Top Five Unrestricted Free-Agent Small Forwards of 2011

The following five players are currently free agents and are looking to help out a team next year, or for the next few years to come. These players appear to be good value picks for teams, especially those who have been in the NBA for a while.

They understand how to approach the season, and what it takes to win games on a consistent basis.

So, let’s meet the players!

5. Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns

Grant Hill will be entering his 17th NBA season and has spent time with Detroit, Orlando, and since 2007 the Phoenix Suns. Hill is not the player he once was, but after undergoing several major surgeries on his ankle, he has managed to revive his career.

He has seen his scoring numbers come down since the 2005-06 season (then with Orlando), but is still a good value pick for a contender. Hill plays defense, can shoot the ball, and is a veteran presence in the locker room. Since the 2008-09 season, Hill has played in 243 out of a possible 246 regular season games.

So, even though Hill has had major injuries in the past, he is a good value player that can be productive in limited minutes on a contender. Hill will have a say on where he will play next, and therefore could be a great pickup on the 2011 free agent market.

4. James Jones, Miami Heat

James Jones will be entering his ninth NBA season, and has spent time with Indiana, Phoenix, Portland, and since 2008 the Miami Heat. After barely playing in his rookie season with the Indiana Pacers, Jones has become a known three-point threat around the NBA.

He won the 2011 All-Star Three-Point Shootout and is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Teams looking to add shooters during free agency may be dialing Jones, whose career has also been affected by injuries.

His highest scoring output came during the 2005-06 season as a member of the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged 9.3 points and played in 75 games.

3. Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz

Andrei Kirilenko will be entering his 10th NBA season, and has spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz. Kirilenko is coming off the last of a six-year deal he signed with Utah in 2005, but has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies during the past six seasons.

However, with his ability to contribute in multiple ways and no longer expecting a long-term contract, Kirilenko may be a nice veteran pickup for some team during free agency.

Kirilenko may also be looking into playing basketball overseas due to the current lockout and his desire to play for his native Russia.

2. Caron Butler, Dallas Mavericks

Caron Butler will be entering his 10th NBA season, and has spent time with Miami, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington, and the last season-and-a-half as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Butler, a scoring forward who has improved his scoring average for most of his career, is coming off a season where he missed 53 regular season games and the entire playoffs as the Mavericks went on to win the NBA Championship.

Butler has dealt with injuries in the past, but missed so much time due to undergoing knee surgery in January 2011. Butler may have multiple suitors come free agency, but he has to show that he can continue to play at a high level after missing a major part of last season with a knee injury.

1. Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons

Tayshaun Prince will be entering his 10th NBA season, and has spent his entire career with the Detroit Pistons.

Prince has seen his role with the Pistons increase throughout his years with the team. During his rookie season, he appeared in only 42 out of 82 regular season games, but in the playoffs, with the Pistons down to the Orlando Magic, Prince was called on to play by former head coach Rick Carlisle.

Prince is known for his defensive capabilities, as shown by his history of blocked shots, and long arms.

With Detroit Pistons in a rebuilding mode, will they look to keep Prince around, or will they look to bring in younger players? Prince signed a five-year contract with the Pistons in 2005, and is one of the best defenders available on the free agent market.