NBA Free Agency 2012: 7 Veterans Who Will Fly Under the Radar

As NBA teams look to make a splash in free agency, some veteran players will make little noise but have a big impact on their future teams.

In the lightning-paced news cycle of NBA free agency, sometimes it isn't the better player who is highlighted but the flashier one. A guy like Nick Young comes to mind. The man known as Swaggy P will surely draw media coverage when he signs due to his charisma on and off the court.

However, there are unassuming players every bit as good as Young, some of whom were his teammates, who will be overshadowed by him this summer. That doesn't matter to them, though. These are not guys who make their presence felt through the media; they will make themselves known on the court.

Here are seven veterans free agents who fit this billing.

Reggie Evans

While Young was raining threes during the Clippers' playoff run, Reggie Evans made his impact doing the dirty work that doesn't always show up in the box score.

Coming off the bench, the unsung forward provided the solid interior play that Los Angeles lacked with the finesse Blake Griffin on the floor. Evans' 13.8 minutes per game were not pretty, but his hard-nosed style and physical presence inside is something any team could benefit from.

At first glance, Evans' stat line does not support claims of his rebounding prowess. However, averaging 4.8 rebounds in fewer than 14 minutes on the court is more impressive than it looks. Prorated to a starter's playing time, Evans averaged 12.7 rebounds per 36 minutes last season.

Compare these numbers to those of another L.A. big man, Andrew Bynum. Though Bynum averaged seven more rebounds per game than Evans, Bynum trails him by 0.6 rebounds per 36 minutes.

This is not to say that Evans is quietly a dominant power forward waiting for playing time. But the seasoned vet will make up for his dearth of scoring with his rebounding and defense, traits that some organization will appreciate greatly next season.

Carl Landry

It looked like Carl Landry was on the verge of making a leap three years ago when he averaged 16.8 points and 5.9 rebounds playing for the Rockets and Kings. Now 28 years old, his 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Hornets do not look quite so attractive.

Unlike Evans, Landry does not have a single exemplary skill that makes him a wise free-agent target. He shot below his career field-goal percentage last season, but still managed to post a .505 mark. He does not dominate inside, but still plays strong. Landry is just a pretty good all-around power forward.

But like Evans, Landry's numbers benefit from a closer look. In his career year in 2009-2010, Landry averaged 19.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. Coming mostly off the bench this season with New Orleans, he averaged 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per 36 minutes.

So perhaps Landry never did break out like it seemed he would, but he is actually no worse a player than the guy who was such an attractive option for the Kings in 2010. Whether or not he starts is not an issue. When he sees the court, Landry will make the same impact.

Courtney Lee

At just 24 and only four years of NBA experience, Courtney Lee is barely a veteran. On the other hand, Lee has been flying under the radar his entire career.

The 6'5" shooting guard has never averaged more than 12.5 points per game, nor has he shot better than .450 from the field. At the other end of the court, Lee has the range and athleticism to be a great defender, but he is not there yet.

In his one chance to play in the postseason, Lee was a rookie coming off the bench for the Magic. He later had chances to start in both New Jersey and Houston, but he has never fit perfectly in that role.

Rather, Lee would excel as a three-point specialist and perimeter defender. He has shot better than 40 percent from three-point range in three of his four NBA seasons, so it was his attempts to be a traditional shooting guard and slash to the hoop that has hurt his numbers.

Whatever team signs Lee is likely getting what it pays for. He could improve as a defender, but this is otherwise who he is as a player. If he isn't relied upon too heavily, Lee will produce.

Leandro Barbosa

During the Mike D'Antoni era in Phoenix, Leandro Barbosa was lauded for his ability to run and gun in the up-tempo offense. His playing time has since diminished because he has become a victim of ill-fitting circumstances.

Under Alvin Gentry, the Suns' offensive pace began to slow, and Barbosa's numbers declined. His move to more methodical offenses in Toronto and Indiana has not helped matters.

However, his production dip in 2011-2012 can be chalked up to his transition into the Pacers' system. While his mark of 16.2 points per 36 minutes was his lowest in seven years, he was averaging 19.1 points per 36 minutes in the sluggish Toronto offense before he was traded.

Barbosa is a potent offensive weapon off the bench in the right system. He will certainly sign with a team that pushes the ball, giving him the support to play his best basketball.

Raymond Felton

Circumstances damaged Barbosa's reputation over a number of years. For Raymond Felton, the fall from grace was swifter and more severe.

Slam Online told of the rift between Felton and Blazers coach Nate McMillan last February. With his confidence waning and his rhythm thrown off, Felton struggled in his worst shooting season in years.

Though he has never been an efficient scorer, Felton did not have a field-goal percentage below .420 since 2008-2009. As a result of his poor .407 percentage from the field, he averaged a career-low 12.9 points per 36 minutes.

This is coming from a player who averaged 16 points per 36 minutes pushing the pace with the New York Knicks. Felton is a serviceable point guard who was undone by a bad fit. All it takes is a coach who understands his needs for Felton to bounce back.

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford is one of the best volume scorers in the league, but he is not the most interesting one.

From Chicago to Portland and everywhere in between, Crawford has lived and died with the jumper. He does not score efficiently, but he electrifies the offense when he catches fire.

While this type of player is a hot commodity, Crawford did not seem to play up to his ability with only 14 points per game. Whether his decline in production is real or perceived (he still averaged 18.7 points per 36 minutes), scoring guards like Young and Lou Williams have more potential and buzz than Crawford.

Crawford may not be the best of his kind on the market—Williams has probably surpassed him—and he will not get the same hype the younger guys around him will receive, which has the potential to impact his next contract.

Mo Williams

Mo Williams will not be a high-profile free agent this summer, and he can partially blame Nick Young for that.

Williams was the Clippers' first scoring option off the bench to start the season. He got off to a hot start in January, shooting .529 from the field and .467 from three en route to 15.4 points per game. However, Young's arrival cut into Williams' scoring opportunities. He posted double-digit point totals in only three of the Clippers' 11 playoff games.

But what Williams has done lately should not overshadow what he has demonstrated the ability to do. His 16.8 points per 36 minutes were just 0.4 above his career average, and he has not fallen below 16 since 2005-2006. As his minutes diminished, so did his numbers. A change of scenery is the simplest way to fix this.

But unfortunately for Williams, his descent into obscurity as the season wore on will influence his summer. As much of an asset as he is to a team, Williams' free agency will be quieter than he deserves.