NBA Free Agents 2012: Offseason Signings Who Will Make New Teams Contenders

NBA’s free agency has boosted several teams’ chances of competing in the 2012-13 season.

As it does every offseason, free agency provides teams a chance to fill in holes and bolster depth along their roster before heading into another campaign.

Which signings, though, have actually increased their teams' chances of making a push for an NBA title? I’ll explore three of the signings with the biggest impact in the following sub-sections.

Antawn Jamison to the Los Angeles Lakers

Forget the Dwight Howard trade that has captivated the NBA and the Lakers Nation. Howard brings a lot to the table but is not the only key addition for the Lakers this offseason.

Antawn Jamison is an excellent volume scorer who can fill in the void when Kobe Bryant goes cold or Metta World Peace needs a breather. He’s a defensive liability, so read that last line carefully.

But he isn’t going to be asked to play much defense in L.A. The stretch forward is going to be utilized to his best fit by Mike Brown—as a scorer.

Scoring is something that escaped the Lakers at times in 2012, and Jamison is here to rectify that and get himself a ring before the bell tolls on his fading career.

Gerald Green to the Indiana Pacers

Green’s 2012 season stat line of 12.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 SPG doesn’t paint the full picture of just what he brings to the table for the Pacers. It just doesn’t do justice to the versatility, athleticism and excitement he will bring to their bench.

The Pacers are coming off of a very successful 2012 campaign and will be greatly improved with Green in their rotation.

While Green himself is not going to propel the Pacers to the top of the Eastern conference, the addition will undoubtedly keep the wheels churning as they work towards that goal this year. After all, all streets to the NBA Finals go through Miami.

Ray Allen to the Miami Heat

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. The Miami Heat are the defending champions. They’re already contenders.

With the draft and movement of other players around the league, no team should rest on its laurels and be content with their roster, even if it’s already filled with NBA All-Stars.

Allen’s Boston betrayal is Miami’s gain.

With the penetration ability of LeBron and Dwyane Wade, Allen is going to enjoy the most cushion he’s ever had from his favorite spot—the three-point line.

For a guy who has one of the quickest releases from the arc in the NBA, that just screams mismatch.

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