Sheridan’s Top 50 Free Agents

36. Omer Asik, C, New Orleans (Unrestricted): He may have the Pelicans over a barrel; GM Dell Demps gave up a first-round pick for him because he knew he needed a big body to alleviate some of the pounding on Anthony Davis at the defensive end. Now that New Orleans has had a taste of the postseason – however brief it was – there is pressure to keep moving forward and become a contender in the West. That is less likely to happen without Asik, who doesn’t score but doesn’t ask for the ball, either. In today’s perimeter-based NBA, he is a good fit and could command eight figures even as a single-digit scorer.

~~37. Eric Gordon, G, New Orleans (Player Option~~): Believe it or not, he is currently a max player. Gordon picked up his $15.5 million player option for next season, reluctant to opt out because he has missed 136 of 312 games since arriving in the Big Easy four years ago while his scoring average has dropped a minimum of 1.6 points in each season. He can now jump into 2016 free agency with perhaps a healthy season under his belt, although that’s no guarantee. He did rediscover his 3-point stroke this season (.448) and played pretty well in his first postseason.

38. J.R. Smith, G, Cleveland (Unrestricted): When we first published this summer’s rankings, we wrote this: “He would be crazy to opt out, given his $6.4 million number for next season, the Cavs’ preoccupation with retaining Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, and the fact that the light bulb is never really going to come on.” So much for expecting Smith to do the sane thing. While a half-season alongside LeBron James seemed to calm him down a bit, his two-game playoff suspension proved that he is a cheetah who isn’t changing his spots. He has had his moments in the playoffs, especially in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta, but he is the epitome of a leaky faucet — nobody runs more hot and cold. He would have been much better off minding his P’s and Q’s for another season and hitting a fertile market next summer.

39. Tristan Thompson, F, Cleveland (Restricted): He turned down a four-year, $52 million contract extension in October, which may or may not have been a mistake. Counting all options and qualifying offers, the Cavs already are on the hook for over $100 million in salaries next season. It’s hard to imagine GM David Griffin maxing out Love and giving $13 million annually to Thompson, who threatens a double-double every night and has more than adequately replaced Love in the rotation during the latter stages of the playoffs.Griffin could allow another team to set the market or simply play a little hardball, which would make Thompson unrestricted in 2016. That might be a mistake, too, given that Thompson and LeBron share the same agent, Rich Paul.

~~40. Timofey Mozgov, C, Cleveland (Team Option)~~: The big man from Russia saved Cleveland’s season, giving the Cavs a presence in the paint on both ends, which allowed them to spread the floor on offense and defend the rim on defense. His $4.95 million salary for next season is absurd given his value to the team, which is why the Cavs picked it up. Now, if they can just find a coach who is willing to use him at the proper times. I still can’t get over David Blatt benching him for all but 10 minutes of Game 5 of the NBA Finals after he had scored 29 in Game 4. He will have to wait one more year before hitting it big, and there will be no shortage of teams interested in the big Russian’s efficient two-way game.

41. Arron Afflalo, G, Portland (Unrestricted): He was scheduled to receive $7.5 million next season and chose to opt out even though he appeared to regress somewhat this season. He already has established himself as a starting shooting guard, a position that currently has a lack of depth league-wide that could make him a highly desirable player. He might be No. 2 on the league-wide shooting guard pecking order list behind Monta Ellis. Tough call for Blazers GM Neil Olshey, whose to-do list includes determining whether he can keep free agents Aldridge, Matthews and Lopez, not to mention a max extension for Lillard. Yahoo reports the Knicks are a frontrunner.

42. Rodney Stuckey, G, Indiana (Unrestricted): Has he finally added a 3-pointer to his arsenal? Stuckey shot .390 from distance this season, which is 73 percentage points better than his previous best. If that number isn’t an outlier, Stuckey is worth way more than the $1.23 million the Pacers stole him for last summer and may be worth more than the $8 million former Pistons GM Joe Dumars paid him. Again, there are plenty of teams that could use an upgrade at shooting guard, and Stuckey has the added bonus of being a better ballhandler that most of them.

