NBA Free Agents 2013: Highlighting Best Player Available at Each Position

It’s that time of year again. The NBA postseason is nearing its crescendo, and 27 teams are left to look toward next season and their plans for rejuvenation in pursuit of an NBA championship. And of course, fans of those teams are right there with them.

With the NBA draft drawing near, focus is gradually turning to the offseason process, including what lies ahead with the start of free agency on July 1.

Given the restrictive nature of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, free-agent dealings take a lot of crafty maneuvering and salary-cap management—they also sometimes necessitate inflated contracts and maximum salaries for players not necessarily worth of a huge contract.

That’s the nature of the beast.

But for the following list of players, a maximum contract is almost guaranteed. Apart from one aging veteran and a combo guard who could be a boom-or-bust signing, each player is in line for a massive payday.

Let’s take a look at the best available player at each position this summer and break down some of the factors that will make each a hot commodity on the free-agent market. Read on.

Point Guard: Chris Paul

This year’s free-agent point guard class is a talented group that includes the likes of Brandon Jennings, Devin Harris and Jeff Teague, but Chris Paul is far and away the best free-agent point guard on the market this summer.

And as such, there will be no shortage of teams hoping to cash in on the superstar with a maximum contract. Luckily for the Clippers, there are few teams talented enough to surround CP3 with the players to make the move worthwhile.

There’s always the possibility Paul decides to test the waters, but Los Angeles has to be the leading candidate to retain his services and lock him up to a long-term deal.

The league’s most complete point guard is on the radar of several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, who hope to pursue both Paul and Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (per Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld):

Obviously such a scenario is a pipe dream for most teams in the league, and it may not hold water when free agency opens up. Still, it will be interesting to see if the pair’s fate on the free-agent market is ultimately linked.

 

Shooting Guard: Monta Ellis

Manu Ginobili is a more attractive free-agent option, but he’s also eight years older than Monta Ellis and extremely unlikely to leave San Antonio this offseason.

If Andre Iguodala can be considered a shooting guard on the free-agent market, he could also garner some consideration as the best available at the position, but when it comes to a pure scoring guard with potential to earn a maximum contract, Ellis gets the nod.

Milwaukee featured an extremely crowded backcourt last season, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Ellis tested the waters this summer in search of a maximum contract from a team willing to afford him big minutes. Whether those minutes come at the point guard or shooting guard position remains to be seen, but he probably won’t care as long as a big contract comes with it.

The Bucks are going to have to decide between Ellis and Brandon Jennings at some point, and with both being free agents, Jennings is the more likely candidate to stay in town given his qualifying offer and Ellis’ early-termination option. And there will be no shortage of squads interested in Ellis’ 19-plus points-per-game career average.

 

Small Forward: Paul Pierce

Yes, he’s 35 years old and in the twilight of his career, but Paul Pierce is far from finished. With 18.6 points, 4.8 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game last season, the Celtics star proved he is still capable of carrying an offense in the NBA.

Pierce isn’t an unrestricted free agent, but he does carry a 2013-14 salary that is non-guaranteed. Some believe the Celtics best option is to amnesty the star forward to create cap room for a rebuild, and if that happens, Pierce will hit the open market with plenty of potential suitors.

Iguodala (early-termination clause) and Chandler Parsons (non-guaranteed salary) also deserve some consideration to top this list, but only because of Pierce’s age and potentially limited time left in the league.

But any way you slice it, Pierce can still play ball, and there isn’t a better small forward who could become available this summer.

 

Power Forward: Josh Smith

Atlanta failed to secure a deal to send Josh Smith out of town prior to the trade deadline (despite its best efforts), and the Hawks are now likely to receive nothing in return for the star forward.

Smith may not warrant a maximum contract on the open market, but he’s certainly in line for one. Given the limited amount of top-tier talent available, the 27-year-old will benefit from the inflated contracts often given out to fringe-stars and top scoring threats.

Should Smith walk as expected, Atlanta will have plenty of cap room with which to work in its efforts to obtain a couple superstar-caliber players like Paul and Howard. There’s simply no reason for Danny Ferry to overpay in order to keep him in town.

As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld points out, Smith could be one of the first dominoes to fall after Howard’s fate is decided:

 

Center: Dwight Howard

Speaking of Howard.

The league’s best big man had one foot out the door before the Lakers’ season was ever finished, and it’s more than likely he’ll be left to walk in free agency without so much as a handshake. Given Los Angeles’ luxury tax situation and Kobe Bryant’s elongated recovery time, there’s little reason to even make him an offer.

That said, Howard is still a dominant center with the skills to put any team in championship contention. He just has to stay healthy and find a team willing to cater to him.

That second part may be the most difficult, however. It’s no secret Howard and Stan Van Gundy didn’t mesh in Orlando, and Mike D’Antoni didn’t fare much better in Los Angeles. Any team willing to shell out top dollar for Howard has to make sure it has the coaching to deal with his often-difficult attitude.

But that won’t stop half the league from pursuing the big man this summer. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Howard already has a list of teams he’s interested in playing for next season—a list that includes the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.