John Hollinger: 2025 NBA shooting guard free agent!

Editor's statement: In addition to those ridiculous situations, this article lists all players who may become free agents due to player options, team options and insured contracts. For example, the Bucks will not cut AJ Green's unsecured basic salary contract. 2024 second-round picks Pell Larson and Jordan Miller look safe, and the Sixers' Ricky Conchar IV and Jazz's Johnny Juzan have already exceeded the value of their cheap unsecured basic salary contract.

First: Players with Max and Near Max salary

No}Second: Players with Max salary

11. Keon Ellis, Kings (Not Guaranteed Team Option)

Ellis is a player who can provide value, and at least for the next season, he still holds a cheap contract, and the last year of his existing basic salary contract is only $2.3 million. The Kings can renew a contract with him for up to four years and $85 million. Given his 3D properties, they should definitely consider doing so. Even if Ellis and Zach Lavender overlap in positions, a contract renewal with an annual salary of $18 million to $20 million should have relatively positive transaction value (not to mention, Lavender is not good enough to be the long-term strategic core of a non-champion team). Another option for the Kings is to "reject and re-sign", which is to use the Early Bird Rights to convert it into a contract with an annual salary of $14.5 million for four years and $65 million for the fourth year, and the fourth year as the player option. This could bring luxury tax issues to the Kings in the short term due to other options. But in the long run, this will provide a clear direction for the team's team building ideas in the coming seasons, while also eliminating some of their concerns about the luxury tax in 2027 and 2028.

2. Cam Thomas, Nets (restricted free agent)

The discussion on the value of Thomas is extremely controversial because he relies heavily on difficult two-point jumpers and contributes quite little in non-scoring. However, last season, his offensive efficiency improved (real shooting percentage of 57.5%), and his pure independent offensive creativity brought a solid foundation to the team's offense.

In this rebuilding team, the key variable that favors Thomas is that he is only 23 years old, so in theory, he is still at the back. Another more critical factor is that his salary occupies only $12.1 million. Similar to Tangiero Russell's situation, the Nets will prioritize other matters, use the remaining cap space to absorb other contracts before renewing Thomas (note that they may have agreed on renewal, so they can delay the time of signing and submitting contract backups to the league).

Given that Thomas basically doesn't take up much space and the Nets are almost impossible to touch the luxury tax line, they are likely to renew it with a top-heavy contract that is 8% lower per year, so that he just becomes valuable in the last two years of the contract. For example, a four-year, $100 million contract will start at $28.41 million in the 2025-26 season (which may just put the Nets to the luxury tax line), but in the 2028-29 season, Thomas was only 27 years old and had an annual salary of only $21.6 million.

Thomas is a restricted free agent, but in a market where no other team has cap space, this identity is almost irrelevant, let alone that he will definitely get a contract above the non-tax middle class special (about $14.1 million).

3. Malik Beasley, the Pistons have four seasons leading the league in three-point shooting per 100 leg in the five healthy seasons before the 2024-25 season. But last season, he was second only to Malik Beasley.

Yes, Beasley is that fierce. But unfortunately, the Pistons' cap space is not enough to pay Beasley's level, and after signing him last summer with a one-year contract that could be called "bad price", they had no right to bird. The best choice for the Pistons to keep Beasley is to sign him with a $14.1 million non-tax middle class exception. For the Pistons, the more favorable situation is that no team with salary space in the market can provide Beasley with a offer that exceeds the middle class special case.

Of course, the Pistons have another emergency plan: abandoning the bird rights of Paul Reed, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroeder, freeing up $17 million in salary space to retain Beasley, but this will seriously damage their lineup depth; thus, there will be only $8.78 million in space for middle class exceptions to find a backup point guard and a rotation wing.

In this way, for Beasley, the real problem may be whether he wants a more secure contract or whether he will put another hand on himself. In other words, is he more willing to sign a 3-4-year guaranteed contract, or is he more inclined to sign a 2-year, $29 million middle class special case level contract with player options, so that he can enter the team with early bird rights of the Pistons in a year and more free agent markets next year with more? In my opinion, the latter is more likely.

4. Nickeil Alexander Walker (Nickeil Alexander Walker), after an explosive season, establishing himself as an elite perimeter defender and able to play a stable ball holder in the second team, Alexander Walker's valuation feels just right.. While his offense still has ups and downs, as a full free agent, the starting-level shooting guard should have a good market.

