2018 NBA free agency rankings: Clint Capela, DeMarcus Cousins lead top available centers

The list of solid big men on the market is pretty deep

By James Herbert

Jul 2, 2018 at 1:12 pm ET • 6 min read

Free agency is upon us, which means that some of the top talents in the market are unavailable. However, there's still a lot to watch out for this free agency. While most of the top names have been signed, there's still plenty of talent to be found.

I spent last week looking at the top players available heading into free agency. We began with a loosely ranked accounting of point guards and combo guards, then moved on to the wings and the forwards. Now, we will examine the big men, maybe the most interesting group of them all.

The Dallas Mavericks are clearly chasing a starting center -- DeAndre Jordan perhaps? Aside from them, can you name a team that is desperate to pay big bucks to a big guy?

Several high-quality players are going to have to make compromises this summer -- it's not a friendly market if you want to change teams.

Let's take a look at the list.

Top 15 free-agent bigs

1	Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets C
I'm not even sure I should have included Jokic -- the whole league knows the Nuggets are going to max him out. And he deserves the full max. While not a traditional star, Jokic is one of the league's best passers and the kind of guy that you can build an elite offense around. He has a reputation as a terrible defender, but that's not necessarily accurate.
2	Clint Capela Houston Rockets C
Capela lacks the perimeter game of a "uincorn," but is otherwise an ideal modern center. It's not just the rim running and vertical spacing; Capela is an excellent all-around defender and an improving passer. The Rockets would be crazy to let him go, and it's unlikely that they will. It's unclear, though, if this will be a short or drawn-out negotiation -- in most years, Capela would have numerous suitors offering maximum offer sheets, but that is probably not the case this summer.
3	DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers C
He is rumored to wind up with the Mavericks, which is hilarious only because he backed out of a deal with them three years ago. If that's what happens, he's a great fit next to Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic … for now. Jordan turns 30 next month, so he's not exactly on the same trajectory as the rest of Dallas' core. (The big question here was whether or not he would even hit free agency. He could have picked up his player option for next season and facilitated a trade the same way Chris Paul did last year, which would have allowed him to make $24.1 million next season and then sign a new deal. But he chose to opt out of his Clippers deal after all, putting the Mavericks storyline at the forefront.)
4	DeMarcus Cousins New Orleans Pelicans C
Cousins is this high on the list because of his talent, but there is a ton of risk involved here. Concerns about his defense and attitude were always going to make some teams take him off their lists, and now that he's coming off a torn Achilles, it's hard to imagine anyone giving him the max. Cousins will likely have to take less -- particularly in terms of contract length -- than he ever thought, and there's a real argument that the Pelicans should let him walk.
5	Derrick Favors Utah Jazz PF
Favors is sort of the opposite of Cousins in that he never quite turned into a star, but he's a low-maintenance, two-way player. His situation with the Jazz is tricky -- they absolutely needed him in the playoffs, but is it a misallocation of resources to make him and Rudy Gobert part of their long-term core? That is a difficult question to answer.
6	Julius Randle Los Angeles Lakers PF
Randle is a conundrum -- this past season he got in the best shape of his career, showed he could play center and put up impressive per-minute numbers … but he remained a poor defender, a non-shooter, a predictable left-handed driver and a reluctant passer. It's hard to properly value him, but hey, he's 23 and he's extremely hard to stop when he has a full head of steam.
7	Brook Lopez Los Angeles Lakers C
It's a weird time to be a player like Lopez, who seems destined to be underpaid in this market. He is a proven commodity and he has added a 3-point shot in recent years, but you don't want him switching onto wings and you're probably not going to run your offense through him. Would one of the few teams with the full midlevel exception (worth almost $9 million) go after him? If not, would he consider taking a steep discount to start for the Warriors?
8	Jusuf Nurkic Portland Trail Blazers C
Nurkic sometimes looks like a star and sometimes looks like just another guy. It was tough for him to stay on the floor in the playoffs with the Pelicans playing Anthony Davis at the 5, and that could be a recurring thing. On the other hand, he is turning 24 this summer and he's a skilled scorer, passer and rebounder. He probably should have taken an extension before the season -- now, he might be best served to take the qualifying offer and try free agency again next summer.
9	Montrezl Harrell Los Angeles Clippers PF
Some teams will have Harrell higher on their lists than the guys above him here. He had a breakout year off the bench for the Clippers, and you have to wonder how his per-36-minute numbers -- 23.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 steals -- would translate to a heavier minutes load. That's the classic energy-guy question.
10	Aron Baynes Boston Celtics C
Baynes is a big, surprisingly mobile dude who knows his role and helps teams win. The playoffs showed his value to the Celtics, particularly on defense, and they'd be smart to keep him around (and let Greg Monroe walk).
11	Ed Davis Portland Trail Blazers PF
One of the the league's under-appreciated but solid role players, Davis has always been dependable when healthy. He has a nose for the ball, knows where to be defensively and would be a nice find for any team looking for a third big.
12	Nerlens Noel Dallas Mavericks C
How the mighty have fallen. Noel needs to view his next stop as a chance to prove himself, but there is talent here -- when he has actually been on the court, he has always been productive. He can block and change shots, he has quick hands and he brings value as both a rebounder and a passer. He might have to accept a one-year contract and a Capela-like role in order to re-establish himself.
13	Jerami Grant Oklahoma City Thunder SF
Grant became one of Oklahoma City's more important players by virtue of his athleticism and defensive versatility. His shot is still inconsistent, but he plays hard and can guard basically any position. While he has come a long way from his days as a project for the Process-era Sixers, the Thunder have a tough call to make with him -- if Paul George stays, their luxury-tax bill will be absurd; if George leaves, they might be better off doing a full rebuild.
14	Amir Johnson Philadelphia 76ers SF
The 2018 Hustle Award winner -- yes, that's a thing! -- did exactly what he was supposed to do for Philadelphia, backing up Joel Embiid and playing smart positional defense. Johnson can't quite move like he used to, and yet he still somehow manages to almost always be in the right place. It is extremely unlikely that his salary next season will match the $11 million he made this year, but the Sixers -- and other playoff teams -- should be interested in him on a cheaper deal.
15	Kyle O'Quinn New York Knicks C
O'Quinn is not your typical modern center, but he can pass, rebound and provide toughness. The Athletic's Marcus Thompson reported he would like to play for the Warriors, and that makes lots of sense.