NBA Free Agency 2012: Best Value Pickups for Contending Teams

For the NBA teams that are already contending for a title, it's all about finding value and adding that one final piece in free agency that pushes the team over the top. 

Admittedly, those value pickups are hard to find and don't always work out, but it's quite rewarding when they do. 

These next few players are the ones who will qualify during the summer of 2012. Some of them still have promise while others are clearly on the decline. 

Read on to find out who they are. 

Marcus Camby

Team: Houston Rockets

Position: Center

Age: 38

Type of Free Agency: Unrestricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 3.9 points, 1.8 assists, 8.6 rebounds

Don't expect Marcus Camby to score much at this point in his lengthy career. 

But if a contending team signs him and uses him in the right way, namely as a glass-cleaning, defensive machine in limited action, they'll get quite a bit of bang for their buck. 

Baron Davis

Team: New York Knicks

Position: Point guard

Age: 32

Type of Free Agency: Unrestricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 5.6 points, 5.1 assists, 2.2 rebounds

Baron Davis is 32 now and no longer the elite point guard that he once was thanks to the miles on his legs and diminishing athleticism. But the same truth that has always followed Davis still applies. 

When he's motivated (and that's most assuredly not all the time), Davis can be a very valuable contributor. 

Chris Kaman

Team: New Orleans Hornets

Position: Center

Age: 29

Type of Free Agency: Unrestricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.3 points, 2.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds

Chris Kaman is the best of the centers on this list, beating out Marcus Camby by a narrow margin. 

It's hard to describe exactly what Kaman excels at (besides pulling off the caveman look) because he does almost everything well, except for taking care of the ball. 

Kaman is a good defender with range on the offensive end of the court. He'll fit in terrifically as a backup big man for a contender, or a starter if he takes a pay cut and signs with a certain top-tier team. 

Robin Lopez

Team: Phoenix Suns

Position: Center

Age: 23

Type of Free Agency: Restricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 5.1 points, 0.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds

Robin Lopez's price tag may go up a little bit thanks to the success of his twin brother in the NBA. 

Although he's a horrendous passer and poor rebounding skills run in the family, Lopez is capable on offense and he's a big enough body that he can slow down many opposing players on the defensive end of the court. 

Nazr Mohammed

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: Center

Age: 34

Type of Free Agency: Unrestricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 3.0 points, 0.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds

Nazr Mohammed is by no means an elite NBA center, but he'd be a great bargain for a contender looking to add a capable backup big man for a bargain. 

Mohammed was never a good defensive player and he's worse now than ever before, but his offensive rebounding abilities and scoring capacity allow for him to remain a valuable option of the bench. 

Jameer Nelson

Team: Orlando Magic

Position: Point guard

Age: 30

Type of Free Agency: Player option

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds

Jameer Nelson is clearly slowing down and may not deserve to start for much longer now that he's into his 30s. 

A solid pick-and-roll option on offense and a hustle player on defense, Nelson would be much better suited in a backup roll. It's likely that he signs his player option to stay in his starting role with the Orlando Magic, but he'll be a high priority in free agency if he chooses to enter it. 

Marreese Speights

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: Center

Age: 24

Type of Free Agency: Restricted

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 9.0 points, 0.8 assists, 6.2 rebounds

Marreese Speights is an interesting backup big man because he doesn't play defense and he's an average rebounder at best. But he can shoot the ball with the best of them. 

Still 24 years old, Speights has developed a reputation as a selfish player because of his penchant for shooting the ball each and every time he touches it. But if he can buy into the system of a contender and hold the trigger, he could be a valuable backup. 

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