NBA Free Agents 2011: The 14 Worst Free Agents Teams Should Avoid Signing

While the Mavericks and Heat are finishing up the NBA Finals, all other teams are focusing on building toward next year.

Many are looking forward to the draft in a couple weeks, but they also have free agents to consider.

While there are many great choices this summer, there are other, not-so-good ones.

This is a list of the worst free agents available, be it because of price, age or skill.

Rodney Stuckey, PG

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Rodney Stuckey #3 of the Detroit Pistons reacts in the closing minutes of the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on February 24, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Clippers defeated the Pistons

2011 Salary: $2.8 million, Detroit Pistons

Rodney Stuckey is a guy who hasn’t proven himself capable of being a starting point guard. His averages were up from last season, but they still don’t depict a true leader that most teams need.

Rather than sign someone for more that will come off the bench, teams are better off finding better deals or picking a fresh, new guy in the draft.

Wilson Chandler, SF

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 5: Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets waits in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on March 5, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloa

2011 Salary: $2.1 million, Denver Nuggets

Many teams will have their eyes on Wilson Chandler because of last season.

2010-11 was good to Chandler, who averaged 33.3 minutes per game and raised his averages in most of the important categories.

The problem with Chandler is trying to figure out just how good he will be in the next few seasons. He’s looking for a big pay increase during this offseason, and while he could be a key player for some off the bench, it’s probably not worth spending $8-10 million per year in a multiyear deal for someone who had a good season.

Josh Howard, SF

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Josh Howard #5 of the Washington Wizards against the Dallas Mavericks at the Verizon Center on February 26, 2011 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this

2011 Salary: $3 million, Washington Wizards

Josh Howard only played 18 games with the Wizards last season because of complications with his knee after an injury the year earlier.

While it’s better, it’s unsure how well he’ll do and just how good that knee will be. His injuries will probably continue to plague him, and that’s not what teams want to sign.

Jamal Crawford, G

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 16: Jamal Crawford #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 16, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or usin

2011 Salary: $10.8 million, Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks will probably not resign Jamal Crawford, which means he’s available to anyone.

At 31 years old with stats slightly slipping, it’s clear that Crawford is past his better years. There are plenty other guards that will be free agents this summer, and they didn’t have $10 million contracts.

Vladimir Radmanovic, SF

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DENVER - JANUARY 05: Vladimir Radmanovic #77 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a break in the action against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 5, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Warriors 123-122. NOTE TO USER

2011 Salary: $6.9 million, Golden State Warriors

Vladmir Radmanovic had some good games with the Warriors last season, but he’s not a player you want to spend a lot of money on.

There are a lot of one-dimensional players in the NBA, and Radmanovic is one of them. He’s good beyond the arc, but his stats fell last season, averaging 5.1 points and 1.1 assists per game. He doesn’t play defense, and there are better all-around free-agents available.

Samuel Dalembert, C

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NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 14: Samuel Dalembert #10 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 14, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by down

2011 Salary: $13.4 million, Sacramento Kings

Another guy with a salary much higher than he might be worth, Samuel Dalembert is not planning on taking a pay cut next year.

He can still help out a team, but as he gains another year of wisdom, he loses another year of timing and athleticism. It’s nice to have veterans on the court to guide and teach the younger players, but there are much cheaper ones out there.

Jeff Foster, C

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CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 26: Jeff Foster #10 of the Indiana Pacers watches his teammates take on the Chicago Bulls from the bench in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 26, 2011 in Chicago, I

2011 Salary: $6.7 million, Indiana Pacers

Defensively, Jeff Foster was great for the Pacers last season. With 6.3 rebounds per game, Foster was great on the boards and extremely aggressive during the postseason.

However, his lack of offense makes him a major problem on the other side of the court. He recorded less than his career average of 4.9 points per game this past season.

His salary was way too much for a one-dimensional player like Foster.

