NBA Free Agents 2011: 7 Savvy Veterans Contenders Need to Target

Last season, to say that the signing of Tyson Chandler didn't quite get the same attention as certain other acquisitions would be at least a slight understatement. In the end, though, the former's team defeated the latter's team in the NBA finals. 

The moral of the story is that, particularly if you are a contender, it isn't always that huge superstar that's going to be the difference between a ring and another discouraging end to the seasons. 

Here are 10 players who  might not be in the All-Star game but could be the difference between an early exit and a chance to visit the White House. I'm not looking for the best free agents like David West and Nene, who are the top of the class, but at the next level down. 

I'm looking for the the savvy guys, the ones who have learned the tricks of the trade, the ones who can help their teams as much by their experience as by their talents. They might not be the lead story on ESPN, but they may be difference makers anyway. 

For this list, I excluded two categories. First, you won't find any restricted free agents on the list. I'm looking for the guys who are longer in the tooth. Everyone here has a minimum of five years experience.

Second, I took out the biggest names of my consideration. They get plenty of write up elsewhere. You won't find David West, Nene, Jason Richardson, Caron Butler or Jamal Crawford on this list because they are what I figure are the top five names available (though not necessarily the top five players).

Michael Redd

Micheal Redd is a once upon a time star who has not lived happily ever after. His knees leave questions about whether he can still play. Chandler had injury issues plague him, too. If Redd can show that he can still play, he could be a huge signing. He was an elite scorer. If he can get back up to 80 percent of where he was, he could be enough as a starter for a team like the Bulls or coming off the bench for a team like the Lakers. 

T. J. Ford

T.J. Ford saw his role cut back severely last season, but there's no reason to believe he can't play anymore. There are at least two contenders that could use the services of a capable point guard, Miami and the Lakers. In fact, Ford could challenge for a starting spot with either team or, at the very least, play significant minutes. 

He's not an elite scorer, passer or defender, but he's capable across the board, and with both of those teams, that's all they need. Derek Fisher is no longer an adequate defender, something that was never more evident than it was in the playoffs last season

In Miami, while I believe Mario Chalmers is the answer, and probably not getting as much credit as he deserves, adding a smart and experienced player like Ford to mentor Chalmers would be a great move for the Heat. 

Jeff Foster

Jeff Foster has spent his entire career with the Pacers. Only three players in club history have played more games with Indiana than the big man. Has he played his last game?

Foster was, in a word, "awesome" last year in his role as the enforcer/intimidator in the playoffs last season. He was big, he was mean, he was strong. He was dirty. He was everything you need in a last big man on the bench kind of player. 

Any contender can use a player like Foster, but especially the teams in the Eastern Conference, where you need to go against Dwight Howard.

Maybe none more so than the Boston Celtics, who were one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA last year. The Knicks are another team that would certainly be able to use his services. 

Kurt Thomas

It is hard to imagine where the Chicago Bulls would have been last season without the contributions of Kurt "Big Sexy" Thomas. He was huge in so many ways for the team. He has such a high character and so much respect from the the other players, his veteran leadership is a value all on its own. 

Additionally he can still play. He is an above average rebounder and excels at defending the post. He knows every trick in the book and has probably invented a few more. Who cares if he's the oldest player in the NBA? He sure doesn't seem to. 

Thomas could return to the Bulls, or he could help another team like the Miami Heat. In Miami, he would be the perfect player to help disciple the young Joel Anthony.

Thomas, though, would be a contribution to virtually any team who is hoping to contend next year because he won't be signing for a lot of money, and his game is so malleable that he'll give you whatever you need. 

Grant Hill

Once an elite scorer and perennial All-Star, Grant Hill was literally hobbled by injuries. Hill is still a capable scorer, but he's five years removed from his last 20-point season, but he has reinvented himself into an outstanding defender. 

The 39-year-old small forward is still a player who can offer a lot, but mostly, he can offer his many, many years of experience. In his rookie season, he shared the Rookie of the Year award with Jason Kidd. He'd love to share a ring with him now, too. 

HIll would be a nice fit in Dallas, who will be losing a few players, including two small forwards in Caron Bulter and Peja Stojakovic. Chicago could also add him if they don't re-sign Rasual Butler to spell Luol Deng and perhaps play some minutes at shooting guard. 

Andrei Kirilenko

Andrei Kirilenko has been one of the more versatile players over the years. Only David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuown have recorded more steals and blocks per game than "AK-47." He fills a stat sheet across the line, and that's why his other nickname is "Mr. Everything".

He is capable of either being a starting player or of being an outstanding sixth man. Because of his versatility, he can help any team, but perhaps none more than the Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard has been holding down the defensive fort all by his lonesome for years now, and adding Kirilenko to help with that might be enough to make a grown man weep with joy.

Shannon Brown

Shannon Brown is the youngest player on this list, but he's savvy because of where he's spent his previous years, in Los Angeles. There he's won two rings, and he's done so playing behind one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.

You may have heard of Kobe Bryant.

While it's obvious that any team can think of something to do with a man with a 44-inch vertical, his athleticism isn't all he offers. It's the experience of knowing what a team needs to do to win it all. Brown would be invaluable in a Chicago, where they could use someone with the experience of winning a ring and a new starting shooting guard.