The 10 Upcoming NBA Free Agents Who've Helped Themselves Most in the Playoffs

Every year, it seems as if there's at least one free-agent-to-be who finds a way to shine in the playoffs and convince an NBA owner that he's worth throwing more money at him than he's probably worth.

Sometimes that player turns out to be a bargain and actually lives up to or exceeds the worth of that new contract.

Sometimes it's a veteran who proved he's got a little more left in the tank than we originally thought. Other times, it's that second-round pick who moves up the depth chart due to an injury and makes the most of an opportunity at the perfect time.

The 2009 NBA Playoffs are barely reaching the halfway point, and already a bunch of guys from the free agent class of 2009 are proving that it might be worth it for their current teams to keep them around—or for other teams to consider throwing some jack at them.

10. Antonio McDyess

Remember when McDyess was traded to the Nuggets along with Chauncey Billups and he decided he'd rather get bought out and return to Detroit than play for the Nuggets?

I doubt McDyess knew that the Nuggets would be playing in the Western Conference Finals come May, while the Pistons would be humiliated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1.

McDyess is as fierce of a competitor as they come. Make no mistake that he wants to win a championship before he hangs them up, and it would take a miracle for him to stay in Detroit. After playing in just 52 games from 2001-02 to 2003-04, McDyess has been unbelievably resilient for someone who will turn 35 in September.

Excluding the games he had to miss while waiting to re-sign in Detroit, McDyess missed fewer than 15 games in five seasons with the Pistons.

What stands out for McDyess in these playoffs is the 26 points and 10 rebounds he recorded in Detroit's elimination game against the Cavs. While the rest of the Pistons had seemingly packed it in and were daydreaming about their two-week stay at Atlantis, McDyess showed he wasn't going to go out a quitter.

Any team that adds McDyess this summer can call their offseason a successful one. It's not mentioned enough how important it is to have a veteran at the end of his career that the rest of the team wants to try to win a ring for.

Teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Celtics, Nuggets, and Cavs will all check in with Andy Miller, McDyess' agent, at midnight on July 1.

9. Dahntay Jones

You won't be able to tell how valuable Jones is by looking at his stats. He doesn't get paid to score points or rack up assists and rebounds.

Jones is paid to not just play defense, but to defend the other team's best perimeter player. The Nuggets have had a reputation of the last few years as being one of the league's worst defensive teams but Jones, Chauncey Billups, Chris Andersen, and Nene have changed the culture of the Nuggets into becoming one of the hardest-working defensive units to battle with.

Jones has developed the kind of reputation where opposing coaches try to complain about his physical play by calling him dirty, when he's really just playing hard every moment he's on the court.

Jones' defense against Chris Paul in the opening round was key to the Nuggets' quick disposal of the Hornets and his upcoming series, in which he'll likely match up with Kobe Bryant, will go a long way in determining his worth.

8. Marcin Gortat

Gortat is the league's only Polish-born player, and one of the few legitimate centers who will be on the open market this summer.

He's a very confident player who will likely flee Orlando because he feels he should be a starter in this league—and frankly, that's never going to happen with Dwight Howard on his team.

Gortat, 25, proved how good he could be when given enough minutes in the Magic's Game Six victory over the Sixers in the opening round.

Gortat had 11 points, 15 rebounds, and four steals in 40 minutes.

While there could be a few teams interested in his services, he's already let it be known that he's willing to return to Europe if it presents a better chance at playing time.

Suns fans might not want to read this sentence, but Gortat—just like Rajon Rondo, Rudy Fernandez, and Nate Robinson—was originally drafted by Phoenix before subsequently being traded to another team without ever playing a game for the Suns.

7. Brandon Bass

Bass, who just turned 24 last week, was one of biggest surprises in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

While he only averaged 8.5 points per game during the regular season, Bass had games of 14, 10, 16, 11, and 17 in just 10 playoff games.

It's unlikely that the Mavs will let Bass sign with another team, but there is a definite possibility that Mark Cuban could decide that available cap space is just too important in the summer of 2010 to commit to Bass long-term.

6. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, and Joe Smith

I put these three guys together because whether or not they remain members of the Cavs next season is entirely up to LeBron James. With only one season left on James' deal until he can opt out, the Cavs will do whatever he asks of them to ensure he stays happy.

All three have made endless contributions to the teams amazing 8-0 performance through the first two rounds, but the biggest surprise has been Smith, who, like McDyess, has shown he's still got a lot to offer at 34.

Varejao is the one who could increase his value the most over the next two rounds because of his age. Like Ronny Turiaf last season, it's rare that teams regret offering longer term contracts to guys who play hard every night—even if it means overpaying by just a little.

Varejao is also the one from this trio that LeBron would most likely understand if the Cavs were unwilling to overpay, since the team is already over the luxury tax.

While it doesn't seem as if teams like Oklahoma City, Memphis, or Detroit would choose to spend their cap space on a player with limited offensive skills, a team like Toronto might throw some money at him to add some toughness to a team considered one of the league's softest.

