Post by donatello2424 on Jun 21, 2010 16:28:54 GMT -5
This free agent class reads like a who’s who on uoslr. You have vets who can still produce, players in the prime, and several players coming off their rookie contracts. This free agent class has the potential to be very, very good. There are 39 players who I have considered to be the top people in the class. However, this could drastically change depending on how resigns, and also who retires. We are in for a very dumpy ride the next could of days.
489 Hedo Turkoglu SF 33 6'8'' 223 B- A- C+ B C D
Hedo has seen his shots diminished lately with the emergence of AK, Webster, and Artest for the Heat. Remember that just last year Hedo averaged over 20 ppg. Hedo is getting older so while I am not sure if he can consistently put up 20 ppg again, I think that he is still valuable. He can still score from outside and play solid defense. Maybe a 15 ppg type player, good enough for a 4th or 5th starter. MLE type money, maybe a little more.
606 Kobe Bryant SF 33 6'6'' 195 B- A- B- A- C D
Kobe has had a rocky career as of late. As a result, he has seen his ppg keep dropping to its low of 13 ppg now. By averaging 13 ppg, Kobe might expect the offers he gets to be low, but I wouldn’t count on it. Kobe is still a lethal scorer, especially from outside. He is a good defender who can play either wing positions. He might have seen his production drop a little this year, but good teams who want a scorer should be willing to offer big contracts for Kobe.
332 Caron Butler SF 32 6'7'' 246 B- B+ C A- B- D
Butler, like Kobe, has seen his production drop. Butler has been stuck on the Hornets with their rebuilding effort, giving his minutes to younger players. Ever since joining the Hornets, Caron has seen his ppg drop from around 20 to around 11. I still think Caron is a good player. He may not be as good of a scorer as before but he can rebound and play defense. 6 million a year is a possibility for him.
632 Luol Deng SF 28 6'8'' 232 B+ C+ C A- B D
Luol is an interesting player. He isn’t your typical SF since he doesn’t really have an outside shot. However, Deng has found an offense that fits him to a T. He is a solid defender and rebounder, so that will help his value across the board. I think there will be a heavy market for him. He averaged just under 20 ppg the past several seasons and 7 to 9 rpg. 10 million a year might sound high, but I think he could get it fairly easily.
165 Ronnie Fields SF 35 6'4'' 209 C A- B- B C C
Ronnie continues the trend of older players who have seen their production decrease. For Ronnie, it was his scoring. However, he did play the point guard position. That is what helps Ronnie value. He can play 3 positions, can rebound the ball, and is a great passer. He is 35 so he is likely to retire, however if he decides to stay he can be a solid spot starter or even a very nice 6th man backing up 3 positions. I think this is the end of him getting pad 20+ million. I can see him signing a 1 year, large salary deal or possibly a MLE type contract.
539 Shawn Marion SF 34 6'7'' 232 B- B- C A- B D
I think that Marion has been the wildcard for the Pacers. He can backup all 5 positions on the court and still produce. He is a solid scorer when needed, can play defense very well, and can rebound the ball. Marion is a great 6th man. The Pacers are paying him handsomely this year and with them needing the resign Darko and Carmelo Anthony, Marion will need to take a pay cut to stay with the Pacers. I have a feeling he is going to want more money than the Pacers will be willing to give him and head out to the open market. He won’t get the money he wants but maybe around 7 or 8 million is reasonable.
646 Carmelo Anthony SF 29 6'8'' 235 B B C- B B+ B
Carmelo has always been an interesting player. He isn’t a great scorer, but is solid. He is the same for defense but is a very good rebounder. He is like Dirk light. Melo has been known to sign cheap extensions with the Pacers, so this is likely to be no different. Melo has seen his production decrease with the emergence of David Lee on offense and Darko getting more touches. With that being said, he can still produce. I’d like to see what he could get on the open market, but I have a feeling he will never get there.
550 James Harden SF 23 6'5'' 223 C+ A- B- A- C- C
James Harden is an interesting player. He was highly regarded prospect, but he could never seem to put it together. He hasn’t been a major factor on offense, so you might be asking why is he on this list. I think Harden is a great reward/risk type player. If he could bring him in cheaply to a long term deal, he could blossom into a very nice player. Remember, he is only 23. If he doesn’t you have a nice 6th man who can backup 3 positions. Might be worth a flier in free agency.
