NBA Free Agents 2011: Most Realistic Target for Each NBA Team

The NBA has been in a lockout for well over a month, and there is currently no end in sight with both parties more interested in threatening each other than coming to a reasonable compromise.

With a lockout in full swing and an unlikeliness that there is going to be any compromise soon, there has been no player movement to speak of save a few trades on draft day and the few days leading up to the lockout.

Because of that, teams have made no progress to speak of in terms of changing their teams for the better through free agency.

The league is built on free agents moving from town to town and players getting traded whenever a team is in flux, and without that there is no way of telling who is getting better or worse when it comes to the teams in the middle of the pack.

So, I'll throw my hat into the ring and make suggestions to each team on who they should go after in free agency.

Atlanta Hawks, Samuel Dalembert

The Hawks need a serious change if they want to cling to the little bit of hope that they have of competing for a title with their current roster.

Their biggest weakness is the fact that they have Al Horford playing out of position as a center.

If they were to sign a legitimate center, they could trade Josh Smith, something they are wanting to do anyway, for a point guard that could actully seem like he is alive when he is on the floor.

Boston Celtics, Spencer Hawes

The Celtics need some kind of center that is going to be able to at least be a physical presence down low for them and back up Kevin Garnett, but they don't exactly have tons of cap space to chase down an expensive center.

Hawes could fill in as a banger down low and keep the holes filled well enough that Garnett isn't constantly having to help a hapless center who is constantly getting beat.

Charlotte Bobcats, Grant Hill

The Bobcats have no reason to go crazy in this year's free agent market with the rebuilding process in full swing. If they get good too soon but not good enough, they could end up being stagnant near the middle of the pack.

Grant Hill would give them a veteran presence and a guy that shows the rest of the team how to play defense and just mentor the young guys to be good players in the league.

Chicago Bulls, Anthony Parker

The Chicago Bulls are in dire need of an upgrade at the shooting guard position, and while Parker may not be a huge improvement over Keith Bogans, the two would complement each other well.

Parker was one of the few guys that didn't shy away from the big moment when the Cavaliers were in the playoffs, and he is a great three-point shooter and a better defender than he gets credit for.

Cleveland Cavaliers, J.R Smith

I don't know if J.R. Smith is hell-bent on playing on a good team, but offering him a starting role would be good to get him to come to any city.

They won't do much this year, but when you add a player next season, probably a big man over a smaller fellow, they could be a decent team with Smith in the middle of their lineup getting a chance to start.

Dallas Mavericks, Their Own Guys

The Dallas Mavericks have the ability to win another championship next year, but they need to keep most of their core togther.

Dallas has Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, Brian Cardinal, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic and DeShawn Stevenson becoming free agents, and if they could get four of six of them back then they could get back to the pinnacle.

They should stay away from overpaying Barea, who will likely draw a ton of offers, and they should let Peja go just because he seems to have lost most of his skill.

Denver Nuggets, Nene

The Nuggets need Nene if they want to continue to make a go at the playoffs in the next few years.

Denver was a run-and-gun team last season, and they were able to do so and still stay relatively strong on defense because they had a center who could run and gun with the rest of the team.

Detroit Pistons, Greg Oden

If there is a team that I would say should take a chance on Greg Oden, sending him a bit too much money for what he is worth, it is the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit has some players that could be good if they had a player they were centered around.

Greg Oden could potentially get healthy and become a franchise center, which could turn around any team.

Golden State Warriors, Shane Battier

The Warriors are in desperate need of a player who could make them play some defense and turn them into a different team than what they are right now.

Shane Battier could give them a veteran presence, fill a hole at small forward and still be able to run a bit with the quick pace that the Warriors have.

Houston Rockets, Nene

The Houston Rockets are a piece or two away from being a dangerous player, even though it doesn't seem that way on paper.

They have great chemistry and are a scrappy bunch of players, and even though they are seemingly hanging on by a thread, I'm convinced that they are a better team than their personnel.

Nene would give them a second all-star-caliber player and a force down low, plus they easily have the money to pay him.

Indiana Pacers, Jamal Crawford

It might be a bit risky for the Pacers to sign a guy who has historically been a bit volatile, but he could make them a much better team.

Crawford is a great offensive player and is a very good player to put into their system, as they have a bit of a hole at shooting guard.

Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler

Adding Caron Butler to an already rapidly improving team would be amazing for the Clippers.

They have a bit of a hole at small forward, currently filled with Jamario Moon, so it would be a move that makes sense, and he would be a good defender and a great offensive player to put into their lineup.

Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Redd

A sharpshooter off the bench could be perfect for the Lakers, who are looking to not only toughen up their defense but add versatility to their lineup.

Redd could be one of those veterans more interested in winning a championship than getting one last big payday, so he could be had for just over the veteran minimum.

Memphis Grizzlies, Their Own Dudes

Like the Dallas Mavericks, the most important and realistic guys that the Grizzlies could re-sign are Marc Gasol and Shane Battier.

Both were huge parts of their postseason run in the playoffs last year and should be huge parts of a run this year.

Miami Heat, Chuck Hayes

The most important thing that the Heat do this offseason is using the tiny bit of room they have to sign players wisely. They have a mid-level exception and that's about it this year, and they need a center first and foremost.

