Similar to last year when Elton Brand was the headliner for the free agent class there are not any superstars for hire this year. If Kobe opts out of his contract that changes but after winning a championship there is very little reason for him to do so. Instead there is a group of guys that clearly have to be the second or even third best player on championship teams. That isn't to say that one of these free agents couldn't play a big role in next years champion. In fact there are a number of them that could push a team like San Antonio, Boston or Orlando over the top. Also hovering over this years class is the state of the economy and how willing teams will be to make large and/or long commitments to players when their
The player that has the best chance to influence a title contender is Rasheed Wallace. Already there are rumors linking him to Cleveland, Orlando and San Antonio. For any of those teams Rasheed would easily cause them to jump a level in the rankings. For San Antonio it would propel them to the favorites to win it all next year. Maybe we are still too intoxicated with his potential but the gifts he brings to the table are numerous even as his career is winding down. Still his combination of scoring ability, shooting, experience, versatility and defense would be a great add to any NBA team. A team like Boston or San Antonio that have built in support systems to handle his eccentric behavior would be even better.
Another interesting story is where Ben Gordon is going to get his money from. He reportedly turned down a 10 mil a year offer from the Bulls last season. The Bulls are in a great position to play hardball with John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich to fill in at SG if Gordon is not re-signed. Without Gordon the Bulls have enough 2010 cap space to bring Dwayne Wade home or entice a scoring big like Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh to sign. The only significant money is in Oklahoma City, Memphis and Detroit. Now that OKC has Harden, none of those places make sense for an undersized shooting guard. Stay tuned to see how another summer of tense negotiations goes for Ben Gordon and the Bulls.
Good players who will inevitably get overpaid
Carlos Boozer - if he opts out
Hedo Turkoglu
Ben Gordon
Young guys with at least some potential - Restricted
Paul Millsap
Marvin Williams
Charlie Villanueva - Milwaukee declined his option so he is no longer restricted
David Lee
Marcin Gortat
Ramon Sessions
Raymond Felton
Josh Childress
Established/Older guys that can really help teams:
Rasheed Wallace
Jason Kidd
Shawn Marion
Andre Miller
Ron Artest
Lamar Odom
Grant Hill
Memo Okur - if he opts out
Nice role players
Trevor Ariza
Anderson Varejao - if he opts out
Marquis Daniels
Antonio McDyess
Zaza Pachulia
Chris Anderson
Rashad McCants - restricted
Carlos Delfino - restricted
Drew Gooden
Anthony Parker
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