Top 10 Free Agent Power Forwards

By Josh Hubman on 01/28/2019 • ( 7 )

Dallas Mavericks Contracts Beyond This season

Looking past the remainder of this 2018-2019 season, these are the Mavericks future contract obligations.

Player Option, Team Option, Qualifying Offer, Non-Guaranteed.

Player	Age	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Tim Hardaway Jr.	26	$20.0 M	$19.0 M
Courtney Lee	33	12.8
Dwight Powell	27	10.3
Luka Dončić	19	7.7	8.0	10.2	13.3
Kristaps Porzingis	23	7.5
Justin Jackson	23	3.3	5.0	7.0
Dorian Finney-Smith	25	1.9
Maxi Kleber	27	1.8
Jalen Brunson	22	1.4	1.7	1.8
Ray Spalding	21	0.7
Ryan Broekhoff	28	1.4	2.0

Top 10 Potential 2019 Power Forward Free Agents

RFA – Restricted Free Agent

UFA – Unrestricted Free Agent

PO – Player Option

TO – Team Option

Career Earnings – Money earned by NBA salary through the 2018-2019 season, does not include 2019 Option amount.

1. Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
RFA	24	$5.7 M	N/A	$18.7 M

Career	GP	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PTS
’17-’18	48	32.4	44%	40%	79%	6.6	1.2	2.4	0.8	22.7
Career	186	31	44%	36%	80%	7.1	1.3	2	0.7	17.8

I’m trying to figure out how the Knicks can screw up Kristaps Porzingis’ restricted free agency but the only way he is not a NY Knick long term is if he finally gets fed up with the organization and refuses to sign a long term extension with them. Since he is a restricted free agent this off-season the Knicks have the right to match any offer given to Porzingis, and given that the Knicks will have a large amount of cap space it seems almost certain they will exercise that right.

It is a very unlikely scenario that Porzingis and the Knicks part ways but if any team can find a way to screw it up, its the Knicks. Maybe he will decide he doesn’t want to spend his life playing for an ungrateful fanbase that boo’ed him on draft night. Seeing these fans hold up their Carmelo Anthony jerseys in pride while boo’ing Porzingis is cringe-worthy. Then in June of 2017, Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson turned sour on Porzingis real fast and publicly had him on the trade market. Now the Knicks soon fired Jackson for his mind-boggling decisions but the fact remains that the New York Knicks franchise under Owner James Dolan is volatile, dysfunctional, and not Championship caliber. Porzingis will be hoping that the Knicks can either sign or draft top level talent, something they have shown to be poor at aside from drafting Porzingis (give Phil Jackson credit), recently by passing on Dennis Smith Jr for Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 draft.

The fact remains that if Porzingis is ever going to be a Dallas Maverick and run with Luka and DSJ it will not be until 2020 unless there is a trade. But KP is called the Unicorn for a reason, he is a true do-it-all player in a 7’3″ frame. If Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban can pull some sort of miracle, MFFLs would be forever grateful.

2017-2018 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
11/5	IND	63%	2	50%	89%	8	1	0	6	1	40	34.3
12/12	LAL	54%	5	63%	80%	11	1	1	5	3	37	29.5
11/3	PHO	59%	1	50%	77%	7	0	1	3	2	37	29.2
11/11	SAC	52%	4	67%	89%	5	2	0	2	0	34	27.2
12/30	NOP	50%	1	20%	88%	7	3	2	2	0	30	25

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

2. Julius Randle, New Orleans Pelicans

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
PO	23	$8.6 M	$9 M	$22 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	47	29.6	54%	32%	74%	9.3	3	0.6	0.6	2.6	19.9
Career	285	28.1	50%	28%	72%	9	2.7	0.6	0.5	2.3	14.6

The 7th overall pick in 2014, Julius Randle has grown to be a handful for opposing defenders. Randle is quick, athletic, and can handle the ball from end to end. He has a good enough jump shot to make big guys come out and challenge him, then he hits them with a pump fake or crossover and takes them right to the rim, nearly 77% of his shots this season are taken from 10 feet or closer.

This style of offense is concerning if the Mavericks have a Center like DeAndre Jordan who lives in the paint and cannot stretch the floor. However, if the Mavs can find themselves a Center who can shoot the 3 or can convince Randle to dominate with the bench squad then I would love to have him.

