NBA Power Rankings: Each Team's Best Available Free Agent In the Summer of 2011
It's never too early to start talking about upcoming NBA free agents, especially with the trade deadline just a couple weeks away.
Expiring contracts hold a lot of capital on the trade market, and teams may start dealing players they don't think they can re-sign.
GM are not making moves now without considering the long-term effects, meaning they must take the free agent situation into account.
So who will be the most coveted free agents this summer? Here, we power rank the best available players from each NBA team.
30. Chris Quinn: San Antonio Spurs
1 of 30
Ain't it great to be the Spurs? Best record in the league, great team chemistry, and the ultra-expendable Chris Quinn is your only one free agent-to-be.
Tim Duncan has an Early Termination Option (ETO), which means he can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, but we all know he's not going anywhere. Everyone else is locked up until at least 2012.
Quinn is your classic 15th man: probably a great locker room guy who will never earn legitimate playing time. Will he have a job next year? Not guaranteed, but I'm sure he hopes the Spurs keep him on.
29. Joel Przybilla: Portland Trail Blazers
2 of 30
Now that Wally Szczerbiak is out of the league, Joel Przybilla is the NBA player with the most difficult name to spell. He also might have the best nickname, "Vanilla Gorilla!"
Otherwise, Przybilla is nothing special. He's a solid backup center who bangs bodies and rebounds well, but he's extremely offensively limited.
Still, Przybilla and his 6 available fouls will definitely find a home where he will be a valuable part of the rotation.
28. Kurt Thomas: Chicago Bulls
3 of 30
Kurt Thomas is like a redwood tree: really old and really sturdy. Due to injuries, the 38-year-old has been forced to start 25 games for the Bulls, and he has been an essential part of their success.
Though Thomas is clearly on the downside of his career, he still seems to have gas in the tank. This summer he will be signed by a contender - possibly Chicago again - to play a reserve role and provide experience.
27. Mario Chalmers: Miami Heat
4 of 30
Who knows what will happen with Mario Chalmers' career. He's shown flashes of ability, enough to be considered a potential starter, but he has been inconsistent and unreliable.
With the current makeup of the Heat, Chalmers is merely asked to be a spot-up shooter and play good defense. Even in those limited capacities, he hasn't exactly excelled.
It's hard to imagine Miami matching any offer sheet to the restricted free agent, but it's also hard to imagine any other team tendering Chalmers a sizable offer. Yet, teams always gamble on players who display any amount of promise.
26. Kwame Brown: Charlotte Bobcats
5 of 30
Wow, Kwame Brown is making a Power Ranking list with the word "Best" in the title?! And it isn't even about best jokes in NBA history?
Enough ribbing the big guy. Kwame has taken as much abuse as any NBA player, and no one is denying that he is one of the biggest busts ever, but he's become a useful backup center. If you separate him from his draft position, he deserves a spot in the league.
Boris Diaw could become a free agent, bu he will most likely pick up his lucrative $9 million player option for 2011-12. Doubtful he would get paid more than the mid-level exception in the future.
25. Corey Brewer: Minnesota Timberwolves
6 of 30
Corey Brewer is that typical super-athletic swingman who never completely puts the game together.
After making strides last year, when he averaged 13 points per game, he has ostensibly regressed. This season he has been in and out of the starting lineup and has shot extremely poorly.
He's only 24, though, and the talent remains, so Brewer is not a lost cause. Maybe Minnesota's just not the place for him. It would not be surprising to see the restricted free agent receive a decent offer sheet.
24. Reggie Williams: Golden State Warriors
7 of 30
Whether Reggie Williams is purely a product of the Warriors' wide open system is up for debate, but he has demonstrated the ability to score the rock. This season he has been a dead-eye three-point specialist, shooting 42% from beyond the arc.
Williams needs to improve in other aspects of the game if he wants to be a long-term starter in the league, but he has skills that will make him a desired offseason target.
23. Michael Redd: Milwaukee Bucks
8 of 30
Several years ago, Michael Redd would be at the top of this list. Before his multiple serious knee injuries, Redd was one of the premier scorers in the league. He could stroke it from deep, get to the rim, and score many ways in between.
Unfortunately, Redd has spent the better part of the last three years on the sidelines, and it is unclear whether he will ever be able to regain his form.
Therefore, it was tough to decide where to rank him. He might never play significant minutes again, but he also might end up being a bargain on the free agent market.
22. DeAndre Jordan: Los Angeles Clippers
9 of 30
With Chris Kaman shelved with health issues, DeAndre Jordan has really emerged. He's still raw offensively, but he's one of the most explosive centers in the league.
He excels on the defense, where he blocks shots and collects rebounds, and he has become the Clippers' anchor on that end of the floor.
Young, athletic big men always leave scouts googly-eyed, so the 22-year-old restricted free agent should have plenty of suitors come summer time. Unless the price is exorbitant, Los Angeles would be wise to hold on to this one.
21. Shannon Brown: Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 30
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... Shannon Brown! Well, I guess Blake Griffin has stolen a little bit of his thunder when it comes to acrobatics in the City of Angels, but that doesn't make Brown any less exciting.
