We keep diggin into the next
free agency. This time is the turn for the shooting guards. As we said previously, the upcoming summer we'll have plenty of talent available for the teams to go after. There's no doubt that
Klay Thompson is the most popular and achieved player in our top. But what about the others? lets take a look.
Besides Klay Thompson, there are some good quality scorers, such as
Buddy Hield, or
Immanuel Quickley, a young talented shooting guard who can also play the point guard position.
Malik Monk has been very good with Sacramento coming off the bench. All of these players could be playing their last season with their current franchise.
1 Klay Thompson.
The conversation about what the Golden State Warriors should do with Klay's future has been one of the most talked about topics in the Bay. Klay's performance has dropped in recent years, currently shooting 42.1% from the field, and 37.3% from long distance. Not bad numbers at all for a shooting guard, but we have seen the old Klay Thompson play and of course, he is more "human" now. 13 years in San Francisco for Klay, although he is from Los Angeles and his father played with the Los Angeles Lakers, so it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up playing with LeBron and the AD. Other possible destinations include Spurs, Rockets or Mavericks. Klay will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after players in the upcoming free agency.
2 Malik Monk
Malik Monk has been a standout for the Sacramento Kings the past two seasons. Monk is this season's top candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 37% from long distance. Several teams could be after him, especially Miami and San Antonio. However, he will most likely stay in Sacramento, if they offer him a good contract. The atmosphere there is great and the team has a lot of room to grow.
3 Immanuel Quickley.
Since Immanuel Quickley was traded to the Toronto Raptors, the young shooting guard has kept up his pace and improved his game. Last year in New York he was considered a Sixth Man of the Year candidate and right now, his averages are better. 16 points on 40% efficiency sounds more than good for any team interested in him. Spurs, Kings, even Toronto could be after him.
4 Buddy Hield.
Another recently traded player is talented scorer Buddy Hield. His numbers have gone up since he came to the Philadelphia 76ers and the team looks promising. He averages 23.5 points with a shooting efficiency of 45% from the field and dishing out 7.5 assists. The Lakers could go after him, as well as the Mavericks and Miami Heat. Hield is a player who expects to sign a contract between 15 and 20 million dollars a year.
5 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP helped the Denver Nuggets win their first NBA Championship last year, being one of the keys to Denver's second unit, Caldwell-Pope was crucial in the playoffs, averaging 10.6 points and playing smart defense. He has a $15.4 million player option that the Nuggets would gladly accept, but if he wants to make more money, he could end up leaving the franchise.
6 Malik Beasley.
A big surprise for the Milwaukee Bucks, Beasley is scoring 11.4 points and shooting 44% from long distance. He is well below his current price, the Bucks are paying him only $2 million for one year. His price could easily be 5 times the amount he's getting right now, so Milwaukee will have to do some calculations. Teams that have money to spend on his contract, and need a scoring point guard could be looking for him, for example Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers.
7 Bruce Brown
Another champion with the Denver Nuggets last year, Bruce Brown is the perfect "glue guy". Bringing solid scoring and very good perimeter defense, he is one of the players that could fit on any team. The Raptors don't appear to be willing to pay him his $23 million team option and that is the reason that could bring him back to Denver, or another team that is looking for elite depth off the bench.
8 Grayson Allen.
In his first season with the Phoenix Suns, Grayson Allen is averaging 12.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 51.0% from the field. He is also the most efficient three-point shooter in the NBA, shooting an outstanding 48.2%. With these numbers, a contract of between $8 million and $12 million per year awaits him. Phoenix will try to retain him, other options could be Miami or Philly.
9 Gary Trent Jr
While Gary Trent Jr's numbers have declined in recent seasons, he can provide solid scoring off the bench. His role in Toronto is minor, so he will likely continue his career elsewhere. The Pelicans, Kings and Warriors are the three teams I would look at to make a deal for the 25-year-old this summer.
10 Alec Burks
Another name that was involved in a recent trade, Alec Burks is back with the Knicks, averaging 12 points and shooting a remarkable 40% from three. He is deserving of a contract in the $10-15 million per year range. New York will surely try to secure him, but if not, Warriors, Suns or Lakers could get him.