Considering that only the Nets have cap space in the market, this may put the Timberwolves in a relatively favorable position when renewing him. It is not impossible for him to sign a 1+1 contract (using the amount of non-tax middle class special case or slightly higher than the middle class special case to renew the Timberwolves), and then try out the free market when the salary space is expected to be more abundant next year.

Considering the work that the Timberwolves need to complete in terms of salary this summer, signing first and then changing may also be an option. But that being said, keeping Alexander Walker and an inside player (Julian Randall or Naz Reed) may be the perfect solution they can achieve. It seems feasible to keep Alexander Walker with a three-year contract of about $60 million.

5. Quentin Grimes, 76ers, (restricted free agent)

Grimes played well after being traded from the Mavericks to the Sixers, playing pretty good numbers in some irrelevant games, which made it difficult for us to evaluate its true value.

Grimes is mainly famous for his 3D style of play, but in 28 games he played for the 76ers, he averaged 32.0 points per 100 possessions, shot 55.9% from two-pointers, and scored a PER value of 18.8. However, his status as a restricted free agent and the lack of cap space in the market should limit any form of bidding war, which puts the Sixers in a favorable position and can also retain him with a team-friendly contract.

His BORD$ valuation is quite considerable for his next contract. This salary range can make his salary higher than the non-tax middle class exception, thus eliminating any competitor's offer, while also ensuring that the 76ers are below the second rich line. Based on this, a three-year contract of $55 million to $60 million seems to be a reasonable end.

Third level: Middle class special player

6. Caris LeVert, the Hawks

LeVert may be the most obvious free agent in the league. The Hawks want to keep him, and because they have his bird rights, they can give him more contracts than other teams; he is worth slightly higher than the non-tax middle class exception under BORD$ valuation; and his age (will turn 31 in August) won't prevent him from signing a multi-year contract.

A contract with about $50 million in three years and part of the guarantee or team options in the third year seems to be a relatively reasonable range. Renewing LeVer at this amount will allow the Hawks to use all or most of their non-tax middle class exceptions to sign a center while still remaining under the luxury tax line.

7. Gary Trent Jr., Bucks

Although unfortunately, Trent ended with an out-of-bounds pass mistake when he appeared on the court for the last time in the 2024-25 season, he still ushered in a career recovery with the Bucks. Apart from that last turnover, he played well for most of the playoffs. Trent's three-point shooting percentage of the season was 41.6%, which also regained some of his defensive end efforts during the Trail Blazers, which was enough to make him a starter or sixth-man alternative for the playoff team.

What happens next is interesting, because Trent is perhaps one of the most likely free agents in the league to be poached. The Bucks have no bird rights after signing a one-year minimum salary contract with them last summer, and they also face luxury tax issues, which makes it difficult for them to bring them back. The Bucks could theoretically use their non-tax middle class special case, but giving him a $14.1 million contract this year would only push them above the tycoon line; not to mention they need more money to pay for the new contracts between Brooke Lopez and Bobby Portis.

Fourth level: Players at the Space Middle Class or Tax Middle Class Special Class

8. Luke Kennard, the Grizzlies will work hard to use their cap space to renegotiate contract renewal with Jaren Jackson Jr. In this way, the Grizzlies can only free up space by letting Kennard go.

Kennard is an extremely deadly shooter with a career three-point shooting percentage of 43.8%, but the lower shooting release point means he can't shoot as frequently as other top shooters in the league. However, he is much better with the ball holding and passing skills than typical long shot experts, and sometimes he can even play a guest role in point guard, averaging 6.8 assists per 100 possessions per game. Of course, other teams will definitely pay attention to his health; he has not played more than 70 games in any season since his rookie season, and has missed a total of 83 games in the past three seasons.

9. Sam Merrill, can the Cavaliers afford the cost of leaving Sam Merrill? He is a shooter with a career three-point shooting percentage of 38.6%, and has conceded only 5 free throws in his five-year career. As a high-yield scorer (13.9 per 100th of his career), he is still valuable even if he doesn't contribute much in other aspects. The Cavaliers have Merrill’s early bird rights, and this season they can offer him a contract of up to $14.4 million, but the Cavaliers’ salary structure and restrictions on the second-rich line may force them to make some tough decisions this summer.

10. Josh Okogie, Hornets (unsecured contract)

Okogie's $7.75 million contract this season will be converted to full protection after June 30; it's a difficult decision, but I think the Hornets deserve to implement this option. Cutting him off doesn't give them meaningful cap space, let alone they're far from the luxury tax line; even if the Hornets stay Okogie and use their space for middle and biennial special signers, they'll be under $8 million below the tax line. With his defensive and converting offensive abilities, Okogie is a full-bodied player, and even if the shooting is good and bad, this contract is enough to allow the Hornets to use in any potential trade in the season.

