Who are the best defensive players available in the 2023 NBA Free Agency? Taking a closer look

The 2023 NBA Free Agency will kick off on Friday, June 30, at 6 p.m. ET. All teams can begin negotiating with free agents at that time.

Let's take a look at some of the best defensive players who are available in the upcoming 2023 NBA Free Agency.

---

2023 NBA Free Agency: Fred VanVleet

Fred VanVleet guarding Stephen Curry

VanVleet has officially declined his $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season and will be a great addition to any team looking to improve on both ends of the basketball court.

VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season. He is a confident player who can get buckets from all over the floor. VanVleet will draw interest from a lot of teams this free agency.

Fred VanVleet is probably one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA. He averaged 1.8 steals per game last season. VanVleet also led the league (for the third time in the past four seasons) with 3.8 deflections per game.

It is fair to say that VanVleet pours his heart on the defensive end and can disrupt the other team's offensive game plan on any given night. While he has failed to make the NBA All-Defensive teams over the years, it has only been by a couple of votes on several occasions.

---

2023 NBA Free Agency: Draymond Green

Warriors Green Basketball

Draymond Green is a core part of the Warriors' all-time great dynastic run. Green chose to enter the 2023 NBA free agency after turning down his $27.5 million player option for the 2023-24 season. He is the heart and soul of the Warriors and a large part of his job is accomplished on the defensive end. Green was named second-team NBA All-Defensive last season.

Green is one of the smartest defenders with a high basketball IQ. As a defender, there is no trick that Green has not seen or does not know. Although his back injuries and father time has slowed him down considerably, he is still one of the best on-and-off ball defenders in the league. With his versatility, Green is able to guard multiple positions and can create havoc on that end of the court.

---

2023 NBA Free Agency: Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez with a clean block

There is no team in the NBA that will not consider signing Brook Lopez in the 2023 NBA Free Agency. Lopez is the only player on this list who made the NBA All-Defensive First-team in the 2022-23 season and was in the running to win the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award.

Lopez finished the past season averaging 2.5 blocks per game, second only to DPOY Jared Jackson Jr.'s 3.0 blocks per game. At 7-foot-1, Lopez can add a lot of value to any team's defensive presence. He is an elite shot blocker who can also stretch the floor on the offensive end. He is probably the best version of the modern-NBA center and will draw a ton of interest in free agency.

---

2023 NBA Free Agency: Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks with lockdown defense on LeBron

Without doubt the most controversial name on the list: Dillon Brooks. Brooks made the NBA All-Defensive second team last season. This might be somewhat surprising considering he only averaged 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. It's even more shocking that Brooks received the third-most votes among guards.

While Brooks was considered a big part of the Grizzlies' defensive scheme, he did draw a ton of negative press during the playoffs. Brooks called out LeBron James on several occasions in attempts to play the villain role similar to Draymond Green.

It is no surprise that Brooks was tied with Golden State’s Draymond Green for the league lead with 18 technical fouls during the regular season. Here's an interview with Dillon Brooks:

While confidence is a big part of basketball and winning at large, Brooks might be somewhat misguided in his own abilities. Some fans took to Twitter to roast Brooks.

Despite all this negative press, the Grizzlies guard did make the All-Defensive team. He should draw interest from teams around the league who are looking to bolster their backcourt defense.