My Favorite Free Agent Signings of the Summer
Let’s be honest, free agency is not what it used to be. Most likely, the days of Kevin Durant being the glamorous “item” at the front of the store, Kawhi and PG creating earthquakes with their signings, and LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh causing a fracture in the NBA's universe are gone. Most of that is because stars are finding loopholes to maximize the money they get while still being able to go where they want through the trade market, but it’s also because of the new salary cap world we live in. The aprons have significantly reduced the explosiveness that has been synonymous with NBA free agency in the past. Free agency, though, isn't non-existent or pointless despite being much less combustible. Instead of this being where teams put on their best moby dick impressions to catch the whales of their dreams for their teams, this has now become the place where teams look to add attachments to help round out their rosters, add depth, and give their starting lineups some, sometimes much-needed improvements.
Think of free agency as a custom loadout like in Call of Duty or any first-person shooter game. Yeah, on the surface, adding a suppressor to my Grau or giving my sniper a certain type of scope doesn't seem like much or meaningful, but truly, they change a lot and make the weapon even better. Especially when you stack the right amount of attachments onto one weapon. My old Warzone players remember how much those attachments made the Grau a kill magnet back when that weapon was the meta. The same line of thinking can be applied to the current state of free agency now. Instead of weapons, teams are mostly trying to find attachments during this period of the offseason. And hey, it’s not like we don't have superstars enter free agency cleanly. Paul George, after an All-NBA season, entered unrestricted free agency and made a big-time leap to a new team during free agency, and LeBron freaking James just signed with the 76ers in free agency. This offseason, we had an All-Star flip teams in Normal Powell (I know that’s very bottom of the barrel). But we’re not here to talk about them. We’re here to dive into the sleeper free agency signings. The ones that aren't that glamorous but kind of define what free agency is in today's NBA. So let’s dive into my favorite free agency signings of this offseason.
Matisse Thybulle| Los Angeles Lakers| 1 year, 3.3 million dollars
The Los Angeles Lakers, after losing their key perimeter defender Marcus Smart, needed someone who could do some similar things as Marcus did for them defensively. So they signed one of the most disruptive defenders in the entire league, Matisse Thybulle. He isnt the kind of on-ball defender or versatile weapon that Marcus is, but he’s way more disruptive, longer, and is more slight of foot. This past season, he had an absurd steal percentage of 5.8% (100th percentile), averaged 2.5 deflections per game, and 8.7 deflections per 36 minutes, ranking 1st among players who played at least 30 games last season. He averaged 1.4 steals per game and 2.6 steals per 36 minutes. Additionally, he had an amazing defensive EPM of +3.7, ranking fourth in the entire league, only behind Victor, Ausar Thompson, and Chet. He's an absurd defender who causes all kinds of chaos. Having that defender who causes chaos and collects steals alongside an elite rim protector will only enable him to be even more of a goblin all over the floor. The Lakers, in general, since the JJ Reddick hire, have been more of a conservative defense, trying to limit the amount of times they’re in rotation against an offense. With Mattise likely, this should signal they’re going to lean into a more aggressive defense to force more turnovers and get out in transition more. And if they don't fully lean into being an aggressive defense, Thybulle still should get a lot of steals and deflections because he is so good at reading what offenses are doing, making smart and keen anticipatory plays on the ball, and shoving his hands into places to get steals and deflections, whether he’s defending the ball or defending off of it.
Thybulle on the ball is a solid defender. He’s best at defending guards and wings on the perimeter because of his foot speed, length, and, at times, very sticky on-ball defense. He isn't the kind of on-ball defender who should be used as a primary stopper, because he can struggle with the toughest assignments in the league for long stretches. But on switches, defending secondary options, and below, he thrives with those matchups as an on-ball defender. Now the problem is that he tends to struggle against more powerful players, which is why he isn't best suited to defend forwards or stronger wings.
