2016 NBA Free Agency: Here are the top shooters available this summer

The best shooters, 3-and-D guys, and stretch-bigs available this summer

Outside shooting is as much a part of NBA strategy now as anything. Being a strong defensive team is important, but if you're constantly needing to score on two possessions to make up for allowing a 3-pointer on the other end, you're buried inside today's math problem on the court. Shooting is now at a premium. NBA teams need 3-point shooters. They would break the bank for a 3-and-D guy who can give you a spaced floor and defend well on the other end. Finding shooting from your big men is also a major plus.

In 2013, the two teams that made the NBA Finals (Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs) were second and fifth, respectively, in 3-point percentage. In 2014, the eventual champion Spurs were first in 3-point percentage. In 2015, the four teams in the conference finals were four of the top five teams in 3-pointers made. This past season, the top two teams in 3-point makes were the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, a.k.a. the NBA Finals matchup.

You don't have to be great at 3-point shooting to be a successful team that goes deep in the playoffs, but it's becoming more and more necessary to be able to attack from everywhere on the court. And if you're going to spend money this offseason, you'll want to make sure you're grabbing someone who can fill it up from deep. Which players are available? Which free agents are just shooters? Who can qualify as a valuable 3-and-D guy? Who are the stretch big men available?

Let's take a look at this summer's available outside shooting (we're not including Kevin Durant because of course he's good):

Nic Batum is the shooter you want and the defender you need. USATSI

Best 3-and-D Players Available

Nic Batum isn't the best shooter of this lot but he's the best combination of outside shooting and team defense. Usually, 3-and-D guys have a reputation of being someone who is a lockdown defender (as much as one can be under these rules) and then can hit a high volume of 3-pointers. That's not necessarily the case with Batum. He's a career 36 percent 3-point shooter, which is good but not something you're lauding over. He shot under 36 percent the last two seasons, but was dealing with various injuries including a shoulder problem.

Batum is capable of being a high percentage guy though. Defensively, his reputation as a one-on-one defender has always been a bit more optimistic than realist, but his team defense can be pretty stellar. He'll slip up occasionally, but he's capable of being on a string and getting a lot of deflections with his wingspan. He's the best all-around player from this list and I believe in his 3-point accuracy being much closer to 38 percent in a health season. If he doesn't get the max, it'll be kind of shocking. He was magic for much of the year with the Charlotte Hornets.

Potential landing spots/fits: Charlotte, Lakers, Dallas

The one question with Chandler Parsons is how healthy his knee really is moving forward. He had a serious operation last year and while it didn't affect his offensive game much, his defense did suffer, understandably. If Parsons can be healthy, he's a spectacular 3-and-D guy. He's definitely more in the mold of Batum as a team defender instead of individual lockdown guy. However, if you're getting him for the price he could command (upwards of the max), you need to know he won't miss 20-plus games.

For his shooting, Parsons is absurd. He hit a career best 41.4 percent from 3-point range this season on just over four attempts per game. He knocked down about half of his corner 3-point shots. And he's a career 38 percent shooter from downtown, so it definitely wasn't a fluky year for him. You just have to know his knee is sound if you're giving him all that money.

Potential landing spots/fits: Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Lakers, Memphis

This guy is going to get crazy paid this summer. There are already rumors that he could be landing somewhere in the $17-18 million range as a baseline for negotiations. And he's truly earned it from being an intriguing member of the Golden State Warriors' summer league team years ago to finding a way into being the replacement of DeMarre Carroll in Atlanta. With the Hawks, he's turned himself into a league average 3-point shooter over the last two seasons. He was slightly below that prior to finding his way into being a rotation player.

The key has been finding amazing consistency from the corners. 42 percent from the left corner. 41 percent from the right corner. It feels pretty automatic when he's in a catch-and-shoot spot from there. And of course, his defense is really good. That's what got him time in the NBA and that's what keeps his value high this summer. Guys like Carroll, Khris Middleton, and Danny Green got really nice contracts a year ago with the value on 3-and-D wings. Doesn't matter if Bazemore is better than them or not. He's going to get paid more.

