The 2024 NBA Draft is over, but the offseason chaos is only just beginning.

Free agency is upon us, and it'll bring league-altering signings along with stunning trades. We know, generally, the frenzy is coming because it arrives at exactly this time every year, but the particulars are always unexpected.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale and Grant Hughes are here to suggest each team's top target as the action heats up.

Whether your favorite team is rebuilding, looking to crash the contender class or anything in between, we've isolated one name more worthy of pursuit than all the others.

It's officially transactional silly season. Stay safe out there.

Atlanta Hawks: De'Anthony Melton

Am I annoyed that after including Dyson Daniels in this spot for the Atlanta Hawks, I must now rewrite the entire section? Yes, intensely. Did I dislocate my shoulder whilst patting myself on the back for having and writing about Daniels as a desired target in the first place? Also yes.

Should De'Anthony Melton be happy he now gets his own blurb? Well, that depends on whether he wants to play in Atlanta.

For their part, the Hawks could certainly use him. Experimenting with Kobe Bufkin off the bench might be a worthwhile long-term endeavor, but moving Dejounte Murray doesn't signal the start of a rebuild. It can't. San Antonio controls Atlanta's next three first-round picks.

Melton isn't a conventional floor general. He's more in the vein of a spunkier Jevon Carter—a three-and-D point guard who can handle some basic initiation responsibilities.

You know what? That's totally cool. Even with Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher in the fold, the Hawks could use a point-of-attack pest on the less glamorous end. If Melton's back receives the all-clear, he is so much more than that. And his offensive skill set fits more cleanly into tandem minutes alongside Trae Young.

Convincing him to leave Philadelphia will be a chore unless the Sixers burn all of their cap space on more glittery acquisitions. Melton should also have plenty of other suitors if he's fully healthy.

But the Hawks trimmed more than $8 million off next year's payroll in the Murray trade. They can now come close to using the bigger mid-level ($12.9 million) without entering the tax. That should at least put them in the vicinity of what Melton gets in his next deal.

—Favale

Boston Celtics: Santi Aldama

Locking down a reserve big this offseason always loomed as a priority for the reigning champion Boston Celtics. It has mutated into a borderline critical need now, following the news that Kristaps Porziņģis will miss the start of next year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg.

Al Horford is currently Boston's only other big under guaranteed contract for next season. The Celtics have the ability to re-sign Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr., but they could use a more dynamic offensive threat on the frontline just to safeguard their rotation against any setbacks or further injuries to Porziņģis.

Santi Aldama fits the bill. He is pretty good at positioning himself in the right spots on defense, his three-point clip will tick up above 35 percent on the Celtics, and he has some shiftiness to him off the dribble.

Prying him from the Memphis Grizzlies won't be as easy as last season's Tillman acquisition. They have needs of their own up front, and Aldama's value is objectively higher than that of his former teammate.

Between second-rounders and controlling most of its own firsts, Boston has the assets to make Memphis think. Aldama's salary is also small enough to work within their money-matching and second-apron limitations.

Using Jaden Springer's expiring deal gets the job done, and the Celtics can rope in a third team to soak up his cost if the Grizzlies are more interested in increasing their runway beneath the tax and/or in the process of swinging a splashier trade for a higher-end big. The latter, for what it's worth, makes it more like Memphis is open to shipping out Aldama at all.

–Favale

Brooklyn Nets: Devin Carter

Trading Mikal Bridges for a bounty of first-rounders immediately shifts the Brooklyn Nets into indiscriminate talent-acquisition mode. No flier or tantalizing young prospect should be off limits.

Inbound rookie Devin Carter not only meets that criteria but just so happens to address Brooklyn's largest long-term void: a primary guard to evaluate against the bigger picture.

At just 22, Carter fits the timeline for a team unconcerned with winning for the next two years. Questions about his jump shot and overall offensive package remain, but he knocked down 37.7 percent of his triples during his final year at Providence. And as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman noted, he became a more viable "ball-screen" weapon to boot.

Though Carter has the long way to go if he intends to enter the floor-general discussion, Brooklyn enjoys the runway to let him learn and work through his on-ball kinks. Worst-case scenario, Carter leverages his cutting and exhaustive defense into impactful off-guard play.

The catch: The Sacramento Kings just drafted him 13th overall. They might not want to deal him so soon. But they are on a more urgent timeline than not. And while the Nets shouldn't be dangling first-round equity for anyone right now, a more expansive deal that lands Cam Johnson and/or Dorian Finney-Smith in Sactown provides a nice starting point for negotiations.

—Favale

Charlotte Hornets: Luke Kennard (Team Option)

Entering the early phase of another rebuild should leave the Charlotte Hornets to seek out draft compensation, prospects and young fliers. Luke Kennard...is none of those things.

And that's OK!

Charlotte isn't going to bag a future cornerstone via trade or free agency even if it lets Miles Bridges walk. The former requires surrendering first-round equity, which the Hornets absolutely should not do. The latter suggests this free-agency class isn't shallow as hell, which it absolutely is.

