5 free agents who improved their market values during the 2021 NBA Playoffs
The 2021 NBA Free Agency class is stacked with top players and rising stars, giving all 30 teams a plethora of options to consider when the off-season starts.
Most of the players who are set to become free agents have been terrific this season and were even better during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Their stellar displays will likely see them benefit heavily in terms of receiving a bigger paycheck than they would have anticipated before the playoffs commenced.
On that note, let us have a look at five players who improved their market values after having solid postseason showings.
#5 Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was shipped along with Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks to the Dallas Mavericks as a throw-away trade but turned out to be the better performer than the latter.
Hardaway had a terrific 2020-21 NBA season, averaging 16.6 points per game on 45/40/80 shooting splits.
His performances improved massively down the regular-season stretch. Hardaway averaged close to 21 points per game in May (across nine games) and shot 44% from the deep. His value certainly increased in that period, and he managed to keep that up during the playoffs as well.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was the best player after Luka Doncic in the Dallas Mavericks' first-round loss to the LA Clippers. Hardaway showed up big-time, tallying four 20-point games across the seven-game series, shooting 40% from the three-point line on eight attempts per game.
Reports suggest that Tim Hardaway, 29, is looking for a contract worth $20 million per year, which he is likely to receive, thanks to his stellar showings this NBA season.
#4 Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose rose to the occasion in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, showing off some of his veteran experience to help the New York Knicks. The former MVP was promoted to a starting role for the team, as they struggled heavily offensively against the stubborn Atlanta Hawks defense in the first round of the playoffs.
Rose gave the Knicks a huge boost, averaging 19.4 points, five assists and four rebounds per game in the playoffs, doing so on 47.6% shooting from the field, including 47.1% from the three-point line.
The Knicks failed to advance to the next round, but Rose received a great deal of appreciation for his solid performances. He also played 35.5 minutes per contest, which was quite surprising considering how injury-prone he has been the last few seasons.
NBA rumors suggest Derrick Rose's rejuvenation could lead to him being targeted by multiple title-contending teams in the upcoming NBA off-season. The New York Knicks are very much interested in re-signing the player, while the LA Lakers are also in the mix for his services.