Potential landing spots/fits: Atlanta, Golden State, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston

This guy is getting a max deal. Let's get that out of the way now. He's getting a max. It doesn't matter how much he wet himself in the final three games against Cleveland. He's going to get that max money either from another team or the Warriors. And you are getting a very solid wing for that money. He's just 24 years old and he's shot 39 percent on over 400 3-point attempts the last two seasons combined. That's pretty exceptional for outside shooting.

He's also a versatile defender. He's done a good job in the past of defending some 4's. He's familiar with the ever growing popularity of defensive schemes that switch everything after playing with the Warriors. The problem with chasing him is the Warriors will match his offer sheet if they don't get Kevin Durant. So what are your odds of actually getting him on your roster? And if he does, will he be able to do more than just 3-and-D to help justify the money to the public?

Potential landing spots/fits: Golden State, Philadelphia, Lakers, Houston, Phoenix

While he's definitely more of a shooting guard because of size (making it harder to be a 3-and-D guy in the more traditional SF sense), his defense is incredible and his 3-point shooting is reliable. He can be a deterrent for most scoring guards in the NBA and switches solidly onto scoring point guards, using his size and speed. But it's his shooting that you're really looking forward to adding to your team if you can grab him.

He's a career 38.4 percent shooter from deep. Oddly enough, he was really bad from the corners this season (35 percent left, 29 percent right), but he was deadly above-the-break. He's made over 40 percent of his 3-pointers four different times in his career, and taken over 170 3-pointers in all four of those seasons. He is 30 years old, so a four-year deal is a bit risky because of the money owed that last year, but grabbing him in the $16 million per season range is a good "gamble."

Potential landing spots/fits: Charlotte, Detroit, Brooklyn, New York, New Orleans

How crazy is it that J.R. Smith qualifies for the 3-and-D list? Even as a J.R. Smith promoter, I would have never guessed he'd be on this list, even though his best year with the New York Knicks saw him as a decent enough defender. But J.R. has matured into caring about defense, thanks to his daughter asking him what he's willing to sacrifice when he was trying to give away her old toys. Smith was so good defensively this past season that it made Iman Shumpert, fresh off a four-year, $40 million deal, completely irrelevant to this team's rotation.

J.R. is a historically good 3-point shooter. He's now added defense and a championship ring to his résumé. He's not going anywhere but the Cavs because LeBron James loves him and won't let him go, but you can expect a big raise from the $5-plus million he made after gambling on himself in free agency last year and ending up with less money.

Potential landing spots/fits: Cleveland

This past season was his first as a guy who got big minutes and he delivered. His defense was solid but he needs a bit more time to get comfortable within the team concept and in one-on-one situations. But the ability is there. As for his shooting, he can fill it up from outside. He's a career 38.5 percent shooter from deep and with an increase of twice as many attempts per game as the previous season, he improved his accuracy by four percent.

He also turned heads during the second-round of the playoffs when he did a solid job against the Golden State Warriors. It was then that people truly took notice of him and started wondering if it'll be possible to steal him in restricted free agency. Probably takes a gross overpay to get Portland not to match an offer sheet for Crabbe.

Potential landing spots/fits: Portland, Memphis, Brooklyn, New York, Chicago, Minnesota, Utah

Going to go out on a limb and say E'twuan Moore isn't the 45 percent 3-point shooter he was last season. That happened on just 104 attempts, so he wasn't a high volume shooter by any means, but he did take three deep shots per 36 minutes. For his career, he's 36.9 percent and was mostly around league average in the prior seasons. He became deadly from the corners (41 percent left, 45 percent right) and was lethal from the top of the arc (55 percent). But again, this was on a limited number of attempts.

You're probably signing him for his defense more than his offense. He's a pest at defending the 1 and the 2, so much like Courtney Lee, he's not your typical 3-and-D guy. But having a guy like this off the bench could be huge for any contender or team looking to make the leap. He improves your depth and is kind of a middle management Patrick Beverley.