Netting draft equity and stab-in-the-dark projects is fine. Charlotte has already done some semblance of this by grabbing three second-rounders to take on Reggie Jackson from the Denver Nuggets. But the Hornets should also be in the market for shooting, anywhere and everywhere, in all its forms.

Lights-out snipers optimize life for a healthy LaMelo Ball and streamline the developmental arcs of Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and Tidjane Salaun. And in many ways, Kennard is the perfect target.

If he's available on the free-agent market, the shaky state of his knees pretty much guarantees he won't require as much money or as many years as a Malik Beasley, Buddy Hield or Klay Thompson. And if the Memphis Grizzlies do pick up his team option, he still won't command a haul...for the same reason (his health).

So, yeah, if presented with the opportunity to reel in a shooter who can let 'er rip off motion, and doesn't ever need the ball but has a dab of off-the-dribble squishiness, the Hornets should definitely pounce on it.

–Favale

Chicago Bulls: Kevin Huerter

I won't pretend to understand just what the hell it is the Chicago Bulls are doing. Like, do they even know?

Whatever it is, though, dictates they acquire more caps-lock SHOOTING.

That's the only reasonable way to maximize an offense on the verge of allocating significant usage to Josh Giddey and, potentially, DeMar DeRozan (unrestricted). Very few answers are already on the roster beyond Coby White.

Lonzo Ball would count, but Chicago can't bank on his availability or effectiveness following a litany of left knee issues. Zach LaVine counts himself, but the Bulls continue to prioritize moving him, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Any meaningful shooting infusion will come from outside the organization. That brings us to Kevin Huerter. He is working off a down year by his standards, as well as left shoulder surgery, but relative to his track record, last season should be considered the exception rather than the rule.

Huerter is a career 38.2 percent shooter from distance on more than seven attempts per 36 minutes, and his marksmanship holds up across a variety of usages. The Bulls need that type of volume and efficiency, regardless of their direction.

And as it turns out, the Sacramento Kings might be interested in LaVine. That interest may be graduating to outright determination if you view their cost-cutting trade that sent Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov to the Toronto Raptors as proof they're driving up their breathing room beneath the first apron to facilitate the acquisition of a certain someone on the books for more than $43 million next season.

Snagging Huerter as part of any LaVine-to-Sacramento framework would be a no-brainer for the Bulls. If the Kings are out on him after paying Malik Monk, Chicago can try to fold a Huerter deal into a larger, multiteam LaVine blockbuster or gauge Sacramento's intrigue in an offer built around some combo of Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig (player option).

—Favale

Cleveland Cavaliers: Dorian Finney-Smith

After hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach, internal developments remain top-of-mind for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before looking into their outside options, they must first ensure Donovan Mitchell will sign a four-year, $208.5 million extension and then, potentially, contend with Darius Garland's response to it.

Assuming the Cavs push forward without entertaining or being forced into any wholesale changes, upgrading the combo-forward minutes continues to register as the most pressing priority. As someone who doesn't shrink the floor and can still hang with 3s, 4s and some 2s, Dorian Finney-Smith does exactly that.

Cleveland's level of interest may depend on Isaac Okoro's foray into restricted free agency. There isn't a ton of overlap between him and DFS. Okoro is better suited to defending smaller perimeter players while Finney-Smith remains best deployed against larger covers. But Okoro's price point will impact what type of salary the Cavs must send out to make the math work.

Right now, Cleveland has close to $20 million in runway beneath the first apron. That does not include a hold or new salary for Okoro. Depending on how much he costs, the Cavs could get the job done by offering something like Georges Niang and Jaylon Tyson (No. 20 pick).

Permutations get trickier if DFS' arrival takes them past the first apron, in which case they'd need to include more money to match or exceed his $14.9 million salary.

—Favale

Dallas Mavericks: Kyle Kuzma

A failure at the postseason's ultimate stage, though painful, still has massive value to the team-building process. For the Dallas Mavericks, those difficult five games against the Celtics exposed a need for additional playmaking and versatility on offense.

P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. were vital to helping the Mavs advance as far as they did, but neither forward could consistently punish a Boston defense that challenged them to make the necessary pass-dribble-shoot decision. Neither is hard-wired to attack like Kyle Kuzma.

A 6'9" gunner, Kuzma averaged 22.2 points and 4.2 assists per game last year. Though those numbers came for a Washington Wizards team no opponent took seriously, and though he's never posted a true shooting percentage above the league average, Kuzma is a lot like Washington, formerly a Charlotte Hornet, in that he could benefit from a move down the offensive hierarchy.

His efficiency is bound to spike when defenses treat him as a third option rather than a first, and his on-ball game would overwhelm opponents that can't devote real resources to stopping him when they have so many committed to containing Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

The rebuilding Wizards should be willing to swap the soon-to-be 29-year-old for a package headlined by a pick, salary filler and one or two of Dallas' younger pieces like Jaden Hardy, Olivier Maxence-Prosper or Josh Green.

-Hughes

Denver Nuggets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

But wait, doesn't Kentavious Caldwell-Pope already play for the Denver Nuggets?