11. Matisse Thybulle, Trail Blazers (Player Options)

Seble has a $11.55 million player option, I don't think he will refuse, this valuation also supports him to implement this option. He played only 15 games last season with knee and ankle injuries, but if he stays healthy, he will likely be an important defensive vanguard in the Trail Blazers team.

12. Tim Hardaway Jr., Pistons

Hardaway Jr. started 77 games in the Pistons' recovery season, but the strange thing is that Hardaway himself struggled. Although he made quick three-pointers, large shots, and his shooting percentage reached a considerable 36.8%, he had almost no presence in the three-point line (only 2.4 two-pointers per 100 rounds), his defensive influence was minimal, and his rebounding rate was as low as 4.7%. Among the players in the same position who were qualified to reach 1.91 meters in height, only Caldwell Pope of the Magic was worse than him.

All of this is enough to show that Hardaway Jr. may face a significant salary cut compared to the $16.2 million last season. Of course, the Pistons can also use his bird rights and use it as a trade special. They can sign him a one-year contract with an inflated price as a potential mid-season trade with plenty of room under tax (probably over $20 million).

13. De’Anthony Melton, the Nets

BORD$ did not realize that Melton suffered a former cross-tear that made his season reimbursement last November, but the valuation still seemed reasonable. Melton is only 27 years old. He is a reliable player when he is healthy and a "differential maker" on the defensive end. He can make open three-pointers and average double-point scores per game for four consecutive seasons. However, in the past two seasons, he has only played 44 games in total due to injury restrictions, not to mention that he is only 1.88 meters tall and cannot be competed as point guard, which makes it difficult for him to integrate into certain lineups.

14.Tyrese Martin, Nets (team option)

As a player caught from the pile of scrap, Martin played a good season in the reconstruction of the Nets. If the Nets execute his $2.2 million team option instead of giving up the execution option and trying to sign him back, they will lose about $1 million in cap space as a result. Although my BORD$ valuation is that, I think the Nets may be willing to take the risk of signing him with a base salary contract with a second-year player option, or if necessary, using part of their space's middle class exception.

15.Cody Martin, Suns (unsecured contract)

Martin has an insecurity contract of $8.68 million this year. If it is not laid off before June 30, it will be converted to full protection. With the total salary of the Suns reaching the point where they have to make difficult choices even if they spend money, giving up Martin may be the decision they have to make. If they cut Martin and Vasilier Micic and transfer the chips they got in Durant's trade, they may be able to start the new season below the second rich line.

As a free agent, Martin, who is frequently plagued by injuries, may receive some attention in the market due to his defensive value, but only if he can stay healthy (he has played only 88 games in the past three seasons). As long as he can stay healthy, he will surely attract many teams that are willing to sign him with tax-based middle class exceptions or biennial exceptions.

16. Jordan Goodwin, Lakers (unsecured team options)

As a two-way player of the Lakers this season, Goodwin left a deep impression and won a formal contract and playoff rotation time. Although he is only 1.91 meters tall, he is a beast in rebounding (rebounding rate of 11.6%!) and solved his previous shortcomings with a 38.2% three-point shooting percentage. Next season, he has a $2.35 million team option, which would be a reasonable option given the Lakers’ luxury tax situation; however, they can also try to get him to sign a longer-term, more cap-friendly contract as a non-bird free agent by rejecting the option. Such a contract would put them nearly $100,000 from the luxury tax line and the tycoon line, but if you can sign a long-term salary cap friendly contract with them, then the small price is worth the effort.

17. Gary Harris, Magic (team option)

With the Magic's trade to get Desmond Bain, this will further strengthen the Magic's determination to refuse to execute Harris' $7.5 million team option next season. Because of this, he is likely to be the target of the championship team considering recruitment. Harris is the kind of 3D guard with a low-round share that a championship-level team will consider when filling the rotation lineup. Even if he no longer has the influence of his peak, especially last season, his offense was in a dilemma, with a PER value as low as 6.9 and only 10.2 points per 100 rounds. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of him returning to the Nuggets, especially his type of player is exactly what the Nuggets have always lacked.

