With the NBA salary cap set to jump to approximately $90 million this summer there will be a ton of money thrown around this offseason as teams spend big to try and lock up the top free agents on the open market. Kevin Durant is expected to be the prize of this year’s free agent class and while he certainly deserves to be one of the highest paid players in the NBA there are a number of top free agents that will be overpaid as a result of the escalating salary cap. Here is a look at the four pending NBA free agents that teams should avoid overpaying this offseason.
SG: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
DeRozan is set to become arguably the top shooting guard available on the open market and there is a good chance he demands superstar money in free agency even if he isn’t one. DeRozan is an intriguing talent and he was an All-Star this year but there is reason to be cautious about giving him a max deal. He is a high volume jump shooter who hit 44-percent of his shots from the floor this year and he is limited by the fact that he can’t shoot the three-ball. At this point it’s clear the three-point shot will never be part of his arsenal and the fact that he averaged a career-best 23.5 points this season doesn’t seem nearly as impressive when you consider he took 17.7 shots per game. The lack of star talent at the position combined with the escalating salary cap will make DeRozan highly sought after on the open mark this offseason but NBA teams would be wise not to make him one of the most overpaid NBA free agents.
SF: Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors
Barnes turned down a four-year, $64 million extension from the Warriors with the expectation he could get a free agent deal similar to the five-year, $82 million contract Golden State gave Draymond Green. Golden State is likely to pass on that money and term but it isn’t unlikely that a number of teams will line up looking to overpay Barnes this offseason. The 2012 first-round pick averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 three-point shots during the regular season but those numbers don’t include that he shot just 35-percent from the field or that he was surrounded by one of the most talented groups of teammates in NBA history. Barnes will have a tough time duplicating his success anywhere other than with the Warriors but that won’t prevent him from being one of the most overpaid NBA free agents on the open market.
C: Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
An injury ended Whiteside’s season prematurely but he is expected to make a full recovery and earn a significant payday as a free agent this summer. Whiteside went from journeyman big man to star center in short order over the last two years and his numbers are extremely impressive. Whiteside led the NBA in blocks with 269, which was good for 3.7 per game, along with 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game for the Heat this season. The center position is extremely thin and the fact that Whiteside is still just 26-years-old makes him that much more appealing. However, the small sample size combined with the fact that he has dealt with injuries in each of his two years with Miami should be reason enough for caution. Whiteside will command a big payday this offseason. He could become one of the most overpaid NBA free agents.
C: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
Howard has gone from the most dominant center in the NBA to a player a lot of teams would prefer to avoid completely in short order and it will be very interesting to see what happens to him in free agency. Howard has a player option for $23 million and while players don’t usually add those to their contracts unless they plan on opting out his poor performance this past year could lead to him taking the money after all. The 29-year-old center will have a hard time commanding that type of money on the open market but he might take a chance on securing a long-term deal if he feels there is enough interest out there. Howard averaged 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game for the Rockets this past season and there is a good chance if he opts out of his player option he will be overpaid on the open market.
