing this given his 3-and-D profile. Even if Ellis overlaps some with Zach LaVine, an extended contract for him at $18 million to $20 million a pop should still have positive trade value. (Also, LaVine isn’t good enough to be driving long-term strategy for a non-contender.)

One other option for the Kings would be to “decline-and-sign,” essentially throwing a bone to Ellis by declining his $2.3 million option for this year and turning it into a $14.5 million deal via early Bird rights, with a total package of four years and $65 million and a fourth-year player option. That could create a short-term tax issue for the Kings depending on some other roster choices, but long term, this is a much cleaner way to build the team over the coming seasons and removes some tax concerns in 2027 and 2028.

2. Cam Thomas, Nets, $23,390,386 (R)

Thomas’ value is an extremely divisive topic because he is so dependent on generating tough 2-point jump shots and offers little in the non-scoring categories. However, he was more efficient last season (57.5 true shooting percentage), and his sheer shot-creation volume provides a solid floor for an offense.

On a rebuilding team, the key variable in Thomas’ favor is that he is still only 23, so theoretically, his best years remain ahead. The other, even more crucial variable is that his cap hold is only $12.1 million. As with D’Angelo Russell, the Nets will do their other business and then sign Thomas’ contract once they have absorbed other contracts into the rest of their cap room. (Note that they may agree on a contract earlier, but they can drag their feet on signing it and submitting it to the league.)

Given that Thomas is basically free money against the cap and the Nets have little risk of ending up all the way into the tax, Brooklyn is pretty heavily incentivized to re-sign him to a front-loaded deal with 8 percent annual declines that would make him a favorable value in the final two years of the deal. For example, a four-year, $100 million deal would start at $28.41 million in 2025-26 — likely taking the Nets right to the tax line — but just $21.6 million in 2028-29 for Thomas’ age-27 season.

Thomas is a restricted free agent, but that distinction borders on irrelevant in a market where nobody else has cap space, and Thomas figures to make more than the nontaxpayer MLE.

3. Malik Beasley, Pistons, $22,812,979

Steph Curry led the NBA in made 3s per 100 possessions in four of his five healthy seasons before 2024-25. Last season, he finished second to Malik Beasley.

Yeah, he was that potent. Alas, the Pistons don’t have the cap space to pay Beasley this kind of money and have no Bird rights after signing him to a screaming bargain of a one-year deal last summer.

The Pistons’ best bet to retain Beasley is to sign him for the $14.1 million nontaxpayer MLE. Fortunately for Detroit, nobody besides the Nets has cap space to offer Beasley more than that.

The Pistons also have a break-glass scenario where they could renounce Paul Reed, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder and have $17 million in cap room to keep Beasley, but that leaves the roster too shallow; they’d only have the $8.78 million room exception left to find a backup point guard and a rotation wing.

The real question for Beasley, then, is probably more about security versus betting on himself. Would he rather sign a deal for three or four years to lock in long-term money? Or would he prefer an MLE deal for $29 million over two years with a player option, allowing him to jump back into the market a year from now with the Pistons having his early Bird rights and more rival teams having cap space? The latter strikes me as more likely.

4. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Timberwolves, $20,509,572

This number feels just right for Alexander-Walker after a breakout season in which he established himself as both an elite perimeter defender and a steady ballhandler who can take some turns at point guard with the second unit. While his offense remains prone to peaks and valleys, Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted, starting-caliber shooting guard and should have a strong market.

The Nets being the only team with cap space is a limiting factor, likely putting the Wolves in a relatively favorable position regarding re-signing him. It’s not out of the question that he could do a one-plus-one deal for the nontaxpayer MLE (or just above it with Minnesota) and try again next year when there should be more cap space in the system.

Sign-and-trades could also be an exit route, given the work Minnesota has to do on its cap this summer. That said, keeping Alexander-Walker and one of the bigs (Julius Randle or Naz Reid) feels like the best end-game version for the Wolves, and keeping Alexander-Walker for something around three years and $60 million feels doable.

5. Quentin Grimes, Sixers, $18,116,674 (R)

Grimes was awesome after his trade from Dallas to Philly, putting up big numbers in meaningless games for the Sixers, and that makes him tricky to evaluate going forward.