43. Patrick Beverley, G, Houston (Restricted): Last summer, Rockets GM Daryl Morey played chicken and lost with RFA Chandler Parsons but somehow landed on his feet thanks in part to the contributions of Beverley, whose season ended early with a wrist injury. Morey cannot afford to do the same this summer with “Mr. 94 Feet,” who isn’t close to being a pure point guard but is among the top defenders at the position, a valuable commodity given the number of scoring point men in the league right now. And with James Harden operating as a de facto point guard for the Rockets, it is imperative that they keep someone who is young and can operate efficiently at both ends of the floor. Plus, Pablo Prigioni and Jason Terry aren’t getting any younger.

44. Corey Brewer, F, Houston (Unrestricted): He had a player option for $4.9 million for next season but agreed to waive it to facilitate the in-season trade from Minnesota to Houston. Turning his back on nearly $5 million looked like a bad move at the time but may end up being a good one for Brewer, who had a solid season as a reserve and got off to a flying start in the postseason. He still cannot make 3-pointers with any regularity but runs the floor as well as any wing in the league and is a very good defender. The Rockets need him to ease the burden on Harden and Trevor Ariza but also have possible extensions coming due for Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas.

45. Brandon Bass, F, Boston (Unrestricted): A highly professional player who has missed just eight of 312 games since arriving in Boston four years ago and hasn’t said one discouraging word through a rebuilding process that isn’t quite done. It would be nice if GM Danny Ainge brought him back, but you have to figure that this is the summer that the Celtics go big-game hunting for a star, and they may need Bass’ cap slot to do it. He made $6.9 million this season, just turned 30 and would make an ideal backup big on a contender, a role he has held in both Orlando and Boston. Someone may give him the mid-level, which will be a bargain a year from now.

46. Amar’e Stoudemire, F-C, Dallas (Unrestricted): His days as a starter or even a 30-minute player in this league are over. But you could see the bounce in his step return after arriving in Dallas. Maybe Stoudemire was just happy to get out of New York, where he did more good than title-hungry Knicks fans gave him credit for. Or maybe it was because the Mavericks reduced his minutes by 33 percent and brought him off the bench, where his scoring savvy obliterated opposing reserves and his limited lateral movement wasn’t as much of a liability. With a similar role moving forward, there’s no reason to believe he cannot be an effective backup big for three or four more years at the mid-level exception.

47. Jae Crowder, F, Boston (Restricted): Is he the next DeMarre Carroll? In an admittedly small sample size, Crowder averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 57 games for the Celtics – pretty much double what he averaged in two-plus seasons in Dallas. His 3-point percentage slipped as his volume increased, and that will have to get better if he is going to be a true “3-and-D” guy. But he seems like a rotation piece worth keeping. Boston had 20 active or waived players on its payroll at the end of the season, and Crowder ranked 17th at $920,000. He is in line for a big raise, and no one should be surprised if someone offers him the mid-level exception.

48. Jordan Hill, F-C, LA Lakers (Unrestricted): Someone had to score and rebound for the Lakers, and Hill did his share with career highs of 12.0 points and 7.9 boards in 26.8 minutes, primarily as a starter. While that clearly is not his long-term role, he could play into his mid-30s as a team’s fourth big. The Lakers hold a $9 million option for 2015-16 on Hill and may not pick it up with Julius Randle waiting in the wings. Turning Hill loose would allow GM Mitch Kupchak to possibly make a run at two top-tier free agents, although not both at max salaries.

49. Brandan Wright, F-C, Phoenix (Unrestricted): He played for three teams this season, and the only one that used him properly was Dallas, which made Wright the roll man and threw him easy lobs when opponents didn’t help off corner shooters. The Mavs also turned him loose on defense, where he had the best stretch of rim protection of his career. Wright will never be a starter in this league, and he should be a better scorer given his physical gifts. But in some ways he is a better fit for today’s NBA than plodders such as Jefferson and Hibbert. He also may be in line for a mid-level exception deal.

50. Matthew Dellevadova, G, Cleveland (Restricted): When LeBron James describes you as basically the most feisty player on thew team, that is a heck of an endorsement. Showed his value — and Griffin’s skill in assembling a roster full of quality, capable backups, by filling in for Kyrie Irving at the end of the second round vs. Chicago, during the conference finals against Atlanta, and in Games 2-6 of the finals. He is smart, he can shoot, he defends like a puppy nipping at your ankles, and he is fearless. Give me a team with two guys like him, and I’ll take my chances against anyone. The big question is what kind of an offer will he receive — and whether Gilbert will match it given the luxury tax implications.