NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Bargain-Bin Free Agents

NBA rosters are finally starting to take shape as the offseason's big free-agency rush has concluded.

Most squads have all five of their starters under contract, but they may be looking to fill out their rotation with bench guys who play a certain role. But as we have learned this summer, even those reserve players can cost a pretty penny, and cap-strapped teams will have to go a cheaper route.

Let's examine some of the recent buzz on three potential bench contributors who can be picked up at a reasonable price.

Norris Cole

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press/Associated Press

It's interesting how a player can go from unsung hero to an afterthought by merely changing teams.

Norris Cole achieved the former reputation during his tenure with the Miami Heat as an energy-packed reserve point guard for two championship-winning teams. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans at the 2015 trade deadline, and despite playing similar minutes and contributing similar production there, Cole fell off everybody's radar.

It's taken awhile for Cole to generate any buzz this offseason, but he's finally found some concrete interest from one team, per Sheridan Hoops' Michael Scotto:

If any team needs point guard help, it's Philly. The team used Isaiah Canaan and Ish Smith at the position toward the end of last season, and have only acquired Pierre Jackson at the 1 this summer, according to the Sixers' official website.

Cole is a restricted free agent, so the Pelicans do have the right to match any offer sheet he receives. However, they likely don't want to pay him more than $3.8 million annually, as the Times-Picayune's John Reid estimates.

Ryan Hollins

After they lost out on the services of DeAndre Jordan, the Dallas Mavericks have been looking for any type of big-man help they can get. They traded for Zaza Pachulia, but there are still plenty of minutes to be filled out at the power forward and center positions. Pachulia, Dirk Nowitzki, Jeremy Evans and Dwight Powell can't handle all of the playing time there, after all.

Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears says Ryan Hollins is one player Dallas is looking at to add to its roster:

Hollins wouldn't fill the void Jordan left, but he has proved throughout his career that he can be a very, very poor man's Jordan. Both are high-percentage, athletic pick-and-roll finishers and capable rim protectors, it's just that the Los Angeles Clippers center does both things much better—and he might also be the NBA's best rebounder to boot.

Hollins would be miscast by the Mavericks if he played any more than 15 minutes per game, but he can be a suitable alley-oop finisher for Deron Williams and a helpful defensive complement to the 37-year-old Nowitzki, who has the explosiveness of an elderly turtle at this point in his career. (No disrespect to the future Hall of Famer—he's got an amazing skill set).

Dorell Wright 

Quiz time: What is Dorell Wright's career high in minutes per game?

If you guessed 38.4 minutes, you're Wright (sorry, I just had to). The 29-year-old small forward played a surprisingly huge role for the 2010-11 Golden State Warriors, accumulating a minute total he hasn't touched since.

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Most recently, he's been a fringe rotation player for the Portland Trail Blazers, but the free agent reportedly wants a move back southeast, where he started his career.

Per the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, Wright has talked up the chances that he'll join the Miami Heat, although the team has said they haven't been pursuing him. The Heat already have veterans Luol Deng and Gerald Green and promising youngsters Justise Winslow and James Ennis at small forward, so adding Wright might be unnecessary.

"

And, yes, with Gerald Green in, highly unlikely Dorell Wright gets his wish for Heat reunion this offseason. Although at minimum . . .

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) July 9, 2015"

If the swingman doesn't head to South Beach, he could be a strong buy-low candidate for a team looking for help at backup small forward. He's a solid three-point shooter and has the athleticism to be a useful defender.