The high-flyer has consistently added different facets to his game, such as a dependable three-point shot, and he is one of the best sparkplugs in the league. Alas, his size and lack of playmaking skills currently preclude him from becoming a starter.
Brown has a player option for $2.4 million, but expect him not to exercise it. He will probably be able to earn more money with a new deal.
20. Marco Belinelli: New Orleans Hornets
11 of 30
When you think about the Hornets, I doubt you think about Marco Belinelli. Yet the starting shooting guard has been a key piece to the team's resurgence this season.
While he doesn't do any one thing spectacularly, Belinelli is an all-around solid player. Is he a starter on a championship contender? Borderline, but he's definitely in the rotation.
David West has an ETO, but he's got a good situation going, making a chunk of change and playing with Chris Paul.
19. Mike Dunleavy Jr: Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Just like Kwame Brown, people harp on Mike Dunleavy being a bust rather than acknowledging his finer points. True, he never became an elite scorer, but he shoots the ball well and is an underrated rebounder.
In the right situation, Dunleavy could be a crucial component to a competitive team, a guy that spaces the floor. For example, I'm sure the Lakers would love to have him as a sharpshooting option off the bench.
No matter where he goes, he's going to take a pay cut - this season he's making $10.5 million - but he's worth the mid-level exception.
18. Grant Hill: Phoenix Suns
13 of 30
What will happen first: Grant Hill retire or the sun consume the earth in its fiery blaze? Not an easy question.
Hill has made a remarkable comeback from horrible foot injuries that cost him the prime of his career. The 38-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, averaging 14 points and 5 boards. Not to mention the fact that he's a fantastic teammate.
For $3 million dollars, he's quite a bargain.
17. Leandro Barbosa: Toronto Raptors
14 of 30
Over the last several years Leandro Barbosa has appeared to lose a little something. Perhaps it's a step of quickness, which shouldn't happen to a 28-year-old, or perhaps it's just been the makeup of his Phoenix and Toronto squads.
When he's on, he's as dangerous a bench scorer as there is, and there's no reason to assume he won't regain his deadliness, especially with the right team.
Barbosa has a player option, but it makes sense for him to leave because the Raptors aren't going anywhere. If he decides to pick up the option, then rebound machine Reggie Evans becomes the best free agent in Canada.
16. Carl Landry: Sacramento Kings
15 of 30
After a breakout 2009-10, Carl Landry has fallen back down to earth. He's also fallen out of the starting lineup; coach Paul Westphal doesn't think he's the answer at power forward that the Kings were expecting when they traded for him last season.
Though undersized, Landry has always been a tough player who can put the ball in the bucket. His main problem is that he is not an effective rebounder.
His contract year has not turned out as Landry would have hoped, so it's doubtful he'll receive big bucks.
15. Troy Murphy: New Jersey Nets
16 of 30
Poor Troy Murphy, returning home to New Jersey and then getting stuck on the bench behind Derrick Favors and Kris Humphries. KRIS HUMPHRIES!
Surprising, considering Murphy has averaged almost a double-double throughout his career and shoots almost 40% from distance.
Though his time with the Nets has been a disaster, that does not necessarily mean he is washed up. He has tools that make him a valuable asset. He's another player that will never be able to make over $10 million again, but he will find a home.
14. Thaddeus Young: Philadelphia 76ers
17 of 30
Thaddeus Young is frustrating, mostly to the Philadelphia front office. He has shown glimpses of star capability, but he has also been maddeningly erratic.
Young is still a youngster at only 22 years of age, but will he ever realize his potential? Is he ready to be a full-time starter or is he more suited to coming off the bench?
That's the question GMs will be asking themselves this summer when deciding how much money to offer Young.
13. Kendrick Perkins: Boston Celtics
18 of 30
Kendrick Perkins, the odd man out in the Celtics Big 3+1 equation, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has been an invaluable part of Boston's success over the last few years, but he might not thrive as well in other situations.
Though his offensive game is slowly developing, Perkins' usefulness lies in his toughness and defense. Teams without other balanced offensive weapons should be wary of overpaying him. Moreover, you would assume that Perkins would love to stay with the Celtics, but money makes people do crazy things.
Note: Ray Allen has a $10 million player option that he will almost assuredly pick up.
12. Andrei Kirilenko: Utah Jazz
19 of 30
Once upon a time, Andrei Kirilenko was the next big thing. The rangy, athletic, Swiss Army knife of a basketball player, he had more tools than Bob the Builder.
However, it's been proven that he's not a star-type, rather a do-a-little-bit-of-everything role player. He's the type of guy you love to have but don't want to rely on.
Kirilenko has also gotten a reputation as one of the most overcompensated players in the league, which is fair considering is $17.8 million salary.
11. Rodney Stuckey: Detroit Pistons
20 of 30
I'm not sure where the Pistons are headed or if they even have a plan for the future. Their draft picks and free agent signings don't really make coherent sense.
So it would be wise to expect their best player to leave. Rodney Stuckey has also been stuck in neutral the last couple years, and a change of scenery would do him a world of good.
