the nba free agent class of 2023 could well be among the most stacked in the association’s history.
Even without four-time NBA champion lebron james on the market, there are several mainstays of the franchise. That included embattled Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving.
Here, we take a look at the NBA’s top potential free agents in 2023 with a breakdown by position below.
related: the 50 best players in the nba of 2022
1. kyrie irving, brooklyn nets
after choosing his option for the 2022-23 season, it seems that the enigmatic irving will play the last year of his contract in brooklyn. As you know, he has been the subject of trade negotiations. Except for something extraordinary, he will play this season in the big apple. after that, anyone can guess what could happen.
despite the drama irving brings to the table, he will still be among the best free agents in the nba in the summer of 2023. during his three-year career in brooklyn, irving has averaged 27.1 points and 6 .0 assists on 49% shooting, including a 41% mark from 3-point range.
2. khris middleton, milwaukee bucks (player option)
Depending on how he performs this season after suffering a knee injury early in the 2022 nba playoffs, middleton may well opt out of his $40.4 million 2023-24 contract .
When he’s on the floor, this former second-round pick has proven to be one of the most underrated in the game. middleton is averaging 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 39% shooting from distance over the past five seasons.
Related: Updated 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings
3. nikola vucevic, chicago bulls
Acquired by Chicago midway through the 2020-21 season, Vucevic hasn’t seen the same career-defining production at Orlando Magic. last season, the great skilled average had a nine-year low of 17.6 points. led to speculation that he might move out this summer.
Despite that, we’re talking about a tremendous two-way big man who can hit the shot from the perimeter and has shown solid passing skills. will make him a highly coveted player on the open market in the summer of 2023.
4. al horford, boston celtics
Horford was merely a means to an end when Boston re-acquired him while Kemba Walker’s contract was withdrawn ahead of the 2021-22 season. It seemed that the five-time all-star had seen the best days of his.
not so fast. Along the way to help Boston reach the 2022 NBA Finals, Horford averaged 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 48% from 3-point shooting in the playoffs. a perfect fit with the celtics, it would be a surprise if he landed elsewhere next summer.
5. myles turner, indiana pacemaker
With Indiana entering full-scale rebuilding mode, Turner is likely to be the next big-name player to move before the 2022-23 regular season. Whether he signs an extension with a new team remains to be seen.
what we do know is that turner would be among the most wanted free agents in the nba next summer. here’s a guy who’s averaging 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds over the last six seasons. That span has also seen Turner lead the NBA in blocks twice.
related: 2022-23 nba playoffs and championships predictions
nba free agents 2023: options for veterans
6. harrison barnes, kings sacrament
As underrated as it seems, the 30-year-old Barnes would probably want to join a contender after he won a title with the Golden State Warriors early in his career. The forward is averaging 15.7 points and 5.7 rebounds on 39% shooting from 3-point range over the past three seasons with Sacramento. Maybe he was traded before the 2022-23 season or during the February NBA trade deadline.
7. d’angelo russell, minnesota timberwolves
The subject of trade rumors early last offseason, Russell is now likely to return for his third full season with the Timberwolves. still only 26, he fell out of favor in the playoffs a season ago. Russell will have to put up a stellar campaign in 2022-23 if he wants to cash in on another lucrative long-term deal.
8. kyle kuzma, washington wizards
one of the centerpieces that brought russell westbrook to the lakers last summer, kuzma had a great first season in the nation’s capital. the forward averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 45% shooting from the field. While Kuzma, 26, will never be considered a franchise cornerstone, he will be among the most talked about NBA free agents of the 2023 cycle.
9. bojan bogdanovic, detroit pistons
bogdanovic, 33, will call another nba city home next season. He was on the block for some time before being acquired by the Utah Jazz Detroit Pistons. the 33-year-old is a 39% career three-point shooter. that kind of range will be valuable on the market next summer.
10. dillon creeks, memphis grizzlies
call it a conundrum. say it doesn’t have a great selection of shots. it’s okay. we’re also talking about one of the best wing defenders in the game and someone who brings passion to the pitch. It should also be noted that Brooks, 26, averaged a career-high 19.4 points a season ago.
11. gary trent jr., toronto raptors
everything trent jr. He’s done it since he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2018. It’s in his game each and every year. With the Raptors in 2021-22, the wing averaged 18.3 points while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. the only question here is if he will ever become a good all-around player. he has problems with efficiency and he is not the best of defenders.
