5. Derrick Jones Jr.
This is perhaps the best free agency target for the Charlotte Hornets to go after this summer as they hunt for pieces that could fit well next to LaMelo Ball moving forward.
The Dallas Mavericks signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a minimum contract this past offseason, and it turned out to be one of the best additions of the entire year.
Dallas is currently playing in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, and Jones Jr. has been a huge part of their run. He’s been starting at the small forward spot all postseason.
Jones Jr.’s three-point shooting isn’t amazing, but he’s turned out to be a defensive pest this season, and that’s something the Hornets should be desperate to have on the roster.
In addition to his top-notch defensive presence on the perimeter, Jones Jr.’s high-flying antics would provide Ball with a top-tier lob threat on the wing.
That said, with how well Jones Jr. has played for the Mavericks this playoff run, they will be looking to bring him back this offseason, and it would be up to him to leave if he wanted to. But with the role he’s carved out for himself in Dallas, he’s probably not going anywhere.