10 NBA Teams That Will Never Be a Factor in Free Agency

When it comes to the NBA's biggest game off the court, some teams just never seem to come out winners.

Free agency can be both a blessing and a curse, but if played right and executed properly, teams can set themselves up for immediate success.

While teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat will always be attractive destinations in free agency, others are destined to fall flat when it comes to signing big-name players.

Due to small markets, poor history of success, geographical location or other factors, the following teams will just never be a major factor when it comes to free agency.

Utah Jazz

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Randy Foye, one year, $2.5 million

Utah is a beautiful state, with the Great Salt Lake and all the mountain biking courses a man could possibly want.

Unfortunately, this just doesn't seem to appeal to the endorsement-hungry players of the NBA.

The Jazz have always built their team through the draft and trades, with their top players (Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Mo Williams, Marvin Williams, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter) all acquired through such means.

While they've been largely successful the past with this method, Utah may have an opportunity to reverse this trend, as it only has around $25 million in committed salary for the 2013-2014 season.

The Jazz will have the cap space next summer, but will it make a difference?

Cleveland Cavaliers

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: C.J. Miles, two years, $4 million 

Cleveland hasn't exactly had the best free-agent haul lately, as evidenced by the LeBron James years.

In no year was this more evident than 2005, the last year Cleveland had any real cap room until now.  Originally going after Michael Redd, the Bucks star decided to return to Milwaukee, and in turn, had the Cavs scramble to fill his role with the likes of Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones.

$100 million later and with little talent to show for it, the Cavs have been without a prime free agent since. 

Cleveland has gone the route of cap-clearing and draft pick stocking the past few years, and with good results.

While playing alongside Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao and others may be tempting, it just won't be enough to bring the top free agents to Cleveland.

Detroit Pistons

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Vyacheslav Kravtsov, two years, $3 million

Detroit, like Cleveland, is a Midwestern blue-collar town full of hard-working people who deserve to see a winning basketball team.

All of which means nothing to star free agents.

Handicapped by poor free-agent investments in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, Detroit had to settle this season for undrafted international big man Kravtsov as its big signing.

The Pistons had an incredible run for much of the past 10 years, and did so without a single star free agent.

Detroit has to hope that it can once again continue this trend, because the Motor City just isn't a slick enough destination for NBA stars to park.

Toronto Raptors

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Landry Fields, three years, $18 million 

Toronto is a beautiful city, but it seems as if the thought of playing across the border has scared off free agents over the years.

In fact, arguably the biggest free agent to sign with the Raptors recently has been Hedo Turkoglu, one that the Raptors most definitely regret.

Toronto did dole out some cash this summer to Landry Fields, but overpaid so much that even the Knicks decided to let him walk.

Canada offers a lot of positives, but the thought of moving out of country and enduring a long, harsh winter seems to be too much of a turnoff for many.

Indiana Pacers

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: D.J. Augustin, one year, $3.5 million

Indiana deserves some credit for its recent signings of David West, Gerald Green and Augustin the past two years, but it's not exactly the Heat free-agent haul of 2010.

The Pacers are another small-market team that is forced to rely on smart drafting and the occasional trade.  Landing Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, Paul George and Tyler Hansbrough in the draft are what made this team great.

Even there, standing as one of the best teams in the East won't attract big-name free agents to what is often referred to as a "fly-over state."

Indiana is one of the premier destinations for high school basketball stars, just not their pro equivalents.

Sacramento Kings

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Aaron Brooks, two years, $6 million

The Maloof brothers have seen their share of ups and downs during their ownership of the Kings, and it may be the uncertainty of the franchise that continues to keep free agents away.

While a move to Virginia Beach has been shot down for now, it may be necessary for luring free agents.

The fact is, if a player is eyeing a move to California, star-studded LA or the trendy vibe of the Bay Area is going to be much more attractive than Sacramento.

Getting Aaron Brooks for a cap-friendly deal was a nice move for them, but won't exactly send the season ticket holders into a frenzy.

Once the franchise finds a more attractive home, if it does, free agents may take a second look at the Kings.

For now, LA just seems a little brighter.

Memphis Grizzlies

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Jerryd Bayless, two years, $6 million

Memphis is on the rise in the Western Conference, albeit no thanks to any big free-agent signings.

The Grizzlies, whether in Vancouver or now Memphis, just haven't been a hot spot for the league's best players.

In fact, the biggest names to don a Memphis uniform the past few years may be Gilbert Arenas and Allen Iverson, both of who were way past their prime.

The good news for the Grizzlies is that they can't exactly be turned away by anybody of significance in free agency the next two years due to the fact that they're projected to be over the cap in salaries they already have on the team.

New Orleans Hornets

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Ryan Anderson in a sign-and-trade, four years, $36 million

The Hornets are going through a significant turnaround highlighted by draft picks Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers.

They also decided to match the restricted free agent deal to Eric Gordon and made their own free-agent splash by landing Anderson from Orlando in a sign-and-trade.

For free agents to want to come to New Orleans, however, the Hornets are going to have to extremely overpay, as they did with the $36 million to Anderson, a player who made a living shooting threes next to Dwight Howard with the Magic.

The evidence that New Orleans won't be a factor in free agency lies in its history, as even with the game's best point guard in Chris Paul, the Hornets couldn't sign a single All-Star player to compliment him.

How bad was his help?  In 2010, the Hornets' key free-agent signing was none other than D.J. Mbenga.

Yikes.

Charlotte Bobcats

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing:  Ramon Sessions, two years, $10 million

The Bobcats have stunk on the court lately, and it's carried over into their free-agent recruits as well.

Sessions is a fine young point guard, but he's not going to turn the franchise around.

Kris Humphries even passed up what could have been a starring role with Charlotte to return to the Brooklyn Nets as a fifth option offensively.

For the Bobcats, it's less about geography and more about winning and losing.

North Carolina is beautiful and has the benefit of the NBA's greatest player of all-time being around practice on a daily basis.  As a player, though, one can't help but be turned off by the perpetual losing that the franchise has endured since its inception in 2005.

When Kwame Brown is one of the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history, there's a problem.

Milwaukee Bucks

Biggest 2012 Free-Agent Signing: Joel Przybilla, one year, $1.3 million

Apparently, the Midwest just isn't an attractive place to be.

For all the beer and brats one can enjoy in Milwaukee, it's not the most endorsement-friendly part of America.

Is money more important than a good piece of sausage?  That may be debatable for some, but remains the general consensus among NBA players.

The Bucks' star-studded free-agent list the past few years has consisted of Przybilla, Mike Dunleavy, Earl Boykins, Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Skinner and Drew Gooden.

The beer may be flowing in Milwaukee, but the free agents certainly aren't.