NBA Free Agency 2012: How Dominoes Will Fall When Top Free Agents Sign

This season's NBA free-agency class will change the landscape of the league for years to come.

There are several elite players available that teams will be pursuing in order to get them over the hump.

Come July, guys like Deron Williams, Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett will infiltrate the market looking for money and a chance to win on a contender.

After the first major signing, there's no doubt that dominoes will fall as teams try to replace lost free agents with other top players.

Here's a prediction of how everything will turn out. 

Point Guards

From rising stars to seasoned vets, the point guard market is going to be filled with elite talent this summer.

Headlining the free-agent point guard class will be Deron Williams. There's nothing that says D-Will wants to stay in New Jersey. Expect him to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, who will become instant title contenders with the move.

With that move, Jason Kidd will either decide to hang up his sneakers and call it a career, or sign with the Chicago Bulls to back up with the injury-prone Derrick Rose.

In New York, Jeremy Lin will recognize that the team is going to make Carmelo Anthony the focal point of the team, so he'll opt to sign with a team that will utilize a fast-paced offense where he can be most effective.

Enter the Portland Trail Blazers, who ranked No. 14 in John Hollinger's Pace Factor stats. With Raymond Felton's fat contract expiring, it won't be too surprising to see Lin sign with the Blazers, where he can be closer to home and part of a young, rebuilding team.

With the Knicks in need of a point guard, they'll make a bid for Steve Nash, who will find the prospects of reuniting with former teammate Amar'e Stoudemire enticing.

We can also expect Jameer Nelson to opt out of his player option thinking that Dwight Howard won't be staying with the team. The New Jersey Nets will shell out some dollars to sign him or Andre Miller from Denver to fill the void left by Deron Williams.

Finally, Chauncey Billups will take his talents to South Beach to try to win a final ring before his career ends with the Miami Heat. His veteran leadership would be a great fit on a team that can use a guy who's been there before, especially if the Heat don't win this year.

Shooting Guards

The shooting guard class isn't as attractive as the one for point guards, but there are still a few guys who can help out several teams.

Ray Allen is the headliner shooter on the market, but it's hard to see him leaving Boston unless he asks for too much.

Even if he leaves, his departure won't do enough to cause a carousel of shooting guards moving around the league.

In fact, none of the other shooting guards available on the market have the star power to cause a chain reaction of signings. Guys like Landry Fields, Nick Young and Lou Williams are decent players that will be great add-ons to most teams, but they're not going to lead them to titles. 

There is Eric Gordon. However, he's a restricted free agents and was a major cog in the Chris Paul trade so it'll be hard to see the New Orleans Hornets let him go. 

Small Forwards

The small forward market is extremely thin. In fact, Matt Barnes might be the best player available and he's a bench guy.

Gerald Wallace has a player option that he must exercise and seeing that he's making over $9.5 million and his next contract will probably pay him less, he'll probably stick around with the New Jersey Nets.

Other unrestricted free agents worth noting are Sam Young, Andres Nocioni and Steve Novak. All of these guys are bench players that teams will be looking to add on toward the end of free agency.

Power Forwards

There is a plentiful amount of power forwards that will be available in this year's offseason. 

First of all, it'll be interesting to see if the New Jersey Nets try to keep Kris Humphries. They may opt to let him go so they can focus all of their energy on Dwight Howard next year.

However, Humphries would most likely want to play for a winner. With Kevin Garnett most likely leaving, the Boston Celtics will snag Humphries as the power forward of their future.

Garnett, meanwhile, may find solace in returning to the place where he started his NBA career: Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves have a solid young core with Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. Garnett would instantly make the Wolves a contender in the Western Conference and he'll be able to finish his career with the team that drafted him with a solid chance to be successful in the process.

With the Wolves shelling money to Garnett, they may have to part ways with restricted free agent Michael Beasley, who could be a solid fit on the Lakers bench if they lose Jordan Hill. If not, he could be a starter in a place like Denver, Utah or Houston.

Another guy who may want to play in a new destination is Carl Landry of the New Orleans Hornets. Landry. A team like the Denver Nuggets or the Houston Rockets may welcome his size and physical strength. 

Finally, there is Tim Duncan. It's hard to see him playing for anybody else but the San Antonio Spurs. 

Centers

The centers available in this year's market are pretty legitimate. 

First of all, let's forget about Andrew Bynum. He's not going anywhere. He'll stay with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The next big name is Roy Hibbert. He's a restricted free agent, but don't be surprised if teams like the Houston Rockets or the Portland Trail Blazers, who can use center help, make a run for him.

Even the Philadelphia 76ers could use Hibbert, who may lose Spencer Hawes to free agency. 

The Boston Celtics are a team that can use Hibbert or Hawes. Ever since Kendrick Perkins left, they've been a much smaller team and they would love to add a big to their roster. 

Chances are Hibbert wants to play for a true contender and he signs with the Celtics to play with Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce. Then, the Pacers fill their gap at center by signing Hawes. 

The Sixers than make a mad run for Brook Lopez, who is a restricted free agent that the Nets will let go to open up room for Dwight Howard or Robin Lopez, who may not fancy being a part of a rebuilding team in Phoenix.

Guys like Chris Kaman and JaVale McGee will fill up the center carousel in the NBA.