NBA Free Agents 2011-12: Predicting Where Top Free Agents Will Land Post Lockout

The 2011-12 NBA free agent class isn't a crop of loaded talent.

Unlike the premier class of 2010 or what will be a star-studded class of 2012, the 2011 group has the potential to fly underneath the radar in a big way.

There is going to be a scramble from every team in an attempt to fill out the roster when transactions resume and the lockout lifts, and it could lead to some very interesting landing spots for some coveted names.

Where will they all wind up?

17. Chuck Hayes, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Houston Rockets

Hayes stepped into a starting role for the Rockets last season and excelled in the 63 games so impressively that he was included in the starting five.

Despite standing just 6'6" and tipping the scales at 240 pounds, Hayes found no trouble banging around down low and asserting himself beneath the basket against larger opposition.

Most impressively, Hayes' production grew as the regular season went on, a sign that his breakout campaign was very much for real.

Predicted Landing Spot: Denver Nuggets

16. Aaron Brooks, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Phoenix Suns

Brooks was anointed the clear-cut starting point guard for the Houston Rockets prior to the 2010-11 season tipping off, but that plan didn't last very long.

After getting off to a slow start and ultimately injuring his ankle, Brooks fell out of favor in Houston and was shipped to Phoenix at the trade deadline for Goran Dragic and a (lottery protected) first-round pick.

The Suns are in a clear rebuilding mode, and as much as the team would like Steve Nash to play forever, that's simply not going to happen.

It's highly unlikely that they would've brought Brooks into the fold if the team didn't feel good about his potential to take over for the long haul.

Predicted Landing Spot: Phoenix Suns

15. Rodney Stuckey, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Detroit Pistons

The curious case of Rodney Stuckey is a rather interesting one for the Pistons, and it's going to be interesting to see how his future takes shape.

After enjoying a breakout campaign in 2009-10, Stuckey continued to show signs of improvement in 2010-11 despite a slight decrease in his scoring average from the previous year.

He improved his field goal percentage by 3.4 percent (tying a career-high at the 43.9 mark), and he also showed a drastic improvement from beyond the three-point line.

The team drafted Brandon Knight in the first round, and despite the Pistons wanting to put the ball in his hands, the team sounded adamant about playing him and Stuckey together in the same backcourt.

Predicted Landing Spot: Detroit Pistons

14. Marcus Thornton, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Sacramento Kings

Thornton was a hostage in New Orleans when the Hornets refused to give him sizable playing time throughout the season, but it was a different story in Sacramento.

Upon being acquired by the Kings, Thornton quickly put his scoring prowess on display and proved to be an integral contributor for the team down the stretch.

He really seemed to be in a comfort zone during his short time with the team, and the team has made it clear that they're going to retain him at all costs; Sacramento views him as someone to build around going forward.

Predicted Landing Spot: Sacramento Kings

13. J.J. Barea, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks captured their first championship in franchise history last season, and J.J. Barea was instrumental in making that come to fruition.

Barea doesn't seem poised to give the Mavs a hometown discount considering that he's already been quoted as saying he'd play with Miami, Los Angeles (Lakers) or New York if Dallas isn't interested in re-signing him.

The pint-sized point guard has proven to be capable of pesky penetration, which causes challenges for the defense, and he's proven to be a very valuable commodity off of the bench as a spark plug in the second unit.

However, it's unlikely that another competitor values him as highly as Dallas does, and that should keep him in the fold, especially considering the concern centered around Roddy Beaubois' foot.

On Monday, Barea called it a 75 percent chance that he'd be back with the Mavericks.

Predicted Landing Spot: Dallas Mavericks

12. Andrei Kirilenko, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Utah Jazz

Andrei Kirilenko was once viewed as a piece to the Utah puzzle that couldn't be replaced, but those times have come and gone.

Since the 2006-07 season, AK-47 simply hasn't been the same player that earned him the loaded nickname, and there have been no indications that the Jazz are going to put up a major effort to retain him.

With the uncertainty regarding the lockout, Kirilenko has said that he's considering a return to the Russian ranks, and he revealed that he's less than a week away from making a decision.

While the competition for his services in Russia may very well lie between CSKA Moscow and Spartak St. Petersburg, the latter is his hometown club.

Predicted Landing Spot: Spartak St. Petersburg

11. Jeff Green, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Boston Celtics

Acquired in the infamous Kendrick Perkins trade, there has not been a more dissected and discussed swap in recent memory for the Boston Celtics than the one that brought Green into town.

At the time, General Manager Danny Ainge guessed that a chance to return to the Finals would likely go through the Miami Heat and LeBron James, and he felt that the acquisition of Green would give the team an upper hand in returning to the championship round because of the ability to defend James.