Known mostly as a 3-and-D guy, Grimes averaged 32.0 points per 100 possessions and shot 55.9 percent on 2s in 28 games as a Sixer, posting an 18.8 PER. However, the combination of his restricted free agency and the lack of cap space in the market should limit any sort of bidding war and put the Sixers in a strong position to keep him on a team-friendly deal.

His BORD$ number is a pretty convenient one as far as his next contract. This is the pay range that keeps his pay above the nontaxpayer MLE, thus icing out any rival offers, but maintains the Sixers’ status below the second apron. Thus, a three-year deal for $55 million to $60 million seems like a reasonable endpoint.

Tier III: MLE guys

6. Caris LeVert, Hawks, $16,908,115

LeVert might be one of the most straightforward free-agent situations in the league. The Hawks want him back and can pay him more than anyone else due to Bird rights, LeVert is worth a bit more than the nontaxpayer MLE by BORD$, and his age (he turns 31 in August) doesn’t stand in the way of a multiyear deal.

Something in the three-year, $50 million range, with a partial or team option on the third year, seems like the wheelhouse here. Paying LeVert that amount would leave the Hawks available to use most or all of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception on a center and still stay below the tax line.

7. Gary Trent Jr., Bucks, $14,447,523

It’s unfortunate that his last act of 2024-25 was dropping a pass out of bounds because Trent Jr. had a career renaissance in Milwaukee and was awesome in the playoffs up until the last few seconds. Trent made 41.6 percent of his 3s and rediscovered some of the defensive scrappiness from his Portland days, making him a viable candidate for a starting or sixth-man role on a playoff team.

What happens next is interesting because Trent is likely among the league’s most-gettable free agents. The Bucks have no Bird rights on him after he inked a one-year minimum deal last summer, and Milwaukee is also dealing with enough apron and tax issues that bringing him back at any price could be complicated. The Bucks could theoretically dip into their non-taxpayer midlevel exception and go up to $14.1 million on a deal for Trent this year, but that would cap them at the first apron; they may need more than that to pay Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis Jr.

Gary Trent Jr. brings the ball up the court against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Stephen Lew / Imagn Images)

Tier IV: Room or tax exception

8. Luke Kennard, Grizzlies, $10,400,919

Memphis’ effort to use cap space to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. likely pushes Kennard out the door, as the Grizzlies will need to renounce his free-agent rights to create cap space.

An absolutely deadly shooter with a 43.8 percent career mark from 3, Kennard’s low release has meant he can’t launch quite as often as the league’s other top bombers. However, he offsets that with more ballhandling and passing skill than your typical long-range specialist. He even took shifts at point guard and averaged 6.8 assists per 100 possessions. Teams will also be digging into Kennard’s health; he hasn’t played more than 70 games in a season since his rookie year, including 83 missed games over the past three campaigns.

9. Sam Merrill, Cavaliers, $10,070,125

We’re at the “Can Cleveland afford to keep Sam Merrill?” stage of the Merrill renaissance with the Cavs. He’s a 38.6 percent career 3-point shooter who has missed five free throws his entire five-year NBA career and is such a prolific scorer (career 13.9 3-point attempts per 100 possessions) that he has value even if he’s not doing a whole lot else.

Cleveland has Early Bird rights on Merrill and could pay him up to $14.4 million for the coming season, but the Cavs’ salary structure and second-apron restrictions likely will force some hard decisions this summer.

10. Josh Okogie, Hornets, $8,455,478 (NG)

Okogie’s deal for $7.75 million this year becomes fully guaranteed on June 30; it’s a close call, but I think Charlotte should pick up the option. The Bugs can’t generate meaningful cap room by cutting him and are miles from tax concerns; even if the Hornets keep Okogie and use their entire room and biannual exceptions, they would be $8 million below the tax line. Okogie is a useful energy guy because of his defense and transition play, even if the shooting comes and goes, and this contract is likely to be helpful in any in-season transactions Charlotte has in mind.

11. Matisse Thybulle, Trail Blazers, $7,542,641 (PO)

Thybulle has a player option for $11.55 million that I don’t expect him to decline, and this valuation supports the idea that he should play out his contract. He only played in 15 games last season because of knee and ankle injuries but would likely be an important defensive stopper on Portland’s roster if he can stay healthy.

