As the free agent market is still dominated by Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons, fans of the LA Clippers figured these would be the only two notable players who used to play in red, white, and blue that had a chance at beginning the 2025-26 season in the open market. Landry Shamet was available, but the New York Knicks realized they needed him and swooped him up right away.
This list could have dwindled, as the Houston Rockets gained the sudden need for a veteran point guard with Fred VanVleet sidelined because of an ACL tear.