18. Alec Burks, before the Heat

came to the Heat, Burks had never tried the emergency stop two-point jump shot that he had never liked to take.. After coming to the Heat, he completely reshaped his shooting distribution chart and ushered in a small explosion in the late stage of his career. He started 14 games and all two playoffs, three-quarters of his shots came from outside the three-point line and also shot a 42.5% shooting percentage. Last season, the Heat signed him with a birdless one-year minimum salary contract. Now, their lineup looks quite crowded. So, Burks might need to go somewhere else to find his next contract. But if he can maintain this kind of shooting choice discipline, he should be able to find a job as a substitute contributor somewhere.

19. Garrison Mathews, the Hawks

, shot 39.0% from three-pointers last season, and 38.2% from three-pointers in his career can be said to be a sharpshooter. His offensive attempts at the three-point line account for almost negligible proportions of his overall offense. Although he is a bit reckless in holding the ball, considering that he is very hard on defense (even if he is often in foul trouble), he can hit long shots well, so he can play the team's fifth man in wing rotation. The Eagles have Matthews’ full bird rights, yet this summer they are also facing complex salary cap situations and crowded staff in wing positions.

Fifth level: high-quality basic salary player

20. Malcolm Brogdon, the 32-year-old Brogdon of the Wizards, is a regular on the injury list, but he is still able to play in his health. Please ignore his 28.6% three-point shooting percentage for the Wizards last season; that is just a small sample data after 24 games. With a 38.8% career three-point shooting percentage, he is still one of the best free throwers in the league (87.4% career). While more suitable for the second position, Brogden can play in two defenders, making him perfect for the team's third guard. It's hard to imagine he'll be back in the Wizards, but they can use his bird rights to sign first and then exchange. More likely, he will eventually join a championship team with a basic salary or a tax-paying middle class special contract; with the Celtics' salary cuts, many people speculate whether he will consider reuniting with the Celtics.

21. Ryan Rollins, Bucks (restricted free agent)

Last season, Rollins impressed with his defense, which also helped him climb from a two-way player to a regular rotation role. He also scored enough goals to stay on the court. Although he is not a productive three-point shooter and has struggled in college 3-point shooting, as a professional player, his shooting percentage is still good: his three-point shooting percentage in 81 NBA games and his three-point shooting percentage in 25 G League games reached 38.3%. Although he is not a pure point guard, he also needs to reduce his mistakes to gain a foothold in the rotation, which makes it difficult for him, who is 1.91 meters tall and weighs 82 kilograms, to play the role of a full-time guard. But in the right lineup, he can do his job well. The Bucks could have added an extra year of contract to a formal contract later last season…but they didn’t do that. So he is now a restricted free agent, but only if the Bucks can provide him with a $2.6 million qualification offer.

Of course, from a salary perspective, the most beneficial approach for the Bucks is to refuse to execute the team options and sign a new contract with it. A one-year base salary contract is more reasonable for their short-term tax situation, but the Bucks may consider it longer-term. They can then sign a contract in a non-bird free agent, and without using exceptions, give him a contract of $2.38 million that rises by 20% on the basis of basic salary, which can be signed up to 4 years. It is conceivable that the Bucks would offer him the raise in exchange for a three-year salary cap friendly contract; such a contract would net him $9.25 million in three years.

22. Landry Shamet, the Knicks' outstanding performance in the substitute in the division final reminds the league of his existence, but his season statistics are also good. This season, his three-point shooting percentage reached 39.7%. And despite his short stature, he was enough to handle the second position to keep himself on the court. Although he does not have the ball control skills of the point guard and does not have the figure on the wing, and his athletic ability is also not outstanding, his shooting ability is enough to allow him to use a basic salary contract as the team's fifth guard. A year-long re-sign with New York will give him a substantial trade veto.

23. Dante Exum, the Mavericks' return to the NBA with the Mavericks was much better than the first eight years of his career, but injuries were always with him. He has played only 75 games for the Mavericks in the past two seasons, but in good health he has the ability to play the role of a second ball holder, can also defend the wing, and – as a new highlight of him – can make open threes. His three-point shooting percentage of 43.4% last season was shot with a small sample size, but his two-point shooting percentage was also very high. Overall, his 22.6 points per 100 rounds is a blast compared to other periods of his career. Kyrie Irving's injury may increase Exam's importance in the team; a one-year basic salary contract will help the Mavericks better solve tax issues and give Exam a fact-based veto.