647 Tracy McGrady SF 32 6'8'' 230 B- A- C+ A- C C
T-Mac has flown under the radar recently. He quietly puts up a consistently 20 ppg average. Nothing about his screams great, he is just solid all around. I think T-Mac is an interest player when you look at what his contract could be. He is 32 so age is a concern. You don’t want to give him a max deal and have him go under he is 39 and is eating up most of your cap. I could see him maybe getting a 3 year max or possibly a 3 year contract worth around 15 a year. Some teams might feel he can be a superstar for him. It didn’t really work out for the Jazz but who knows.
522 Viktor Khryapa SF 29 6'9'' 218 B A- D+ B- C D
Viktor joins his Jazz teammate in free agency. Viktor has become the 3rd offensive weapon on the Jazz after having a rough career. He has come from 17 ppg, down to 9, up to 13, then further up to his current 17. I don’t think Viktor will get paid that much. He isn’t a great 3-point shooter, which hurts his value some. He is also not a good defender, which will make him less desirable. Is a team willing to gamble that he performs at the same level? I Doubt it. Maybe the MLE is better suited for him.
600 Vince Carter SF 35 6'7'' 215 A- A- C C+ C- D
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Everyone’s favorite offensive weapon who plays no defense is a free agent. Carter does one thing well and that is score. He can score inside, he can score outside. He can basically score from anywhere on the court. Yes he can’t play defense but that doesn’t hurt his value. Carter is part of the crew that could retire, so whether or not he gets a chance to reach the open market is a bit of a mystery. I do think some team would be willing to pay him handsomely to be their offensive weapon.
494 Ron Artest SG 32 6'6'' 244 B B- B- A- C D
Ron has finally found a place where he clicks. With the Heat, Ron doesn’t have to be the main scorer for the team, which is good because that isn’t him. Artest is a good scorer and good defender. He was signed to the 1 year deal worth 10 million and I can see a team singing him to that and hoping to ship him off for a first. That’s just the nature of the beast.
594 Ronnie Brewer SG 27 6'7'' 226 B+ B- C A- C C
Ronnie Brewer has blown up as of late. He used to be only known for his stealing, but now he is a very solid offensive weapon. He isn’t a great 3-point shooter, but is solid enough. Though his real value comes from his inside game and of course his stealing. He is a 2+ spg type player and is great at it. Know he is gonna get paid for not only that but for scoring as well. He was a bargain this year at a little over 6 million. That is definitely going to go up this year, probably in the 9 million range.
497 Dwayne Wade SG 30 6'5'' 212 A- A- B+ A C D
Kru took a gamble bringing in Wade that he would be able to bring him back, but then again it’s not like he gave up much for him anyway. Wade is one of, if not the, best players in the league. He can score from inside and out, he can dish the ball as well as rebound, and he is a very good defender. He is going to get a max, which is for sure. Is kru going to be the one to give it to him or will he bolt? Only time will tell.
438 Terrance Williams SG 25 6'6'' 220 B B B A- C+ C
Joining Wade from the Bucks is Terrance Williams. Williams is a former rookie of the year who can do just about everything, but isn’t great at any one thing in particular. It is interesting to see how much Williams gets paid. Some people said the max, but the max seems a little high for a guy who isn’t really an offensive weapon. I would like to say probably around 8 or 9, but I have a feeling someone is gonna give him the max.
425 Stephen Jackson SG 34 6'8'' 218 B- B+ A- B+ C- C
What has happened to sjax? He used to be a MVP caliber PG who was a great assist man, could score, and could defend. He didn’t do horrible this year, it is just that he isn’t as great as a SG as he is a PG. 16 ppg and 2.4 spg is solid, but I wonder what he could do as a #1 PG option. He is old so there is always the chance he retires, but I would expect maybe a deal around 10-12 million per year.