Potential landing spots/fits: San Antonio, Chicago, Indiana, Orlando, Brooklyn, New York, Memphis, New Orleans

I'm going to trust Gerald Henderson to be a league average 3-point shooter like he was with Portland this past season. His first six years saw him make just 30.9 percent of his 3-point attempts, so he's never really been a shooter until he was put in a system like Terry Stotts in which he was given the green light to just let it fly. Then he became a solid shooter and a guy that was above 40 percent from the corners. He shot under 30 percent from the wings and 10 percent from the top of the arc. That's a lot of inconsistency in his shooting stroke.

He's another guy you're grabbing for defense more than shooting. His defense is pretty good and he can guard 1-3 with solid production. But you really need him to be a league average shooter to make it worth it.

Potential landing spots/fits: Portland, Utah, Minnesota, Memphis, Orlando, Dallas

Would it surprise you to know that Matthew Dellavedova has taken over 500 3-pointers in his three-year career? Would it be even more shocking to know he's a career 39.8 percent 3-point shooter? It's shocking because as it was once described, Delly's shooting form looks like he's jumping out of a cake. But as weird as it looks, he can shoot. He looked like a broken down shell of his former self during the Finals run, but he still got himself a ring and now he could be looking at somewhere in the $8-10 million per year range with this contract.

You don't want him as a starter, but having him as the annoying backup point guard is certainly the way to go. He'll hit shots. I guess there's a concern that not having LeBron James on his team could show a deflation in production but you won't know it until you see it.

Potential landing spots/fits: Cleveland, Philadelphia, Memphis, Dallas, Chicago

Best Stretch-Bigs Available

After a phenomenal year with the Charlotte Hornets, Marvin Williams could really cash in this summer. He's the ideal prototype for an affordable stretch-4, who gives you everything you need at the position without being a star. He's a career 35.4 percent 3-point shooter (pretty much league average but above average for a big) but managed to knock down 40.2 percent this past season when Steve Clifford emphasized outside shooting. Like Batum, Williams managed to be an active defender in the team concept while adding a big boost to the offense.

Williams hit half of his 3-pointers from the corners last year and was 41 percent from straight-away. Throw this man $18 million per year this summer and it will end up being a good value over that three year contract. Not to mention, the Hornets don't have his full Bird rights, so you can steal him while they finagle their cap situation.

Potential landing spots/fits: Charlotte, Orlando, New Orleans, Chicago, Portland, Minnesota, Washington

Ryan Anderson: He's the ideal stretch-4 from a few years ago, but now his stretch-4 role requires a bit more defense than he's been able to play. Also, his shooting has suffered considerably since leaving Orlando. This could partially be due to injuries he's battled over the last three years. His first year in New Orleans, he was still hitting over 40 percent from deep. The last two seasons, he's around just 35 percent on over 700 attempts. He could command somewhere in the $18-20 million annual range so you definitely want that shooting creeping back toward 40 percent.

But he's as lethal as they come from downtown at the stretch-4 position. You just have to hope he can fit into the team defense concept and be a solid rebounder.

Potential landing spots/fits: Washington, New Orleans, Houston

Mirza Teletovic is the only big on this list who can truly challenge Ryan Anderson in a shooting contest. He's that cold-blooded with the shot release. All this guy does is sling 3-pointers. In his four-year career, he's cracked 39 percent from deep twice. Over 61 percent of his career field goal attempts are 3-pointers. He doesn't do much else and that's where you start struggling to figure out what his worth is in free agency. He's not going to give you anything else either. He's 30 years old. He is what he is.

But what he is happens to be one of the best shooting bigs in the NBA. He's an ideal fourth big you bring in to cause havoc on defensive rotations.

Potential landing spots/fits: Phoenix, Clippers, Minnesota, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Orlando

I don't really believe he'll leave the Blazers. Maybe he'll receive a giant offer sheet from someone and Neil Olshey will blink in a standoff to match it, but for the most part, it seems like Leonard and the Blazers are a match made in heaven. He's a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter, but as he's made the 3-point shot more and more his primary weapon, his rebounding has gone way down. He needs to be able to do both in order to be a valuable stretch-big.

