Top NBA free agents available before training camp begins

NEW YORK — NBA training camp begins in about three weeks and most teams have almost finished filling their 20-man training camp roster. There are some surprising names, however, that have yet to sign NBA deals, names that have long been fixtures in the league.

DENNIS SCHRODER, G, HOUSTON ROCKETS

Things just haven’t been the same for Dennis Schroder ever since he turned down a four-year, $84 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, only to have the worst possible sequence of injury, illness and poor playoff performance rock his world. After turning down the bag, Schroder only commanded the midlevel exception worth $5.9 million from the Boston Celtics last season. But he’s far from a mid-level player — in fact, there were stretches during that season in Los Angeles when Schroder was the toughest, grittiest player on the floor. He might not be securing anything close to the max any time soon, but every team can use a backup of his caliber.

CARMELO ANTHONY, F, LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Melo showed he still has something left in the tank, averaging 13.3 points on 44% shooting from the field and 37.5% shooting from downtown last season. But has Father Time passed him by? Teams are foregoing the senescent generation of score-first, ask-questionslater players — like Melo, Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and others — for more well-rounded players who can fit multiple roles off the ball. Will Anthony be on an NBA roster come training camp? Despite both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving pushing for the Nets to sign him, the front office opted in the direction of a more versatile Markieff Morris.

ERIC BLEDSOE, G, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

It’s coming up on the five-year anniversary of one of the most infamous public trade requests in NBA history: Bledsoe’s tweet — “I don’t wanna be here” — coupled with a canned excuse that he was talking about being at the nail salon. The Suns didn’t believe that to be true and traded him to the Bucks almost immediately. Bledsoe’s numbers have been on a steady decline since Year 1 in Milwaukee. His Achilles’ heel has always been suspect shooting from downtown, but Bledsoe is still a serviceable point guard who can shoulder a heavier load if the starter gets injured.

HASSAN WHITESIDE, C, UTAH JAZZ

There were moments on the Jazz last season when Rudy Gobert stepped off the court that Hassan Whiteside didn’t miss a beat. And there were moments when Whiteside got extended playing time that Gobert couldn’t check in quick enough. Whiteside’s days as a prominent center might be behind him, but he remains one of the league’s premier rim protectors and should at minimum make a team’s training-camp roster.

DEMARCUS COUSINS, C, DENVER NUGGETS

Like Whiteside, Boogie Cousins is long removed from his days as a perennial All-Star. An Achilles injury, followed by an ACL injury, is tough to bounce back from, even for the best of stars. Cousins, however, has reinvented himself as a star in his role as a backup center. Boogie scored 19 points in 15 minutes against the Golden State Warriors in his final playoff game last season and also logged 17 games in double figures during the regular season. He gives you toughness, rebounding, buckets and some underrated defense at the 5. Cousins should be on a roster come training camp.

JARRETT CULVER, G/F, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

The Timberwolves selected Culver sixth overall in the 2019 NBA draft, but if you were to re-draft that year’s class, he might not even be a first-round pick. That’s the unfortunate case with Culver — likely selected too high and also hit with a rash of ankle injuries that required season-ending surgery. Still, he’s only 23 years old with significant defensive upside. Is that upside worth it, though, for a 25% 3-point shooter?