NBA Free Agency 2010: Top Destinations for Josh Childress

It’s funny how the first day of NBA free agency feels exactly like the last thirty or so.

In the past month there has been tons of talk surrounding this year’s free agency class, and a large majority of that talk is surrounded by the idea that many of the top grabs in 2010 free agency may end up in the same place with LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh, all rounding out the starting roster somewhere.

If that does happen, and that is a big if, it also means there will be a good amount of teams left vying for a decent pick up in what is becoming more of a game of musical chairs than an off-season.

One such player who will likely have a ton of cash thrown his way out of desperation from a team who didn’t land a “non-summit attendee” is former Atlanta Hawks player Josh Childress.

Why Childress?

Childress was an outstanding player coming out of college, and was the number six overall draft pick when he came to the NBA.

Once arriving with the Atlanta Hawks, he consistently made an immediate impact and posted promising statistics. Over his four season span with the team, he had an average field-goal percentage of .522 and 5.6 assists per game.

Unfortunately for Childress, after the 2007-2008 season, nobody was willing to give him the contract he wanted. The Hawks wouldn’t offer it, and no team was willing to come after him because they knew Atlanta would just match any deal they came up with.

So, Childress shocked everyone when he decided to take the money and run… out of the country, to play in the Euroleague.

Rumor has it that he is on his way back to the states, and in this year’s free agent class, he’s ranked as one of the top fifteen prospects in nearly all respected sporting news organizations’ websites.

Here’s a list of where he could end up.

5. The Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks still retain the rights to Childress, and although the relationship between the two hasn’t been the greatest, Atlanta is still not willing to let him out of their grasp.

This offseason, the main focus for Atlanta is clearly Joe Johnson, and according to news stories today, it is becoming more and more likely they will lock him up.

If they do lock him up, their chances of obtaining Childress are slim to none. The free agent will find a number of teams willing to offer him a contract above what the Hawks can match.

But if Johnson doesn’t end up signing in Atlanta, then Childress will either end up back with the Hawks or finish out his time in Greece.

4. The New Jersey Nets

To be completely honest, there isn’t a single word or rumor in the league supporting the idea that Childress might end up in New Jersey.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean it’s not a strong possibility.

When the starting gates opened in the race for LeBron, the Nets came out to an early lead. They picked up an outstanding coach, a billionaire owner, and have plans to move to the Big Apple.

But lately, it doesn’t seem as though they will close the deal.

Meaning, they will have little talent and tons of money.

With Childress already proving in the Greece situation that he’s willing to go to the highest bidder, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Nets made him an offer and a handsome one at that.

All Childress is looking for, as of now, is someone to get him out of Atlanta, and New Jersey just might be the organization to do that.

3. The Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are likely to land in the same boat as the Nets. Luckily for them, they are a lot better off already.

The team is still looking for a coach, but their bench is starting to get better. Blake Griffin is coming back in full health this season, they picked up a good inside presence in this year’s draft, and Baron Davis will finally be surrounded by decent talent for the first time since he arrived.

Childress could be the last piece to the puzzle, and the Clippers could use a good distributor like Childress to fill out their roster.

On top of that, L.A. still has a decent amount of cap space and enough pull to get him out of Georgia and back to his home state of California.

2. The Chicago Bulls

The bulls already cleared up a ton of space to get LeBron, and they may or may not be a top contender to land the all-star.

If not, they will be looking towards Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and a couple of other top prospects.

As noted before though, if the super-summit team does eventually come together ( and that’s a big if), the Bulls will be looking to fill in an offensive presence they will be losing in a week, after Kirk Hinrich goes to Washington.

Childress would fit perfectly in Chicago. Since going to Europe to play ball, Childress has become a much better player off the ball. His movement without the ball in his hands has improved since he left the NBA, and while he was here, he consistently displayed a future as a starter.

1. The Washington Wizards

Out of all Childress’ suitors, the Wizards seem the most likely to soon be signing the nuptials.

Reports around the league, and not just the NBA, but the European one as well, are that Childress and the Wizards are already negotiating a deal.
The terms aren’t public just yet, but it is likely the Wizards will use their remaining space, at around six million per year, to grab up the amazing afro that is Childress.

Such an amount would be just enough for Childress to come back to the United States, and it would also be too much for Atlanta to match if and when they sign Joe Johnson.

Washington could use talent like Childress in what would become one of the more talented rosters in the entire league. If they add him, pick up Hinrich, keep Mike Williams, and have Arenas return as a positive influence, they could be on the fast track to make a decent run in the play offs.