That isn't his biggest question or deficiency as a player, though. His entire offensive value is his big deficiency as a player because he hasn't been too much of a plus on that end. Reasons why are because of his jumper, lack of a handle, and ability to make good decisions with the ball, and be consistently active on that end. However, he’s shot the ball well from the three-point line the past two seasons. Over the past two seasons, Matisse has shot 41.3% from three, albeit on low volume, 3.1 attempts per game. That’s still really good for him, given how his shot looked before he became a Blazer. If he can space the floor and continue to be a solid enough cutter and straight line driver off the catch, then he should be at least an average offensive player for them this coming season, and Luka is more than capable of turning an average offensive player into a plus one.
Mattise is one of the best thieves in the NBA, and he’s the kind of defender who just wants to see offenses burn. Those are some of the defenders the Lakers really need around Luka, Reaves, and Kessler for them to stay a contender in the Western Conference. And while his offense has been near mute for the majority of his career, it looks as if he is beginning to turn the corner on that end and be useful, which will be nice in helping him be a nice role player for the Lakers this upcoming season.
Kelly Oubre| Indiana Pacers| 2 years, 16.5 million dollars
I feel like the Indiana Pacers are one of the most forgotten teams in the NBA. I know they had a very bad season last year, but they were incredibly injured, and we saw how good they were when they’re fully healthy. Zubac seemed like the only addition this team would make between the New Year and the first day of the 2026-27 season, but during free agency, they signed Kelly Oubre to a very nice, fair deal for two years. Kelly, for those unaware, isn't just one of the most attractive players in the league (yeah, I said it. A man can complete another man's looks). He’s a fun two-way wing role player who can play the three or the four, is a terrific cutter, has plus length and athleticism, can be a really good perimeter defender, and capable spot-up and off-ball scorer who can drive and shoot. We know that the Pacers are a team that loves to play up and down and have one of the most free-flowing offenses in the league, and Oubre will fit right into that. He will be able to attack downhill against closeouts with his ability to drive in a straight line well, and whenever he’s running in transition.
Last season, Kelly shot 49.7% on 5.0 drivers per game. Now Kelly does have his issues as a driver, like whenever teams throw an extra defender at him to change direction. He isn't a capable playmaker as a driver; he isn't a good finisher with his off-hand; and he isn't someone with much craft, nuance, or skill as a driver. He still is a solid one, though, for a player of his archetype, thanks to his athleticism and ability to get downhill in a straight line. That will fit well within the Pacers' roster because Haliburton and Pascal will create many closeout opportunities for him to attack, and the Pacers' system will do so naturally, with all the movement they have in the halfcourt.
Kelly will fit into the movement synonymous with the Pacers' offense as a cutter. His cutting is a better skill than his driving because he is so good at finding and filling space and scoring off well-timed, intelligent cuts across the floor, which sounds awesome for Haliburton. Giving one of the league's best passers and decision makers an elite and active cutter who’s an efficient finisher off cuts is like giving a machete to Jason. Haliburton is going to help Kelly thrive even more as a cutter, and Kelly himself should be even more productive as a cutter next to Haliburton. He averaged 1.33 points per cut last season and now will get to score more when he’s moving all over the court and catching defenses by surprise when he appears out of nowhere.
The Pacers, along with active movers off the ball, love having capable shooters who can space the floor and give their offense plenty of room to operate. Kelly is a solid shooter, as he shot 37.6% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers last season. He will provide some spacing for the Pacers in the halfcourt and make a good amount of three pointers off the kickout passes he gets from his Pacers teammates. Now, his percentages off the catch did take a huge dip in the playoffs last season, and for his career, he’s shot 32.7% from three. Now he still averaged 1.1 points per spot-up last season, mostly because of how he is as a driver off the catch, but even if he sort of returns to form as a three-point shooter after a career year, he should still be an impactful enough spot-up player for the Pacers.
Then there’s the defensive component to this signing. The Pacers, while having a really good roster, needed some more depth on the wing behind Aaron Nesmith for defensive purposes, and they got that with Kelly now. At his best, he is a good, switchable on-ball defender with good length and lateral quickness, and he is a solid turnover forcer. He had a steal percentage of 2.1% (75th percentile) last season, ranked 10th in deflections per 36 minutes (4.8), and showed an ability to defend some very difficult matchups.