It turns out that Ainge was half-right at the time.

Green was inconsistent at best throughout his Boston tenure, and he even admitted in the offseason that he had a tough time fitting into the fold upon his arrival.

However, it sounds as if he's eyeing a future in Boston, and as a restricted free agent, it's highly unlikely that the team lets him walk after just dealing Perkins for him last season.

Predicted Landing Spot: Boston Celtics

10. Kris Humphries, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: New Jersey Nets

Humphries was arguably the most surprising player across the league last season, as there were no plans for him to take on the impressive role that he did with New Jersey throughout the campaign.

When New Jersey drafted Derrick Favors with the third overall pick in 2010, the writing was on the wall for Humphries, but the rookie never seized hold of the job and was ultimately traded to Utah in the Deron Williams deal.

While everyone was waiting for Humphries to slow down, he simply never did. The power forward averaged career high's in both points (10.0) and rebounds (10.4) per game, and was a regular double-double threat for the Nets.

He's a hardworking big man that has drawn the consistent praise of head coach Avery Johnson, and the Nets have called it a "priority" to re-sign him.

Predicted Landing Spot: New Jersey Nets

9. Jamal Crawford, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Atlanta Hawks

Crawford has carved out a nice role for himself as the sixth man off of the Atlanta bench over the last two seasons, but it's definitely not a slam dunk that he returns to the team.

The scoring 2-guard managed just 14.2 points per game last season, the lowest mark of his career since his 2002-03 year with the Chicago Bulls.

Additionally, Crawford took a step back in field goal and three-point percentage while increasing his average amount of turnovers per contest, and the Hawks may be looking to use the money allocated to him in more productive ways to address more pressing needs on the roster.

There are a lot of teams with a hole at the shooting guard position, and I can think of at least one that could use him for the short-term.

Prediction: Chicago Bulls

8. Arron Afflalo, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Denver Nuggets

Afflalo's name continues to fly under the radar as one that hasn't generated a ton of buzz, but the breakout season from the shooting guard last season looked like it was the real deal.

After Detroit gave up on him for nothing, Afflalo blossomed in Denver last season, averaging 12.6 points in 69 games as a starter.

More importantly, Afflalo asserted himself as a skilled defender on the perimeter, and he really showed a ton of promise for a Nuggets team that gave him the chance to excel.

He was a solid prospect during his tenure in college at UCLA, and despite a first-round pedigree, Afflalo never got the chance in Detroit to show what he was capable of doing.

As a restricted free agent, it's going to take a rather lucrative offer for the Nuggets to let him walk, and after how well he played last season, that may not be a move that the team is ready to make.

The Nuggets have already lost both Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith to China, and the team can ill-afford to lose another element of its perimeter attack.

Predicted Landing Spot: Denver Nuggets

7. Nick Young, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Washington Wizards

Young put his talent on display for the league to take notice last season, and his breakout campaign was one of the most impressive around the NBA.

After averaging less than 20 minutes per game in 2009-10, Young stepped it up to 32 minutes in 2010-11 and established career-high marks in every area of his game with the exception of three-point field goal percentage.

His average of 17.4 points per game is certainly nothing to be scoffed at, and Young was regularly in the 20-plus range by mid-November.

He dealt with a troublesome knee injury that knocked him out of action toward the end of the season, and although promising first-year man Jordan Crawford played lights out in his absence, there's no doubting the value that Young adds to the team.

The restricted free agent has filmed the "Nick & JaVale Show" throughout the summer with Washington big man JaVale McGee, and although he's flirted with the possibility of heading to China, it's tough to imagine him ending up anywhere else but back in D.C.

Predicted Landing Spot: Washington Wizards

6. DeAndre Jordan, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Jordan is a very intriguing restricted free agent for every club with cap space and a need in the middle to consider.

Finally given an opportunity to contribute in a starting role due to an injury to incumbent Chris Kaman, Jordan responded favorably and averaged 7.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 66 games as a starter.

While those numbers may not jump out at you upon initial read, considering that he averaged just 27 minutes of playing time, Jordan would be a near lock to log a double-double if provided with a slight bump in playing time with the first unit.

His potential is very real, and the only reason that he was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft was due to his coming out of school a year early. Had he waited until 2009, there's little doubt that Jordan would have been a consensus first round selection.

Jordan's athleticism is off of the charts, and the pairing of he and Blake Griffin down low gives the Clippers one of the most athletic (and talented) front lines in the entire league.

At just 23 years old, the Clippers can't let a piece of a talented future walk out the door.