Potential landing spots/fits: Portland

Jon Leuer is pretty much a perfect third big man. Last season was the first in which he cracked 100 3-point attempts and he knocked down 38.2 percent. He's a great pick-and-pop guy (55 percent from the top) but he was awful shooting from the corners. He can also run the floor really well, so he's a good option getting out in transition to fill the wings or as a trailer in secondary transition opportunities. He's also a good rebounder, so Leuer could be a steal this offseason.

Potential landing spots/fits: Minnesota, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Brooklyn

I know. I know. I know. The internet doesn't like Jeff Green. So throwing him into this is going to draw some ire. The problem is he's not a great outside shooter. He's had two good seasons in which he cracked 38 percent and the rest have been mediocre outside shooting seasons. He's great from the top of the key (43 percent) so pick-and-pop options work with him, but he's been bad from the corners. You're not throwing big money at him but having him as your fourth big will get you killed on social media but could be nice for your rotation.

Potential landing spots/fits: Clippers

A lot of people around the NBA believe in Andrew Nicholson as a stretch-big man. He finally broke through from 3-point range this season by knocking down 36 percent. The previous two years, he couldn't crack 32 percent. But maybe that shot is finally coming around, you can get him in the right defensive system, and he can become a valuable third big.

I'm a little skeptical of his outside shot, even with the successful season. He didn't shoot from the right corner at all (50 percent from left corner), which is odd, and he was bad (23 percent) from straight-away. That can show an inconsistency in shooting ability with wild swings from those three easier shooting spots. The Magic do seem to kick away assets though, so maybe their willingness to not make him a restricted free agent bodes well for his future.

Potential landing spots/fits: Charlotte, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Utah

Lance Thomas qualifies more as a stretch-big than a 3-and-D guy but it's close. He split time between the 3 and 4 positions this season, but he's more likely to be asked to defend power forwards in his time off the bench. In 1.5 years with the Knicks, he turned himself into being a guy who shouldn't be in the NBA to a 40 percent 3-point shooter. It was on a limited number of attempts (109) but he showed a consistent shooting stroke from all over the arc. Defensively, he can defend 3's and 4's but he'll have to be a bit quicker to consistently defend the perimeter.

Potential landing spots/fits: New York, really anywhere

Mo Buckets. He was reminded before this season that you get an extra point from shooting beyond the arc and it changed his life. Now he could change your team's fortunes! Speights is an ideal 4th big because he can be a volume scorer in random games. He won't give much defensively, although he does draw the occasional charge. He may have priced himself out of the Warriors unless they just decide to bring the whole gang back together.

Potential landing spots/fits: Golden State, New Orleans

In his career, Jared Sullinger has taken 500 3-point shots. He's made 138 of them. That's 27.6 percent. At this rate, he's going to challenge Charles Barkley (26.6 percent) for the worst 3-point shooting career of all time. I don't know why we still consider Sullinger a potential shooter.

Potential landing spots/fits: Boston

Best Pure Shooters Available

He's not a defender but he can flat-out shoot. Career 38.9 percent from deep and he's twice gone 40 percent or better in four seasons. This past season, he was one of the primary options for the Orlando Magic, and while that team was a complete mess after December, Fournier was a sharpshooter all season long. He hit 40 percent on 390 attempts. That's absurd accuracy when adding that kind of volume. And even if he can't exist as a competent defender, he's still stretching the floor in today's NBA.

Good luck wrestling him away from Orlando though. They'll probably match any offer sheet thrown his way.

Potential landing spots/fits: Orlando, Memphis, Brooklyn, New York, Chicago, Sacramento

The injury history is bad but the player you get when he's on the floor is awesome. Over the last three seasons, even while battling injuries to stay on the court, he was a 40.9 percent 3-point shooter on 867 attempts. For his career, he's knocking down 38.3 percent of his deep shots. If his knees allow it, he can attack hard off close-outs, relocate after a kick-out, and bury you from the opposite wing. He's not a consistent corner shooter, but he's so good above-the-break that you'll use him there to space.

You probably can over pay on a two-year deal but anything beyond that is a big risk with his injury history.

