NBA Free Agency 2011: Potential Targets for Teams with Big Cap Space
Now that the 2011 NBA season is finally over, it is never to soon to discuss free agency and where some of the top free agents could end up next season.
After such an exciting 2010 free agency with players such as Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, it will be tough to capture the same kind of attention in 2011.
Nevertheless, there are several NBA teams that have a lot of room below the salary cap to bring in free agents to help improve their teams. The New Jersey Nets and Sacramento Kings, among others, are great examples of teams that have the potential to make the biggest splash in the free agent market because of their large cap space.
So let's take a look at two ideal targets for four teams with significant cap space in the upcoming period of NBA free agency.
1. Sacramento Kings: Chuck Hayes and David West
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The Sacramento Kings will have a considerable amount of money within the NBA salary cap of $58 million with the expiring contracts of Samuel Dalembert and Marquis Daniels, who will both become unrestricted free agents.
It will be tough to pull a top-tier free agent into Sacramento though, so the Kings will have to look for value, especially at the four spot.
Both Chuck Hayes and David West would be great options for the Kings to consider.
Hayes is a productive power forward who will contribute around eight points, eight boards and three assists. He's not the flashiest player, but Hayes has improved his numbers throughout the past two seasons. The Kings could get him for a rather small amount of money and receive great value from him.
West would be a power forward of higher caliber to bring to Sacramento. West has benefited from Chris Paul running the show in New Orleans, but has still proven he is one of the most underrated power forwards in the league. He averaged 18.9 points per game along with 7.6 rebounds in 2010 and was the Hornets' top low-post man.
Although he will be recovering from an ACL injury he suffered late in the season, West would be a great presence on the floor for younger players like Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. He could open up some room in the paint for Cousins and also be a great player for him to learn from early on in his career. As long as West is able to stay away from injury, he should be considered by the Kings.
2. Toronto Raptors: Shane Battier and Greg Oden
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The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a transition stage as they continue to interview candidates to fill their head coach vacancy. They could also potentially lose six players to free agency this summer, including players like Reggie Evans and restricted free agents Sonny Weems and Julian Wright.
It's clear though the Raptors need help on defense. Toronto was 26th in the league this past season, allowing 105.4 points per game.
Shane Battier would be an excellent solution to this problem.
Battier is an outstanding defender who has been known to frustrate players like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Battier also has a great shooting touch from three-point range and would be another shooter for the Raptors that could stretch out defenses. He would bring a tough defensive mentality to Toronto, which is something the Raptors have been lacking for a while.
On the other hand, Greg Oden would be an interesting pickup for the Raptors to say the least, but he would also be a big defensive presence in the paint.
Oden has had hardly any opportunity to showcase his talent since entering the NBA. He has only played 82 games in his four seasons in the league. On the plus side though, Oden is still 23, and if he can stay healthy for a long period of time, he could become a great center in the league.
He is also a restricted free agent, so the Trail Blazers can still choose to keep him in Portland, but it remains to be seen if they will sign him back despite his injuries.
Oden might not be a realistic option for the Raptors, but still an intriguing one regardless.
3. Indiana Pacers: Earl Watson and Jamal Crawford
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While they made the playoffs in 2011 as the eighth seed, the Indiana Pacers were an average team at best.
The Pacers saw better production out of Roy Hibbert and Josh McRoberts, but their star, Danny Granger, had a down year. They will have a lot of cap room available for the upcoming free agency period and need to spend it wisely in order to improve their team.
A major weakness of the Pacers last season was their guard play. They ranked 28th in the league with only 19.6 assists per game and could really use a better distributor on the floor.
Earl Watson would be of great value if reunited with the Pacers.
He would fit into the back-up point guard role behind Darren Collison, but Watson has been a solid option off the bench for a couple years now. He's consistently averaged five to six assists per game over the course of his career, and he has shown better durability than current Pacer back-up point guard T.J. Ford.
Another option for the Pacers could be guard Jamal Crawford.
While it is highly probable the Hawks will re-sign Crawford after his gutsy playoff performance, he is an unrestricted free agent, and anything could happen.
Crawford would be an excellent source of scoring for the Pacers and could take some of the pressure off Granger on the offensive end. Plus if the Pacers go ahead and draft Jimmer Fredette, Crawford might be the Pacers' sixth man option and someone who could mentor Fredette in his first few seasons.
4. New Jersey Nets: Jamal Crawford and Shannon Brown
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The Nets lost out on the LeBron James sweepstakes in the summer of 2010, but went out and traded for star point guard Deron Williams.
Now the objective for the Nets is to bring Williams much needed help.
One draw for the Nets will be their big market when they relocate to the Brooklyn area in 2012. The Nets also have a lot of cap space over the next two years, and if they want to keep Williams, they must sign some marquee players.
Unfortunately, the Nets will have to wait until 2012 for players like Dwight Howard to be available in free agency. Consequently, they need to target a shooting guard in either Jamal Crawford or Shannon Brown.
I mentioned earlier that Crawford would be a good fit in Indiana, but he would do even better in New Jersey. With Williams as his point guard, Crawford will get more opportunities to shoot the ball since the defense will have to focus on Williams outside and Brook Lopez down low. He would be a legitimate shooter for the Nets and would be one of the few offensive weapons for the Nets.
Shannon Brown could make a name for himself alongside Williams.
Brown is a guard who has a lot of potential and has seen his playing time increase every year in the Lakers' organization. He's averaged 8.7 PPG last season as a back-up shooting guard to Kobe Bryant, and Brown also has excellent athletic ability while driving to the basket with a lot of explosiveness. If he has a point guard like Deron Williams at the helm, Brown's numbers could easily rise over the next couple years, and he could develop his ability even more.
Add in a marquee free agent in 2012, and the Nets could have an excellent shot at moving up in the conference standings with either one of these players.