T.J. Ford, PG

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PHOENIX - DECEMBER 03: T.J. Ford #5 of the Indiana Pacers during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on December 3, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using th

2011 Salary: $8.5 million, Indiana Pacers

T.J. Ford had a great career going—then came his spinal cord injury in 2004.

Since then, he hasn’t been the same. He now deals with spinal stenosis, which means he has a narrowing of the spinal column. This just puts him at higher risk for an injury.

His stats have plummeted, too. Last season he logged 5.4 points, 3.4 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game, down from 11.4, 5.9 and 3.2 throughout his career. Combine that with his averaging seven minutes a game in the playoffs and 18.9 for the rest of the season, and Ford is probably well on his way to his last couple seasons.

Jason Richardson, SG

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ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 03: Guard Jason Richardson #23 of the Orlando Magic reacts during a game against the Miami Heat at Amway Arena on February 3, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/o

2011 Salary: $14.4 million, Orlando Magic

Another player passing his prime, Jason Richardson can definitely still help a team, but at the price it will come, he’s not worth it.

His averages are down and if 10 points per game in the playoffs is any indication of how he’ll be next year, his cost heavily outplays the benefits. Better off getting younger, cheaper guys.

Kenyon Martin, PF

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DENVER, CO - APRIL 25: Kenyon Martin #4 of the Denver Nuggets awaits a free throw against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. T

2011 Salary: $16.5 million, Denver Nuggets

Kenyon Martin is one of those players who could either be helpful or end up hurting a team financially.

Martin is 33 years old and he isn’t getting any younger. His drop in stats throughout the 2010-11 season can emphasize this. His points per game fell from 13.5 to 8.6, and his playing time has gone from 32.2 to 25.7 minutes per game.

Martin’s salary last season was $16.5 million. It’s not going to be that high from now on, but at the price it’s going to take a team to sign him, they’re better off shopping around for better deals.

Nenad Krstic, C

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Nenad Krstic #4 of the Boston Celtics stands on the court during the game with the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on February 26, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The Celtics won 99-92. NOTE TO USER: User expres

2011 Salary: $5.5 million, Boston Celtics

When a 7-foot 240 pound player like Nenad Krstic is only averaging 5.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game for his career, there’s a problem. When last season’s stats were even lower than that, it shows someone that most teams probably don’t want on their team.

Krstic is alright offensively, but his lack of defense makes his height almost completely useless.

Michael Redd, SG

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BEIJING - AUGUST 12: Michael Redd #8 of the United States winces before taking on Angola during the men's preliminary round basketball game at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during Day 4 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 12, 2008 in B

2011 Salary: $18.3 million, Milwaukee Bucks

After three injury-plagued seasons, Michael Redd is not a guy you want to overpay.

While his next contract won’t be as huge as $18.3 million per year, several million could still be a waste. After playing only ten games during the 2010-2011 season, Redd averaged 4.4 points per game and 13.4 minutes per game, down from 20 and 33.4, respectively.

While Michael Redd might not be the worst free agent talent-wise, he is one of the worst when it comes to spending millions of dollars that could be going to a younger, less injury-prone player.

Willie Green, SG

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DALLAS - NOVEMBER 30: Guard Willie Green #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers on November 30, 2009 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is con

2011 Salary: $4 million, New Orleans Hornets

Basically, Willie Green just isn’t a good player. Granted, he could take me one-on-one, but my point is that he averaged 8.7 points and one assist per game this season, down from his career stats.

He doesn’t shoot well and his defense leaves so much to be desired. A player with his stats should not be getting paid $4 million per year.

Yao Ming, C

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Yao Ming #11 of the Houston Rockets looks on during their opening night game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on October 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agre

2011 Salary: $17.7 million, Houston Rockets

Several teams might go after Yao Ming this season and take a chance that this will be the season he doesn’t get hurt.

More likely, Ming’s body will once again ail him, which isn’t surprising. When you’re carrying around 310 pounds on a daily basis, your feet are going to have issues.

Chances are, Ming will be signed, then head right back to the inactive list.