24. Bruce Brown, the Pelicans

Brown earned $23 million last season, and after two years of struggling in Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans, he would never make that much. Brown is a weird player - a 1.93-meter short and strong defender who can defend, hold and pass the ball, but struggles with outside shooting - not suitable for all systems. However, there is a lot of speculation whether he will consider returning to Denver, especially given the Nuggets’ limited options and the success Brown has achieved in his 2023 championship journey.

25. Pat Connaughton, Bucks (player option)

Even though the Bucks were desperate to see someone take their wing position playing time, Connaughton still fell out of the Bucks' rotation. This is not a good sign. He also has a $9.4 million player option, and he obviously will choose to execute. However, I listed him here because you can imagine that the Bucks will convince him to jump out of the contract and re-sign at a two-year price of $12 million, for example, to provide the Bucks with some operating space to reduce taxes. Most likely, his expiration contract will be used as meat notes in the transaction.

26. Eric Gordon, 76ers (player option)

36-year-old Gordon's performance last season has declined significantly, with both scoring rate and PER values ​​being a career low, which may mean that he is not far from retirement. However, he has a $3.5 million player option next season; even if he is not in the Sixers' plan, the team should encourage him to refuse to execute the option and re-sign a one-year minimum salary contract. In this way, he can save the Sixers $1.3 million in salary cap expenses, and Gordon himself will not suffer any losses. At the same time, his one-year contract will give him a fact-based veto.

The sixth level: Partial guarantee contract/season signing player

27. Seth Curry, the Hornets

1.85 meters Curry cannot play point guard, and he is about to turn 35 this summer. On the other hand, he leads the league's three-point shooting percentage ranking with 45.6% of his three-point shooting percentage. With his shot alone, he will likely play in the NBA for another year, and rebuilding teams such as the Hornets can still make good use of his experience as a veteran and ability to open up space.

28. Lonnie Walker IV, 76ers (team option)

Walker played 20 season-end games with the Sixers after spending the first half of the 2024-25 season in Europe; he became a loser in the bizarre chair grabbing game in the summer of 2024 and failed to gain a place in the NBA. As a short wing, he has limited ball control, but he has excellent physical fitness and has begun to make more aggressive three-pointers (he has made more than 13.0 shots per 100 rounds in the past two seasons, which is ranked in the top 20 in the league). This year, he deserves to find a place in the league. The Sixers have a team option for Walker next season of $2.9 million; but note that the Sixers can refuse to execute the option and then re-sign him with a year-based salary, which will save them about $800,000 on their salary cap, and Walker won't suffer any losses. For a team that may hover around the No. 1 rich line this year, they have reason to take the "reject first and then re-sign" operation against him.

29. Keon Johnson, Nets (unsecured team option)

Johnson's situation is interesting: The Nets have his team option of $2.35 million next season, but only $271,614 of that is guaranteed. (In the next life, I just want to be a fly on the wall, peek at the Nets and Johnson's agent agree on the $271,614 figure.) Actually, it might not matter, because the best thing the Nets do is to refuse to execute the option to get extra cap space and then—if they are interested—when they complete the free agent signing, they bring him back with a base salary contract. The 1.96-meter guard needs to develop more stable shooting (31.4% from three-point shooting and 46.8% from two-point shooting) and better game reading ability to have a more positive impact on the offensive end, but he is a very athletic player and has also shown significant improvements in the 2024-25 season he spent in the Nets.

30. Shake Milton, the Lakers (unsecured contract)

Milton has a $3 million unsecured contract, and the date of transfer to the guarantee is July 20; according to the free agent market, the Lakers may retain his contract and let him be a meat ticket to match a certain transaction in the future. Of course, they can also choose to cut him off and sign him back with a one-year minimum salary contract, which will allow him to lose $700,000 less of the salary cap. The key to these two options is that Milton performed well as the team's fifth guard last season. He scored 11.9 PER during his time with the Nets and Lakers, with a 35.8% three-point shooting percentage and provided additional shooting creativity to the Lakers' bench lineup that lacks independent offensive ability.

31. Nate Williams, the Rockets (unsecured contract)

Williams' contract of $2.2 million next season will not be transferred to full protection until the start of the new season, which means the Rockets may delay until the end of the summer before deciding whether to keep him or not to see if his contract can be used as a bonus in a certain trade. In addition, Williams only played 20 games for the Rockets and did not perform stunningly with limited playing time. So unless he can make a big splash in the summer league, he is unlikely to be on the roster at the beginning of the season.

