National Basketball Association

The top 25 NBA free agents in next year's star-studded class

Published Jul. 12, 2016 10:30 a.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Now that the dust is settling on a hectic 2016 NBA free agency, it's time to look forward to next year.

There's an entire season to be played between now and then, of course, but to a large extent, the Warriors have rendered next year kind of boring. They'll either march to the title, or they'll come up short. Either way, we know what we're getting into for the 2016-17 season.

After that, though? The summer of 2017 should be an absolute spectacle -- and one that could bring some balance back to the NBA. Multiple All-Stars and future Hall of Famers will be looking to get paid as the salary cap increases for the second straight year. In fact, there are so many good players who will be free agents next offseason that we had to expand this list to 25. Enjoy.

2016-17 salary: $21.3 million

Rose will need to prove he's somewhat healthy with the Knicks this season. If he does, and if he still has some of his old MVP-caliber spark, then some team will likely take a chance on him next offseason -- maybe even New York.

Projected team: New York Knicks

2016-17 salary: $17.1 million

Monroe doesn't really fit in the modern NBA. He's a big man who doesn't defend well or stretch the floor. Still, he's relatively young (he just turned 26 in June), and he can fill it up on the offensive end.

Projected team: New Orleans Pelicans

2016-17 salary: $9.0 million

Gibson might be the most underrated player in next year's free agent class. He does everything a team needs from a power forward without complaint. He could be a steal for a team trying to vault into championship contention.

Projected team: Toronto Raptors

2016-17 salary: $15.3 million

Iguodala will be 33 next summer, so don't expect him to command much of a salary. With his veteran savvy and ability to play multiple positions, however, he's a crucial part of the Warriors' plans for a dynasty.

Projected team: Golden State Warriors

2016-17 salary: $7.4 million

An outstanding 3-point shooter who can work as a secondary offensive option in a pinch and who knows where he's supposed to be on defense, Redick is the kind of player who would fit on literally any team in the league.

Projected team: Los Angeles Clippers

2016-17 salary: $4.4 million

Be it "The Process," coaching, or something else, Noel hasn't quite developed as quickly as many hoped. The sky's still the limit for the young big man, though.

Projected team: Philadelphia 76ers

2016-17 salary: $12.3 million

Ibaka will be a valuable free agent next summer regardless of how he plays this year. If he can bounce back in Orlando, though, he could be in for a hefty payday from a team that wants rim protection and 3-point shooting from a big man.

Projected team: Houston Rockets

2016-17 salary: $3.1 million

Adams has played himself into a nice raise with the Thunder, as the 22-year-old brings toughness, defense and rebounding to a team in need of some major restructuring next year.

Projected team: Oklahoma City Thunder

2016-17 salary: $6.6 million

Oladipo should thrive next to Russell Westbrook -- you know, assuming the Thunder don't trade their star point guard. Coming off his rookie deal, Oladipo will likely earn the max next season. But the former Magic lottery pick also needs to show that he could one day be a team's primary option.

Projected team: Orlando Magic

2016-17 salary: $15.1 million

A combination of injury and playing in Denver has masked just how good Gallo is when he's healthy. Unfortunately, that same combination probably means he won't get paid as a top-line player next summer.

Projected team: Denver Nuggets

2016-17 salary: $8.0 million

Teague's an All-Star, and he'll probably want to be paid like one. That could be a problem if the Pacers value him highly but not as a max player next offseason.

Projected team: Indiana Pacers

2016-17 salary: $2.7 million

The Hawks are betting that Schroder is a better long-term answer than Teague. Given that he's younger, it's probably a safe bet. However, don't expect Atlanta to save much by going with youth. Schroder's going to get paid, and the Hawks could be forced to match a pretty large offer sheet.

Projected team: Atlanta Hawks

2016-17 salary: $8.0 million

Hill's another vastly underrated player. He's a perfect point guard for the Jazz, and he should be a big part of Utah surprising casual NBA fans next season.

Projected team: Utah Jazz

2016-17 salary: $3.2 million

Perhaps this is a little high for McCollum, but the Blazers' young guard had a breakout performance in 2015-16. He's a prototypical shooting guard, and the Blazers will pay him as such in 2017.

Projected team: Portland Trail Blazers

2016-17 salary: $3.0 million

Giannis still hasn't quite put it all together, but when he does -- and he will -- the NBA is going to be in trouble. He's a power forward who can play point guard, defend every position (except maybe center; he could stand to add just a bit more size), and get to the rim from halfcourt in about three steps. He's absolutely a future All-Star.

Projected team: Milwaukee Bucks

2016-17 salary: $20.1 million

Millsap should be fine playing next to Dwight Howard in Atlanta, but you have to wonder if this is his ideal scenario. You couldn't blame Millsap if he decided to leave this summer and continue the Hawks' All-Star exodus.

Projected team: Atlanta Hawks

2016-17 salary: $2.1 million

Looking to put together a team to stop the Warriors? You might want to take a long, hard look at Gobert. He's the kind of center around which NBA teams are looking to build their defenses -- able to defend the entire area from the 3-point line to the rim almost by himself. As his offensive game continues to improve, Gobert is going to become a problem for the rest of the league.

Projected team: Utah Jazz

2016-17 salary: $16.1 million

Hayward's in a weird middle ground as a player. He's fantastic, particularly on the offensive end. But when the Jazz have asked him to be their primary option, he hasn't quite lived up to his expectations. Still, he's a solid piece that Utah can't afford to let go.

Projected team: Utah Jazz

2016-17 salary: $12 million

Next summer should be pretty simple for Lowry. He opts out of his deal, gets a ridiculous raise, and re-signs with the Raptors in an attempt to knock off LeBron James in the East. It's hard to see any bumps in the road in Toronto.

Projected team: Toronto Raptors

2016-17 salary: $22.9 million

Paul's on the wrong side of 30 with a history of injury problems and a pernicious attitude at times. He's also one of the best point guards in the league, and he will be for a number of years to come. The only question is whether he's ready to move on from the Clippers.

Projected team: Los Angeles Clippers

2016-17 salary: $20.1 million

You know free agency's going to be a party when Blake Griffin is only the fifth-best player in the class. He'll come back healthy next year and ready to show the NBA that he's been overlooked as one of the top players for too long.

Projected team: Los Angeles Clippers

2016-17 salary: $17.8 million

Westbrook? Yeah, he's gone.

Projected team: Anywhere but Oklahoma City

2016-17 salary: N/A

Since LeBron hasn't signed his contract for this offseason yet, we're making an educated guess that he will sign one more deal for two years with a player option after the first year, before signing long-term next summer. He'd technically be a free agent then, but there's little doubt he'd return home.

Projected team: Cleveland Cavaliers

2016-17 salary: $26.5 million

KD followed LeBron's lead by signing a two-year deal with the Warriors that lets him opt out next summer. He probably will, either to make more money or to give Golden State more flexibility in next year's crazy offseason. He's not going anywhere, however, unless things dramatically implode by the bay.

Projected team: Golden State Warriors

2016-17 salary: $12.1 million

Finally. All of that talk about how this year's free agents are making so much more than Curry will come to an end next summer, when the two-time MVP will have his next deal delivered to him by an armored truck.

Projected team: Golden State Warriors