Best 2024 NBA free agents who could be available this summer

The summer of 2024 will see several NBA stars become free agents and some could alter teams’ championship outlooks ahead of next season.

The league’s salary cap is projected to be $141 million for the 2024-25 season. That would be a $5 million increase from this year’s cap.

Extra money will allow NBA contenders to add final pieces to their championship makeups, and aspiring teams to offer hefty contracts to multiple All-Stars.

There are a bevy of star players that have question marks around their names when it comes to their age (Jrue Holiday, James Harden) and their reliability in the playoffs (DeMar DeRozan, D’Angelo Russell).

Albeit, a range of No. 1 options to Sixth Man and Defensive Player of the Year candidates are likely to change teams and warrant much attention once the market opens on July 1. Here are the best players that will become free agents in 2024.

Nic Claxton

Just a year ago, Nic Claxton was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-11 center is an elite rim protector and lob threat that would work wonders for a pick-and-roll-oriented team in need of help in the interior.

The Brooklyn Nets appear to be stuck in stagnation, which leaves the door open for Claxton to seek greener pastures. His career-high 9.9 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game are invaluable in contrast to the $9.6 million he earned in 2023-24.

Malik Monk

With the season Malik Monk is having, there’s reason to believe that he’ll see eight-figure offers this summer. He’ll be coming off of earning $9.9 million this season.

Monk is one of the favorites to win the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award. He’s averaging 15.4 PPG and 5.1 APG off the bench this season.

The Kentucky product would give a huge lift to any reserve unit and lead their offense.

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson can offer all 30 teams in the NBA the two things they need most to contend for a championship: three-point shooting and defense.

Thompson is getting older and has battled significant leg injuries since 2019, but he’s still connecting on 38.0 percent of his triples.

There are serious talks that his days with the Golden State Warriors could end this summer. A winning team willing to make Thompson a starter and pay him more than his current $43.2 million annual salary could win out on a championship-caliber co-star.

Tyrese Maxey

One of the breakout stars of the 2023-24 NBA season has been Tyrese Maxey, and he’ll be able to cash out on that in free agency.

Maxey thrives at beating his men off the dribble, finishing in the lane, igniting fast breaks and pulling up from three-point range. He’s become one of the league’s best scorers at 25.6 points per night.

He’s just the point guard a young team needs, or a contender that could use a boost to their pace of play. The Philadelphia 76ers may not have the injury-prone Joel Embiid around for the long term, which makes Maxey liable to leave this summer and earn a max contract elsewhere.

LeBron James

LeBron James is still one of the best players in the NBA at age 39. He’s averaging 25.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game on career-highs 53.6 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent shooting from the three-point line.

Even if James’ numbers dropped off considerably, he’d still be one of the best point guard options on the open market.

The Akron, OH native is mulling retirement, so his uncertain future and advanced age are the only causes for concern.

However, should he forego his $51.4 million player option, he’ll have most teams beating down his door as his play has shown little signs of degradation. If a team takes a chance on his son Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft, they could win over his dad too.

Paul George

Paul George is the prototypical NBA star in today’s game. George is 6-foot-8, 220 pounds and accompanies his All-NBA offensive skillset with All-Defensive capabilities.

George is heavily rumored to be on his way out of Los Angeles, and a departure from the Clippers would make him the most attractive free agent. The 2024 All-Star is putting up 22.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest with a 12.5-player impact estimate.

Given that he can play three positions from shooting guard to power forward, the Fresno State product could very well see his largest multi-year offer of his career if he doesn’t pick up his $48.78 million player option.