DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook headline the open market's elite playmakers, offering veteran leadership and proven scoring punch to contenders looking to bolster their backcourts.
The Sacramento Kings' front office had some serious decisions to make this offseason regarding veteran players and lucrative contracts on the roster.
After committing nearly $100 million to Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine this upcoming season, it became less plausible that DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook would return to the team.
Combining for 15 All-Star appearances in their illustrious careers, both Westbrook and DeRozan held down the fort for Sacramento during the team's injury struggles.
But, with Westbrook far outplaying his veteran's minimum contract, and DeRozan seeking a chance to compete late in his career, both players remain on the free agent market.
On Thursday, Yahoo Sports Senior Writer Dan Devine listed the best remaining players available, with the pair of former Kings leading the "ball handlers" category.
"A player who averaged more than 18 points and four assists per game on 50% shooting could still provide plenty of bang for the proverbial buck on a substantially smaller deal with a team in need of a dose of shot creation and shot-making," Devine wrote about DeRozan. "That's particularly true in crunch time, where DeRozan — a perennially elite midrange operator with pristine footwork and the cunning to wrongfoot defenders into ill-timed reaches, bites on pump-fakes and fouls — scored 86 points in 101 "clutch" minutes on .651 true shooting with a 15-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio last season for the Kings."
DeRozan climbed the ranks of the NBA's all-time scoring list last season, and could find his way into the top-10 with another similar statistical year.
Teams like the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons could definitely benefit from the Toronto Raptors legend's ability to fill it up and provide another element of shot creation.
For Westbrook, you could make the case that he was one of the best value signings in the entire league last season, as the former NBA MVP averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game on 33.8-percent shooting from 3-point range in 64 appearances.
Similar to this offseason cycle, Westbrook was one of the final players on the open market before landing in Sac Town.
Devine noted that Westbrook still had the fifth-most triple-doubles in the NBA last season, highlighting his continued ability to affect the game in multiple facets.
Despite reports of limited interest in Westbrook, I find it unlikely that a team could not benefit from his services.
Like DeRozan, the Heat have been named as a potential landing spot after striking out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, but keep an eye out for teams like the Washington Wizards or Denver Nuggets, who could be looking for a high-quality backup guard.
While neither player is the All-NBA caliber talent they once were, both players can still add value to a contending squad.