As for Ilgauskas, he's already made his big money. It won't take much to bring him back, even if it means giving him just a one-year deal.

5. Eddie House

Eddie House is in his ninth season in the league and still hasn't passed the $10 million mark in total earnings.

He has an option on his contract for next season for less than $3 million, and he turns 31 on Thursday. House is sure to opt out, since this will be his last chance at a decent pay day.

House has made 18 of his 36 three-point attempts in these playoffs, and has never proven to be more valuable than now—including a 31-point game against the Magic and 16 points in the decisive Game Seven against the Bulls in the opening round.

House would provide instant offense off the bench for any team, and is likely to go with the highest bidder.

Will the cash-strapped Celtics venture even deeper into luxury tax territory with so many open roster spots heading into next season? Only time will tell.

What is known is that House might prove to be a much better option for teams than fellow free agent, Kyle Korver, who will probably ask for a longer contract and possibly more money per season.

4. Hedo Turkoglu

Turkoglu isn't exactly a free agent since he, like House, has an option on his contract for next season. Even though he's less likely than House to opt out, there's still a decent possibility he will.

Time and time again he's proven to be the Magic's go-to guy in crunch time. The question is whether or not he feels he can get more than the approximately $7.5 million he's scheduled to make next season.

Given these economic times, Turkoglu might decide it's best for him to play out the rest of his contract and retest the waters next summer when so many more teams will have cap space and money to throw at him.

There have been rumors about the Kings possibly trying to bring him back. Whether or not those rumors are true, it seems as if he'd be much more interested in playing for a contender than wasting the last couple years of his prime on the league's worst team.

3. Chris Andersen

Andersen is probably the league's best bargain in that he's making less than a million dollars this season.

After returning from a two-year ban for violating the league's substance abuse policy, Andersen has become the heart and soul of the Nuggets.

In only nine playoff games, Andersen already has 17 blocked shots and 55 rebounds. He's also made 70 percent of field goal attempts (21 of 30) and has only turned the ball over four times.

Nuggets GM Mark Warkentein did a tremendous job of making the team better while shedding salary. The Nuggets are below the luxury tax line with only three impact free agents to worry about in Jones, Andersen, and Anthony Carter.

The Nuggets will have plenty of competition for Andersen's services, but at least have the means to pay him without having to trade someone away.

2. Glen Davis

Davis is the single biggest reason why the Celtics are still alive in these playoffs. He's filled in admirably for Kevin Garnett and picked up the slack for the also-injured Leon Powe.

He's raised his shooting percentage five percent compared to the regular season, and his scoring and rebounding averages are up from seven and three during the regular season to almost 17 and six in the playoffs.

He's also proven to be clutch with his buzzer-beating 20-footer to keep the Celtics season alive in Game Four against Orlando.

Powe's knee injury increases the likelihood that Davis isn't going anywhere, since the Celts can't afford to lose both guys.

Davis is a restricted free agent who will probably test the free agent market and gauge the interest of other teams. He's proved that he's yet to even scratch the surface of his potential and will likely get a number of mid-level offers and the Celtics will have no choice but to match, even if it means paying double with the luxury tax.

What that also means is that House and Marbury likely will be playing elsewhere next season.

While this particular Celtics nucleus probably has another season or two left to compete for a championship, Davis and Rajon Rondo look like nice building blocks for the next generation.

1. Ben Gordon

It's not often that a player turns down a multi-year, multi-million dollar offer from a team without regretting it later on, but that's exactly what happened during these playoffs with Ben Gordon.

Gordon and the Bulls failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension over the last two summers and now Gordon is an unrestricted free agent coming off a seven-game series against the defending champs in which he averaged 24 points per game.

There are three scenarios that could go down involving Gordon this summer: 1) He re-signs with the Bulls for fair market value, 2) He leaves to sign on with another team with cap space such as Detroit, Oklahoma City, Memphis, or possibly Toronto, or 3) He agrees to a sign-and-trade where he gets more money than he would be eligible for in free agency, and the Bulls get something in return.

If the Bulls decide to keep him around, then it pretty much eliminates any chance they have of trying to bring Dwyane Wade back home next summer. Keep in mind that Wade is at home right now while Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant are all still competing for a championship.

Will Wade be able to go through this again next May and June on a team with almost zero wiggle room to improve this summer? That's why the Heat are trying to lock him up now.

Like Baron Davis last summer, Gordon might be the biggest domino to fall in player movement this summer. There's a chance that whatever it is he decides to do will set off the rest of the summer's activity.

Honorable Mention: Ron Artest

While Artest has been superb in these playoffs it's unlikely that he'll create much of a stir on the open market.

No team will ever commit to signing him for more than three years and the chances are slim that any team will offer him more than the Rockets will. Look for the Rockets to re-sign him for three more years and slightly more than the mid-level exception, which is all most teams will have to offer.

Artest didn't help himself so much as he didn't hurt himself.