12. Tim Hardaway Jr., Pistons, $5,620,985

Hardaway started 77 games in the Pistons’ renaissance season, but it was a bit odd since Hardaway himself had a rough year. While he launched early and often from 3 and shot a respectable 36.8 percent from distance, Hardaway was virtually invisible inside the arc (just 2.4 made 2s per 100 possessions), made little impact on defense and posted an anemic 4.7 percent rebound rate; among qualifying players taller than 6-3, only Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was worse.

All of which is to say that Hardaway might be looking at a substantial pay cut from last season’s $16.2 million. Might. Because there are scenarios where the Pistons would be incentivized to use his Bird rights to generate a trade exception. They could sign him to a bloated one-year deal with their leftover money below the tax line (which should be considerable, likely north of $20 million) for use as matching salary on an in-season deal. What a country.

13. De’Anthony Melton, Nets, $5,523,774

BORD$ doesn’t realize that Melton suffered a season-ending torn ACL last November, but this valuation seems fair. Melton is 27 and has been a solid player when he’s played, an agent of chaos on defense who knocks down open 3s and has averaged double-figures in four straight seasons. However, injuries have limited him to just 44 total games over the past two seasons, and Melton’s inability to play point at 6-2 can make him difficult to fit into some rosters.

14. Tyrese Martin, Nets, $5,368,366 (TO)

A scrap-heap find who put together a decent year for a rebuilding Brooklyn team, the Nets would lose about $1 million in cap room by picking up Martin’s $2.2 million option rather than declining it and attempting to re-sign him later. Despite my BORD$ valuation here, I think that’s probably a risk the Nets are willing to take, via either a minimum deal with a second-year player option or, if necessary, by cutting into their room exception.

15. Cody Martin, Suns, $4,598,937 (NG)

Martin has a non-guaranteed salary for $8.68 million this coming season that guarantees on June 30. With the Phoenix payroll getting to the point where even the profligate Suns have to make some hard choices, moving on from Martin could be one of them. If they cut Martin and Vasa Micić and trade Kevin Durant for less returning salary, the Suns can possibly begin the season below the second apron.

As a free agent, the oft-injured Martin would have value because of his defense as long as he can stay in the lineup (he’s played just 88 games over the past three seasons), and would generate a lot of attention with the taxpayer or biannual exception.

16. Jordan Goodwin, Lakers, $4,409,860 (NGTO)

Goodwin made an impression as a two-way last year in L.A. and earned both a roster contract and playoff rotation minutes. He’s only 6-3, but a beast on the glass (11.6 percent rebound rate!), and eliminated a previous weakness by shooting 38.2 percent from 3. He had a $2.35 million option for the coming season that would make sense for the Lakers to pick up given their tax-apron situation; however, they could also decline it to try to sign Goodwin to a longer, cap-friendly deal as a non-Bird free agent. Such a deal would put them about $100,000 closer to the tax and apron lines, but that’s a small consideration if they could ink him to a longer cap-friendly deal.

17. Gary Harris, Magic, $4,309,618 (TO)

Here’s a player whom contenders likely are doing homework on, with the trade for Desmond Bane cementing Orlando’s decision to decline Harris’ $7.5 million team option for this coming season. Harris is the type of low-usage 3-and-D guard that teams in the contender class eye to fill out their rotation, even if he’s a less impactful version of his prime self. Last season, in particular, his offense went off the rails, with a meager 6.9 PER and just 10.2 points per 100 possessions. Certainly, a reunion with the Nuggets can’t be ruled out, especially since his archetype of player is exactly what they’ve been missing.

18. Alec Burks, Heat, $4,266,473

Burks had never met a pull-up 2 he didn’t like until he got to Miami. However, he radically re-engineered his shot chart with the Heat and had a bit of a late-career renaissance, starting 14 games and both Play-In contests while taking more than three-quarters of his shots from behind the arc and knocking down 42.5 percent of them.

