Ranking NBA Free Agents by Position
Sean Deveney - SportingNews.com
Jul 01, 2009
The free-agent period opened at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, when teams and players were able to begin negotiating. Contracts cannot be signed until July 8. Sporting News' Sean Deveney ranks the top free agents by position, with analysis of each.
POINT GUARD
1. Andre Miller, 76ers. Miller is 33, but is coming off two very good years in Philadelphia, and the Sixers hope to keep him.
2. Mike Bibby, Hawks. Hes not a pure point guard, but he is a consistent scorer and a veteran presence.
3. Jason Kidd, Mavericks. At 36, Kidd is not the MVP-type he once was, but he can still run a team.
4. Ray Felton, Bobcats. Felton is only 25 and coming off his best season, but Charlotte might not be able to give him a big contract.
5. Ramon Sessions, Bucks. Sessions is enough of a playmaker to be a starting point guard, but his strength is scoring.
6. Jarrett Jack, Pacers. He may not be a starter, but after averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 assists, Jack could be a valuable sixth man.
7. Anthony Carter, Nuggets. Carter has established a role as a reliable backup.
8. Shannon Brown, Lakers. Finally given an opportunity, Brown earned quality minutes for the champs. Thatll get him a contract.
SHOOTING GUARD
1. Ben Gordon, Bulls. Chicago wants to keep him, but negotiations between Gordon and the team have been testy the last two summers.
2. Allen Iverson, Pistons. We know Iverson can still score. But will he accept a reduced role? And a reduced contract?
3. Nate Robinson, Knicks. Robinson broke out with a dunk championship and a 17.2-point scoring average. But he must become a better team player.
4. Anthony Parker, Raptors. Hes not flashy, and he is 34 years old. But Parker is a solid, reliable shooting guard.
5. Marquis Daniels, Pacers. Daniels finally put together his first good season since his surprising emergence as an undrafted rookie.
6. Von Wafer, Rockets. Finally, Wafer was able to find a home, providing a big spark off the Houston bench.
7. Dahntay Jones, Nuggets. Jones started for the Nuggets because of his defense, and though he wouldnt start anywhere else, hes a useful player.
8. Wally Szczerbiak, Cavaliers. Hey, he shot 41.1 percent from the 3-point line. He has value.
9. Keith Bogans, Bucks. Bogans is a deep-bench player who can play good wing defense and shoot 3s.
SMALL FORWARD
1. Lamar Odom, Lakers. Consistency and intensity are often wanting when it comes to Odom, but he is still one of the leagues most versatile players.
2. Ron Artest, Rockets. Artest and Rockets coach Rick Adelman have a good rapport, but Yao Mings injury could scotch the Rockets plan to re-sign him.
3. Hedo Turkoglu, Magic. Turkoglu was the leagues most improved player two years ago, but he took a slight step backward last year.
4. Shawn Marion, Raptors. At 31, Marion is still a high-motor, athletic combo forward. But if he is expecting a mega-contract, he will be disappointed.
5. Trevor Ariza, Lakers. Ariza has long made his name on his defense, but he added a 3-point shot to his arsenal last year.
6. Marvin Williams, Hawks. Injury derailed what was shaping up to be an excellent season for Williams.
7. Hakim Warrick, Grizzlies. The depth-starved Grizzlies are hoping to keep Warrick in Memphis.
8. Linas Kleiza, Nuggets. Denver nearly had an extension deal with Kleiza last fall, but it fell through.
9. Grant Hill, Suns. For a 36-year-old, Hill is still athletic enough run the floor. Hes very efficient.
10. Matt Barnes, Suns. Amid the turmoil in Phoenix, Barnes quietly had his best season, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
POWER FORWARD
1. David Lee, Knicks. Hes a double-double machine, but the Knicks dont want to pay him. Someone will.
2. Paul Millsap, Jazz. Hes undersized, but he is tough and smart, coming off a year in which he averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds.
3. Charlie Villanueva, Bucks. He blossomed off the bench with Milwaukee last year, and figures to be Cleveland's top target.
4. Rasheed Wallace, Pistons. Hes near the sunset of his career, but Wallace can still rebound and create matchup problems with his long-range jumpers.
5. Chris Andersen, Nuggets. He resurrected his career with his shot-blocking off the bench. Someones going to overpay him.
6. Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers. The arrival of Shaquille ONeal in Cleveland could signal the farewell to Varejao.
7. Drew Gooden, Spurs. He didnt prove to be much help at all to the Spurs in the playoffs, which could hurt his free-agency stock.
8. Antonio McDyess, Pistons. He averaged 9.8 rebounds and remains one of the leagues most effective bench players.
9. Glen Davis, Celtics. He played well in Kevin Garnetts absence, but can he return to a bench role?
10. Brandon Bass, Mavericks. Bass is strong enough to handle himself at center, even at 6-8, and is a dangerous midrange shooter.
11. Leon Powe, Celtics. Very quietly, a key contributor off Bostons bench.
12. Joe Smith, Cavaliers. Smith is a big man who can shoot, so he still has a place on someones bench.
CENTER
1. Marcin Gortat, Magic. He is 6-11 and was reasonably productive in short minutes behind Dwight Howard. A good candidate to be overpaid.
2. Zaza Pachulia, Hawks. Hes big and knows his role -- play defense, irritate opponents.
3. Rasho Nesterovic, Pacers. Nesterovic was actually solid last year and has been getting some nibbles from teams in the NBA and Europe.
4. Chris Wilcox, Knicks. He has some talent and athleticism, but has never really put them together.
5. Mikki Moore, Celtics. He can block shots, but hes very limited offensively.
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