NBA Free Agents 2011: Best Fit for Top 12 Players Available

Last year's NBA free agency class contained big names like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, Amar'e Stoudemire and many others. 

This year, the best of the bunch is decidedly less stellar. 

But still, there are valuable players to be had as soon as the lockout situation is resolved and teams can sign new players. 

Read on to find out not only who the top 12 players in the class are, but also the team with which they'd fit best. 

12. Jamal Crawford

Player Profile

An extremely talented scorer, Jamal Crawford spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks coming off the bench and providing high-volume scoring in short spurts.

The undisputed master of the shake-and-bake, Crawford is a perfect sixth man thanks to his mentality and ability to play iso ball with less-talented teammates than the typical starters. 

Even though he's getting older, Crawford still has plenty of years and points left in the tank. 

Best Fit?

The best fit for Crawford would be a team that most people consider a contender. It would be one that needs help at the shooting guard position, preferably in the form of a scorer who can take some of the scoring load away from the team's few elite options. 

Sound like any team in particular? How about the Chicago Bulls?

Crawford's best fit may indeed be the team he started his career with from 2000-2004. Playing alongside Derrick Rose, Crawford could enjoy one more special season and fill the Bulls' needs perfectly. 

11. Jason Richardson

Player Profile

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is the same high-flying showman who once dominated for the Golden State Warriors. Now 30 years old, Jason Richardson still has a few tricks up his sleeve, but top-of-the-NBA athleticism is no longer one of them. 

Instead, Richardson has to be content to remain a very good scorer thanks to his still-present burst and talented jump-shooting ability. He averaged almost 16 points per game last year despite always having to deal with a shuffle of new bodies thanks to midseason trades. 

Best Fit?

Take pretty much everything I said about the Chicago Bulls being the best fit for Jamal Crawford and apply it to Richardson now. 

It's in his best interest to try to become a Bull. 

10. Aaron Brooks

Player Profile

 Aaron Brooks broke out during the 2009-10 season with the Houston Rockets, starting all 82 games and averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 assists per game. But injuries and ineffectiveness drastically decreased his reputation among NBA general managers and fans alike during his follow-up campaign. 

At just 26, though, the former Oregon Duck still has the potential to regain his past status and become an elite scoring option from the point guard position. 

Best Fit?

Brooks needs to wind up on a team that needs a point guard and has room for another scorer. That takes the Los Angeles Lakers out of the equation because they already have enough scoring threats on the squad and need more of a distributor. 

Taking a hit in the wins column and moving to Detroit to join the Pistons may be the best option for Brooks.  

9. Kris Humphries

Player Profile

It seems like the only time Kris Humphries has been mentioned lately is when Kim Kardashian is involved, so let's get back to the basketball here. 

The 6'9", 26-year-old power forward is still closer to the beginning than the end of his basketball career, and he's coming off a campaign which saw him average a double-double over the course of the year. While some of the rebounds may have been a product of the New Jersey Net's dearth of rebounding threats, he's still a big time threat on the boards. 

Best Fit?

Nets head coach Avery Johnson said that re-signing Kris Humphries is a top priority during New Jersey's offseason. It should be. 

Humphries has only spent one year with the team, but it was definitely his most successful season. As he continues to grow alongside the Nets' other young players and new acquisitions (both the ones that have already happened and will occur in the future), the team and his future will only get better. 

8. Rodney Stuckey

Player Profile

 Practically the definition of a combo-guard, so much so that I once called his animal counterpart a liger, Rodney Stuckey was a very valuable player for the Detroit Pistons last season even though the restricted free agent seems to have worn out his welcome in the city.

It seems almost certain that Stuckey will not be back wearing a Pistons uniform whenever the lockout ends and NBA play resumes.

He's a very balanced player with the ability to contribute across the board.  

Best Fit?

The first priority for Stuckey needs to be to escape from the Pistons and get a fresh start with a new team, preferably one that has some sort of status as a contender for the crown of supremacy in the NBA. 

Going to Los Angeles and going the Lakers may be the best way for him to do so. It is no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers need a point guard. Derek Fisher and rookie point guards Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock are currently the team's best options. 

Stuckey would immediately become the unquestioned starter (at least until Morris has had time to develop) and his off-the-ball skills would still be valuable whenever Kobe Bryant decided to run the show.  

7. Jeff Green

Player Profile

Jeff Green is a forward capable of adding the adjective small or power to his position convincingly. A great defender and a good offensive player, Green is already considered very versatile despite the fact that he's just 25 years old. 

The Boston Celtics thought he was worthy of acquiring in a controversial trade that sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  

Best Fit?

