5 More Valuable NBA Players That Are Somehow STILL Available Free Agents

A couple of weeks ago I made a video talking about five NBA players that can definitely still contribute to an NBA team in their rotation, yet remain unsigned deep into free agency. NBA free agency opens up in early June, and usually in that first week we see most of the movement and signings get made, and then the rest of the period tends to slow down a bit. And while that did for the most part happen again this summer, there are still quite a few competent names out there on the market to be had, and that's what I talked about in that video. Now a few weeks later, we're seeing a lot of the same still being the case, plus the players that I talked about in that video are not the only ones that are still competent free agents on the market, which brings us to today's video. Continuing on that same trend, in this video we're going to be talking about five more free agents that are currently available to be had that could definitely come in and help a team in their rotation right now. Before we start though, it turns out a good amount of you watching right now aren't even subscribed to the channel, so if you enjoy the content, consider hitting the subscribe button as not only does it help out a ton, but it's also very much appreciated. Now with that being said, let's begin. The first player we'll be discussing today that is somehow still an unsigned free agent is Cam Thomas. Cam Thomas is one of the most polarizing players in the whole league, with arguably the biggest discrepancy between his production and his reputation league-wide. If we're being honest with ourselves about it, there is some truth behind why he is viewed as such a negative player and in such a negative light, but at a certain point things have swung way too far towards that negative side of the spectrum that far exceeds what is actually necessary. Thomas began his career as a Brooklyn Net and he came to the team during that brief era where they had Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Amongst that group, he emerged as a young talent who had a clear knack for scoring the basketball, and he got some high praise by those superstar teammates of his, especially Kevin Durant who thought that Thomas was who was up next. After that core broke up, Cam Thomas stepped into a lead role during their early tank years and in 2024 and 2025. He proved that he could absolutely fill it up with more usage. In his first season as a starter, he averaged 22.5 points per game on the season, and then the next season he was averaging 24 points per game, but that 2025 year was unfortunately cut short by him by injuries. This is a player who has dropped 40 or more points in a game 10 different times with the shot making capabilities from anywhere on the floor that very few others have. That much is a blessing, but this gift can also be a curse for him. Cam Thomas has big time ball hog tendencies, and because he thinks he's capable of making any shot he takes, he has a bad habit of taking some really bad shots that throw off the flow of the offense. He's also a pretty poor defender, and he doesn't put much effort into that end of the floor at all, he's not much of a willing passer, and he's also not efficient enough as a scorer to justify actually building an offense around. That's an incredibly difficult combination for a team to spend big money on and place trust into in a lead role, but the fact that Thomas isn't even on a roster at all is still taking it way too far. In the current NBA, there are still a lot of teams that are lacking in secondary options as creators of offense off the bench. The second unit is becoming more important than ever with depth being a major focus of current championship contenders, and with Cam Thomas proving he can be a guy who drops 25 points or on any given night, he should absolutely be viewed as at least an ideal 6th man candidate. He's no longer going to cost a ton to sign given how low his value is seen across the league, and with the kind of scoring talent he brings, it's a low risk, possibly high reward situation, without needing to commit to him giving him more usage. The next player we'll be discussing that is somehow still an available free agent is Nick Richards. Richards is not a flashy player, he's not a big name, and he's not going to necessarily wow you with his numbers, but he is someone who has gotten to where he is through hard work and embracing the more physical side of the game. Richards is a former 2nd round pick who started his career playing for the Charlotte Hornets, where he was the furthest thing from being a lock to even make it on the roster and stick in the NBA, and had to slowly work his way into minutes with them. In his first two seasons, he barely played at all, but by year 3, he worked his way into the backup center role with them, and by year 4, thanks to an array of injuries to teammates around him, he actually started 51 games. That season, he averaged about 10 points, 8 rebounds, and a block per game, shooting the ball 69% from the field, finishing incredibly efficiently around the rim. Richards is a big body at 6'11 with a strong frame, so he boxes out well, makes himself felt in the paint out muscling guys for effort plays, and sets good hard screens to free up teammates for open looks. Basically, he's a grinder who does all of the little things that make for a useful backup center in today's NBA. Albeit, he's not the most versatile player going, so you do need to limit what you expect from him when you get him. He's not going to be someone who provides a useful jumper, he's not the quickest player so his switchability on defense isn't necessarily a strength of his, and he's not much of a passer where the offense can run through him. Those limitations are probably contributing to why he's still available on the market waiting to be signed, but that's pretty short-sighted as a reason to pass on him when backup centers really only need to be able to protect the rim in spurts, rebound the basketball, and convert the chances at the rim that they get, and those are the things that Richards has always done well. The next player we'll be discussing that is somehow still an available free agent right now is Ben Simmons. I know, I know, I can already hear the groans coming from a lot of you watching this video ready to type up a comment about how this has to be a troll and that there's no way I'm serious. Trust me, I get it. And yet, given the current landscape of the market, it's hard to fully write Simmons off completely, even after everything he's gone through over the last few seasons. This is a player who at his peak