The biggest takeaway from this postseason? It might be that having one or two stars isn’t enough to win a title anymore. Building a superteam used to mean convincing superstars to play together, and then filling out the rest of the roster with cheap role players. But maybe now a superteam is about building a deep rotation, with quality players and no exploitable weaknesses.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens built a title-winning roster around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown by making key acquisitions over the past two and a half years in Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday. It’s the same blueprint followed by last season’s champions, the Denver Nuggets, who supported Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray by acquiring Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Bruce Brown Jr. in the years leading up.
After watching how Boston and Denver won their titles, high-end role players could now be coveted around the league. These types of players tend to fall into three categories:
Hidden Gems: White and Brown served as undervalued pieces who had some success in their careers but were willing to make tweaks to their game to unlock their new teams.
Reinventable Talents: Porzingis and Gordon are lottery picks who proved to make a greater impact in downsized roles at a later stage of their careers.
Proven Veterans: Holiday and KCP brought a winning pedigree, with both of them being former champions. These guys also tend to be unexpectedly available, and sometimes they can fall into different categories. Holiday played a significantly different role for Boston than he did for Milwaukee.
“We all watched the team the last few years. Great teams, but not quite there,” Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said at Monday’s trophy presentation. “We knew we wanted to make changes. And Brad got it done.”
The NBA is deeper than it has ever been. Most teams have at least one star. But the depth and quality of Boston’s rotation was a massive advantage over the Dallas Mavericks, deploying five players who can shoot, defend, and handle the ball almost the entire game. It’s easier said than done to build a roster this good and this deep. And as the Celtics showed, doing it requires making timely trades for solid players who become star role players in the right circ*mstances.
So, who could be the next overlooked player that could help a contender in an optimized role? Here are the 10 veterans that made the cut for my Derrick White All-Stars:
Hidden Gems
Collin Sexton, Jazz guard
Contract: Two years, $37.5 million
In six NBA seasons, Sexton has never appeared in the playoffs. But he has all the ingredients of a player who can help contribute to a team that does play on the biggest stage. Sexton is an explosive downhill attacker who gets into the paint at will. When he’s not finishing using crafty layups or floaters, he’s a willing playmaker. He’s also a knockdown shooter who’s made 44.7 percent of catch-and-shoot 3s and 32.6 percent of dribble-jumper 3s in his two seasons with Utah. As an energetic defender who’s just 25 years old, he seems primed to help a competitive team on both ends.
Dream fit: San Antonio. Sexton and Victor Wembanyama feel like a match made in basketball heaven. Both are fiery competitors, and Sexton’s collection of offensive skills would perfectly complement Wemby’s emerging greatness. Plus, while Sexton is still young, he has enough experience that the Spurs wouldn’t run into the frustrations that come with developing a rookie point guard.
Deni Avdija, Wizards forward
Contract: Four years, $55 million
There were 99 votes cast for the Most Improved Player award this year, and 10 of the ballots included Avdija. One of the ballots was mine. One was from Ryen Russillo. One was from Bill Simmons. I don’t believe the three of us chatted about Avdija once all season, and yet we all saw the same thing: Avdija had become a legitimate pro at 23 years old. There were games last season in which the 6-foot-9 forward locked down players at multiple positions, like against the Hawks when he bottled up center Onyeka Okongwu, forward Jalen Johnson, and guard Trae Young. So he can offer versatile defense. And his shot began to fall, hitting 37.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. Washington also put the ball in his hands and he looked more like the player he did overseas, facilitating for his teammates while posting career highs in touches, passes, and assists.
Dream fit: Memphis. I’m not just saying this just to piss off my Mismatch cohost Chris Vernon. OK, maybe I am. But for real, Avdija provides the type of versatile wing defense the Grizzlies need. And for a team that wants to play fast next season around Ja Morant, Avdija’s quick decision-making is a perfect match.
Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls guard
Contract: Two years, $14.5 million
Dosunmu is an extremely versatile 6-foot-5 defender who plays with great effort, and on offense he’s a willing cutter and screener who makes over 60 percent of his shots at the rim. He can play an inverted role sort of like Bruce Brown did for Denver and both White and Holiday do for Boston. But this season in Chicago, Dosunmu also made over 40 percent of his 3s. Finally, his touch from the line and near the rim is translating beyond the arc. At just 24 years old, he’s not yet in his prime either. For all the talk about the Bulls trading Zach LaVine or Alex Caruso, maybe Dosunmu is the piece worth targeting.
Dream fit: Golden State. No matter what happens with Klay Thompson, he’s not the same wing defender he once was. Dosunmu could help replenish what the Warriors are missing at that spot while also providing offensive skills that could blossom in the Golden State offensive ecosystem. To have any chance at winning another title, the Warriors will need to find some hidden gems.
Luke Kennard, Grizzlies wing
Contract: Unrestricted free agent
Kennard is one of the NBA’s best shooters. In his seven-year career, he’s made 43.9 percent of his 3s and 87.9 percent of his free throws. He can drain pull-ups from pretty much anywhere. He thrives when he’s moving without the ball. And he can make the right play as a passer. By no means is he a stopper on defense, but he gives effort and he’s physical. As an upcoming 28-year-old free agent, he should have a ton of appeal across the NBA.
Dream fit: Philadelphia. The issue with staying in Memphis is his redundancy with Desmond Bane, who is a better player and featured more prominently. In Philly, Kennard would be like a supercharged version of what the Sixers hoped Buddy Hield would be. Kennard could flank Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt and operate in the two-man game with Joel Embiid, giving him a more diverse role than he can receive with the Grizzlies.
Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets center
Contract: One year, $3.9 million
Brooklyn has a crowded frontcourt rotation, and Sharpe averaged only 15.1 minutes per game last season. But on a per-minute basis, Sharpe is one of the NBA’s best rebounding, screening, and passing bigs. The Nets loved using the 6-foot-9 center in dribble-handoff actions, and he’d dart the ball around the floor to find the open man while limiting turnovers. Sharpe also has made 36.4 percent of his 3s in his career (though it’s only 33 attempts) and displays solid touch near the rim, so perhaps he has untapped shooting potential. He’s definitely worth a flier.
Dream fit: Phoenix. Sharpe’s ability to run dribble handoffs could allow him to be an offensive hub like Jusuf Nurkic was in Phoenix last season, but he’s a better decision-maker, finisher, and just all-around basketball player. The Suns need to find low-cost guys like Sharpe this season, and Sharpe needs to find an opportunity like Phoenix to raise his value ahead of free agency.
Reinventable Talents
Anfernee Simons, Blazers guard
Contract: Two years, $53.6 million
Simons is on the smaller side at 6-foot-3, but if he lands on a team that can surround him with length then his defensive flaws could be overcome while his offensive strengths could be enhanced. Simons is an incredible shooter: Since his third season, he’s made over 40 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s and 35 percent of his dribble-jumper 3s. And at only 25 years old, he’s beginning to come into his own as a playmaker, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio over 2-1 this past season for a Portland team that ranked 30th in 3-point percentage. With more spacing, and with better teammates, Simons could explode.
Dream fit: Orlando. Simons would be surrounded by lengthy teammates to protect him on defense, and on offense he’d be matched with skilled creators with size like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, whom he could develop beautiful chemistry with.
Jerami Grant, Blazers forward
Contract: Four years, $132.4 million
Grant has the biggest contract of any player on this list, and at 30 years old, he’s also the oldest. The last time Grant was in the playoffs was the 2019-20 season, when he made the West finals with the Nuggets. He was a totally different player then, almost exclusively defending, cutting, and shooting spot-up 3s. But he did very little off the dribble like he does now. That’s why he left Denver. Grant wanted to prove himself, and he went on to average 20.8 points in his four seasons since. But his teams have won an average of 24 games per year. Isn’t it time to go back to winning? Grant is still a versatile defender who can fit into any switching defense, and he’s still a knockdown shooter who can cut and score at the rim. But he’s also capable of doing work off the dribble. Much like Porzingis for Boston, perhaps now he’s at a stage of his career where he’d prefer a little more balance.
Dream fit: Dallas. Just imagine a guy with Grant’s scoring talent receiving kickout passes from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, instead of Maxi Kleber. Grant would feast on more open looks than he ever has. And because of his handling ability, he could help alleviate some of Luka and Kyrie’s burden.
Patrick Williams, Bulls forward
Contract: Restricted free agent
The Bulls have a difficult decision to make on Williams. On the one hand, he’s underwhelmed in Chicago as a no. 4 pick because of his lack of creation ability, his inconsistent effort, and his subpar rebounding for a player with his body type. On the other hand, he’s a long defender at 6-foot-7 and has the versatility to switch and the potential to become a knockdown shooter. Williams will be only 23 years old next season, which is as young as some incoming rookies. Maybe with fewer expectations for him to do work off the dribble, he could find an ideal role on a new team if the Bulls choose to sign-and-trade him or don’t match an offer sheet.
Dream fit: Oklahoma City. Putting Williams in place of Josh Giddey just makes a lot more sense for the Thunder. Plus, OKC needs more size. The Thunder felt small across positions at times during the playoffs, and while Williams isn’t much of a contributor on the boards, he’d provide a sturdy body alongside Lu Dort to help on defense.
Proven Veterans
Mikal Bridges, Nets wing
Contract: Two years, $48.2 million
We saw Bridges shine in the NBA Finals for the Suns back in 2021. He’s capable of being one of the league’s best and most versatile defenders, while providing complementary offense as a shooter, cutter, and decision-maker. Bridges didn’t ask to be traded to Brooklyn. But it happened, and it allowed him to tap into more of his talents as a creator. But an increased role has also exposed some of his limitations, which is why finding a more balanced gig on a winning team would be in his best interest. He could flourish in a role like the one he played for the Suns, while sprinkling in some of his newfound creation ability.
Dream fit: New York. Would the Nets be willing to trade Bridges to the Knicks to join his Nova buddies? Based on my conversations with people around the NBA, I believe so … if the Knicks are willing to overpay. But Bridges would be worth it. We saw the value OG Anunoby brought last season. Adding another guy like that (while also keeping Anunoby) would give the Knicks a far more complete roster to take the next step.
Bruce Brown Jr., Raptors wing
Contract: One year, $23 million team option
Brown is a former Hidden Gem who won a title and now belongs in the Proven Veteran category. League sources expect the Raptors to pick up Brown’s option this summer and then look to trade him, which comes as no surprise considering he will be 28 next season and the Raptors are rebuilding. Brown is a super versatile defender, a tone-setter, a rebounder, and a scrappy do-it-all maestro on offense. Every team should want Bruce Brown.
Dream fit: Milwaukee. There are rumblings that the Bucks would like to play a more versatile style of defense next season, which raises the question of whether Brook Lopez has a future there. Trading Brook Lopez for Brown is a perfect match of salaries, and then the Raptors could flip Lopez elsewhere. The amount of screening and cutting Brown could do in support of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard would be glorious to watch.
