Written by Rob Mahoney at SI.com
The first run of free agency has emptied out the cupboard. The best available talents are long gone, as are most of the top supporting stars and role players. What remains are largely contributors with more particular games. Therein lies the potential for value. What makes players like Gordon Hayward so expensive, to begin with, is that their games are broad and inarguably productive. They attract enough interest that their contract price is driven to its maximum value. Not so for specialists, prospects, and spot contributors, all of which have enough gaps in their skill sets as to narrow the market significantly.
What makes bargain hunting worthwhile is that a player doesn’t need to be valuable to every team (or even most teams) in order to be a sound investment. He needs only to be valuable to one—a single context that aligns perfectly with what he can and cannot do. The right low-cost signing can free up money and cap room to be spent elsewhere, all while contributing well beyond their price point. With that in mind, let’s dig through some of the better budget options still available in search of those situational fits:
C.J. Miles, Pacers (UFA)
There are still plenty of quality players without deals in place, but Miles’s persistent availability is a bit confusing. He might be best-known at this point for taking a buzzer-beating shot in the playoffs that Paul George wanted for himself. Beyond that confidence in his shooting stroke, Miles is a team-first role player who can contribute defensively and space the floor from either forward spot. Miles, at 6’6″, guarded opposing power forwards because George didn’t want to. He shot a career-best 41.3% from three last season. What team couldn’t use that sort of player? Miles plays confidently without being pushy. He should have more of a market than he appears to, even if he’s good enough to be in a different level of “bargain” than many of the other players on this list.
Dewayne Dedmon, Spurs (UFA)
A stealthy part of the framework behind the best defense in the league last season, Dedmon, a seven-footer in the prime of his career, can change the look of the defensive interior. His hands have also improved to the point where he can be a reasonable finisher. There seems to be little question that Dedmon is worth more than the $2.9 million the Spurs paid him last season. The question is whether a league flush with centers (and starting-quality ones, in particular) really has room to make a substantially more lucrative offer.
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