The Heat had him on a one-year minimum deal with no Bird rights, and their roster looks pretty crowded at the moment, so Burks may need to find his next contract elsewhere. But if he can stay this disciplined with his shot selection, he should find work as a bench contributor somewhere.

19. Garrison Mathews, Hawks, $3,987,258

Mathews is a knockdown shooter who made 39.0 percent of his 3s last season and is at 38.2 percent for his career. His rare forays inside the arc are a negligible part of his offense, and he can get a bit wild on the ball, but he’s a good fifth wing in a rotation because he competes on defense (albeit by fouling with abandon at times) and knocks down shots. Atlanta has full Bird rights on Mathews, but also has a complicated cap situation this summer and a crowd at the wings.

Tier V: Good minimums

20. Malcolm Brogdon, Wizards

Brogdon is 32 and a regular visitor to the injured list, but when healthy, he can still play. Ignore that 28.6 percent mark from 3 in Washington last season; that was a short-term blip off 24 games, but Brogdon is a 38.8 percent career marksman from distance who is also one of the game’s best free-throw shooters (87.4 percent career).

While he fits better at the two, Brogdon can play either guard spot, which makes him useful as a third guard off the bench as well. It’s hard to imagine him returning to the Wizards, but they could use his Bird rights in a sign-and-trade. More likely, he ends up on a minimum or taxpayer-exception deal with a contender; one wonders if he might reunite with the Celtics, for instance, once they’re done trimming payroll.

21. Ryan Rollins, Bucks (R)

Rollins made an impact with his defense last season, climbing from a two-way to a regular-rotation role.

He also made enough shots to stay on the floor. Rollins isn’t a high-volume bomber and struggled from 3 in college, but so far as a pro, he’s made them: 41.4 percent from 3 in his 81 NBA career and 38.3 percent in 25 G-League contests. He’s also definitely not a point guard and will need to cut his turnovers to stick in the rotation. That makes it a tough ask for him to be a full-time two at 6-3 and 180 pounds, but with the right mix of lineups, he can pull it off.

The Bucks could have added an extra year onto Rollins’ deal when they promoted him from his two-way late last season and just … didn’t. So he’s a restricted free agent instead, as long as the Bucks make a $2.6 million qualifying offer.

The semantics may not matter, as the best move for Milwaukee cap-wise would have been to decline a team option and re-up a new deal anyway. A one-year deal for the minimum is best for the short-term tax apron situation, but the Bucks might consider the long view. Milwaukee can give him a 20 percent raise on his $2.38 million minimum without going into exception money, and can sign him for up to four years as a non-Bird free agent. One can imagine the Bucks giving him that raise in return for a cap-friendly three-year deal; such a pact would net him $9.25 million over three years.

22. Landry Shamet, Knicks

Shamet reminded the league of his existence with solid work off the bench in the conference finals, but his season stats were decent, too. Shamet made 39.7 percent of his 3s and, despite an undersized frame, defended twos respectably enough to stay on the court. He lacks a point guard’s handle and a wing’s size, and his athleticism doesn’t stand out, but Shamet’s shooting should be enough to make him a valuable add as a fifth guard on a minimum deal. Re-signing for one year in New York would give him a de facto no-trade clause.

Landry Shamet looks to shoot the ball over Cavs guard Max Strus. (Brad Penner / Imagn Images)

23. Dante Exum, Mavericks

Exum’s return to the NBA in Dallas has gone better than his original eight-year stint, but injuries remain a constant. He played only 75 games for the Mavs over the past two seasons, but when healthy, filled a role as a secondary ballhandler who could guard wins and — in a new development — make open 3s. The 43.4 percent he hit last year didn’t come on huge volume, but Exum also scored 2s at a high rate; overall, his 22.6 points per 100 possessions were a veritable eruption compared to the rest of his career.

The Kyrie Irving injury likely increases Exum’s utility to Dallas; a one-year minimum deal would help Dallas manage the tax apron and give Exum a de facto no-trade clause.

24. Bruce Brown, Pelicans

Brown made $23 million last year and surely won’t be doing that again, after two years of struggling in Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans. Brown is a quirky player — a strong 6-4 guard who can defend, handle and pass but struggles from the perimeter — and doesn’t fit every system. However, one wonders if a reunion in Denver is in the cards, given the Nuggets’ limited alternatives and the success Brown had there in the 2023 title run.