A big part of Randle being the 2nd ranked free agent Power Forward is the fact that he is only 23 years old with a ton of potential. He is even from Dallas, he played at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano in 2013. Now for the New Orleans Pelicans he is playing like he does not want to even consider his $9 million player option for next season. I think it is time for someone to give Randle a long-term deal and if it was the Mavericks who did it, I wouldn’t be mad at it.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
11/19	SAS	69%	0	0%	100%	14	10	1	0	0	21	29.3
11/24	WAS	63%	1	33%	80%	15	7	1	0	2	29	28.6
12/3	LAC	63%	3	75%	57%	8	4	0	0	0	37	28.2
11/5	OKC	100%	2	100%	100%	8	1	1	2	1	26	26.7
12/31	MIN	57%	2	50%	83%	10	3	0	0	0	33	26

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

3. Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
TO	33	$29.7 M	$30.5 M	$153.2 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
2018-19	39	25.7	49%	35%	71%	6.7	1.8	1.3	0.8	1.4	12.7
Career	914	29.4	49%	33%	73%	7.4	2.3	1.3	1	1.8	14.2

I have long been a Paul Millsap fan but coming into this season I was worried that his games was going to start to deteriorate as he continues to get older and takes what appears to be a lesser role. Although his number are down he is still a key contributor the the second best team in the Western Conference.

Millsap has such a well rounded game, he fills up every column on the stat sheet, and knows how to play his role within a team concept. He is really not even the first, second, or third option on a surging Nuggets team poised to make a playoff run this season where it is Jokic, Murray, and Harris that get all the love but he just gets the job done every game.

Age 33 is a bit concerning for a long term deal and it is hard to the Nuggets signing Millsap on for his $30 million team option this summer. I expect him to become an unrestricted free agent and for the right value he could be an excellent addition to any playoff team, Dallas Mavericks included.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
11/21	MIN	85%	2	100%	50%	5	0	5	1	1	25	24.9
11/11	MIL	43%	5	63%	73%	8	6	0	2	0	25	24.4
11/15	ATL	62%	1	50%	100%	9	5	4	2	1	18	23.1
11/27	LAL	64%	0	0%	100%	11	2	1	2	1	20	21.5
1/25	PHO	75%	2	100%	86%	9	2	3	0	2	20	21.5

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

4. Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
UFA	28	$12.5 M	N/A	$41.6 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	32	28.9	45%	37%	84%	8.3	1.1	0.7	0.8	1.2	16.7
Career	305	24.3	42%	36%	81%	6	1.3	0.8	0.7	1.2	12.3

Since joining the Pelicans and cutting his beard, Mirotic has been lighting it up. Mostly known as a pick-and-pop big man, Mirotic has a smooth jump shot and great range, 7 of his 12 shot attempts per game are from beyond the arc. The surprising part of his game this year is his continued improvement on rebounding, to the point where he is posting a solid 8.3 rebounds per game so far this season. His 0.8 blocks per game isn’t the worst but by no means would I refer to Mirotic as a rim protector.

He is an elite 3 point shooter for his position, great free throw shooter, and solid rebounder. As opposed to Julius Randle, who I do not think would fit well next to DeAndre Jordan, pairing Jordan with Mirotic seems like a perfect fit. The outside shooting of Mirotic could perfectly complement the screening and rolling from Luka and DeAndre. The Pelicans are going to have to make some decisions this off-season and it really looks like either way they go the Mavericks could be the beneficiary.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
10/19	SAC	67%	5	56%	50%	9	2	0	0	0	36	29
10/17	HOU	55%	6	75%	67%	10	3	0	0	1	30	26.5
1/16	GSW	64%	6	60%	83%	5	3	1	1	0	29	26.5
10/31	GSW	67%	2	29%	80%	12	1	2	0	1	26	24
11/24	WAS	58%	5	56%	100%	9	1	1	0	1	24	21.8

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

5. Maxi Kleber, Dallas Mavericks

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
RFA	27	$1.1 M	N/A	$1.9 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	42	18.9	45%	34%	80%	3.9	0.7	0.5	1.2	0.7	6.2
Career	114	17.5	47%	32%	77%	3.5	0.7	0.4	0.9	0.5	5.7

It is very hard for me to separate my Mavs fandom of Maxi Kleber from what will happen in free agency. Luckily for me, we own restricted free agency rights over Maxi (and Dorian Finney-Smith) and have the choice of how high we will go for a new contract. Maxi Kleber, aka Maximum Effort, is a shot blocking/shot making big that can defend multiple positions on defense and stretch the floor on offense.

