Free agency in MyGM rewards a clear plan. You either sign a veteran who helps you win right away, or you invest in a young player you can develop over several seasons. The best pickups depend on your salary cap room and how patient you are willing to be.
Quick answer: Sign Russell Westbrook if you want immediate results, since he is a balanced two-way point guard who fits most bench units. If you are building for the future, sign Jaden Ivey, whose scoring range and speed make him the strongest developmental target.
Best win-now veteran: Russell Westbrook
Westbrook is the top available signing for a team that needs a strong point guard off the bench. He is balanced on both offense and defense, with a Speed With Ball rating of 89 that stays impressive for his age. That speed lets him drive past defenders for layups and dunks, and he can push into the paint and finish there.
The one clear weakness is his outside shooting, so do not build plays around him launching 3-pointers. The bigger practical issue is cost. Many teams will struggle to fit him under the salary cap, so plan your finances before you make an offer.
Why Westbrook beats DeMar DeRozan on paper
DeRozan looks better if you only read overall ratings, but the fit is worse. He is a stronger mid-range and close-range shooter than Westbrook, yet he is slower and adds little on defense. Speed With Ball matters a great deal here. If a player cannot get past his defender, elite mid-range shooting loses much of its value.
DeRozan is also harder to sign because of his high salary. Most teams will need to clear cap space with trades before they can afford him. He tends to sign with another team within a day or two of the season starting, so if you want him, resolve your cap problems fast.
Best budget signing: Chris Paul
Chris Paul is the third-best veteran option and the most affordable of the group. He will agree to play for the minimum salary, which makes him a better financial deal than either Westbrook or DeRozan. As a reliable 3-point shooter, he covers the exact area where Westbrook falls short.
Like Westbrook, CP3 is balanced on offense and defense. Do not expect a prime version of him, but as a low-cost bench guard he does the job well.
Best young players to develop
Westbrook, DeRozan, and Paul are all near the end of their careers. If you want a free agent you can grow with, look at Jaden Ivey, Cameron Thomas, and Jaden Hardy instead. These are the players worth spending seasons on.
Jaden Ivey ranks above both Thomas and Hardy. He shoots well from close and mid-range, holds up from 3, and is noticeably fast with the ball. His Driving Layup and Driving Dunk scores meet or exceed the standard for a shooting guard. He is the smart pick if your first season as GM does not have to be your best. If you have the cap room for both a veteran and Ivey, sign both.
Jaden Hardy is a talented 3-point and mid-range shooter with acceptable finishing in the paint. He is a little slow with the ball and weak on defense, but he stays fairly healthy. Cameron Thomas is also poor on defense, yet he is better than Hardy inside the paint, while Hardy remains the stronger 3-point project.
| Player | Best for | Key strength | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | Win now | Speed With Ball 89, two-way balance | Weak 3-point shooting, cap cost |
| DeMar DeRozan | Scoring boost | Mid-range and close shooting | Slow, weak defense, high salary |
| Chris Paul | Budget bench | Reliable 3-point shot, minimum salary | No longer at his peak |
| Jaden Ivey | Long-term build | Fast, scores at all three levels | Around $14M expected salary |
| Cameron Thomas | Development | Paint scoring | Poor defense |
| Jaden Hardy | Development | 3-point and mid-range shooting | Slow with the ball, poor defense |
Note: Ivey is easier to afford than DeRozan, but his expected salary of about $14 million can still be blocked by a tight cap.
How to sign a free agent in MyGM
Clearing cap space to land a big signing
If the salary cap blocks the player you want, the fastest fix is trading long contracts for short ones. Players with 3 or 4 years left eat a large share of your cap even when their yearly pay is only around $2 million. Move on from players who do not fit your play style or your future plans.
The Trade Finder menu handles this well. Tick the players you want to trade, and it will return targets on expiring contracts. Swapping into expiring deals opens room the following season without adding new long-term money.
Releasing a player is the other option, but it does not lower your spending right away. You keep paying that contract until the released player signs with another team. For a fast target like DeRozan, releasing a player is too slow to rely on, so trades are the safer route.
Match your signing to your timeline. Westbrook or Paul give you help this season, while Ivey pays off over the long run. If your cap allows both a veteran and a young project, that combination gives you the strongest bench and the best foundation for a franchise that lasts.