32. Lindy Waters III, the Pistons

Waters bought rotation time with the Warriors at the beginning of the season, but as a 3D shooter, he was not efficient enough (34.4% of the three-point shooting percentage between the Warriors and the Pistons). Now, he is no longer qualified to sign a two-way contract, so he may have to return to the league through the G League and the 10-day mid-season contract..

33.Damion Lee, the Suns

Lee played for the Suns for 144 minutes last season, and the three-point shooting percentage dropped to 24.3%, but this is the data shot with extremely low shots. With limited game samples, most of his other data have stabilized, and after missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injury, he may be expected to show a better mental outlook in the new season.

34. Jaden Springer, Jazz (unsecured contract)

Springer is only 22 years old and has shown tangible potential on the defensive end, but his 23.8% career three-point shooting percentage is an obvious problem. He has a $2.35 million insured contract that will be converted to partial protection after July 25, which is enough to make the Jazz consider whether to include it in a certain trade. If he can't stay with the slightly crowded Jazz team, he may have to go back to the league through his outstanding performance in the G League.

35. Garrett Temple, the Raptors

As the "old gun" at the end of the Raptors' bench, Temple, 39, has played 55 games for the Raptors in the past two seasons, mainly serving as the mentor of young players of the Raptors.

36. Terence Davis, after the Kings left the NBA in the 2023-24 season, they only played one game for the Kings at the end of the 2024-25 season. He spent most of last season in the G League, and he will most likely have to go back there next fall.

Seventh: Outstanding Two-way Contract Candidate

37. Trey Alexander, Nuggets (restricted two-way contract)

I am still a big fan of Alexander. The 1.93-meter double-seater was one of the best players in the G League in his rookie season, but this is still not enough to get him into the Nuggets rotation, playing for only 117 minutes of garbage time throughout the season.

38. Bryce McGowens, Trail Blazers (restricted two-way contract)

McGowens played only 32 minutes last season, but he had longer playing time in the G League and was one of the best players out there as a 22-year-old. The 1.98-meter left-hander is thin and still needs to improve his shooting stability, but he showed enough light last season to at least deserve a two-way contract again.

39.Quenton Jackson, the horse-walking team (restricted two-way contract)

When the horse-walking team was suffering from injuries at the beginning of the season, Jackson was ordered to play for them in 28 games, and even started seven of them. He is a bit crazy player with serious imbalances on both offense and defense, but his ability to create chaos on the defensive end is indeed positive enough, with a steal rate of 2.6%. He also played 13 G League games and performed very efficiently in that level of field. The Horse Walks will likely get him back as a restricted two-way free agent.

40.Lester Quiñones, Pelicans (restricted two-way contract)

Giñones last season between the Sixers and the Pelicans, playing a total of 13 games. Although he didn't have any significant impact, his 3D attributes made him easy to fit into various lineups. He still qualifies for two-way contract signing, and the Pelicans can also make him a restricted two-way free agent.

41. Pat Spencer, Warriors (restricted free agent)

The strong double-season guard of the Warriors may eventually return to the Warriors with a two-way contract or join other teams. The Warriors can make him a restricted free agent with a $2.5 million qualification offer, but that also means he will occupy a roster seat. I'm not sure if he has his place in a team that may have to keep 14 players on the roster due to luxury tax issues.

42.Dru Smith, Heat (restricted two-way contract)

Smith suffered a season-reimbursed Achilles tendon laceration last December, and it is not clear whether he can come back before the opening game. He still has the qualification to sign a two-way contract, so whenever he returns, a two-way contract is the most realistic way for him to return to the league.

43. Colby Jones, the Wizards (unsecured contract)

If they are not cut before July 1, Jones' $2.2 million contract will be 50% protected next season, so both sides either agree to postpone the regular time, or the Wizards let him go. Jones' offensive progress is not enough to get him on the roster, but the second round pick in 2023 still has the qualification to sign a two-way contract, which can be said to be a good choice among two-way contract players of this level.

44.AJ Lawson, Raptors (unsecured contract)

Lawson's $2.3 million contract for the 2025-26 season was insured after playing 26 games for the Raptors last year. He is a real wingman with a certain athletic ability, but he has made no progress on the offensive end, which also makes him unable to obtain a stable playing time. If the Raptors finally quit him, he still has the qualification to sign a two-way contract, and he is likely to get such a contract from the Raptors or other teams.

45. Johnny Davis, who played for the Grizzlies' Lotto ended in the Wizards' G League Westchester season when he last appeared in the NBA. He is currently only 23 years old and still has the qualification to sign a two-way contract.