was a consistent all-star, he's been on the All-NBA Teams list, he's been on the All-Defense Teams list, and he's been a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He is a 6'10 bundle of versatility who provided elite playmaking talent, insane transition offense, solid rebounding, and useful ball handling from someone his size. He was one of the most unique talents in the NBA during his early rise, but we all know what happened next. His refusal to embrace his jump shot led to his effectiveness in the playoffs being severely limiting. That led to some internal dilemma that led to him forcing his way out of Philadelphia. He also dealt with some serious back injuries that are still hampering him to this day, and those back injuries have been what has kind of cratered his career to the point where we are where we are right now. He was completely out of the NBA last season, taking time off to rethink his entire career and to just rehab trying to get healthy, not knowing if he was even going to continue on in the basketball world. But recently, he publicly announced that he's feeling a lot healthier and is publishing to make an NBA comeback. He's even putting his money where his mouth is by joining the Australian national team for minicamp indicating that he wants to be a part of their next Olympic run, and Simmons hasn't actually participated in the Australian national team activities since he was in high school, so I take this as a way for him to prove his commitment is back on basketball. Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you all that there's a chance Ben Simmons can regain his prior all-star form, nor do I believe that he can even come close to it at this point. However, he is still just 30 years old, and there are parts of his game that can definitely be useful in a bench role. He may not be the lockdown defender that he once was, but with his size and the way he moves, he can definitely still be a plus defender with a second unit. Plus, the playmaking and court vision that he brings at his size are things that don't go away, and his feel for the game in that aspect never went anywhere, as evidenced by the fact that even at his lowest point in that 2025 season two years ago, he was still dishing out nearly 6 assists per game, and in a per 36 minute basis, was averaging about 9 assists. At this point, teams are mostly just looking for players to round out their roster, so worst case scenario, you sign Simmons for a minimum and waive him if he can't hack it, and at best, you're bringing in a player who could actually improve your bench drastically. The next player we'll be discussing that is somehow still an available free agent is Ochai Abaji. Abaji is a former lottery pick who was drafted under the guise of being a prototypical 3&D wing that can fit into a lineup without needing heavy usage while still impacting both ends of the floor. He's had a lot of ups and downs throughout his career to this point though, with him looking like a legit starting caliber player during some stretches, while in other stretches, he's fallen completely out of rotations. He's played for the Jazz, Raptors, and Nets already in his 4 year career, indicating it's been tough for him to truly settle in anywhere yet, and his inconsistency has been at the heart of it. His best season came two years ago in 2025, when he averaged over 10 points per game, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3, starting over half the games that season for the Raptors, and at that point, it really felt like things were clicking for him. But then, this past season, things collapsed out of nowhere. All of a sudden, he wasn't able to hit a 3 to save his life, so his role on the Raptors dwindled more and more until the trade deadline when Toronto shipped him over to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade. He did somewhat rediscover his shooting stroke down the stretch in Brooklyn, but the Nets were already out of the running by that point and the NBA is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, so entering free agency off of a bad season like that has cast a lot of doubt about his future. I get it, the numbers are ugly, but I do see Abaji as someone that has proven he's capable of being a high-level shooter, and there's reason to believe that this was just a one-off slump of a season rather than him being completely cooked as a shooter. As is the case with everyone on this list, signing Abaji to a minimum contract presents a chance to find a legit high-end shooter who can also match up on defense with opposing ball handlers and hold his own, so I think it's worth taking a swing on. And finally, the last player we'll be discussing today that is somehow still an available free agent is Brandon Williams. Williams was a journeyman through four years in the league, spending a lot of time at the end of benches, getting sent down to the G-League, and playing on two-way contracts. He is by no means someone with much name recognition right now, but he sneakily had a pretty fantastic breakout season this past year, and nobody really took note of it. Williams has been on the Mavericks the last three seasons, but with the team blowing up their roster a bit and opting to tank down the stretch, they gave some of their fringe rotation players more of a chance, and Williams was the one who really grabbed that opportunity by the horns. Brandon Williams is an aggressive point guard who puts constant pressure on opposing defenses. He gets into the paint at will with his quick burst and his fluid change of pace ability, reading defenses and reacting based on where the openings are. Brandon Williams just averaged 13 points and four assists per game last season, shooting 47% from the field. He ranked in the top 10 of the whole league in drawing fouls too, demonstrating that defenses can't keep them in front of them, and he gets to line quite a bit because of this. The glaring issue with Williams is that he's really not a three-point shooter which is tough for a guard in today's NBA, but even with that being the case, he is such a skilled driver of the ball that even when defenses know he's not necessarily going to be pulling up and shooting it, he still gets good numbers night after night. This feels like a case of teams overthinking it, and if a team does eventually bring him in, it will be a move that I think will pleasantly surprise that team's fanbase. And with that being said, that's all I have for you today. Make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment down below what you think of these free agents and where they should sign. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you all next time.