25. Pat Connaughton, Bucks (PO)

Connaughton fell out of the Bucks’ rotation last season even as Milwaukee was desperate for somebody, anybody, who could give them acceptable wing minutes. That’s not a great sign. He also has a player option worth $9.4 million and obviously will be picking it up.

However, I listed him here because there are scenarios where you can imagine the Bucks convincing him to opt out and then re-sign at, say, $12 million over two years, so that Milwaukee can get a little more wiggle room below the tax apron. Most likely, his expiring contract is used as a salary match in a trade.

26. Eric Gordon, Sixers (PO)

The 36-year-old Gordon showed clear decline last season, with career lows in scoring rate and PER, and might be nearing the end of the line. However, he has a player option worth $3.5 million for the coming season; even if he isn’t in the Sixers’ plans, the team should encourage him to decline the option and re-sign a one-year minimum deal. Doing so would save the Sixers $1.3 million on their cap sheet while costing Gordon nothing, and the one-year deal would give Gordon a de facto no-trade clause.

Tier VI: Partial guarantee/in-season pickup

27. Seth Curry, Hornets

Curry is 6-1, can’t play point guard and turns 35 this summer. On the other hand, he led the league in 3-point shooting at 45.6 percent. That skill alone likely earns him another year on an NBA roster, and a rebuilding team like Charlotte could still use his veteran presence and floor-spacing chops.

28. Lonnie Walker IV, Sixers (TO)

Walker played 20 late-season games with the Sixers after he spent the first half of the year in Europe; he had been a bizarre loser in the summer 2024 game of roster musical chairs that left him with no spot in the NBA.

Walker is on the small side for a wing and has a limited handle, but he’s a good athlete who has begun shooting 3s with more zeal (over 13.0 attempts per 100 possession each of the last two seasons, which is a top-20 rate in the league), and should have a place in the league this year.

Philly has a team option on Walker worth $2.9 million; note that Philly can decline the option and re-sign him to a one-year minimum and it would save about $800,000 on their cap sheet while not costing Walker a cent. For a team likely to be flirting with the first apron this year, that’s a solid incentive to “decline-and-re-sign.”

29. Keon Johnson, Nets (NGTO)

Here’s an interesting one: The Nets have a $2.35 million team option on Johnson, but only $271,614 of it is guaranteed. (In my next life, I want to be a fly on the wall watching the Nets and Johnson’s agent arrive at the $271,614 figure.)

In reality, it probably doesn’t matter, as the Nets’ best move is to decline the option for the extra cap space it brings, and then — if they’re interested — bring Johnson back on a minimum deal once they’re done free-agent shopping. The 6-foot-5 guard needs to shoot more consistently (31.4 percent from 3, 46.8 percent on 2s) and read the game better to make a positive offensive impact, but he’s a plus athlete who showed clear improvement in Brooklyn in 2024-25.

30. Shake Milton, Lakers (NG)

Milton has a non-guaranteed deal for $3 million with a July 20 trigger date; depending on how free agency goes, it doesn’t seem out of the question that the Lakers might keep him around on that deal and potentially have Milton on the books to use as a salary-matching contract. Another alternative is to waive him and bring him back on a one-year minimum deal, which would count about $700,000 less against the cap and apron.

The key to both those alternatives is that Milton was halfway decent as a fifth guard last season. He posted an 11.9 PER for the Nets and Lakers, shot 35.8 percent from 3 and added secondary shot creation to an L.A. bench unit that doesn’t really have much.

31. Nate Williams, Rockets (NG)

Williams has a $2.2 million deal for the coming season that doesn’t guarantee until opening night, which means the Rockets are likely to drag this out all summer and see if his contract is useful for aggregation in a salary match. Beyond that, Williams only played 20 games for Houston and didn’t exactly set the world afire in his minutes, so he’s unlikely to make the opening day roster unless he blows up in summer league.

32. Lindy Waters III, Pistons

Waters pushed for rotation minutes in Golden State early last season, but wasn’t quite potent enough as a 3-and-D marksman to seize them, making 34.4 percent of his 3s last season between the Warriors and Pistons. He is now out of two-way eligibility and may have to claw his way back to the league via the G League and a midseason 10-day.