They don't need a huge guy to play center, just someone who can play tough down low and get rebounds, both of which are things Hayes can do. Plus, he is an underappreciated player, so he could be had for their MLE.

Milwaukee Bucks, David West

Milwaukee could be a very good team if all their parts fall into place; they just have a bunch of questions surrounding their team.

David West at power forward would give them a great offensive option alongside Andrew Bogut down low, and if they have Brandon Jennings develop past what he was last season.

Minnesota Timberwolves, Jamal Crawford

If Jamal Crawford goes chasing a big payday, Minnesota may be his future home.

David Kahn is great at overpaying players who have overachieved in the past, and Crawford may or may not have done that.

He has the ability to be great (he has scored 50 points on three different teams), and he could be a great offensive option for the Timberwolves when they run dry with their rookies.

New Jersey Nets, Caron Butler

The Nets need to do something that will both convince Deron Williams to stay next season and convince Dwight Howard to come on over when the 2012 free agency period comes up.

They have the money to sign Caron Butler, who would be an amazing third option for a team with Deron Williams and Dwight Howard.

New Orleans Hornets, Sasha Vujacic

New Orleans could pair Sasha and Trevor Ariza back up and see if they can rejuvinate their career back to the point they were at when they played with the Lakers.

It would give them a pesky defender and good offensive option that is needed to make a deep playoff run to try and convince Chris Paul to stay in New Orleans.

New York Knicks, Chuck Hayes

The Knicks are hell-bent on signing or somehow trading for Chris Paul or Deron Williams before the start of the 2013 season (more likely Paul), but they need to focus on other things right now.

They have an obvious hole at center and huge holes on defense, mostly because nobody plays much defense for them right now.

Hayes gives them an edge on defense and a tough, scrappy mentality, something that would go a long way for the development of their younger players.

Oklahoma City Thunder, Shannon Brown

Shannon Brown would be helpful to the Thunder by adding more depth and a different dynamic to their team at the small forward or shooting guard spot.

Brown would give them a dynamic offensive player off the bench to contrast the defense that Thabo Sefalosha gives them off the bench.

Orlando Magic, Jason Richardson

The Orlando Magic are going to need to re-sign Jason Richardson if they are going to continue to be a good team near the top of the East.

Without Richardson they have very little money to sign free agents and would be without their most important offensive player next to Dwight Howard.

Philadelphia 76ers, Samuel Dalembert

The 76ers are a very good young and developing team, they just don't have a center that is more than legitimate at this point.

They have Spencer Hawes, Marreese Speights and Tony Battie, but they aren't exactly top of the line centers.

Dalembert would give them a tough guy down low who would also give them some offensive presence at the same time.

Phoenix Suns, Jason Richardson

The Phoenix Suns looked completely different without Richardson after they flipped him for Vince Carter and Marcin Gortat. They looked better off with Gortat at center, but they had very little offensive production without involving Steve Nash.

Bringing back Richardson could give them another offensive performer who could give them a shot at making the playoffs.

Portland Trail Blazers, Michael Redd

Redd would fit right in with the Trail Blazers. He is constantly hurt but is a great player otherwise, so why not give him a couple million bucks to see if he can sit on the bench and come in for 20 minutes a game to drop the rain and drain some threes.

He could easily transform into just a shooter, as that's about what he was for the few games he has played over the past few years.

Sacramento Kings, Samuel Dalembert

The brightest spot for the Sacramento Kings last season was Dalembert, who gave them some great defense at center and was able to be very effective on offense as well.

He was a bit overpaid, but he lived up to that money even though it didn't seem possible.

Without them they will have a center by committee policy, which could be disastrous for a young team in need of some kind of consistency.

San Antonio Spurs, Josh Howard

For some reason, this just seems like one of those moves the Spurs would make that at the time seems a bit crazy but ends up looking brilliant.

Howard is still a pretty good defender, and now that he isn't going to be grossly overpaid, Howard will have to work for his money, likely given a contract that is more based on incentives than just guaranteed money.

Toronto Raptors, Carl Landry

The Toronto Raptors could very well end up bringing in Jonas Valanciunas, put him at center and move Andrea Bargnani to the power forward spot, but if not then they need to fill their power forward hole.

They have a few good players that they put together to fill their power forward spot, but they are more bench players than starters.

So, if they end up needing a power forward with Valanciunas coming off the bench, then Landry could be a good option.

Utah Jazz, Andrei Kirilenko

The Utah Jazz are going to be in need of some continuity and veteran presence with a bunch of young players now coming in, and what better than to have one of the most versatile players in the league provide that.

Kirilenko seems to have gotten over his mid-career crisis that saw him go into a huge slump, but has now gotten back at least some of his mojo.

Utah should milk him for all he is worth, because when he is good there are few players like him in the league.

Washington Wizards, Shannon Brown

This is basically because I would like to see a lineup of John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Shannon Brown, Jan Veseley and JaVale McGee get put together and throw alley-oops on every offensive possession.

They would be the most athletic and entertaining team in the league, and three of the four competitors in the dunk contest could come from their team next season.

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