2011 NBA Free Agents: Jamal Crawford and Each Key Eastern Conference Re-Signing
The 2011 NBA offseason won't boast the superstar names of last year, but it will include key supporting pieces like Jamal Crawford.
The NBA offseason and its roster moves are one of the most intriguing and well-followed facets of the sport.
As many teams already spent their cap space during last year's LeBron-ocalypse, and with the potential lockout looming, money might be tight this time around.
Still, there are always those buyers willing to overpay for a coveted prize. There are certainly enough interesting prospects and near-stars to justify a few bidding wars this summer.
Yet, for every name that might move, there's a greater number that will be equally sought after by their own teams. In alphabetical order, these are the guys who can't get poached if their Eastern Conference franchises are to move forward at all.
Note: We'll look at the Western Conference later next week...
Atlanta Hawks: Jamal Crawford (G)
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Though his scoring and efficiency numbers dropped this past season, Jamal Crawford remains one of the best spark-plug sixth men in the NBA.
With his ability to play either guard position and be trusted with starters' minutes off the bench, Crawford's versatility and scoring prowess have fueled the Atlanta Hawks playoff hopes for the past two seasons.
As both a shooter and basket attacker, Crawford often bridges the minutes that Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are on the bench, while then also closing out games alongside the rest of the Hawks core.
With a current contract worth nearly $11 million per year, it will be costly for the Hawks to retain Jamal Crawford. At the same time, it would be equally costly to lose him.
Boston Celtics: Jeff Green (F)
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Glen Davis is an unrestricted free agent, and therefore has a greater chance to be pried away than the restricted Jeff Green. Yet, Davis' inconsistent concentration has sometimes tarnished his long-term value in Boston.
On the other hand, Jeff Green has the ability to play both forward positions, thereby backing up both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. He'd also potentially replace Glen Davis, if Davis walks.
What's more, losing Green to a huge qualifying offer would mean that the much-maligned Kendrick Perkins trade basically happened for nothing. It's unlikely that the Celtics would allow Green to go, as he appears a key to their post-Big Three plans.
They may have to pay up accordingly.
Charlotte Bobcats: Joel Przybilla (C)
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Boris Diaw would have been on this list, but he wisely decided to pick up his ridiculous $9 million player option for next season.
Instead, the Charlotte Bobcats will be looking at retaining Joel Przybilla. He's by no means a star, but when healthy, is one of the more solid defensive big men in the league.
He's mobile enough and can rebound effectively, but injuries will certainly lower his current $7.4 million per year price tag. Since the capped-out Bobcats will not have enough cash to bring in a more expensive option. They'll be limited to re-signing their own and hoping for the best.
With only DeSagana Diop and Kwame Brown to choose from, Przybilla would certainly be a valuable enough addition to Charlotte's questionable front line.
Chicago Bulls: Kurt Thomas (PF/C)
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Outside of little-used Brian Scalabrine, Rasual Butler and backup guards Jannero Pargo and John Lucas III, Kurt Thomas is the only other expiring contract for the Chicago Bulls in 2011.
It's entirely possible that the 15-year veteran will retire after this season. That would be unfortunate, as Thomas has provided yeoman defense and jump shooting whether off the bench or as a spot starter.
While Omer Asik and Taj Gibson are clearly intended to be the Bulls' second front line of the future, Thomas' veteran know-how and leadership, as well as his ability to contribute at a moment's notice, would still be valuable for Chicago's championship aspirations.
If the Bulls fall short of a title this year, don't be surprised to see Thomas return for one more try on a veteran's minimum contract. He won't find too many better options than Chicago.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Anthony Parker (SG)
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For a team with so many needs, the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly don't have a lot of roster flexibility.
With Antawn Jamison and Baron Davis' huge contracts still on the books for two and three seasons respectively, the Cavaliers are stuck hoping to get lucky in the draft one more time around.
Since Ryan Hollins took his player option, Alonzo Gee and Anthony Parker are the only Cavs free agents this offseason. It's actually unlikely that Parker will stay, as he definitely would prefer to sign with a winner. Plus, Cleveland will be looking to upgrade its wing positions with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft.
Still, Parker lands on this list by default. The Cavs don't have a lot of cap space with which to lure free agents. Re-signing Anthony Parker, who will remain reasonably priced, might give them a minor trade chip to work with.
Detroit Pistons: Rodney Stuckey (G)
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Rodney Stuckey is your classic combo guard. He's got the size to play the 2, with a good enough handle to run the point.
Problem is just like other famous “tweener” guards, such as Jamal Crawford and Ben Gordon, Stuckey is better served spotting time at either position for shorter stretches, rather than being exposed by starting at one long-term.
The Detroit Pistons made the mistake of making Stuckey a full-time point, but with Richard Hamilton still around and Ben Gordon foolishly locked up for the long haul, they don't really have a choice.
Tayshaun Prince might get a nod on this list, but he's unrestricted, and probably as good as gone to a contender now that he's finally free.
Stuckey, a restricted free agent, may be playing out of position and looking for a big raise, but he's one of the new wave Pistons with some remaining upside.
Indiana Pacers: Josh McRoberts (PF)
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A better college player than he has been a pro, Josh McRoberts has still turned into a respectable depth forward.
At a healthy 6'10", his numbers and athleticism won't necessarily wow you, but the 24-year-old is one of the more efficient players on the Indiana Pacers. His numbers look a lot better when one considers that he was also the third-lowest paid player on the team.
What's more, other than a budding Tyler Hansbrough, McRoberts is the only other power forward currently on the roster. The front line does need to add more leaping ability, but one expects that to be done by replacing/demoting Jeff Foster.