548 DerMarr Johnson SG 32 6'9'' 208 B- A- C B+ C C
Johnson has really bloomed into a fairly solid shooting guard. He isn’t DSS who is from the same class, but he has turned into a solid starter. Johnson finally got a chance to showcase what he can do and he averaged 20 ppg for a depleted Grizzlies team. While he is solid, his age is a bit of a concern. He isn’t worth the max and if you give him anything too lengthy, he could become a cancer. Maybe a 3 year deal in the low teens? Even that might be too much.
517 Kevin Martin SG 29 6'7'' 190 C+ A C- B- C C
Martin has been a bit of a surprise. He has filed in at shooting guard nicely for the retired Iverson. Martin is currently making a minimum deal, so he definitely will see a pay raise. 15 ppg is solid but Martin really only fits an outside focus, and even then he isn’t much better than a 4th or 5th starter. I think the MLE is what he will max out at, with the LLE also being a possibility.
381 Josh Howard SG 32 6'6'' 211 B- A- C A C F
There are a lot of older players who are expiring. Josh Howard is in the same situation as DerMarr Johnson above. Both are slightly older who won’t get much beyond a 3 year deal. However, Howard will get paid better. He is still a big offensive threat, averaging around 20 ppg this season, and he is also a very good defensive wing. Howard will likely get paid. I think he might want the max but the Blazers likely won’t give it to him. I think the 10 million range is nice, possibly even something like a 3 year max.
372 Tyreke Evans SG 23 6'6'' 225 B- A B+ A- C B
The last and probably biggest piece of the shooting guard is Tyreke Evans. Evans is coming off his rookie contract and is looking ot get paid. Evans can do it all at both guard positions. He has a great outside shot, can take the ball inside, can rebound, and can even handle the ball some. Evans will get the max. The question now is who will he sign with? Chipper wants him back on the Sonics but does Evans want to do there?
451 Chauncey Billups PG 35 6'3'' 216 C+ A- A- A C- D
Billups is old. I have a feeling Billups will retire after having a down offensive year, but there is no doubt that Chauncey can still play. He is still one of the top point guards since he can score and dish the ball. I think if Billups doesn’t retire, he will likely look for a big 1 year deal to continue to try and produce. I think it is in his best interest to retire because he is going to have to take a serious pay cut this year.
316 Raul Lopez PG 32 6'0'' 160 C A- A B+ D+ D
Lopez kinda flew under the radar all the time with the Suns and now that he is in the east he is showing what he can do. Lopez is a solid point guard. He isn’t spectacular, but he is solid. He will probably get you 15 ppg and 10 apg, which is nice. He plays solid defense which helps his cause. I think age is also a concern here so maybe a multiyear deal starting at 8 or 9 is what is best for him.
549 Russell Westbrook PG 24 6'3'' 190 B+ C+ A- A C C
Who knew he could play? I will say this now that Westbrook is not a PG. Yes he might have A- handles, but his turnovers are way too high. I think he is better suited playing the position where he got 20 ppg this year, shooting guard. Westbrook needs work. His percentages are not that great and he is mainly an inside scorer. I think he is a bit of a gamble. He won’t be getting a max deal like the rest of his expiring rookies, but maybe a long term deal around 6 million might be good. Anymore and you might be disappointed.
152 Mike Bibby PG 33 6'1'' 195 C A A- B- D+ D
And the trend continues. Bibby is old but is still a very good point guard. Yes he is starting to show signs of slowing with his defensive game, but he can still score in bunches and dish the ball. This past year he was the 3rd option on the Rockets scoring 17 ppg, and that is on a team with a 29 ppg and a 32 ppg scorer as well. Houston should try everything to bring him back because he fits perfectly. I hate to say that he may get a 1 or 2 year max, which is kinda high but for a talent like Bibby’s it might be worth it.
4 Zoran Planinic PG 30 6'7'' 210 B- A- C+ B C C
Zoran is not a PG. Why he is even listed at PG is a mystery. Instead he is a solid wing player. I think Planinic is about a middle of the road wing player. He isn’t a great defender and isn’t a great inside scorer, but is solid enough at both. I think he is a great 4th or 5th starter or great 6th man. Too bad he is likely to be paid quite a bit more than that.