Potential landing spots/fits: New York, New Orleans, Houston, Utah, Memphis, Philadelphia, Brooklyn

I don't know if you can qualify Joe Johnson as a 3-and-D guy anymore because his body doesn't allow for defending quicker wings anymore. But he can still fill it up from deep. He's a career 37.2 percent shooter from downtown and closing in on 2,000 career makes. He was a godsend for the Heat to help give them a bit of a perimeter presence at the end of last season, and now that he's no longer benefiting from a gigantic contract the Atlanta Hawks gave him in 2010, we can properly discuss his value on the basketball court. Giving him two years and $25 million to be a floor-spacer for you sounds like a lot, but you can't really overpay on a two-year deal.

Potential landing spots/fits: Miami, Dallas, Clippers, New York

Covered this in the overpays post this week

but Arron Afflalo getting a big deal could be a mistake. He doesn't defend all that well anymore and he's a big time ball-stopper on offense. But he did crack 38 percent from 3-point range this past season, which is also his career accuracy. The concern with him though is that he won't really fit into the team concept on offense. Don't expect an extra pass from him, unless you feel your team culture can pull him back into being a team guy on offense.

Potential landing spots/fits: Clippers, Lakers, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans

I believe in Jamal Crawford's shooting. That belief has been tested the last two seasons with him making just 33.3 percent. His career 34.9 percent from deep is a bit lower than league average tends to be. But if you ask him to be mostly a catch-and-shoot guy (39 percent this season), instead of having him isolate so much, I think the shooting touch comes around as a floor-spacer. The nice thing with Crawford is you know he won't be afraid to take that shot.

Potential landing spots/fits: Clippers, New York, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, Chicago

Jared Dudley isn't quite a 3-and-D guy. He'll likely transition to a full-time stretch-big in his next contract. For now, let's just call him a pure shooter and wait to see where his next role takes him. He can shoot though. Made 42 percent of 3-pointers this season and is a 39.9 percent career shooter. One more really good season will make him a career 40 percent guy. He would become just the 21st player in NBA history with at least 2,000 attempts and 40 percent accuracy.

He has an injury history that isn't stellar but he's not a guy who relies on athleticism anyway. He's a brilliant player/person and would be a perfect role player for so many teams looking to add a dead-eye shooter. It wouldn't be crazy to give him $12 million per season.

Potential landing spots/fits: Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Dallas, Orlando, Memphis, New York

Jerryd Bayless is a bit tough because he's too small to be a shooting guard and he's not quite a point guard either. His 3-point shooting is inconsistent from year-to-year, but it was really good this past season (43.7 percent). Career 36.5 percent guy so he seems to often be league average or feast. You just have to figure out how much of his game should be as the JJ Barea type off the bench. He can fill it up though.

Potential landing spots/fits: Milwaukee, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis, Brooklyn, Sacramento

First five years of his career, O.J. Mayo could flat-out shoot the ball from downtown. He was a 38.2 percent shooter on over 1,600 3-point attempts. He's seen a sharp decline the last three years, falling from 40 percent to 37 percent to 35 percent to an abysmal 32 percent this past season. Is that due to injury as his body breaks down a bit? Can he be your Sixth Man scorer and stretch the floor for you? Keep him healthy and he probably returns to the 37-38 percent range.

Potential landing spots/fits: Milwaukee, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York

Warriors didn't tender a qualifying offer for Ian Clark, but that doesn't mean they won't retain him. They just potentially need the extra cap room if they're going to convince Kevin Durant to sign there. He can shoot though. He's a career 35 percent guy and should be able to improve upon that.

Potential landing spots/fits: Golden State, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago

Career 36.1 percent 3-point shooter. The Miami Heat were desperate for 3-point shooting last season, played him 22 minutes a night, and he made just 32.3 percent of his deep shots. He's capable of being great from beyond the 3-point line like he was in Phoenix, but unless he figures out how to dunk from 3-point range (don't rule that out just yet), there's really not a reason to invest in him.

Potential landing spots/fits: Anybody desperate for a revival project that won't work

Harrison Barnes is a solid 3-and-D guy but what about for the max? USATSI