I briefly mentioned in my last post that good teams have a tendency to find undervalued players from other teams’ rosters and turn them into reliable contributors. Great front offices find great value, while bad front offices overpay. Great coaching staffs get the most out of the talent on their rosters, while bad coaching staffs stifle a player’s development.

In 2013 the Hawks gave Demarre Carroll a 2 year, $5 million dollar contract. He was a 26-year-old coming off a mediocre season in which he scored 6 ppg on .460/.286/.765. Hardly a scrub but far from a valuable contributor. Within two years Carroll was one of the premiere floor spacers and wing defenders, scoring 12.6 ppg on .487/.395/.702. His $2.5 million yearly salary was one of the best bargains in the NBA, and he was rewarded with a 4 year, $58 million salary the following offseason.

When the Spurs signed Danny Green to a minimum contract in 2010, he was a bottom of the depth chart player He bounced between the Spurs and the D-league for a year and a half before becoming a solid contributor on the 2011-2012 Spurs, posting 9.1 ppg on .442./.436/.790. Now, four years later, he has been a key contributor on a championship team and is known as one of the best 3 and D players in the league. His 4 year, $40 million dollar contract signed last offseason was widely viewed as a huge bargain when compared to his open market value.

Jae Crowder was an afterthought in the trade that sent Rajon Rondo to Dallas. The Celtics were getting two 1st round picks, a $12.9 million trade exemption, and two established players in Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson. Who cared about the 23-year-old, tweener forward who couldn’t shoot or handle the ball? Danny Ainge obviously did. That tweener forward is now scoring 14.4 ppg on .450/.348/.825. He looks to be a major part of the Celtics’ plans going forward, and his 5 year, $35 million contract will be one of the best deals in the league for years to come.

Contending teams absolutely have to find undervalued players that contribute heavily in order to compete. The NBA CBA allows teams to pay a maximum contract of anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap based on how long that player has been in the league. Most contending teams have two or three maximum salary players. That’s anywhere from 50-99% of your salary cap gone right off the bat. No team can win with two stars and a handful of minimum contracts. In order to navigate through this a team either needs maximum salary level players who make significantly below the max (Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan) or find these diamond in the rough, who make much less than they’re worth.

A good example of how this concept works is Iman Shumpert. Last year Shumpert was a bargain for the Cavs on his rookie deal of $2.6 million, but last offseason the Cavs gave him a bloated 4 year, $40 million contract, which they’ve been trying to fruitlessly unload ever since. His contract will hinder their ability to make trades and free agent signings for years to come. They would have been better off letting Shumpert walk in free agency and finding another undervalued wing player to come in and take his minutes.

Who will be the next batch of players to come out of seemingly nowhere to make a major impact in the league? I decided to play GM and make a list of some players that I think could find success if put in the right situation.

G E’Twaun Moore – Bulls

E’Twaun Moore has played really well in the absence of Jimmy Butler this year, putting up 7.6 ppg on .485/.451./.629. He’s an adequate defender, who hustles hard, and, if he keeps his hot shooting up, could turn into a valuable floor spacer. He hits free agency this offseason, and I think he could get paid. Look for him to get a contract in the $6-8 million range, which could be a good deal if he continues shooting so well.

G Shane Larkin – Nets

Shane Larkin is playing a lot for a bad Nets team and is quietly establishing himself as a solid player. He’s undersized (5’11”, 175) for today’s NBA, but he is smarter than your average point guard. He has a great feel in the pick and roll, and has a knack for making the smart pass. He is also improving his shooting, putting up 6.7 ppg on .434/.344/.794. He has a player option for next season worth $1.5 million. If he declines, I’d look for him to get a contract in the $4-6 million range, which could turn into a bargain if he continues his development.

F Darrell Arthur – Nuggets

It seems like Darrell Arthur has been in the NBA forever. However he’s only 27-years-old. Over his career he’s completely changed what kind of player he is and what role he plays. In the last three years he has exponentially increased the amount of threes he’s taken, and he is making them more often. Three years ago he took 18 threes and made 5 (.278). So far this year he has taken 81 and made 32 (.395). Floor spacing 4’s are more valuable now than ever, so look for Arthur to decline his player option for next year and sign a larger contract. He seems to constantly fly under the radar, so maybe a team can get him for cheap.

G/F Jakarr Sampson – Nuggets

Jakarr Sampson reminds me a lot of pre-Atlanta Demarre Carroll. He’s a tall wing who currently can’t shoot, but hustles hard and plays good D. Teams like Atlanta, San Antonio, Miami, and Dallas seem to improve players’ shots easily, so if Sampson gets picked up by one of them, I’d expect him to improve quickly and become a valuable contributor. If I’m a GM who’s confident my coaching staff could improve his shooting, I’d give up a future 2nd rounder for him or wait for him to hit free agency and give him a small, “prove it” contract.

G/F Quincy Pondexter – Pelicans

Quincy Pondexter has been a solid contributor on some good teams, but I think his ceiling is higher than that. I thought this year would be his coming out party as a solid starter, but Pondexter is out for the 2015-2016 season because of knee surgery. If he can come back full strength, I think his 3 year, $11 million dollar contract will be an absolute steal going forward. He can defend 2-4’s, and his career three point percentage is .365. His open market value (assuming he comes back full strength) would be huge because of the role he fills, which is similar to Carroll and Crowder.

F Andrew Nicholson – Magic

Andrew Nicholson has never gotten enough playing time. His per 36 numbers show a player who could score 14.1 ppg on .436/.333/.788, yet he is stuck playing 13.8 mpg. He’s a guy who can play in the post, stretch the floor, and rebound. This is the last year of his rookie contract, and he will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. He’d be a bargain at $5-8 million, and I doubt the magic would match.

Hollis Thompson – 76ers

Of everyone on this list, Hollis Thompson is my favorite. He’d be my top pick to follow the Carroll, Green, Crowder path and turn into a solid contributor for a good team. He puts up 9.1 ppg on .401/.383/.689. He’s not a great defender, but he can adequately guard 2-4’s and would probably be better on a team with another solid wing defender to take pressure off. He has a team option for the 2016-2017 season, which I’m sure the 76ers will pick up. If I was a GM, Thompson would be a top player I’d try to snag away from the 76ers as an afterthought in a bigger trade.

F Quincy Acy – Kings

Most NBA fans know Quincy Acy for his periodic highlight dunks, but there is more to him than that. Acy is developing a respectable jump shot, having hit 26 of his 79 three point attempts over the last two years (.329). He doesn’t get a lot of blocks, but he held opponents to just .452 shooting at the rim last year. Tim Duncan held opponents to .470, and DeAndre Jordan to .485. If he were to hit his ceiling, Acy could be an excellent 3 and D forward. Unfortunately Acy hasn’t displayed the highest basketball IQ over his career, but there’s hope a great coach, like Rick Carlisle, could fully utilize his unique skillset. Acy will hit free agency during the 2017 offseason. I think he will be available for the veteran minimum, so some lucky team could get a huge steal if they make good use of his talent.