With overpaid contracts like T.J. Ford and Mike Dunleavy about to expire, Josh McRoberts will expect a reasonable raise. The young Pacers would do their bench a favor by giving him one.
Miami Heat: Mario Chalmers (PG)
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The Miami Heat have quite a few free agents for this upcoming offseason. However, three of those six players are just "dead weight" big men, (Jamaal Magloire, Erick Dampier and Juwan Howard), who won't critically affect the roster.
Since Eddie House and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are likely to pick up their player options for next year, Mario Chalmers is the de-facto re-signing necessity. This appears feasible, as he's a restricted free agent anyway.
Actually, while Chalmers struggled to "get it" earlier in the season, he has turned in a decent stretch run for the Heat, especially on defense.
With Mike Bibby defining the word "retread," Mario Chalmers should continue to improve his outside shooting, playmaking ability and ball pressure. This development will be needed if he's to (very conceivably) wrest back a starting spot next year.
Milwaukee Bucks: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (F)
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The longest name in the NBA may have already hit his ceiling the minute he arrived in the league, but Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a Scott Skiles type of player.
This guy is a scrapper for everything, whether it is rebounds, steals or even blocked shots. His numbers will never wow you, but watching him hustle on defense while guarding all five positions will.
Should Mbah a Moute eventually add a corner three-point shot to his repertoire, it's entirely possible that he becomes the next (albeit slightly bigger) version of Bruce Bowen.
He's a restricted free agent and probably unlikely to get poached by a big payday, but the Milwaukee Bucks would be wise to keep Richard around—he's one of the few guys on the roster with a turbo-charged defensive motor.
New Jersey Nets: Kris Humphries (PF)
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Talk about having a contract year. Kris Humphries somehow doubled nearly every meaningful statistic in 2010 versus his previous six seasons.
New Jersey is obviously going to approach this cautiously; Humphries has been around long enough to suggest that this stat explosion might be an outlier.
Still, Humphries was such an absolute "board warrior," on a team that was otherwise devoid of anything close, that the Nets may be wise to outbid the numerous competitors who will surely come knocking.
Humphries pairs nicely with the suddenly soft Brook Lopez, and the Nets don't have a lot of other options at power forward. However, Humphries' raise could end up being so high that buyer's remorse will be inevitable.
New York Knicks: Shawne Williams (F)
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It's just nice to see Shawne Williams mentioned positively, after having nearly squandered his career during the previous three seasons.
Williams' stats and efficiency numbers certainly aren't eye-popping. He still has some athleticism, though his shooting percentage and shot selection must improve.
At the same time, his ability to spot minutes at three different positions makes him reasonably valuable to the New York Knicks. His numbers are also pretty decent when you consider that he was on a minimum contract last year.
With the Knicks not having a lot of cap space next year (that doesn't come until 2012), they'd be wise to retain a cheap contributor like Shawne Williams. His versatility alone is worth keeping around for the option-starved Knicks bench.
Orlando Magic: Earl Clark (F)
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You'd think that Jason Richardson should be on this list. Instead, I'm fairly convinced that, while Richardson may have a "big" name and contract to match, he's actually a prime candidate to be moving on.
Disappearing again in the playoffs will have that effect.
The Orlando Magic are so desperately thin on their front line that retaining Earl Clark is a matter of necessity, especially when you consider that the youngster has a "still filling out" 6'10" frame.
Clark's quickness and athleticism are certainly intriguing. The Magic don't have a lot of developmental guys in the wings, and Clark is one of the few prospects they have left to build on.
Earl Clark and Daniel Orton might secretly be the future of Orlando's front line, especially if a Dwight Howard departure detonates this franchise back into rebuilding mode.
Philadelphia 76ers: Thaddeus Young (F)
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Surely, you didn't expect to see Tony Battie, Jason Kapono, Darius Songaila or Antonio Daniels on this list, did you? Spencer Hawes doesn't make it either. He may be a decent big man, but he's unlikely to get a big offer while still being a restricted free agent.
On the other hand, Thaddeus Young proved to be one of the true "spark" bench players this year. His athleticism and ability to score in multiple ways allowed him to put up starter-quality numbers, despite moving to Philly's second unit.
Young's only problem might be his "tweener" body type that's already duplicitous with other Philadelphia 76ers forwards (they have the same problem with many of their guards too).
Still, that's hardly a valid complaint when one considers Young's ability to effectively spot major minutes at either forward position. He's a restricted free agent, but you can bet that outside offers are going to be plentiful for this 22-year-old.
Toronto Raptors: Reggie Evans (PF)
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He may have the most one-dimensional game in the NBA, but Reggie Evans is darn good at what he does.
Pulling down over 11 boards per game, while playing fewer than 27 minutes per night? That is flat-out ridiculous...
His glass cleaning is especially needed for the Toronto Raptors; they're the softest team in the league, especially up front.
Evans missed 50 games this past season, and so the 30-year-old rebounding phenom shouldn't be asking for anything more than the $5 million he made last year.
His game ain't pretty, but things could get really ugly for the Raptors without having at least one "tough guy" rebounder/enforcer like Reggie Evans around.
Washington Wizards: Nick Young (SG)
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Nick Young sure picked a good time to put his game together. The four-year player finally made the leap that the Washington Wizards expected when drafting him out of USC in 2007.
At last, Young showed his ability to create shots, rather than just relying on his catch-and-shoot game. Jordan Crawford may have stolen some of the spotlight late in the year, but Nick Young was still the story of the season.
Young is definitely a gunner, and he still has a way to go when it comes to defense and the other facets of his game, but high-scoring wings are always hot commodities.
With Young's long frame and relative youth as further enticements, the Washington Wizards have been anticipating the big offer it will take to keep Young alongside their other backcourt phenom, John Wall.