Well, yeah, but nothing is more important for the 2022-23 champs' offseason than ensuring it stays that way.

Denver faces the terrifying possibility of losing KCP in free agency, as the veteran guard can hit the market by declining a $15.4 million player option in search of a pricer long-term deal. Squads like the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers could easily shove a nine-figure deal across the table.

The Nuggets lack the cap space to replace Caldwell-Pope with an outside signing, and their second-apron payroll means they can't offer anyone more than the minimum in free agency. Thanks to owning KCP's Bird rights, Denver can pay him anything up to the max.

Everything in Denver starts and ends with Nikola Jokić, but it's jarring to note that this team got outscored by 4.3 points per 100 possessions when KCP was off the floor last season.

It's possible someone from Denver's corps of young prospects—Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson—could take a step forward in 2024-25. But no one from that group can match Caldwell-Pope's lights-out shooting, familiarity with the Nuggets' other four starters or two-time-champion resumé.

No team relied on its starters for a larger share of possessions than Denver last season, and because it's financially impossible to upgrade KCP's spot in that group, retaining him has to be this organization's unquestioned top priority.

-Hughes

Detroit Pistons: Gary Trent Jr.

Taking on Tim Hardaway Jr. (and seconds) for Quentin Grimes from the Dallas Mavericks cannot and should not represent the end of the Detroit Pistons' pursuit of shooting.

Four of their five most important players—Jalen Duren, Ron Holland, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson—are (mostly) non-threats from beyond the arc. Detroit needs to prioritize a roster makeup that readily allows for Cade Cunningham-plus-three-or-four-snipers arrangements.

Sponging up THJ, increasing Marcus Sasser's minutes and (presumably) re-signing Simone Fontecchio is a start. Going after Gary Trent Jr. would open up even more options. He is a career 38 percent shooter from downtown on eight attempts per 36 minutes—a meld of volume and efficiency completely absent from the Pistons' depth chart at the end of last season.

Granted, Trent is not without his flaws. You can get away with using him at the 2 or the 3, but he's a defensive gambler and often a liability and no stranger to maddening tunnel vision when on the ball. Detroit can look past those imperfections.

Optimizing floor balance is a more pressing issue, and no signing or addition needs to be forever. Bankrolling his next deal shouldn't scare the Pistons, either. They can still get to $50-plus million in room after the THJ trade, and the Toronto Raptors appear to have already punched GTJ's ticket out of town following the acquisition of Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov and the decision to pick up Bruce Brown Jr.'s team option.

Unlike other free agents later into their careers, Trent may also be open to a one- or two-year balloon payment. He doesn't turn 26 until January, making him a comfy fit for a longer-term play, but also rendering him someone who should be more flexible with his contract structure.

—Favale

Golden State Warriors: Lauri Markkanen

All signs point to the Utah Jazz renegotiating and extending Lauri Markkanen's contract, even if it's only to preserve his value as a potential trade option down the road.

You'd imagine, though, that if the Golden State Warriors came calling with an offer built around future first-rounders and some of their young talent, the Jazz would have to at least listen.

Faced with the reality that Stephen Curry won't be around forever, the Warriors wouldn't want to part with all of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis. But if Golden State is serious about sustaining its ability to compete while Curry is still at an All-NBA level, and if it also wants to transition as smoothly as possible to a post-Steph era, Markkanen, 27, is one of the only theoretically gettable players who can help them accomplish both goals.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported Klay Thompson and the Warriors have had "no productive discussion" on his next contract and that "talks are essentially frozen." Painful as it may be to sentimental Warriors fans, it's starting to look increasingly likely that the team will need to replace Thompson's shooting in next year's lineup.

That's another point in favor of pursuing Markkanen, who actually averaged more points per possession and shot a higher percentage than Thompson off screens last season. Klay is an unquestioned all-timer among shooters, but Markkanen is hardly a slouch in that department. He canned 39.9 percent of the 8.0 treys he put up per game in 2023-24. Thompson was at 38.7 percent on 9.0 attempts per contest.

A Thompson-esque level of shooting out of a 7-footer hits a little different.

-Hughes

Houston Rockets: LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball's injury history, limited track record of winning basketball and iffy defense make him one of the riskiest targets we'll suggest for any team.

Enough about the downside, though; Ball is also, potentially, the perfect piece to add to a Houston Rockets squad that needs a true offensive orchestrator.

When last healthy, Ball was a 20-year-old All-Star racking up 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game while drilling 38.9 percent of his threes. No one, before or since, has amassed those numbers at such a young age. The last two years, during which Ball was limited to 58 games by ankle injuries, make it seem like that banner season never happened.

It did, and it (or something even better) could be in the offing again if Ball stays on the floor and finds himself surrounded by one of the most talented young rosters in the league—one that now also has ace sharpshooter Reed Sheppard to further space the floor.

Granted, the Rockets would have to surrender some of their key pieces to acquire Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. But the team's 13-2 March without Alperen Sengün could make parting with the offensively gifted big man plausible, and Houston has no shortage of salary filler and picks to send out.

