NBA Free Agency 2011: 20 Riskiest Players on the Market This Summer

The NBA has officially entered the lockout, and by many reports it appears that there will not be a league this upcoming season, but that's certainly not set in stone.

The lockout, much like the NFL's lockout, is leaving a lot of players in limbo. Free agents won't have a place to call home until a new collective bargaining agreement has been established.

There are plenty of free agents to go around, some good, some bad.

Some of these free agents will be carrying with them a heavy price tag and some will just be looking for a fresh start.

Here are 20 free agents with the most risk.

20. Delonte West, Point Guard

Delonte West won't be demanding a whole lot in free agency. He hasn't exactly proved himself in the past couple of years, but that's not saying he's a bad player.

West was primarily a backup to Rajon Rondo last season. His numbers were down and he played in just 24 regular-season games.

He averaged 5.6 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds. Not exactly numbers to gawk at, but West does provide depth at the point guard position.

West is risky though because he wasn't healthy last season and simply put, he just didn't produce.

19. DeShawn Stevenson, Shooting Guard

DeShawn Stevenson had a pretty good postseason for the champion Dallas Mavericks. He made some clutch three-pointers, but that's really all he did.

Last season he made over $4 million; he may be demanding more than that in free agency because of his championship and the way he played in the postseason, but he averaged just 5.3 points a game in the regular season. His career average is 7.7 points per game, so is he really worth the price tag?

Keep in mind that although he had a good postseason, he still averaged just 4.5 points per game in the postseason.

18. T.J. Ford, Point Guard

T.J. Ford made $8.5 million last season. He played in just 41 games and averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 assists. That isn't exactly worth that much money.

At one time, Ford was widely regarded as the next great point guard before a back injury derailed his budding career. Now Ford is considered to be just a backup.

Maybe a new setting could help his career, but either way he's not worth the money and has risk written all over him.

17. Jamario Moon, Small Forward

Jamario Moon was once known as a good outside shooter. He didn't play bad with the Miami Heat a few years back, but he didn't exactly play good either.

Last season Moon made $3 million. He played in 59 games and averaged a little over four points a game. Not exactly a good reward for his paycheck.

Moon could help out a contender as a bench player, but he's not worth that much money.

16. James Jones, Small Forward

James Jones is a lot like Jamario Moon in the aspect that they are both shooters. Jones wasn't a bad addition for the Miami Heat last season. He made shots when the team needed them, but it wasn't that often.

Jones played in 81 games. He averaged 19.1 minutes per game and 5.9 points per game. He wasn't overly paid either, but the risk is that he's 30 years old and has a career average of 6.3 points per game. He could be good as a role player, and the Heat will probably re-sign him, but the risk is that he won't be a double-digit scorer and that's probably what the Heat need.

15. Michael Redd, Shooting Guard

The reality is that Michael Redd is aging fast and his body isn't keeping up. He played in just 10 games last year and made $18 million. He averaged just 4.4 points per game.

Redd averages 20 points per game for his career, but his health is the major risk factor. Redd is one of the best shooters in the game when he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy in over two years due to his knee injuries.

Redd will absolutely be a gamble for any team and he will certainly have to take a pay cut.

14. Sebastian Telfair, Point Guard

Sebastian Telfair was once the talk of the NBA. The first point guard out of high school to enter the draft, he even had a documentary about him. That's all ancient history now and he hasn't exactly been a star-caliber player.

Telfair earned $2.7 million last season. He averaged 7.2 points per game, three assists and played in only 37 games.

Telfair won't be able to demand that much money this year. He's only 26 and still might end up being a good player, but right now the risk is that the money doesn't pay for a return on the court.

13. Brandon Wright, Power Forward

Coming out of North Carolina, Brandon Wright was supposed to be a stud. He was a little raw, but he was so young and full of potential.

That same potential has turned into a career average of 5.4 points and three rebounds per game. Not exactly what was expected.

Last season, Wright earned just over $3 million. He's only 23 years old and in a good system, he might just be able to flourish, but that question mark alone leaves enough room for risk and he's not worth the money.

12. Samuel Dalembert, Center

Let me start by saying that I like Samuel Dalembert. He's not a bad player, but he's not the type of player that deserves $13.5 million a year.

Last season for the Kings, he played in 80 games and averaged 8.1 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Not bad numbers, but not worth that much money.

He's 30 years old and he's playing alongside some good players, but will those numbers ever get better? He will most likely get signed back with the Kings, but they would be foolish to pay him that much money.

11. Andrei Kirilenko, Small Forward

Andrei Kirilenko averaged 11.7 points per game in 64 games last season. He added three assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, but does that earn him $17 million a year? Hardly.

