2016 NBA Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

NBA free agency officially gets underway at midnight EST tonight. The Kevin Durant sweepstakes may be (rightfully) garnering most of the headlines, but there are a number of other intriguing impact players available in this free agent class. Here's a look at who I believe are the 10 best players hitting the opening market this offseason.

Note: Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond are both technically free agents, but they're not being included on this list as they're not expected to negotiate with anyone outside of their current teams. 

10.Dirk Nowitzki, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
At 38, Nowitzki may only have another 2 or 3 years left in him, but he's still a very productive offensive player (he averaged 18.3 points per game last season) and his leadership skills are invaluable. Look for him to garner a very lucrative short-term deal from an elite team if the Mavericks don't bring him back.
Possible Destinations: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat

9.Kent Bazemore, shooting guard/ small forward (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
For my money, Bazemore is a safer acquisition than Harrison Barnes, Chandler Parsons and the other stretch 2/3's that are generating a lot of buzz in this free agent class. Bazemore is a lock-down defender with a relentless motor and the added bonus of having a good bordering on great outside shot.
Possible Destinations: Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic

8.Bradley Beal, shooting guard (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Beal is by far the biggest high-risk, high-reward player in this free agent class. His lengthy injury history since he's been in the league is alarming, but his young age (23), elite 3-point shot (just shy of 40% for his career) and high-efficiency (17.4 PPG in the 55 games he appeared in last season) when he's healthy still makes him a very intriguing option for teams looking for a pure scoring 2-guard.
Possible Destinations: Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers
 
7.Dwyane Wade, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Wade is no longer the untouchable superstar he was 4 or 5 years ago, but his reputation as a one-time dominant player and proven ability to still step up in pressure situations and deliver in the playoffs at age 34 will attract a number of suitors from around the league. 
Possible Destinations: Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks

6.Mike Conley, point guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Conley would've likely been a max deal candidate if he didn't have his 2015-16 season shortened by a foot injury. Even coming off of a pretty bad injury and one of the weakest seasons of his 9-year career, Conley should be able to cash in on a solid deal given his status as the clear prize of a weak free agent point guard group. Conley is the type of proven, versatile point guard who can efficiently run an offense and play reliably solid defense that many teams on the cusp of being contenders desperately need. 
Possible Destinations: Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings

5.Al Horford, center (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
Horford is being undeniably overrated prior to the start of free agency. At age 30, he's about to enter the back nine of his career and is coming off of his second consecutive solid albeit relatively unremarkable season. However, his elite defensive skills and ability to hurt opponents from anywhere on the court on offense still makes him a valuable asset. He'd be a nice addition to any contending or wannabe-contending team that needs a two-way frontcourt player.
Possible Destinations: Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers

4.Nicolas Batum, small forward (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
I firmly believe that Batum is easily the most underrated player in this free agent class. He's not quite a superstar, but his impressive two-way skill set on the wing makes him a potential huge catch for teams looking for a highly productive complementary player.
Possible Destinations: Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks

3.Hassan Whiteside, center (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Whiteside's character issues and concerns about his commitment to basketball has caused him to become one of the league's most polarizing players in personnel circles, but his status as one of the league's most dominant rim protectors and an improving low-post game makes him arguably the most coveted player on the market outside of Kevin Durant. Pure centers with Whiteside's blocking ability and rebounding prowess don't come along very often in the current stretch 5-obsessed era of the NBA, so I'd be shocked if any team that is willing to deal with his baggage wasn't highly interested in signing him to a max contract.
Possible Destinations: Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers

2.Demar DeRozan, shooting guard (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
DeRozan is an offensive spark plug that can finish at the rim, consistently sink mid-range jumpers, and set up his teammates better than a vast majority of the shooting guards currently in the NBA. His inconsistent play in the playoffs and spotty outside game raises a few questions about his ability to be a true superstar in the league, but DeRozan's production level and deep skill set still makes him worthy of a max deal.
Possible Destinations: Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets 

1.Kevin Durant, small/power forward (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
I know it's a huge shocker to list one of the NBA's brightest talents and the only undisputed superstar hitting the open market this summer as the top player in the 2016 free agent class. Players of Durant's caliber don't often hit free agency often, so you can expect every single team that has the cap space to sign him to at least make a soft inquiry about him. Durant's landing spot is going to have a major ripple effect around the league regardless of whether he chooses to remain with the Thunder or go elsewhere. NBA fans across the globe are going to be watching with heavy interest to see how this saga plays out. 
Possible Destinations: Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers

Other Notable Free Agents:
Aaron Brooks, point guard (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Al Jefferson, center (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Allen Crabbe, small forward (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Anderson Varejao, center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Anthony Morrow, shooting guard (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
Arron Affalo, shooting guard (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Austin Rivers, point guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Bismack Biyombo, center (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Boban Marjanovic, center (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Brandon Bass, power forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Brandon Jennings, point guard (Most recent team: Orlando Magic)
Chandler Parsons, small forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
Cole Aldrich, power forward/center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Courtney Lee, shooting guard (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Darrell Arthur, power forward (Most recent team: Denver Nuggets)
David Lee, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
David West, power forward (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Deron Williams, point guard (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
Derrick Williams, small/power forward (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Dion Waiters, shooting guard (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
Dwight Howard, center (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Dwight Powell, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
E'Twaun Moore, shooting guard (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Eric Gordon, shooting guard (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Evan Forunier, shooting guard/small forward (Most recent team: Orlando Magic)
Evan Turner, shooting guard/small forward (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Festus Ezeli, center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Gerald Green, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Gerald Henderson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Harrison Barnes, small forward (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Ian Clark, shooting guard (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Ian Mahinmi, center (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Ish Smith, point guard (Most recent team: Philadelphia 76ers)
J.R. Smith, shooting guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Jamal Crawford, shooting guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Jared Dudley, small forward (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Jared Sullinger, power forward (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Jason Thompson, power forward (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Jeff Green, small forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Jeremy Lin, point guard (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Jerred Bayless, point guard (Most recent team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Joe Johnson, small forward (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Joakim Noah, center (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Jordan Clarkson, point guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Jordan Hill, center (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Josh Smith, power forward (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Kevin Martin, shooting guard (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Kris Humphries, power forward (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
Lance Stephenson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Langston Galloway, point guard (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Leandro Barbosa, shooting guard (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, power forward/center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Luis Scola, power forward (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Luol Deng, small/power forward (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Manu Ginobili, shooting guard (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Marcus Thornton, shooting guard (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Maresse Speights, power forward/center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Mario Chalmers, point guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Marvin Williams, small/power forward (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Matt Barnes, small forwrd (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Matthew Dellavedova, point guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Maurice Harkless, small forward (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Miles Plumlee, center (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Mirza Teletovic, power forward (Most recent team: Phoenix Suns)
Mo Williams, point guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Nene, power forward (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Norris Cole, point guard (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
O.J. Mayo, shooting guard (Most recent team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Pau Gasol, power forward (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Rajon Rondo, point guard (Most recent team: Sacramento Kings)
Richard Jefferson, small forward (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Roy Hibbert, center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Ryan Anderson, power forward (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Solomon Hill, small forward (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Terrence Jones, power forward (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Timofey Mozgov, center (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Trevor Booker, power forward (Most recent team: Utah Jazz)
Tyler Johnson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Tyler Zeller, center (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Wesley Johnson, small forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Zaza Pachuila, center (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)