33. Damion Lee, Suns

Lee only played 144 minutes for Phoenix last season and slumped to 24.3 percent from 3, but that’s on a very low shot volume. His other numbers mostly held up in the limited sample, and he might have more in the tank than he was able to show after missing all of 2023-24 because of injury.

34. Jaden Springer, Jazz (NG)

Springer is only 22 and has shown real promise as a defender, but his 23.8 percent career mark on 3s is a glaring problem. He has a non-guaranteed deal for $2.35 million, which becomes partially guaranteed on July 25, but that should give Utah plenty of time to decide whether it can use his contract in another trade. If not, he may need to work his way back in through the G League, as the Jazz roster for 2025-26 looks awfully crowded.

35. Garrett Temple, Raptors

The end-of-bench OG in Toronto, the 39-year-old Temple has played 55 games for the Raptors over the past two seasons while mostly serving as a veteran sage for the Raptors’ young players.

36. Terence Davis, Kings

Davis played one late-season game for the Kings after being out of the NBA in 2023-24. He played most of 2024-25 in the G League and likely needs to head back there next fall.

Could Terence Davis be back with the G League this season? (Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)

Tier VII: Prominent two-way candidates

37. Trey Alexander, Nuggets (R-2w)

I remain a big fan of Alexander, a 6-4 combo guard who was one of the best players in the G League as a rookie but couldn’t crack Denver’s rotation, appearing in just 117 garbage-time minutes.

38. Bryce McGowens, Trail Blazers (R-2w)

McGowens only played 32 minutes for the Blazers last season, but he had a more extensive run in the G League and was one of its best players as a 22-year-old. The 6-6 lefty wing has a thin frame and still needs to shoot more consistently, but he showed enough flashes last season to warrant a return on a two-way at the very least.

39. Quenton Jackson, Pacers (R-2w)

Back in the early season when the Pacers struggled with injuries, Jackson got the call-up for 28 contests with Indy and even started seven games. He’s something of a wild man who is a bit out of control on both ends, but the mayhem he causes on defense is mostly positive and generated a 2.6 percent steal rate. He also played 13 G League games and was very effective at that level. The Pacers likely will bring him back as a restricted two-way free agent.

40. Lester Quiñones, Pelicans (R-2w)

Quiñones bounced around between Philadelphia and New Orleans last season, playing a total of 13 games. While he didn’t make a major impact, he offers a 3-and-D combination that makes him an easy roster fit. He is also still two-way eligible, and the Pelicans can make him a restricted two-way free agent.

41. Pat Spencer, Warriors (R)

The Warriors’ feisty combo guard could end up back in Golden State on a two-way, for which he is still eligible, or with another team. The Warriors can make him a restricted free agent with a $2.5 million qualifying offer, but that would push him onto the main roster, and I’m not sure there is room for him on a squad that may only carry 14 players for tax purposes.

42. Dru Smith, Heat (R–2w)

Smith suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon last December, and it’s unclear if he’ll be ready by opening night. He is still two-way eligible, so whenever he’s ready, a two-way seems his most likely pathway back to the league.

43. Colby Jones, Wizards (NG)

Jones’ $2.2 million deal for this coming season is 50 percent guaranteed if he isn’t waived by July 1, so either the two sides will agree to push the date back or Washington will likely set him loose. Jones hasn’t progressed enough offensively to be a roster player, but the 2023 second-rounder is two-way eligible and would be a good pickup in that spot.

44. AJ Lawson, Raptors (NG)

Lawson has a $2.3 million non-guaranteed deal for 2025-26 after appearing in 26 games for the Raptors a year ago. He’s a true wing with some athletic pop, but has struggled to develop offensively to the point that he could command NBA minutes. Presuming that Toronto waives him at some point, he is still two-way eligible and likely will be back on such a deal in either Toronto or some other locale.

45. Johnny Davis, last with Grizzlies

The Wizards’ lottery bust finished last season with Westchester in the G League. He is only 23 and still two-way eligible.

(Top photo of Cam Thomas defending Keon Ellis: Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)

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