Ball's long-range shooting at the point would help offset the issues presented by the still-developing Amen Thompson's lack of a jumper, while Thompson's ferocious defense and possibly elite (again, still developing) facilitation would make him an ideal complement to Ball. Fred VanVleet could continue to provide veteran experience and grit as the rest of a Rockets core that includes Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore and Jalen Green.

-Hughes

Indiana Pacers: Naji Marshall

Beefing up the wing and combo-forward rotations continues to place at the tippy top of the Indiana Pacers' to-do list. And it isn't particularly close.

Poaching Naji Marshall from the New Orleans Pelicans represents something close to an ideal outcome. His on-ball shiftiness can be limited, but he has added wrinkles to his downhill and fast-break attacks.

Plus, the Pacers don't necessarily need someone accustomed to working at the center of the action. They have Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to fill that quota.

Marshall's plug-and-play offense and defensive malleability are much more impactful for Indy's purposes. He converted nearly 40 percent of his spot-up triples last season, which accounted for more than one-third of his total field-goal attempts, while pretty much guarding across four different different positions.

Accessing the bigger mid-level exception and offering Marshall a deal worth up to four years and $55.3 million should be no sweat for the Pacers. They have almost $20 million in room under the tax line.

Of course, that's before factoring in a new contract for Obi Toppin (restricted) or Jalen Smith (opted out). But Indy should be able to retain at least one of them and still have the leftover flexibility to make a competitive Marshall offer.

—Favale

LA Clippers: Toumani Camara

Their status as a second-apron team makes every trade trickier for the LA Clippers, whose true top offseason priority might actually need to be "don't let Paul George get away for nothing."

The risk of PG walking or being traded away is actually part of the reason Toumani Camara should be on the Clippers' minds. An older rookie who played all of last year as a 23-year-old, Camara is more prepared than many alternatives to help a veteran LA squad compete in the near term. Better still, the 6'8" forward's elite defensive versatility might even qualify him as an upgrade on the possibly departing George. Though once indisputably among the game's best on D, George is over a decade older than Camara and shoulders a much heavier offensive load. His days as an every-play stopper are probably behind him.

The Clippers ranked 14th in defensive efficiency last season, not nearly good enough to make their No. 4 offense hold up. Camara, whose block and steal rates ranked in the 60th and 79th percentile at his position, respectively, is an impact-metric star on D. He was in the 96th percentile in Estimated Defensive Plus/Minus, and all you'd have to do is watch him disruptively switch across positions with maximum effort for a possession or two to validate that number with the eye test.

LA could bundle up PJ Tucker's expiring salary with a future first-rounder in either 2030 or 2031, and the rebuilding Blazers could bite. Camara is more helpful to a win-now team than a rebuilder, and the upside of that distant selection is sky-high.

-Hughes

Los Angeles Lakers: Donovan Mitchell

It looks increasingly likely that Donovan Mitchell will accept a four-year, $209 million extension to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers and new head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Until the ink is dry on that deal, the Los Angeles Lakers should still have their sights set on the five-time All-Star.

Mitchell would give L.A. a third star—one whose self-generated offense, off-ball spacing and playmaking would fill major needs on a Lakers roster that needs all three of those traits if it wants to contend in a perennially toughening West. At 27, Mitchell would help the Lakers make the most of LeBron James' remaining years while also profiling as someone young enough to work in tandem alongside Anthony Davis in a post-LeBron phase.

Landing Mitchell via trade would likely cost Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, additional salary and perhaps even all three of the first-rounders Los Angeles can trade. On top of that, the Lakers would undoubtedly need to commit to Mitchell with a full max salary.

There are merits to more conservative paths. The Lakers could preserve some of their future assets and seek out two or three rotation pieces instead of a star. But when you've got James still somehow playing at an All-NBA level as he approaches age 40, ceiling-raising swings are the only way to go.

-Hughes

Memphis Grizzlies: Jarrett Allen

We could have been more vague and gone with "a starting center" as the Memphis Grizzlies' top target, which they could have addressed by snagging one with the No. 9 pick in the draft. But even if Zach Edey winds up outperforming expectations as a rookie, it's hard to imagine he'll be a needle-mover for a Grizz team that should have every intention of fighting for a top-four spot in the West.

So Jarrett Allen it is.

If Cleveland shakes things up by putting Allen on the block and reorienting around Evan Mobley as the lone big, Memphis could put together a competitive trade package.

The Grizzlies have all their own future first-rounders and six seconds they could deal for Allen, a board-hoarding, rim-protecting big who'd fit better alongside the floor-stretching Jaren Jackson Jr. than he did with the mostly paint-bound Mobley in Cleveland.

Memphis was at its best a couple of years ago when Steven Adams was inhaling offensive boards and laying the lumber on screens. Allen, like almost everyone else in the league, lacks the monolithic heft of Adams. But he'd occupy a similar role with the added bonus of better mobility and the ability to provide vertical spacing as a lob threat.

