2012 NBA Free Agents: Perfect Fits For 5 Players Looking For a New Team
The 2012 NBA free-agent class is loaded with strong role players that can take a decent team and turn them into contenders. It also has a few stars that can turn a contender into an NBA Finals-caliber team.
When you constantly have to draft in the last 10-to-15 picks of the first round, it becomes difficult to fill your biggest need. Free agency becomes the biggest weapon.
For the following five teams with championship aspirations in 2013, landing a specific free agent will do wonders for their chances of making a deep run in next year’s postseason.
Steve Nash to Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are oh-so-close to a title.
They have a true center in All-Star Roy Hibbert, and a proven veteran in David West that has become the heart and soul of the squad. They even have an explosive scoring threat in Danny Granger that would be absolutely deadly with a point guard like Nash.
While the majority of Indiana is young, West has a small window left on his aging knees and the team needs to do everything in its power to win now. This sounds perfect for Nash, who at the age of 38 has the singular goal of winning a championship and that’s it.
Nash is the perfect complement to this offense and can push the break alongside the young guns on the perimeter.
The Pacers would be a favorite in the Eastern Conference with Nash on board.
Courtney Lee (restricted) to Chicago Bulls
The Richard Hamilton experiment failed, and it’s time to get younger at shooting guard.
Enter the 26-year-old Lee, who shoots over 40 percent from downtown and was able to average 11.4 points despite being stuck behind Kevin Martin on the Rockets' depth chart.
The Bulls are going to be without Derrick Rose for a while, and acquiring more depth in the backcourt should be priority No. 1 in the offseason.
Mehmet Okur to Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is in deep trouble.
Unless they are able to land Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, this team is going to be ancient.
That means getting a stopgap in the middle is the logical short-term solution. The loss of Tyson Chandler was glaring in Dallas this season, and they need a guy that can stretch the floor.
Brendan Haywood is the bruiser, but they desperately need a guy like Okur who can draw bigger defenders to the perimeter and open up the lane for the penetrating guards to do the rest.
Okur is coming off a forgettable year, but at the age of 32, there is certainly still gas left in the tank.
Steve Novak to Miami Heat
Mike Miller isn’t cutting it.
The Heat need a sharp-shooter that defenders can’t leave to help when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade penetrate in the lane.
Novak made less than a million dollars this season ($800,000), and while he’ll certainly receive a pay raise, he should be able to fit into the tight Heat budget.
Goran Dragic to Utah Jazz
Dragic was stuck behind Kyle Lowry on the Rockets' bench, but exploded once he went down with an injury.
He averaged 18.9 points, 7.7 assists and 1.8 steals in the month of April, and looked to be more than capable of handling 35 minutes a night.
If the Jazz learned anything in their sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, it’s that Devin Harris is not the answer. At the ripe age of 26, Dragic is ready to make a major impact for an up-and-coming team like Utah.