Although he never made the predicted leap to greatness, he is a young explosive combo guard who defends exceptionally well. As a restricted free agent, he should get a lot of looks.
10. Mo Williams: Cleveland Cavaliers
21 of 30
There is a very short list of people in America less happy than Mo Williams. After being LeBron's sidekick on contending Cleveland teams, he has battled injury and ineffectiveness this season, and rumors have it that the Cavaliers are ready to part with him
Williams has an ETO, but it is still up in the air whether he will use it. Leaving would give him a better chance of being on a competitive team and having fun again, but he might not receive the same type of money.
He's a genuine starter in the NBA, just not a second fiddle on a title team.
9. Josh Howard: Washington Wizards
22 of 30
Due to knee surgery costing him much of the past year, Josh Howard has been a forgotten man in Washington.
Remember that back in his heyday with the Mavs, he was extremely effective, a versatile scorer and lockdown wing defender. Furthermore, he played with uncommon energy and hustle.
Howard's future is obviously uncertain, but if he bounces back from injury, he will again deserve a starting spot on a playoff team and the accordant money.
8. Aaron Brooks: Houston Rockets
23 of 30
Aaron Brooks is another player whose production has dropped this season. He suffered an ankle injury early in the season and then lost his starting gig to Kyle Lowry.
When healthy, though, Brooks has displayed the ability to flat out light up the scoreboard, and his playmaking ability has steadily improved. Brooks should command considerable interest this offseason.
Yao Ming is also a free agent, but after the injuries we just don't know if he'll ever play again.
7. Jamal Crawford: Atlanta Hawks
24 of 30
Despite being labeled a "non-winner," Jamal Crawford is one of the best pure scorers in the league. He can turn around a game's complexion faster than you can say "Atlanta Hawks."
Explosive scorers are always highly sought after during free agency, so Crawford's phone should be ringing a lot.
Just don't expect him to receive a max deal. He is too one-dimensional to be a star in the league.
6. Jason Richardson: Orlando Magic
25 of 30
Jason Richardson has been a man on the move the last four years, playing for Golden State, Charlotte, Phoenix, and now Orlando. It's surprising that a scorer of his caliber been traded this often.
J-Rich can score in a variety of ways, and we all know he can energize the crowd with his ridiculous dunks.
As an unrestricted free agent, it wouldn't surprise anyone if Richardson donned yet another jersey next season. I'm not sure Orlando is willing to pay the price to retain his services.
5. Jeff Green: Oklahoma City Thunder
26 of 30
Jeff Green is the unheralded member of Oklahoma City's core. He does not receive the same publicity or attention as Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, as he does not have the same superstar potential, but he is absolutely vital to the team.
Doubts persist, though, whether he can be the third best player on a championship team or whether he would be better suited to a smaller role.
Green will be a restricted free agent, and it should be interesting to see what happens if he gets a big offer somewhere. The Thunder are known for their chemistry and unity, so holding onto Green might be a priority.
4. Wilson Chandler: New York Knicks
27 of 30
Wilson Chandler is a matchup nightmare, considering he possesses the offensive skills to play shooting guard, small forward, or power forward and can defend all three positions as well.
Chandler has been the subject of many trade rumors this season due to the Knicks quest to land Carmelo Anthony. If a trade were to happen, he would be a primary part of the deal.
Assuming a Melo deal does not go down midseason and Anthony instead plans to relocate to New York as a free agent, then there's no way the Knicks will match an offer sheet for the restricted free agent Chandler.
3. Caron Butler: Dallas Mavericks
28 of 30
Before Caron Butler went down with a ruptured patellar tendon early this season, the Dallas Mavericks were the hottest team in the league and confident about their championship chances.
Dallas is still playing well, recently winning nine games in a row, but do they still have the formula to win it all? They are about to incorporate Peja Stojakovic as the starting small forward, and Butler just announced that he hopes to return for the playoffs, but questions remain.
This might be the best opportunity for this Mavs' squad, as they have a bunch of key players becoming free agents: Butler, Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Stojakovic, and Jose Juan Barea.
It is doubtful that they can sign them all, and a healthy Butler will be widely desired this summer.
2. Zach Randolph: Memphis Grizzlies
29 of 30
Zach Randolph is a beast. Averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds, he is a double-double machine who has proved his consistency the last couple years in Memphis.
Z-Bo wants a max deal, and there are probably a few teams out there willing to bestow it upon him. Though he's not really a franchise player, NBA owners have repeatedly demonstrated willingness to overpay talented guys.
Just don't expect Memphis to do it. They're already seriously financially committed to Rudy Gay and Mike Conley.
1. Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
30 of 30
This one's a shocker, isn't it?
Although new reports link Carmelo to a possible Lakers deal, as it stands now the Nuggets' small forward will be a free agent come this summer.
Unlike last summer, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, and Chris Bosh were all free agents, Melo is only bona fide superstar in this year's class.
The Nuggets should be prepared to overhaul their roster, as several other core players might be leaving. Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith are unrestricted free agents, Nene has an ETO, and Arron Afflalo is a restricted free agent.