-Hughes

Miami Heat: Tobias Harris

Giving chase to Tobias Harris will likely prove too ambitious for the Miami Heat's resources. The end to his run with the Philadelphia 76ers wasn't pretty, but combo forwards who can, conceptually, hold up defensively, hit threes and generate their own scoring opportunities typically fetch waaaay more than the mini mid-level exception ($5.2 million).

Mind you, Miami might not even be able to offer Harris that much. Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin (player option) are set to enter unrestricted free agency. Keeping just Martin alone could vault the Heat into the second apron.

There is no way in hell that Harris' stock has plummeted to the point of accepting a minimum deal. But hey, perhaps Miami can sell him on a fairly prominent role and the chance to rehab his longer-haul value.

Failing that, if he's willing to sign for the mini MLE, the Heat have avenues they can explore to ensure it's available. And given how much their offense needs even a could-be, might-be more dynamic scorer, they should be much higher on the prospect of adding Harris than the general consensus reached by social media take-artists.

—Favale

Milwaukee Bucks: Ayo Dosunmu

Yours truly has been banging the "Go get Ayo Dosunmu!" drum on the Milwaukee Bucks' behalf for a while. I'm not stopping now.

Milwaukee's rotation needs a jolt of versatility and verve on the perimeter. Dosunmu brings it in spades. At 6'5" in shoes, with a wingspan north of 6'10", he can defend both guard spots and scale up to certain wings and star assignments. The strides he made as a shooter and driver this past season render him even more appealing. The team-friendly $14.5 million he's owed over the next two years is the cherry atop the ice cream sundae of affordable mystique.

Getting Dosunmu won't be easy. The Chicago Bulls might be more open to moving him after landing Josh Giddey, but the Bucks profile as a second-apron team. That means they can't aggregate salaries in any deal or take back more money they're sending out.

There is a window in which Milwaukee can attach Pat Connaughton to A.J. Johnson (No. 23) and/or Tyler Smith (No. 33) before they count as actual salaries. Is that enough for Chicago? And acceptable to Milwaukee?

Beyond that, the Bucks could look to unload salary onto a cap space team as part of a multiteam framework and then operate beneath the second apron. That would open up aggregation opportunities. To what end it glitzed up their offer to the Bulls, though, is contingent about Chicago's interest in MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr.

The Bucks can also revisit their asset and financial situation after a Brook Lopez or Khris Middleton trade, if not try to fold Dosunmu's arrival into one. But that's a scenario not worth exploring unless Milwaukee actually does bust up its core.

–Favale

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kyle Lowry

Barring a major cost-cutting plan, the Minnesota Timberwolves will have to fill their offseason needs using minimum salaries. By necessity, their top target almost can't be a starting-caliber player.

That's fine; Minnesota has its first unit handled between Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, all of whom are on the books through 2025-26. Of those players, Conley is the one most in need of a capable backup.

Heading into his age-37 season, Conley is still a vital organizer and off-ball spacer in Minnesota's offense. Head coach Chris Finch did well to limit him to only 28.9 minutes per game last season, but it might be best to rest him even more liberally in 2024-25.

However much you love rookie Rob Dillingham, whom the Wolves boldly acquired in a draft-day trade, it's hard to envision the lights-out scorer taking on a legit backup role that'd see him on the floor for 20-plus minutes per night.

Minnesota needs a capable second-string guard who can bring a Conley-esque level of calm and reliability throughout the year and particularly in the playoffs.

Kyle Lowry can handle that.

Lowry is over a full year older than Conley and is quite clearly in the twilight of his career. But he still shot 39.2 percent from deep last season while continuing to make the handful of heady hustle plays per game that have defined his career. Tough, extremely experienced in high-tension competition and even capable of guarding up a position or two, Lowry could deliver for Minnesota on the floor and in the locker room.

The Wolves won't be the only team offering Lowry a minimum salary, but they can credibly pitch him on a real role and a title shot.

-Hughes

New Orleans Pelicans: Jonathan Isaac

The health risks are well understood, but the potential payoff to making Jonathan Isaac their starting center should be worth it for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Isaac is among the best per-minute defensive players in the league, bringing a level of off-ball disruption, on-ball switchability and rim-protection almost no on else can match. Among players who logged at least 10 games last year, Isaac and Victor Wembanyama were the only ones to post block rates above 7.0 percent and steal rates above 2.0 percent.

Framed another way, Isaac was the best per-possession ball-snatcher and shot-swatter among all players from planet Earth.

With Isaac, New Orleans could unlock five-out spacing to create runways for Zion Williamson and, perhaps more importantly, shuffle up its defensive matchups in an even wider variety of ways. Between Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Isaac, the Pels would have a trio of rangy havoc-wreakers capable of holding up across four or five positions. If New Orleans needs to hide Williamson and/or CJ McCollum, Isaac makes that easier.

You'll note Brandon Ingram wasn't listed among that group, which is mostly because his expiring deal and sub-optimal fit alongside Zion make him a trade candidate. It's hard to dream up a deal with him and Isaac as the principals, but the Orlando Magic could use a self-sufficient scorer to boost an offense that ranked 22nd in the league last year...