He is from Wurzbürg, Germany, the same town Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki is from. He was a 26 year old rookie last season and was hardly scouted in Europe because he was dealing with multiple injuries that kept him off the radar of NBA scouts. Except the Dallas Mavericks, that is. Maxi Kleber has been getting better and better in his year and a half in the NBA and is a player that I want to be a Maverick long term. His 3 point shot is much improved from last season, hopefully he is getting tips from Dirk’s shooting coach, German shot engineer, Holger Geschwindner. However, Maxi’s 3 point range is secondary to his rim protection and defensive energy.

He is an all-in team guy and will back down from no one at the rim. I think Maxi Kleber has legitimate Defensive Player of the Year potential. Right now he is 7th in the league in blocks per 36 minutes for players who average at least 19 minutes per game. He has a great ability to go vertical to challenge driving opponents and once he starts getting the recognition from the referees as an elite shot blocker they will stop trying to anticipate fouls and give Maxi the respect he deserves.

With all of that said, it is hard seeing the Mavericks giving a huge deal to a guy averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds per game. The Mavs may be trying to suppress his value by only giving him 19 minutes per game so that they can re-sign him on a cheap long term deal this season. While he is on the floor it appears to me that Maxi Kleber is a more than productive player and a fan favorite so you think he would be able to carve out a larger role on a struggling team. If it works out that will be great, but I just hope the Mavericks know what they have in Maxi.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
1/9	PHO	57%	2	50%	100%	9	1	1	2	1	13	13.7
10/26	TOR	33%	1	25%	75%	8	1	2	4	0	8	12.5
1/25	DET	57%	4	57%		3	1	1	4	0	12	12.5
1/11	MIN	75%	3	75%	100%	3	0	0	2	0	13	12.5
10/22	CHI	56%	2	50%		5	1	0	1	0	12	11.4
12/26	NOP	44%	2	40%		3	0	0	6	1	10	9

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

6. Marcus Morris, Boston Celtics

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
UFA	30	$5.4 M	N/A	$28.7 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	44	27.3	48%	42%	87%	6	1.4	0.6	0.3	1.3	14.8
Career	514	26.4	43%	37%	74%	4.5	1.5	0.7	0.3	1.2	11.5

Morris’ best attributes are his 3 point shooting and his defensive versatility, and he does them both very well. He is just torching the net from downtown so far this year, making 42% of the 5 threes per game that he is taking. To go along with that, Morris is the type of guy you want in at the end of games since he is shooting a red hot 87% from the free throw line. You would like to see a little more rim protection from the Power Forward position but the uber efficient shooting will let you make some compromises.

You do not sign Morris expecting him to be one of your stars but he has the ability to be a great glue guy and role player for a contending team. He has shown a knack to hit big shots, he doesn’t back down, and brings a level of toughness that elevates his team. Still in his prime, I expect Morris to be a great value pickup by a lucky team again this summer.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
12/10	NOP	67%	5	63%	86%	4	4	0	0	2	31	24.1
1/9	IND	75%	3	100%	100%	8	2	0	0	0	22	23
12/12	WAS	55%	1	25%	100%	9	2	0	0	0	27	21.9
11/3	IND	69%	4	67%	100%	6	1	1	1	2	23	19.3
12/25	PHI	62%	3	60%	100%	6	3	0	1	2	23	19.3

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

7. Jabari Parker, Chicago Bulls

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
TO	23	$20M	$20 M	$42.2 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	35	27.7	46%	32%	74%	6.4	2.2	0.6	0.3	2.3	14.6
Career	218	30.2	49%	34%	75%	5.6	2.1	0.9	0.4	1.8	15.2

Parker was drafted 2nd overall in the 2014 draft but has since torn the the ACL in his left knee twice. Before the second injury in December 2017 Parker was averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists while playing with the Bucks. Then the injury happened, Giannis and Khris Middleton became the forwards the Bucks were going to build around and suddenly Parker found himself having to sign a 2 year deal last summer, one of which is a team option.

Now, in the month of January, Parker has not started a single game and is averaging only 17 minutes and 12 points per game. The Chicago Bulls appear to have decided that Parker is not in future plans as they will build around Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, and Wendell Carter Jr.