12. christian wood, dallas hipsters
Acquired by Dallas in a blockbuster trade with Houston, it will be interesting to see how Wood performs under Luka Doncic in 2022-23. It’ll tell us everything we need to know about whether he’ll be one of the most coveted NBA free agents of the 2023 cycle. Mainly, the high-scoring forward needs to improve on the defensive end of the court to get paid big.
13. kristaps porzingis, washington wizards (player option)
It was in 2018 that Porzingis became one of the best young players in the game. Fast-forward nearly half a decade, and that’s no longer the case. injuries coupled with ineffective defense have seen his stock drop big. even then, we’re talking about a 20-point scorer who can hit from outside and average a double-double. a strong performance in 2022-23 could lead to Porzingis terminating his contract.
14. josh hart, portland trail jackets
Virtually an afterthought in the blockbuster trade of Anthony Davis to the Lakers in 2019, Hart has blossomed into a very good player. The 27-year-old forward is averaging nearly 20 points per game on 50% shooting with Portland after being acquired in the CJ McCollum trade last February.
Top NBA Free Agents of 2023: Question Marks
15. russell westbrook, los angeles lakers
Westbrook’s days of cashing in on big contracts are pretty much over. He was a disaster in his first season with the Lakers, sparking trade talk last summer. even then, there will be a market for a veteran with playoff experience next summer. if russ somehow gets back into shape in 2022-23, said market will be solid.
16. pj washington, charlotte hornets
charlotte might prioritize signing washington for an extension given the off-the-court situation surrounding the miles-advance bridges. if not, he’ll be one of the hottest young nba free agents of the 2023 cycle. even just 23, the former top 12 pick is averaging 11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds on 38% shooting. shots from distance in three nba seasons.
17. grant williams, boston celtics
An enigmatic figure, this former Tennessee first-round pick will have to show more consistency on offense if he’s going to land a nice payday as one of the NBA’s underrated free agents of 2023. That said, he’s a Tremendous defender and played well on the other end of the floor during Boston’s final NBA run (8.6 points per game, 39% shooting from 3-point range in the playoffs).
18. jakob poeltl, san antonio spurs
There’s a good chance Poeltl, 26, won’t be around San Antonio for long. Entering a one-year contract, Spurs are unlikely to extend it with them ahead of a full-scale rebuild following the Murray Dejounte trade. either way, there’s going to be interest in him between now and next summer. the former top 10 pick averaged his career best points (13.5) and rebounds (9.3) on 62% shooting during the 2021-22 season.
Top NBA Free Agents of 2023 by Position
base
- eric bledsoe, portland trail blazers
- derrick rose, new york knicks
- patrick beverley, los angeles lakers
- white coby, chicago bulls (restricted)
- gabe vincent, miami heat
- reggie jackson, los angeles clippers
- ish smith, denver nuggets
- tre jones, san antonio spurs (restricted)
- austin reaves, los angeles lakers (restricted)
- caris levert, cleveland cavaliers
- malik beasley, utah jazz (team option)
- terrence ross, orlando magic
- victor oladipo, miami heat
- josh richardson, san antonio spurs
- talen horton-tucker, utah jazz (player choice)
- alec burks, utah jazz (team option)
- danny green, memphis grizzlies
- kentavious caldwell-pope, denver nuggets
- pat connaughton, milwaukee dollars
- hamidou diallo, detroit pistons
- kendrick nunn, los angeles lakers
- matisse thybulle, philadelphia 76ers (restricted)
- lonnie walker iv, los angeles lakers
- wesley matthews, milwaukee dollars
- max strus, miami heat
- shake milton, philadelphia 76ers
- ayo dosunmu, chicago bulls (restricted)
- will barton, washington wizards
- de’andre hunter, atlanta hawks (restricted)
- joe ingles, milwaukee dollars
- kelly oubre, charlotte hornets
- jae crowder, phoenix suns
- rudy gay, utah jazz
- cam reddish, new york knicks (restricted)
- cameron johnson, phoenix soles (restricted)
- justise winslow, portland trail blazers
- troy brown jr., los angeles lakers
- georges niang, philadelphia 76ers
- kevin love, cleveland cavaliers
- rui hachimura, washington wizards (restricted)
- taj gibson, washington wizards
- dwight powell, dallas mavericks
- derrick favors, houston rockets
- maxi kleber, dallas mavericks
- plumlee mason, charlotte hornets
- brook lopez, milwaukee dollars
- james wiseman, golden state warriors (team option)
- nerlens noel, new york knicks
- jaxson hayes, new orleans pelicans (restricted)
- robin lopez, cleveland cavaliers
- deandre jordan, philadelphia 76ers
- naz reid, minnesota timber wolves