NBA Free Agents: Tyson Chandler and 5 Players Who Will Attract Attention
Some time in the next week, the 2010-11 NBA season will become "last season." With the NBA Finals set to end this week, every team will be thinking about the future.
Of course, this means free agency. While the summer of 2012 is being looked forward to with almost as much anticipation and the summer of 2010 was, the free agency class this year has been somewhat overlooked.
Upon closer examination, there are plenty of impact players available this summer.
1. Tyson Chandler
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Tyson Chandler has made himself a lot of money this postseason. He has been the defensive anchor of a Dallas Mavericks team that is currently one win away from its first NBA Championship.
At 28 years old, Chandler is finally living up to the expectations he faced as the second pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. He's contributing on both ends of the floor, with his 10.1 points per game average during the regular season to go along with 9.4 rebounds a night.
He's hugely important to the success of the Mavericks, so Mark Cuban is likely to do anything he can to bring him back, but Chandler will also receive interest from other teams looking to add an impact player on defense.
2. Marc Gasol
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Western Conference centers who had the best season of their careers will be a theme throughout this slideshow.
The younger Gasol was so impressive in the postseason that some have even retroactively declared the trade which brought him to Memphis a non-failure.
The Grizzlies have committed a huge amount of money already to Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, and they may not have room under the salary cap (depending on where it is set) to bring Gasol back.
That would be a huge blow to the Grizzlies, who finally hit their stride this year and returned to the playoffs for the first time since Gasol's brother was leading them.
3. Nene
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The Denver Nuggets will have a decision to make this offseason: are they going to regroup, or are they going to rebuild?
The answer to that question will be at the center of their decisions whether to resign Nene, Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith, as well as whether to trade Raymond Felton.
If Nene hits the open market, he could very well be the most attractive player out there. He averaged 14.5 points and 7.76 rebounds per game on a career high 61.5 percent shooting this season.
After suffering multiple injuries the first few years of his career, Nene has put together three consecutive seasons in which he played 75 games or more, mostly putting those concerns to rest.
At 29 year old, he's right in the middle of his prime, and he'll get paid that way.
4. DeAndre Jordan
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DeAndre Jordan had the best season of his young career after he moved into the starting lineup when Chris Kaman went down with an injury.
Jordan is long and strong, explosive and exciting. He excelled next to Blake Griffin, and the Los Angeles Clippers want to keep them together on their front line for years to come.
However, owner Donald Sterling is a wild card. You never know when he will make a decision that allows him to make more money at the expense of paying to put a good team on the floor.
If Jordan is able to hit the open market, teams like the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and others who are sorely lacking a defensive presence at the center position would be salivating, waiting to get their hands on him.
5. Jamal Crawford
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Jamal Crawford is annually among the league's best sixth men, providing a scoring punch off the bench no matter what city he is in.
He's finally found a home on a playoff team in Atlanta, and he's a valuable piece of that team. However, his services are attractive to those all around the league.
A player who can throw up 30-40 points on any given night and is comfortable playing with the second unit, like Crawford or Jason Terry, can often be the difference between winning and losing.