As he is a restricted free agent, the Boston Celtics will have a shot to match any offer that Green receives during the free agency period. It's in both the team's and his best interest to do so.

Green is in a major market, gets to play at The Boston Garden on a contending team and will slowly start to see increased minutes as the Celtics' veteran corps continues to age.  

6. Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler recently signed a contract with Zhejiang Guangsha in the Chinese Basketball Association, one that does not include an NBA out clause in accordance with the CBA's new rule.

That means that even if the lockout is settled, Chandler will be stuck in China.

Technically, Chandler is still a free agent, but he won't be signing with any NBA teams until the lockout is lifted and his Chinese contract expires. 

Was this the best fit for him?

Probably not. 

5. Thaddeus Young

Player Profile

At just 23 years old, Thaddeus Young still actually has four years of NBA experience to his name already, making him an oxymoronic young veteran and a very valuable free agent.

Young is a nightly double-double threat, a somewhat rare role for a small forward. He's a solid all-around player with a threatening offensive game both near the basket and away from it around the three-point line. 

Best Fit?

The best fit for Thaddeus Young is probably staying with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

After all, it's the team that he's spent all his time with so far and he's had a good bit of success thus far in his still-young career. Moreover, if Andre Iguodala is moved, as most expect, a little bit more of the team will belong to Young. 

4. Tyson Chandler

Player Profile

Tyson Chandler's stock skyrocketed thanks to the incredible performance he put together throughout the entirety of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, culminating in a dominant series against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

That said, don't think of Chandler as anything other than a great defensive center. The big man is very limited on the offensive end of the court and really only gets by there because of his size.

Best Fit?

Chandler would benefit most from winding up on a team with enough scoring options already in place so that he can focus his energies solely on the defensive end of the court. 

If he moved to the "city that never sleeps" and joined the New York Knicks, he'd never have to worry about scoring so long as Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony both remain healthy. The Knicks are desperately lacking a good center, and Chandler could be one of the final pieces to the puzzle that they are still lacking. 

3. Nene Hilario

Player Profile

 A longtime Denver Nugget, Nene Hilario has actually spent his entire career in The Mile-High City since he was drafted seventh overall back in 2002. And since then, he's always been one of the more underrated players in the league.

Nene is a proficient, albeit unspectacular, scorer who does almost everything well on the basketball court. You can count on Hilario for consistent production night in and night out on both ends of the court. 

Even though he's by no means a superstar, the dreadlocked one is still a top option at the center position and has quite a few good years left at just 28 years of age. 

Best Fit?

To be perfectly honest, it's really tough for me to imagine Nene in any jersey other than the one he's always worn. 

But since I have to, it wouldn't surprise me if Nene was content to take the veteran minimum and sign on with the Miami Heat, adding one more piece and making that team even scarier than it already is. With his across-the-board contributions, it would be hard not to consider Miami the favorites next season. 

2. Marc Gasol

Player Profile

During the Memphis Grizzlies' somewhat surprising 13-game stretch in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, Marc Gasol finally broke out in a big way. Dazzling defenders and fans alike, the big man averaged 15.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game during that span. 

Questions remain though as to whether or not he can keep it up for the duration of a grueling NBA season and challenge his older brother Pau Gasol for dominance in the Gasol clan. 

Best Fit?

I'm still convinced that staying in Memphis is the best option for Gasol. 

He knows his teammates and they all seem to be supportive of him. For example, Greivis Vasquez believes that two or three years down the road, Gasol could be the best center in the NBA. 

Gasol has developed great chemistry with fellow big man Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies remain an up-and-coming young team. Continuing to develop alongside Z-Bo, Rudy Gay and the rest of the Grizzlies would be in his best interest. 

1. David West

Player Profile

After opting out of the final year of his contract with the New Orleans Hornets, the two-time All-Star immediately jumped to the top of this year's weak free agent class. 

David West is one of the rare players in the NBA who is a legitimate threat to put up 20 points and 10 rebounds on a nightly basis. But questions still do remain about his ability to continue along at that level. 

After all, the power forward is 30 years old and still on the road to recovery after reconstructive knee surgery. Then there's the question of how much Chris Paul affected his game, making him appear better than he already was. 

As you can probably tell by my ranking him at No. 1, I'm a believer in West's ability to make his mark on a new team. 

Best Fit?

David West needs to join a team that can both pay him the big bucks and give him about 35 minutes per game at the power forward position. 

Something tells me that New Jersey Nets general manager Mikhail Prokhorov would be willing to do both those things. 

Joining the up-and-coming Nets would be a great idea for West and allow him to play with another elite point guard, this time in the form of Deron Williams. A trio of West, Wiliams and Brook Lopez would actually be able to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. 

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.

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