He still has great size and skill and we saw that when we poured in 20 points in 24 minutes against the Mavericks earlier this season. Still, It is hard to say what the Bulls will do here. Jabari is the teams highest paid player yet he is coming off the bench most games this season. The Bulls drafted Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr the last two seasons and signed Zach Lavine to a deal keeping him under contract through the 2021 season.

At only 23 years old Jabari Parker still has a lot of potential but I expect the injury history to scare off many potential suitors.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
11/21	PHO	60%	0	0%	80%	13	8	2	0	3	20	23.1
11/24	MIN	61%	3	60%	50%	7	4	1	1	3	27	20
1/15	LAL	70%	2	50%	50%	3	2	2	0	0	18	16.5
12/1	HOU	53%	1	33%	80%	12	2	1	1	4	21	16
11/26	SAS	47%	2	33%	67%	10	2	2	0	1	18	15.7

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

8. Noah Vonleh, New York Knicks

Type	Age	2018 Salary	2019 Option	Career Earnings
UFA	23	$1.6 M	N/A	$13 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	46	26.5	47%	39%	71%	8.5	2	0.8	0.9	1.4	9.0
Career	277	17.3	45%	34%	68%	5.3	0.7	0.4	0.4	0.8	4.9

Noah Vonleh was the 9th overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats out of Indiana in the 2014 draft. Really unable to carve out a roll with the Bobcats or the Blazers over his first few years he has finally earned some significant playing time with the New York Knicks. Vonleh is definitely making his minutes count, filling up the state sheet in nearly every category.

23 years old and an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Noah Vonleh is a very intriguing prospect. He is shooting great from three point range this year, 39% on 2.2 attempts per game. He is a big body, very good rebounder, and can use his upper body strength to finish in traffic around the rim.

It is hard to say what the Knicks will do here. They have Enes Kanter and Kristaps Porzingis also dealing with upcoming free agency and I am sure they will be working hard to add another big name next to Porzingis. They also have second round draft pick Mitchell Robinson, a 20 year old Center that they may want to develop rather than Vonleh.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
11/21	BOS	67%	2	100%	100%	10	3	0	3	0	16	19.7
11/23	NOP	50%	4	57%		11	5	3	2	2	14	18.2
11/20	POR	50%	2	40%	50%	14	2	3	1	0	14	18.1
1/25	BRK	50%	3	27%	50%	13	3	0	2	0	22	18
12/6	BOS	80%	1	100%	75%	10	3	2	0	1	12	16.6

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

9. Bobby Portis, Chicago Bulls

Type	Age	2018 Salary	Career Earnings	2019 Option
RFA	24	$2.5 M	$6.9 M	N/A

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	17	23.3	42%	37%	73%	7.4	1.4	0.5	0.4	1.4	12.5
Career	216	19.2	46%	35%	74%	5.8	1.1	0.5	0.3	1	9.5

In 73 games last year Portis averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 36% from 3 point range. He looks like he added some muscle this past summer and was off to a great start rebounding and defending this season before spraining his knee, an injury expected to keep him out for a large part of the first half of the season.

There has been a fair share of drama surrounding Portis during his time in Chicago, namely the time he fractured then teammate Nikola Mirotic’s face and gave him a concussion during practice. This eventually led to Mirotic demanding one of them be traded and the Bulls chose Portis over Mirotic (#4 on this list). We will see if the Bulls double down on that decision by extending Portis and matching any offers on his restricted free agency, or if they end up letting him walk for nothing. It becomes even more complicated with the decision the Bulls have to make with Jabari Parker, Lauri Markkanen, and Wendell Carter Jr all in the frontcourt. It is hard to see them keeping all of these guys so Portis may find himself on the outs this summer.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
10/18	PHI	53%	3	50%	50%	11	2	1	1	0	20	17.9
1/19	MIA	67%	2	67%	100%	6	2	1	0	2	21	17.2
1/11	GSW	57%	1	100%	88%	4	1	2	0	1	16	15.6
1/25	LAC	45%	0	0%		14	1	0	0	1	18	13.1
1/6	BRK	55%	3	75%	50%	5	0	0	0	1	17	12.2

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

10. Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks

Type	Age	2018 Salary	Career Earnings	2019 Option
PO	27	$9.6 M	$28.4 M	$10.3 M

Season	G	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
’18-’19	44	16.3	58%	19%	74%	4.1	1	0.5	0.6	0.8	8.5
Career	298	16.6	54%	27%	74%	4.2	0.8	0.7	0.4	0.6	6.9

Dwight has been pretty productive for the Mavericks since coming over as an add on to the Rondo deal in 2014. Mavs coaching staff have developed Powell as a product of the system, all he knows is Mavs basketball, which for him is dribble hand-offs at the top of the key and a hard roll to the basket.