Kirilenko can be a very good player at times, but his injuries are starting to wear him down and he's just not the player that he used to be.

He would be a good role player or a player coming off the bench in a sixth-man-type of situation for a contender, but his pay will need to decrease dramatically and he needs to get healthy.

10. Jason Kapono, Small Forward

I'm going to make this one short and sweet. Jason Kapono played in 24 games last year, averaged 4.7 minutes per game and .7 points per game. That earned him $6.6 million. Really?

That's enough risk right there. He just isn't as good of a shooter as he used to be and he is very overpaid.

9. Yi Jianlian, Center/Power Forward

Yi Jianlian is a bust, there is no denying that. As the sixth pick overall in the 2007 draft, he is yet to produce.

Last season he averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and .5 blocks per game. He's inconsistent, injury-prone and doesn't deserve to be paid $4 million a year.

Jianlian is another guy who is just 23 and still has potential, but he will need to work his way back up and shouldn't be paid as much as he got paid last year.

8. Caron Butler, Small Forward

Caron Butler is a very good player—when he's healthy. The little nagging injuries are starting to be a concern and while he's a good role player and good defensively, he's 31 years old and may be looking at the downside of his career.

I hope I'm wrong in saying that though. Last season he made just over $10 million and there may be a team out there that could match that, but his health is a risk and they might not get that much in return.

7. Jeff Foster, Center

Jeff Foster has been with the Indiana Pacers for some time now. He's a 34-year-old center who has a career average of 4.9 points per game. Last season he averaged 3.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game along with .6 blocks per game.

Foster is more of a big presence that an actual center and why he earns $6.6 million is a big question.

He will most likely re-sign with the Pacers, but if they want to continue contending in the East, they may want to pay him less so they can sign another player.

6. Mike Bibby, Point Guard

Mike Bibby is 33 years old and it shows. He's not the scorer he used to be and he's not the point guard he used to be. He averaged 8.6 points per game last season and 3.3 assists, but his play was just inconsistent.

Bibby didn't make hardly anything last season either, but the real risk is will he be able to perform? The Miami Heat expected a lot more out of him this season and he didn't show enough to cash in in free agency.

Bibby doesn't have a lot left in the tank so it's a risk for any team to sign him and hope for an outcome.

5. Kwame Brown, Center

Kwame Brown, the former first overall pick by the Washington Wizards in 2001, it's safe to say he's one of the biggest busts of all time.

Brown got another chance last season with the Charlotte Bobcats and he didn't play great, but he wasn't terrible either. He averaged 7.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and .6 blocks per game. He played in 66 games and averaged 26 minutes per game.

Brown wasn't a million-dollar man last season and he won't be again this year in free agency, but the real risk is whether or not, at 29 years old, Brown will ever produce.

4. Peja Stojakovic, Small Forward

This might be a questionable call, but Peja Stojakovic hasn't been the same player since he was traded to the Mavericks.

Stojakovic isn't the same shooter he once was and he's not used as much either. Last season he averaged 18.7 minutes a game and averaged 8.5 points per game.

He can still be a good role player. He's coming off of a championship, he's not going to be able to demand a lot of money, but the real risk is whether or not he's going to play up to his standards.

He is aging—he's 34. Can he still be the lethal shooter that he once was?

3. Kenyon Martin, Power Forward

When Kenyon Martin is healthy, he's one of the best power forwards in the game, but we've been saying that for the past few years now. Martin played in 48 games last season, but was still hampered by injuries.

He averaged 8.6 points per game, 6.2 rebounds and .7 blocks. That got him $16.5 million for the year.

Martin will most likely re-sign with the Nuggets, but if they want to contend in the West, they will need to pay him less because he's just not producing anymore.

2. Tracy McGrady, Shooting Guard

There was a time when Tracy McGrady was considered one of the best players in the game. Now at 32 years old, he's the poster child for injuries ruining a career.

McGrady played for the Pistons last year for a low salary. He averaged just eight points per game in 72 games.

The real risk for McGrady is his health and his playing ability. Has he completely lost it?

Personally, I'm rooting for him to get back to where he was.

1. Greg Oden, Center

It had to be Greg Oden at the top of the list, didn't it? Oden is a restricted free agent, but the Blazers can't afford to get him back. He didn't even play last year and he still earned $6.7 million.

Oden is a bust and it's a shame because the injuries ruined him. The risk for any team is whether or not the guy can even play at all.

He may not even be able to play in 2011, which would be a shame for the young man, but there are red flags all over him and he's far too risky.