NBA Free Agents 2012: Overrated Players Teams Should Stay Away from

Not every free agent is a smart buy. 

With NBA free agency approaching, many NBA teams and their fans are likely excited about improving with new acquisitions, but they should probably also prepare for the inevitable over-paid busts. 

It's a bit of a pessimistic look at things, but when it comes down to it, these things happen every year. 

Whether a player is coming off a career year or teams are expecting a bounce-back year from someone who is washed up or overrated, players will get overpaid.

Let's take a look at the likely candidates.

Nick Young, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

I don't really mind signing Young to a contract that equates to him coming off the bench as the sixth or seventh man, but if he gets starter money, then it's a problem. 

Young is your classic instant-offense, high-volume shooter. 

Yes, he averaged 17.4 points a season ago with the Wizards, but that was a result of a career-high .441 shooting percentage. Yes, his career high in shooting percentage is 44 percent.

Yuck.

When Young went to the Clippers, his scoring dropped to 9.7 points per game, and while that is partly because his minutes decreased, it's also because the career 43-percent shooter shot just 39 percent.

On top of his incredible inefficiency, Young doesn't do much else. In 23 minutes per game during his career, the former Trojan averages 0.9 assists and 0.5 steals per game. 

No thanks.

Kris Humphries, PF, Brooklyn Nets

And no, this isn't just because "I've got Kim's back" or some ridiculous reason that has to do with that non-celebrity. 

Humphries, in my mind, is in a similar boat as Young. I like him as a role player, but if he gets an increase over the $8 million he made in 2011-12, then I don't really like him anymore. 

The 27-year-old out of Minnesota is a terrific rebounder—there's no questioning that. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 10.4 and 11.0 per game. 

Here's the problem with Humphries, however. He's just 6'9", so he can't protect the rim very well and he's not an elite scorer, although he improved in that area this season.

His main contribution is going to be on the glass, and even his numbers in that department (per 48 minutes) dropped last season.

While some teams are going to be ready to give Humphries big-time money, I wouldn't be willing to pay top dollar for 14, 11 and mediocre defense. 

I wouldn't call Humphries overrated, per se, but he's going to get paid too much this summer. I can feel it. 

Spencer Hawes, C, Philadelphia 76ers

For about 85 percent of his career, Spencer Hawes has been less than mediocre. Fortunately for him, the other 15 percent came at points this season, and that's going to get him paid. 

There was a time this year when Hawes was actually filling up the box scores, but in the end, he's really only going to give you somewhere around 12 points and seven rebounds per game to go along with some solid passing. And that's his ceiling.

Decent, but nothing special. 

Nonetheless, his 7'1" frame and nice potential are going to make teams forget about his limited offensive game down low, his propensity to slack off or disappear from possessions and his less than stellar ability to stay healthy. 

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