He isnt perfect on the ball as he is very inconsistent and can have moments where he’s constantly targeted and giving up points when defending on the perimeter. Those inconsistencies travel to his off-ball defensive abilities as well. When he’s not on, he gives up a lot, and his lack of attention to detail sometimes costs him a lot of advantages and easy points. When he’s on, though, he is a disruptive off-ball defender who can force turnovers and provide real stability. For the Pacers, though, they already have a pair of good perimeter defenders in their starting lineup in Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal is a very versatile and switchable defender in his own right. Oubre will likely be an off-the-bench piece for the Pacers this upcoming season, and having him as an off-the-bench weapon will be really beneficial for the Pacers and make his strengths potentially shine even more on both ends of the floor than they would if he were a full-time starter for them.
Mitchell Robinson| Boston Celtics| 3-years, 47.4 million dollars
Boston was always the team that immediately hacked Shaqued Mitchell Robinson when he came into the game and when the time was right. They never hesitated and were the team that always did it, no matter if it was a regular season or playoff game. Many will see that as a sign of disrespect toward Mitchell, but in fact, it was quite the opposite. It was the ultimate sign of respect from coach Mazzula, and now the entire Celtics organization has shown even more respect by signing him to a solid contract to make him part of their team. Mitchell Robinson is coming off one of the best offensive rebounding seasons we have ever seen. He averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game last season (1st in the league), 7.7 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, and an offensive rebound percentage of 22.6% (led the league and the best percentage in NBA history). Also, when he was on the court for the Knicks last season, their offensive rebound percentage on missed field goal attempts increased by 10% (39.5%), their second-chance possessions per 100 Possessions improved by 4.93 points, and their second-chance points per 100 Possessions improved by 6.3 points. He wrecked games on the offensive glass and often caused a lot of problems for the Celtics, which is why they constantly tried to get him out of the game.
The Celtics' last season added a wrinkle to their identity. Crashing the offensive glass hard and often, so they could win the possession battle even more, instead of just relying on their inability to turn the ball over. They ranked 6th in offensive rebound percentage (29.2%), and now they’re adding the best offensive rebounder we’ve seen in a long time. This team is going to get even more open threes, even more second-chance points, and win the possession battle by an even larger margin. That’s perfect for where some of the Celtics' offensive priorities have shifted, and Mitchell should make a strength even stronger for Boston. Paul George, Tatum, Derrick White, and everyone else should send a good amount of fruit baskets to Mitchell’s house for the amount of open threes he’s going to create for them off the catch.
Mitchell, good thing for them, doesn't just collect offensive rebounds at a high rate and nothing else. He is also a really good defensive player with some of the best hands among centers in the NBA and a good rim protector. Mitchell is a great interior defender who is awesome at protecting the paint and presenting challenges for offenses to overcome to score there. Opposing players shot 4.5% worse at the rim when Mitchell was contesting their shots at the rim. His length, timing, good feel on defense, and mobility all help him be a great rim protector and post defender. Boston got destroyed on the block in the playoffs, and while yes, it was Joel Embiid, they struggled all season against good post scorers. Mitchell will help Boston defend good post scorers much better and defend the paint overall much better when the playoffs come. Mitchell, defensively, is also very good at getting steals and forcing turnovers.
Mitchell is great at deflecting and stealing passes that are made in his vicinity, and thanks to his size and length, his vicinity is wider than passers think. He can also surprise passers with how quickly he can get his hands on passes. He also gets steals on entry passes to the post, can pick-pocket ball handlers, get steals when he’s denying the ball, and he can blow up hand-offs. Mitchell had a steal percentage of 2.4% last season, ranking in the 85th percentile and third among centers who played at least 40 games in the regular season.
Mitchell fits their identity on offense, will improve their defense a lot, and give them 48 minutes of good center play, which they lacked last season. Neemias Queta was awesome for the Celtics last season and an awesome developmental story, but their center play behind him wasnt great and was a problem for them. When Queta was off the floor for them last season, the Celtics' NET rating dropped by 10.2 points. Boston tried to fix their backup center issues by trading for Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline. I was skeptical of the trade at the time, and my worries proved justified once he became a Celtic.