-Hughes

New York Knicks: Isaiah Hartenstein

Isaiah Hartenstein seems more likely to leave the New York Knicks by the second—hence my casting the spotlight onto the Orange and Blue's own free agent.

Going all-in on Mikal Bridges has, at this writing, hard-capped the Knicks beneath the first apron. Re-signing Hartenstein while remaining below the $178.7 million line is complicated—verging on impossible. If it doesn't include offloading Julius Randle for, like, $12 to $15 million (or more) in immediate savings, it has to include straight dumping Mitchell Robinson followed by a series of smaller bookkeeping plays.

Yet, amid all this focus on squeezing Hartenstein into first-apron territory or calling on New York to expand the Bridges trade to hard-cap itself underneath the second apron, one defining question is falling by the wayside: Does it even matter?

Early Bird rights allow the Knicks to offer Hartenstein a four-year deal worth up to $72.5 million. Nicolas Claxton, who is less than one year younger than I-Hart, just received a four-year, $100 million pact from the Brooklyn Nets ($96 million guaranteed). Even New York's maxed-out overture may not be enough to keep its big man.

Drumming up a lucrative market outside your own team is always more difficult than advertised. If recent reporting is any indication, it won't be an issue for Hartenstein. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic have interest, according to NBA Reporter Marc Stein. They both also have the cap space to pay Hartenstein muuuuch more than the Knicks.

This doesn't mean New York should fold. Hartenstein is a curious fit in Orlando (and Detroit), and he doesn't quite fit the Thunder's five-out motif. The Knicks need to be all over him—and explore every possible scenario that lets them pony up their best offer—until he's actually gone.

—Favale

Oklahoma City Thunder: Lauri Markkanen

With Alex Caruso on board as an upgrade for Josh Giddey's spot in the rotation, the Oklahoma City Thunder can even more easily afford to deal the assets it might take to acquire Lauri Markkanen—if the 27-year-old even becomes available.

The Utah Jazz can renegotiate and extend Markkanen's contract, pay him up to the max and quiet all the trade chatter that has surrounded their best player. Or, a team like the Thunder could put an offer on the table that's too good for habitually opportunistic team president Danny Ainge to pass up.

Relevant: Utah is apparently open to listening on Markkanen, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Did Ainge see Mikal Bridges net five first-rounders and an unprotected swap and say, "Damn?" Let's not rule it out. And if Markkanen really is up for grabs, the Thunder have the assets to win the sweepstakes.

Lu Dort might have to be involved, and the Jazz should ask for Cason Wallace in addition to a heap of first-round picks. OKC can afford that last part with no fuss.

In Markkanen, the Thunder would adda 7-foot movement shooter who can attack the basket and contribute on the boards. Though not a defensive anchor by any stretch, Markkanen's length would still be an asset in support of lone big Chet Holmgren, supercharging OKC's five-out spacing and adding a true "can't leave him" shooter to the mix.

Over two seasons as a top option with Utah, Markkanen averaged 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 39.5 percent from deep. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren assured of touches, Markkanen might suffer a slight decline in his counting numbers. But his efficiency, already high, could reach new levels—as could the Thunder's championship ceiling.

-Hughes

Orlando Magic: Anfernee Simons

Raise your hand if you've been begging the Orlando Magic to make an aggressive play for Anfernee Simons since before last offseason.

To my fellow stubborn sickos, hello! Our mission continues into this summer.

Orlando's need for shooting is the league's worst-kept non-secret. Its floor balance in the half-court was actually pretty good, but defenses don't fear anyone on the roster from beyond the arc.

Getting a floor general will rank above pure shooting acquisitions on the Magic's offseason whiteboard. That's...mostly acceptable. But a bottom-six three-point-attempt rate and long-range clip are primary drivers of Orlando's 22nd ranked offense. It shouldn't lock itself into one archetype.

And oh, yeah: The Magic have the assets to do both. What's more, Simmons does enough to check, like, 1.5 of these two boxes.

His imprint on Orlando's shooting would be stark and automatic. He just banged in 38.5 percent of his almost nine three-point attempts per game—volume that included a healthy mix of catch-and-shoots (3.8) and pull-ups (5.0) and came within a Portland Trail Blazers offense that didn't generate a ton of gimmes for him. According to BBall-Index, the shot quality on Simons' pull-up treys rated in the 7th percentile while his spot-up triples fell into the 2nd percentile.

Simons has also improved enough as a half-court playmaker to organize some of the Magic's offense. He isn't some A-plus setup man, but he seems to make better reads attacking downhill and coming out of ball-screens every year.

Pinpointing Portland's asking price for the 25-year-old guard with two seasons and a hyper-reasonable $53.6 million left on his contract is difficult. But the Magic have the cap flexibility, future firsts and incumbent prospects (Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Tristan da Silva) to construct a wide array of offers that should will pique the Blazers' attention.

–Favale

Philadelphia 76ers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Shout-out to anyone having the "Wait, this isn't Paul George!" reaction. Nothing gets past you.