He has proven to be an alley pop menace, throwing down all sorts of acrobatic dunks from above the rim. Where Powell has show improvement this year is catching, gathering, and finishing on roll passes that are not above the rim. In years past I was convinced he must have smaller hands than JJ Barea, any pass that wasn’t a lob would be stripped right from his little baby hands.

What keeps Powell from being a starter in this league is his lack of shooting range and rim protection. His 3 ball is ugly and seems to be getting uglier. Last year he shot 33% on 1.1 three pointers per game while this season he has dropped to an abysmal 19% on 1.4 attempts per game. Dwight Powell needs to show he can me more than an just an offensive roll man for a team to give him a long term deal.

2018-2019 Top Games

Date	Opp	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	GmSc
1/2	CHO	83%	2	67%	100%	8	2	2	1	1	15	19.1
10/20	MIN	86%	1	50%	75%	6	2	0	1	3	19	16.2
10/17	PHO	75%	0	0%	67%	5	0	1	1	0	16	15.6
10/22	CHI	50%	0	0%	100%	4	4	2	0	0	12	14.6
1/11	MIN	88%	0	0%	100%	3	0	0	2	1	15	13.9

*Warning: there may be explicit language in highlight videos.

Other Free Agent Power Forwards:

There are a lot of young “fallen angels” on this list including Dragen Bender, Marquese Chriss, Trey Lyles, and Richaun Holmes. It is worth keeping an eye on players like this that can potentially thrive with a change of scenery.

You will also find productive players up and down this list. They may not be franchise changers but they can be solid role players on a good team.

Player	Team	Type	Age	2018 Salary
Marvin Williams	CHA	PO	32	$14,087,500
Taj Gibson	MIN	UFA	34	$14,000,000
Thaddeus Young	IND	UFA	31	$13,500,000
Kenneth Faried	BKN	UFA	29	$12,500,000
Zach Randolph	SAC	UFA	38	$12,000,000
JaMychal Green	MEM	UFA	29	$8,100,000
Markieff Morris	WAS	UFA	30	$8,000,000
Al-Farouq Aminu	POR	UFA	29	$7,500,000
Anthony Tolliver	MIN	UFA	34	$5,750,000
Jason Smith	WAS	UFA	33	$5,225,000
Dirk Nowitzki	DAL	UFA	40	$5,000,000
Mike Muscala	PHI	UFA	28	$5,000,000
Dragan Bender	PHX	UFA	21	$4,468,800
Ed Davis	POR	UFA	30	$4,449,000
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute	LAC	UFA	33	$4,320,500
Mike Scott	LAC	UFA	31	$4,320,500
Marquese Chriss	HOU	UFA	22	$3,073,800
Frank Kaminsky	CHA	RFA	26	$2,954,491
Trey Lyles	DEN	RFA	23	$2,596,512
Dante Cunningham	SAS	UFA	32	$2,487,000
Channing Frye	CLE	UFA	36	$2,393,887
Udonis Haslem	MIA	UFA	39	$2,393,887
Jonas Jerebko	GSW	UFA	32	$2,176,260
Henry Ellenson	DET	UFA	22	$1,780,800
Tyler Lydon	DEN	UFA	23	$1,727,040
Luke Kornet	NYK	RFA	24	$1,619,260
Jarell Martin	ORL	RFA	25	$1,601,151
Christian Wood	MIL	UFA	24	$1,578,979
Richaun Holmes	PHX	UFA	25	$1,292,976
Cheick Diallo	NOP	RFA	23	$1,133,678
Daniel Theis	BOS	RFA	27	$1,096,929

Mavs Fans For Life

Top 10 Free Agent Power Forwards

Dallas Mavericks Contracts Beyond This season

Player Option, Team Option, Qualifying Offer, Non-Guaranteed.

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