Luke Kennard| Phoenix Suns| 2 years, 13 million dollars
Shooting is always a welcome thing on an NBA roster, and now the Suns, while they got rid of some of their best shooters to acquire Miles Bridges, have brought in one of the league's best shooters in Luke Kennard. Kennard, for his career, has shot 44.2% from three, and his track record as a three-point shooter off the catch is tremendous. Last season, he led the league in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage (49.3%) among players who attempted at least 200 catch-and-shoot three-pointers. In 2024-25, he ranked 2nd (46.9%) among players who attempted at least 150 catch-and-shoot three-pointers; in 2023-24, he ranked 2nd (48.7%); and in 2022-23, he ranked 1st (52.6%). He is an elite three-point shooter off the catch, and he not only makes them from a standstill but also off of movement, after a screen, and in transition. Last season, he averaged 1.07 points per off-ball screen last season. Pin-downs, wide pin-downs, screen the screener actions, flare screens, stagger screens, ghost screens, and all kinds of other off-ball screens and actions; it doesn't matter; he makes movement three’s running off of all those different kinds of screens and actions.
Luke unlocks different pages of the playbook that coaches use in special scenarios. He is an awesome chess piece to use within a half-court offense, not solely because of his ability to make three’s off movement, but also subtly because of his screening. Luke is a sneaky good screener who is good at making contact with the defender he’s screening, and he’s a great shooter after screening for a teammate, whether on pick-and-pops or ghost screens. Teams won't be able to hide matchups on Kennard because he is a good screener and such a capable off-ball scorer, which will improve the Suns' offense. His playmaking and pull-up shooting will also improve the Suns' offense. Luke does not get enough credit as a playmaker. His assist numbers have never jumped off the screen, but he is a solid connective playmaker who can find his screener, make solid kickout passes as a driver, find open teammates off the catch, and make some impressive passes to the weakside from time to time when attacking with the ball.
He is someone opponents can't dare to make passing reads, and he is a great connective playmaker who doesn't let the ball stick and ensures his offense gets a good shot and advantage. Additionally, he is capable of making defenses pay with his pull-up jumper when they give him space when he’s running off screens, handoffs, and when coming off a ball screen. Most of those pull-ups come off of one dribble or at the most three when given the space or run off the three-point line. One of Luke's major problems is that he tends not to shoot the ball. Big problem for one of the league's best shooters, but this past season, he started to let it fly a lot more than he had before. Since he became less reluctant to shoot, his impact on the Lakers improved significantly once he was traded there. When his volume is where it should be, he is one of the league's best off-ball scorers and floor spacers, but when his volume is too low, it becomes easy to push him down the depth chart and cut his minutes.
Defense, of course, is another issue for him because he can be targeted and isn't a good defender, but the Suns have the roster to hide him on defense well. Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro will all help insulate Kennard on defense, along with the Suns’ scheme. He may stick out like a sore thumb for them on defense, but he will really improve this offense by giving it another shooter who they can run actions for and have space on the floor at a high level, as well as give their offense some needed oxygen as a shooter and playmaker when they really need it.
Marcus Smart| Houston Rockets| 2 years, 13 million dollars
One of the league's best defensive teams, adding another high-level defender is simply awesome. The Rockets last season ranked fourth in defense (112.6 opponent points per 100 possessions) and now are adding the 10th-best guard defender in the league, according to EPM (+2.0 defensive EPM). Smart is going to give this team another elite on-ball defender they can throw at opposing stars, a versatile defensive piece they can use to defend a lot of different players, and a great off-ball defender who can make rotations and limit the amount of time the Rockets spend in rotation and the amount of shots off the catch they allow. Smart will also give them a defender they can mix and match matchups with at a high level, because Marcus can defend some centers and big forwards. That could unlock Amen more as a roamer (so scary just thinking about that) and allow Sengun to play more off the ball defensively, as he’s best suited to do. Marcus is going to fit right in with this elite group of defenders and make it even better because he is so good on the defensive end. He helps the Rockets make a strength even more of a strength, but offense was a huge problem for this team last season.