Adding him at a nearly $50 million price point alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey doesn't move me (anymore). For starters, George seems more inclined to stay on the West Coast, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted on The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t SI.com's Stephen Douglas). And more than that, fleshing out the rest of the roster both this year and beyond gets much harder when funneling so much money toward three players.

I'm open to the idea that Philly needs a third star given Embiid's spotty health. Then again, if Embiid isn't healthy, the Sixers aren't winning a title anyway. So, really, what's the point?

Shifting to targets who cost less than half as much and meaningfully increase the postseason depth of the roster feels like the more palatable course. (Whether it's the most likely course is debatable. George officially declined his player option with the Clippers and plans to meet with "cap space teams." That feels akin to "Philly or staying put.")

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be an ideal backcourt running mate for Maxey. He doesn't need the ball on offense and just turned in a 2023-24 campaign worthy of All-Defense consideration.

Alarmists will worry about how well KCP ages. He turns 32 in February. That's fair. But his game isn't rooted in explosion or absurd offensive volume, and paying him $20 million per year (or something) into his mid-30s is easier to stomach than shelling out $50 millionish per year for PG into his late 30s.

Best of all, for the Sixers anyway, KCP seems eminently gettable. He already opted out of his contract, and Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth sounds like someone who has already come to terms with elevating Christian Braun into the starting lineup.

–Favale

Phoenix Suns: Kris Dunn

If the Phoenix Suns are willing to trade their 2031 first-round pick with one of them, outgoing packages featuring Jusuf Nurkić ($18.1 million) Nassir Little ($6.7 million) could net a higher-end rotation piece. But that selection is so far off that most of the executives who'd otherwise consider trading for it might not even want it.

Only about a half-dozen of them would have any confidence they'd still be employed by their current team by the time the pick conveyed.

We have to think a little smaller with the second-apron'd Suns, who don't have anything more than the minimum to offer in free agency, can't aggregate salaries in trade and can't take back more money than they send out.

Kris Dunn is on the short list of the league's top defensive point guards, plays with uncommon aggression and will have no problem deferring to Phoenix's stars on offense. His shooting isn't ideal at 32.3 percent for his career from deep, but Dunn canned 39.5 percent of his 1.7 triple attempts per game across the last two seasons with the Jazz. Maybe as he enters his age-30 season, the former No. 5 overall pick has shored up that part of his game in a sustainable way.

Though he's not flashy and comes with limitations, Dunn would at least address the need for a point guard that has limited the Suns in their current form. Most importantly, he can be had for the minimum—especially if Phoenix makes it clear the starting job is his to lose.

-Hughes

Portland Trail Blazers: Anthony Black

As the Portland Trail Blazers try to shed veteran salary and get their payroll even further under the tax line, they need to also opportunistically target other teams' young talent.

The more marginalized the better.

The Deni Avdija acquisition was exciting, but Portland can't stop there.

Anthony Black came off the board at No. 6 in 2023 and struggled offensively as a rookie. His tools—excellent length, court vision, defensive tenacity and facilitating instincts—still lend him major upside, but the 20-year-old doesn't look likely to realize his potential at any point in the next couple of seasons. That's fine in a vacuum, but an Orlando Magic team that should have designs on chasing a top-four spot in the East is operating on a more immediate timeline.

The Blazers could make Black the focal point of an Anfernee Simons trade, slot him next to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe and enjoy the experiment for a few developmental seasons. Though Black's shaky shooting might ultimately mean he has to be on the ball—not ideal with Henderson needing reps in that role—consider the possibilities of a setup-minded, defensively dangerous, oversized 6'7" guard filling in all the gaps as Henderson and Sharpe do the bulk of the scoring and creation.

At the very least, Black could leverage his already top-notch skills as a cutter if defenses shade away from him.

Every team needs do-it-all connectors who are wired to make the right play. Black could be that kind of high-end role player and organizer for the next great Blazers team.

-Hughes

Sacramento Kings: Kyle Kuzma

Unless the Sacramento Kings want their playoff appearance in 2022-23 to represent the peak of this era, they need to add significant talent this offseason—ideally in the form of a two-way wing to fill the gap between point guard De'Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis.

To all the Kings fans screaming about Keegan Murray being exactly that type of player, let's pump the brakes. Murray made real strides defensively and as a bucket-getter last year, but his true shooting percentage dipped with added volume, and he's still prone to disappearing acts that last for three quarters at a time.

Kyle Kuzma graded out as consistently helpful defender according to D-EPM last season and has posted a few other passable campaigns, including a title-winning one with the Lakers in 2019-20. He has held up well (even if overstretched) as a high-end creator on offense with the Wizards and has already been battle-tested in the Finals. Assuming he'd take Harrison Barnes' spot in the starting five, Kuzma would also allow Murray to reduce his workload and grow at his own pace as a fourth option.

