After a hectic first day of the 2015 NBA free agent period, lots of good players are off the board. Of our top 50 ranked free agents, only 21 remain available. (Seven never reached free agency due to player or team options, for what it's worth.) Given that there's still a lot of cap space to be spent, here's a rundown of the top 17 free agents still uncommitted with a brief comment on what's happening with them. Their overall class rank is in parentheses.
Want to see all the rumors out there? Check out our master list.
1. LeBron James (1)
After Cleveland retained Kevin Love on Wednesday, it's a formality that LeBron will re-sign. Until he does announce a new deal with the Cavaliers, he's No. 1 on this list. Nothing to see here, really.
2. Marc Gasol (3)
By all accounts Gasol is only meeting with the Grizzlies. They are all in Spain, likely drinking wine and eating tapas, and celebrating the steal of a deal they got on Brandan Wright. Nothing to see here, really.
3. LaMarcus Aldridge (4)
Aldridge has met with most of the teams on his list, and reports suggest he'll choose between the Spurs and the Suns, who entered the sweepstakes with a rather shocking twist (the signing of Tyson Chandler). Aldridge is a massive domino for both teams and the Blazers, who have essentially conceded that LMA is gone.
4. DeAndre Jordan (8)
Jordan is still holding meetings, but the original belief that this is a race between the Mavericks and Clippers seems to be holding. Tyson Chandler was a backup plan for both teams and he's off the table. Brandan Wright was a backup plan for Dallas and he's off the table. Plus the Clippers committed to Paul Pierce, limiting their options to replace Jordan if he leaves. This decision is going to have a huge effect on both teams.
5. Tim Duncan (10)
He's not going anywhere and he'll probably play for basically nothing. Nothing to see here. UPDATE: Yup, Duncan's returning to the Spurs.
6. Dwyane Wade (11)
It's been fairly quiet on the Wade front. That's good or bad for Miami: there's little chatter about the Heat finding common ground with the star, but there also aren't other teams beating down his door from what we can tell. His situation is mad interesting, and it'll be interesting to see if a struggling team with cap space like the Lakers makes a late push for him. UPDATE: Wade stayed in Miami with a one-year, $20 million deal.
7. Greg Monroe (16)
Monroe seems completely wide open with the Knicks, Bucks and Blazers all in position to chase him down. (One wonders if the Kings have a desire to get in the mix with their new cap space.) A young solid big man with skills but not a totally modern style, he could be a domino for Robin Lopez, who is also in play in Milwaukee and Portland. UPDATE: Monroe agreed to a three-year max contract with Milwaukee.
8. Robin Lopez (21)
Speak of the devil. Lopez would be an amazing fit on a number of teams that still have cap space, including the Knicks and Lakers. He should be able to command big money even as free agency calms down a bit over the next couple of days. UPDATE: Lopez agreed to a deal with the Knicks, assuming DeAndre Jordan doesn't sign there.
9. Wesley Matthews (24)
Matthews had been considering the Mavericks and Raptors before the Kings opened up cap space and convinced him to visit on Thursday. The one-time Summer League player for the Kings is looking for a big payday, and Sacramento can offer more than the other suitors plus a bigger role. The questions are whether Matthews' recovery from a March Achilles tear will mean he's worth the dough, and whether he's willing to go to an abjectly bad team to test it out. UPDATE: Matthews turned down more money in Sacramento to sign with the Mavericks.
10. Tobias Harris (27)
A couple of Harris' top options, including the Celtics, went other directions. The promising power forward should be a hot commodity as players dry up, though, and there's always Orlando to fall back on since Paul Millsap elected to remain in Atlanta. If Monroe falls through in Portland, Harris could be a good option there.
11. Reggie Jackson (28)
No deal for Jackson and the Pistons yet, though Detroit is expected to retain the scorer. He's restricted, which may dampen interest from the teams with cap space. That becomes less of an issue as other options dry up, so if Jackson is still unclaimed by the weekend, things could get really interesting.
12. Monta Ellis (29)
Ellis met with the very interested Pacers on Wednesday but didn't sign, which indicates he thinks he might be able to get more money elsewhere. Enter the Kings! Indiana reportedly offered $32 million over three seasons -- the Kings can go higher if they want. It'll be curious to see where the Pacers turn if Ellis chooses Sacramento or another team. UPDATE: Nowhere, as it turns out! Ellis decided to take a four-year, $44 million offer from Indiana.
13. Lou Williams (31)
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is looking for a new home in all likelihood after the Raptors committed to DeMarre Carroll, soaking up a bunch of salary space. Any team in need of offensive firepower off the bench should be bringing Sweet Lou in for a visit. He's instant offense the second he steps on the floor.
14. Rodney Stuckey (33)
Free agency never goes well for Stuckey, but there's hope a team in need of backcourt depth and positional flexibility will pay up for the combo guard. Dallas seems like a good fit. Stuckey is one of those guys who is solid but never really great -- it's tough to sell that in today's NBA, it seems.
15. Ed Davis (34)
The Lakers seem interested in retaining Davis after he opted out -- he's a solid rotational big who could start for any number of teams and still has upside. He also always seems to be available on discount, which could explain why no team has coughed up a big contract as of yet. (Call it Brandan Wright Syndrome.) UPDATE: Davis instead agreed to a $20 million deal with Portland, where he could be a LaMarcus Aldridge replacement.
16. Kosta Koufos (38)
With Wright's deal in Memphis, Koufos is now one of the most eligible true centers available. The burly big is a solid third frontcourt player on a good team, and because size pays he should get a sizable deal. (His contract will almost certainly end up larger than that of Davis, even though Davis is probably the better prospect. Every inch counts.)
17. Patrick Beverley (40)
The defense-first point guard drew early interest from a number of teams, but as with Jackson his restricted status makes it risky for squads to chase him this early. Chances are that in a few days or a week a team gets him an offer sheet that the Rockets (who haven't yet accomplished anything) match. He'd be a much better target for the Kings than Rajon Rondo, for what it's worth.
Next 10 available free agents:
18. David West (41)
19. Corey Brewer (45)
20. Josh Smith (48)
21. Enes Kanter (50)
22. J.R. Smith (51)
23. Jordan Hill (52)
24. Rajon Rondo (53)
25. Manu Ginobili (54)
26. Dorell Wright (56)
27. Matthew Dellavedova (57)
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