They ranked 7th in offense last season (118.9 points per 100 possessions), but in the halfcourt specifically, they ranked 19th (96.8 points per 100 half-court possessions). This offense relied heavily on scoring a ton of points in transition, off the turnovers they forced, and off offensive rebounds. They succeeded as an offense by winning a ton on the margins, but when they couldn't win or win enough on the margins, their offensive success evaporated. Marcus should help them be an even better offensive rebounding team and get more points off turnovers, but, more importantly, he will help their offense in the halfcourt and on first-chance opportunities. His playmaking will help this offense improve. Smart is a capable point guard who can run an offense, set the table well for others to eat comfortably, and is a keen connective playmaker who can help his team maintain advantages and turn good shots into great ones.
The Rockets ranked 25th in turnover percentage (14.7%), 27th in assist percentage (59.1%), 21st in assists per game (25.4), 24th in turnovers per game (15.4), and 19th in shot attempts off the catch (26.8). This team is not a good passing team nor one that creates many high-percentage looks, and Smart should help them create more. Whether he’s initiating or making passing reads off the catch, he should help improve those numbers and create easier looks for Durant, Sengun, Amen, and everyone else. In 8 or Smart’s 12 seasons in the NBA, he has eclipsed a 20.0% assist percentage for a season. Marcus will also be able to give them some more on-ball scoring juice. Not high level or even a good amount of juice, but some juice. As a driver, Marcus is solid, and he can score decently well as a pick-and-roll ball handler. During the playoffs, Marcus averaged 1.1 points per isolation (0.97 during the regular season), and during the regular season, he averaged 0.91 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball handler.
Smart should also give them another screener they can use within their offense, a solid enough shooter who can make enough open three’s and look like a good three point shooter next to the poor shooters the Rockets had last season, and be a solid enough off-ball scorer who can feed off the gravity of Durant, Sengun, and Amen while also injecting some more movement into this at times very rudimentary offense. Lastly, Smart is great VanVleet insurance. This team did not have good enough insurance for his injury last season, and did not have much guard depth. Marcus will give them some much-needed guard depth and also a capable starting point guard who can start when VanVleet is out, which it sort of sounds like he might miss the beginning of this upcoming season.
Marcus fills a real need for the Rockets while aligning perfectly with what makes them successful as a team. He was a good player for the Lakers last season and performed very well in the playoffs when they needed him to scale up. He should be an impactful player for the Rockets next season and help address some of their weaknesses.
Tobias Harris| San Antonio Spurs| 2-years, 30.8 million dollars
Even though the Spurs were fantastic and a worthy team who made the Finals in large part because of their elite starting lineup headlined by their otherworldly center Victor, their awesome young two-way guard Stephon Castle, All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, and very helpful and athletic sharpshooter Devin Vassell, the fifth starter always seemed to dim the shine that the Spurs’ starters had all season. Originally, the fifth starter at the four was Harrison Barnes, but because of the eroding gravity on offense, plus defensive challenges he knows have at this stage in his career, the Spurs swapped him out for Julian Champagnie, who really made the starters even more dangerous and frightening because of the shooter that he is. Still, he is a 6’5 wing who was someone opposing teams felt comfortable attacking, who was forced to put the ball on the floor, and to make decisions with it during the playoffs. It caused some problems for them, and his lack of on-ball juice really hurt the Spurs’ half-court offense at times. Now they’ve signed Tobias Harris to be the team's new starting four. A 6’8 forward who’s coming off one of the best playoff runs of his career and a solid season with a team that finished first in the Eastern Conference.
During the Finals, the Spurs' offense faced some eye-hurting slogs in the 4th quarter of almost every game, except game three. They lacked a lot of offensive versatility and firepower to maintain the leads they built, and now Harris should help address many of their half-court offensive issues. It wasn't a consistent, very obvious problem for them, as they ranked 4th in half-court offense during the regular season (102.3 points per 100 half-court possessions) and 7th during the playoffs (96.1 points per 100 half-court possessions). Not bad at all, but their problems popped up like meerkats at the absolutely wrong times. Harris’ ability to make shots off the dribble, score out of post-ups, attack mismatches, and create his own offense will make him the perfect hammer to bash those problems when they pop up. Keldon gave them some more scoring juice at times as a sixth man, but he’s just not the scorer that Tobias is off the dribble.
