The free agency frenzy has begun, starting with a bang as LeBron James has a new home with the Los Angeles Lakers and Paul George is re-upping in Oklahoma City. It’s been a frantic start, with Kawhi Leonard’s impending trade rumors keeping us all on our toes all while waiting for our next Woj and Shams twitter updates. Although with most of the big fish already caught, most fan bases will have to settle for something a little less than a franchise player.
This is the NBA, and the possibilities are endless for cash-strapped teams who are looking to land an impact guy. As usual, the Mid-Level Exception (MLE) is on offer for every team, with the maximum cap hit ranging from anywhere between $5 million and $10 million depending on what versions of the MLE front offices possess.
With the majority of the league pushing the luxury tax line to its very brink or rebuilding and unwilling to spend big, the Mid-Level Exception is suddenly a lifesaver. Players that would have been seeing dollar signs just a few short years ago will now be taking deals south of $10 million, which has general managers foaming at the mouth.
There is a bundle of players that could make a shortlist of the best MLE buys, but we tried to whittle it down to these three — about to be underpaid — players.
Avery Bradley
Avery Bradley was known as one of the finest 3-and-D players around when he was plying his trade under Brad Stevens in Boston, but times have changed. After underwhelming stints with the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers in 2017-18, teams will be hoping he can recapture his Celtics form under the Mid-Level Exception.
The 27-year-old’s 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game last season wasn’t a disastrous output, but his below average 41.4 shooting percentage was the lowest since the 2012-13 campaign. Even with the undesirable contract year, the 6-foot-3 guard will be highly sought after this summer.
Memphis are reported to have already expressed interest, and they won’t be the only team clamouring to acquire Bradley’s services. He may have had a down year, but Avery Bradley’s two-way potential on a cheap MLE contract is a tantalizing prospect for any team.
Montrezl Harrell
While Avery Bradley was playing out his prime a few seasons back, Montrezl Harrell was drowning among the sea of Houston big men — namely a prospect named Clint Capela — and struggling to stay afloat. Fast forward to the 2018 free agency and the 24-year-old big man will likely be one of the biggest steals with the Mid-Level Exception.
The 6-foot-8 ball of energy was a shining light for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, putting up 11 points and 4 rebounds while hitting 63.5 percent of his field goals, all in just 17 minutes per night. Harrell was a breath of fresh air for Doc Rivers with his constant hustle on the court. He finished with 1.01 points per possession on post up plays too which ranks fifth in the league among players who put up 125 attempts or more. Proving he is much more than just a rim-runner.
Harrell probably deserves more than the Mid-Level Exception, but money is tight around the league, and it will still be a nice pay rise from the $1.4 million he earned in 2017-18. The dreadlocked workhorse is a restricted free agent this summer, and projects as the perfect guy to replace DeAndre Jordan, after the incumbent Clippers center reportedly committed to the Dallas Mavericks.
Tyreke Evans
After revitalizing his game for the Grizzlies last season, Tyreke Evans will have plenty of general managers chasing his signature this summer. According to 929ESPN’s John Martin, the list of suitors already includes Boston, Indiana, Miami and Detroit.
It’s no surprise that he has a long list of potential destinations after the 28-year-old flashed in Memphis the same sort of play that made him the 2010 Rookie of the Year. Evans averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 52 games last season, nailing a career high 39.9 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
Those impressive numbers might seem like those of a max or near-max player, right? Wrong. With the 6-foot-6 guard’s long history of injuries and inconsistency, the Mid-Level Exception will be the best Evans can hope for. However, if he can play more than the 52 games he played in 2017–18 and manufacture similar production, he will be a flat-out bargain.