Predicted Landing Spot: Los Angeles Clippers

5. Thaddeus Young, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Young's free agency is a story that nobody is talking about, and that is fairly odd considering just how much talent Young is harboring in his game.

Another player who has had China calling his name, Young hasn't been fully utilized by the Sixers since he came into the league.

Philadelphia would be foolish not to give him the playing time that he deserves, but the team has both Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner on the team as well, which complicates exactly how much playing time is available to Young.

He played in all 82 games for the Sixers last season, but he averaged just 26 minutes, down six full minutes from the previous campaign.

Young's athletic ability is elite, and like DeAndre Jordan, Young is just 23 years old and has plenty of time to fulfill his potential as a bona fide contributor.

I expect him to stay with Philadelphia on a multi-year deal, but it's going to cost them a considerable amount to retain him.

His talent isn't a secret.

Predicted Landing Spot: Philadelphia 76ers

4. Tyson Chandler, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Dallas Mavericks

After Dirk Nowitzki, there wasn't a more important player to Dallas last season than Tyson Chandler.

The Mavericks acquired Chandler in the 2011 offseason via trade, and many brushed off the acquisition as one that wouldn't matter considering the health issues that the center had dealt with during the prior two seasons.

Before last season, Chandler had averaged a double-digit scoring output in just one season (2007-08 with New Orleans), and that was the only year where he logged a double-double average.

In 2010-11, Chandler looked fully healthy and very much motivated to prove that he was a force in the middle, and he did exactly that with his 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

It was crystal clear that Chandler was the missing element the Mavs needed to propel the team to the next level, and his strong postseason play was instrumental in capturing the championship.

For what it's worth, Chandler and the Mavs met prior to the lockout, but the two sides were "so far apart" that nothing was even close to getting done.

When it comes time for Mark Cuban to put his money where his mouth is and back up Dallas' new reputation atop the league, I don't expect Cuban to let Chandler go anywhere else.

Predicted Landing Spot: Dallas Mavericks

3. David West, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: New Orleans Hornets

West surprised a lot of people when he decided to opt out of the final year on his deal after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery, but it's clear that he wanted to test the waters of free agency this offseason.

The power forward left a guaranteed $7.5 million on the table despite the uncertainty surrounding both the NBA season and his surgically-repaired knee, but all indications about the latter seem to be that he's progressing well in terms of his health.

West told David Aldridge that he would be ready to go if the season started on time, and that notion is supported by the fact that his physical therapist called the ACL tear a "clean injury."

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported in June that the Indina Pacers were going to be in pursuit of the talented forward, and Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld confirmed that the Pacers are thought to have West atop their free agent wish list.

With Josh McRoberts heading to unrestricted free agency, it's very possible that West winds up with the Pacers where he would join a talented young group of players on the rise.

Predicted Landing Spot: Indiana Pacers

2. Nene, Unrestricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Denver Nuggets

There are a number of competitive clubs that will definitely be lining up for Nene's services once free agency begins, but not all of them can be considered realistic destinations.

While Nene has said that he's willing to take less money to play for a contender, that doesn't mean that he'll suddenly sign for a shade of his previous earnings, as he opted out of an $11.6 million option with Denver to become a free agent this offseason.

The San Antonio Spurs would probably like to add him considering Tim Duncan is in the final year of his deal, but the team already has more than $73 million committed for 2011-12.

The Miami Herald reported that the Heat have him high on their wish list, but I'm going to need to see some serious interest on Nene's part to join the team before this can be a realistic landing spot, as he'd be taking a major pay decrease to make this scenario come to fruition.

Houston has just over $47 million on the books for next season (before rookie deals are signed), and although they drafted some size in Marcus Morris and Donatas Motiejunas, the club still has a major void in the middle for its starting center.

Predicted Landing Spot: Houston Rockets

1. Marc Gasol, Restricted Free Agent

Previous Team: Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies' center is arguably the biggest prize on the free agent market, but I have a hard time believing that he's going to another team.

The Memphis center had a lackluster regular season before breaking out in a monstrous way during the Grizzlies magical postseason run, and he really asserted himself as a leader of the team during that time.

He showed impressive poise when banging around down low beneath the basket, and Gasol has no fear when it comes potential contact he may endure in the process.

There are a long list of teams that would love to add him, but Gasol has made Memphis his home.

After Spain won the Eurobasket tournament, Gasol told the Commercial-Appeal that he wants to return to the Grizzlies, citing that it was the place where he "grew up."

Gasol also is quoted as saying that he is "looking forward to something good happening" between he and the team when the two sides can negotiate on a new contract.

Predicted Landing Spot: Memphis Grizzlies