Harris is a much better pull-up shooter, a better driver, has more weapons as a scorer with the ball, and is a better decision-maker as a scorer and passer with the ball. Harris will also fit right into this offense without monopolizing the ball or taking possessions away from their stars. He shot 40.0% on catch and shoot three’s last season (playoffs and regular season combined). That will be crucial for him to be a plus for the Spurs next season and beyond because we saw what Champagnie’s awesome three-point shooting did for the Spurs last season.
It made everyone drive slightly less congested, gave everyone a reliable kickout option they could feed the ball to for easy points, someone who they could run a good amount of different actions for in order to add layers to their halfcourt offense, and someone who generally had to be respected to a degree on that end. Harris should do all of those things except for the movement shooting to the degree of Champagnie for the Spurs as a starter. However, as we mentioned, he will give them much more ball-handling depth and off-the-dribble scoring juice in the starting lineup. He will also give them more size and defensive versatility than Champagnie did.
Harris can hold up against opposing forwards and some opposing wings. He isn't the kind of defender you can repeatedly attack, he does a solid job making rotations and holding up off the ball, and is a plus rebounder who can close possessions for his team's defense. He should be an improvement slightly over Keldon and Champagnie on defense. That plus the on-ball utility he has should give the Spurs more layers on offense, be better prepared when they face great defensive teams, and have gotten even better on the defensive end, which I dont know how that’s possible given how incredible they were last season when Wemby was on the floor.
Keon Ellis| Brooklyn Nets| 2 years, 18 million dollars
Underneath the massive pile of L’s and blowout losses, there have been some promising defensive moments that have glimmered for the Brooklyn Nets over the last two seasons. I know they're hard to find because of all the losses, but during the month of December last season, the Nets ranked 3rd in the league in defense, allowing only 109.8 points per 100 possessions. Since they hired Jordi Fernandez, they have shown real flashes of being a good defensive team despite the losses they’ve suffered and the lack of high-end talent on their roster. Now, during free agency, they signed the underrated Keon Ellis, a very good perimeter defender. I know many people are probably going to read this with the “You glaze him so much” thought creeping in the back of their brains, but this signing is a fun one because Keon fits the defensive identity that this team has tried to build over the last couple of seasons.
Keon is a sound perimeter defender who can defend tough assignments on the ball and is an excellent turnover generator. His steal percentage last season was 2.7% (92nd percentile), in 2024-25 it was 3.0% (96th percentile), and in 2023-24 it was 2.6% (92nd percentile). He also tied for 10th in the league last season in deflections per 36 minutes (4.8) among players who played at least 45 games. Keon has plus length and some amazing instincts and hands that help him steal all kinds of passes and cause all kinds of damage. Keon is also a good screen navigator who’s capable of pressuring the ball at a good level and defending ball handlers 94 feet.
Keon checks a lot of boxes for the Nets' defense, as they have shown they like to play very aggressively, letting their lengthy athletes cause damage and pressure opposing offenses. Keon will be able to take on tough assignments, earn them extra possessions, and give them another hound to throw at ball handlers once they inbound the ball. Given where the roster is right now, while they aren't trying to compete at a high level, they still needed a plus perimeter defender around guys like Egor, Mikel, Randle, and Porter Jr., especially after Ziare Williams left in free agency. The difference between him and Ziare, though, is that Keon is a much better shooter. For his career, he’s shot 40.7% from three on 3.3 attempts a game. More specifically, he’s shot 40.5% on catch and shoot three’s for his career. Keon is a plus shooter who does a good job spacing the floor and making threes after receiving a kickout pass. That should help him see the floor a lot more than he has for his career because Brooklyn needs some plus shooters around their young guards, Egor and Mikel.
The Nets last season ranked dead last in offense (108.8 points per 100 possessions), and the season before this past one, they ranked 28th (108.7 points per 100 possessions). This team has been one of the worst offensive teams in the league for the past two seasons, and while Keon isnt someone who can put the ball on the floor consistently or is a plus passer and driver, his shooting from three should help them a good amount on offense. Keon is also only 26 years old, and while the second year of his contract has a mutual option (both player and team option), he could be in Brooklyn past the two years that’s on his contract. If not, he could be someone who nets them assets in a trade because of the role player he is right now.
