No. 4: Tyreke Evans, Memphis Grizzlies
Evans is coming off the best season since his rookie year, stepping up in the absence of Mike Conley. He’ll now look to translate that success into a sizable contract, likely with a more competitive team.
Strengths
Averaging 19.4 points per game last season, Evans tallied the second-highest scoring mark of his career, trailing only his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2009-10. He showed growth as a spot-up shooter and thrived as the Grizzlies’ secondary ball-handler, earning Sixth Man of the Year consideration early in the season.
As a historically inefficient shooter, one solid season shouldn’t define Evans. Over the past three seasons combined, though, he’s shooting 38.7 percent from deep. That should be viewed as a positive sign.
At 6-foot-6, Evans provides considerable lineup flexibility. He can essentially spend time at three different positions, handling the ball in spurts and guarding small forwards on the other end. He averaged 5.2 assists per game last season.
Weaknesses
Evans is a talented all-around player, but efficiency has long been an issue. His recent improvement is worth believing, but he still hasn’t had a healthy season since 2014-15. That’s something else that might turn certain teams away — his injury history is far from ideal.
Fit
Like Ariza, Evans should be firmly on the Sixers’ radar if LeBron decides to play elsewhere. He’d plug some of their biggest holes on both ends, adding another versatile defender who can play with and without the ball offensively.
The Sixers need auxiliary playmakers to take pressure off Simmons and Embiid, something Evans can do. His growth as a shooter bodes well for his ability to play next to Simmons consistently, to boot.