NBA Free Agent Rankings for 2016-17 Season: MVP LeBron James, J.R. Smith Among Top Players for Free Agency

By Regin Anthony Salo Olimberio, CP Contributor Monday, August 01, 2016

The 2016 NBA season is now in the offing and NBA Free Agent Rankings is giving you the list of its top players. In this list, the players can play for their current teams but should other clubs turn every stone to pry and steal them away, these players can do as they wish. So even if the top players are already taken, teams with spaces in salary cap can still get decent players from this list.

Lebron James is still technically a free agent and teams in NBA surely explore the possibility of acquiring the service of this scoring machine, although "the King" already made clear that he is staying with the Cavaliers after a successful campaign last season. Although the list of top players is growing shorter by the minute because of squads trying to beef up their arsenal, there are still some notable players available out there. 

J.R. Smith is an unrestricted agent averaging 12.4 points with marks of 41.5 percent from off the field and 40 percent from the three-point arc. Smith made valuable contributions during the Cleveland Cavalier's finals against Golden State Warriors when his efficiency elevated to 43 percent on 7.2 attempts per game.

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Donatas Motiejunas is bound for uncertainty in his career since most of the clubs have spent their money and nearing salary cap. Although limited to only 37 games last season because of premature injury, Montiejunas has a decent show in 2014-2015 season when he averaged 50.4 percent from the field and 36.8 from the arc to make it into 12 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. Since Montiejunas is a restricted free agent, Houston Rockets is most likely to match offers if within reasonable range.

Ty Lawson is surprising to end up in the list of free agents since his best season in 2014-2015 where he made a staggering 43.6 percent from the field and 34.1 from the three-point lane. The same season saw Lawson with 15.2 points per game average and 9.6 assists, one of the best records at that time.

Lawson's problems began with drought for alcohol and his overstaying at the free agency list apparently shows that the teams are not convinced that he can bounce back into his old fighting form. Should any team close a reasonably "low" deal with Lawson and he finds his old self, then it is going to be a huge bargain.

Josh Smith saw the last stretch of his career in a see-saw from Clippers to Rockets after signing a minimum deal intended for veterans. The 30-year-old can still sink baskets from the arc, after all, he was known for making 28.5 points from the distance during his heyday. He can also be a steal deal if a team can make him into what he once was - a shooter, a fast player and a good rim defender.

Lance Stephenson can be a huge asset, judging from his performance in Memphis Grizzlies. Stephenson's 26.6 minutes per game resulted to an average of 14.2 points in 47.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Although solid by all standards, Stephenson was not able to get the spotlight since Grizzlies was completely devoid of NBA-level talent because of injuries.