Jalen McDaniels, inbound from Toronto, will help. But the Kings can still bundle up future first-rounders to send out in a bigger swing. Those assets combined with the salaries of Kevin Huerter ($16.8 million) and Trey Lyles ($8 million) could be enough for the Kings to land Kuzma without giving up Barnes, whose veteran savvy and professionalism still matters to a team lacking in big-game experience.

San Antonio Spurs: Darius Garland

Trae Young would be the starrier target, but he has such a profound impact on the team-building process that adding him might not be in the San Antonio Spurs' best interest.

One of Victor Wembanyama's most intriguing qualities is a sheer breadth of skills that makes it possible to construct virtually any kind of roster around him. Young's presence would cut into that flexibility, requiring multiple low-usage spot-up shooters and a defensive-minded guard to cover for his deficiencies on that end.

Darius Garland is just easier to onboard. He can spend most of his time on the ball, but his career-high usage rate of 27.8 percent is beneath Young's career low of 28.4 percent. An egalitarian offense would still be possible with Garland. Less so with Young.

If Garland feels like an underwhelming choice, consider that he's already been an All-Star and is a five-year vet at just 24 years of age. He's coming off a down season that started with an injury and never quite got on track. This might even be a buy-low opportunity.

Lastly, the Spurs posted a plus-5.2 net rating when Wembanyama and top point guard option Tre Jones shared the floor last season. Imagine how much better that figure could be with a legitimate star in Jones' spot.

-Hughes

Toronto Raptors: Jalen Smith

The Toronto Raptors are officially punting on cap space after picking up Bruce Brown Jr.'s team option and flipping Jalen McDaniels for Davion Mitchell and Sasha Venzenkov. Their best spending tool now profiles as the mini mid-level exception, and they're charting a direction that screams "gradual."

This is me setting the stage for what should be a relatively quiet free-agency period from the Raptors unless they shed more salary or pony up to retain Gary Trent Jr. Either way, even after adding Ja'Kobe Walter at No. 19, this team should continue abiding by the "More shooting!" mantra.

Walter and Gradey Dick, along with the soon-to-be re-signed Immanuel Quickley, arm Toronto with a trio of complex-level shot-makers from distance. Kelly Olynyk can help space defenses in the frontcourt, too. The Raptors need more.

Jalen Smith, who just declined his player option, would guarantee extra stretch within the 4-5 rotation. He can be streaky and has never averaged more than 5.4 three-point attempts per 36 minutes, but he just knocked down 42.4 percent of his 144 triples during the 2023-24 campaign.

Smith's capacity to soak up reps at both the 4 and 5 should make him even more appealing. His defense can be shaky at either spot, but he's capable of sturdy straight-up contests at the basket. Opponents converted just 57.6 percent of their looks at the rim against him this past season.

Cost could become an issue. He just declined a player option worth more than the mini mid-level. Still, hovering around that same price point may be right up his alley if it guarantees him more total money over the course of two or three years.

—Favale

Utah Jazz: Cason Wallace

The Utah Jazz's top target actually could have been "a young player and as many first-round picks as possible" in a Lauri Markkanen trade, but we'll go with Cason Wallace for specificity's sake.

The idea here is that if the Jazz choose to move Markkanen rather than renegotiate and extend his contract, it would officially settle their timeline and necessitate the acquisition of at least one player who could grow with Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler. Wallace, who shot 41.9 percent from long distance and defended exceptionally well for a 20-year-old rookie, fits the bill.

In addition to Wallace, the Jazz should prioritize as many high-upside future first-rounders as the Oklahoma City Thunder are willing to include. Considering OKC's stockpile of picks, that number could be high. Let's go with three as a starting point and trust Danny Ainge to work up from there.

It's absolutely defensible if the Jazz would rather retain Markkanen and try to develop their youth while also big-game hunting. But that's a difficult needle to thread, and we've seen most teams with anything like a "two timelines" approach eventually realize they should have stuck with just one. A deal for Wallace and enough pick equity to draft or trade for more core pieces is the simpler, cleaner way to go.

-Hughes

Washington Wizards: Jaden Hardy

Figuring out how to get Jaden Hardy on the Washington Wizards is yet another pet agenda I can't seem to kick. It waned in the aftermath of the Wiz landing Bubba Carrington at No. 14 (as part of the Deni Avdija trade), but it's back out in full force now.

Washington still needs to get a look at as many younger ball-handlers and potential floor generals as possible. Hardy is more combo guard than point man, but he has provided flashes and flickers of a more patient, more accurate and less predictable passer. Bake in his scoring chops, which include standstill touch and shiftiness in traffic, and the soon-to-be 22-year-old is intriguing enough to elevate into a bigger role with a team that has the room for it.

The Dallas Mavericks are not one of those teams. And they will never be one of those teams so long as both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving are in tow. That should open the door for a suitor like the Wizards to pick him off the back of Dallas' rotation.

At the same time, the Mavs do need a third player capable of putting defenses in rotation. Hardy is currently their best bet to fill that void next season, so they're (probably) not shipping him out for afterthought compensation.

Would Dallas consider larger framework and include other assets to land Kyle Kuzma? Debatable. But Washington should be open to finding out.

—Favale

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

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