NBA Free Agents: Most Underrated Difference-Makers on the Open Market

In a fairly thin 2011 free-agent crop, there aren’t many players available who can turn a losing team into a contender. However, good teams looking for one crucial piece to put them over the top have some promising options to consider.

These three unrestricted free agents deserve more buzz than they’re getting as players who could be vital contributors to a new team.

Shannon Brown

Brown has already shown that he can be effective in limited minutes while stuck behind Kobe Bryant for the last two seasons. At age 26, he could either reprise his bench-spark role for another contender or blossom into a full-fledged starter on a less-talented team.

Brown’s height (at 6’4”) and athleticism make him an outstanding defender, and he has a good enough shot to command respect from the defense. Look for the versatile Brown to be an instant hit wherever he lands in 2011-12.

Shane Battier

Fresh off his second tour of duty with the Grizzlies, Battier could easily re-sign in Memphis. Wherever he goes, though, he’ll be a veteran leader who can still make plays on the floor.

Battier has never been much of a scorer, but even at age 33, he’s a superior defender who can knock down three-pointers (38.2 percent from long range last season). He’s the kind of heady, reliable player that a younger contender (again, such as Memphis) could really benefit from having.

Caron Butler

While fellow Maverick free agents Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson made themselves indispensable during Dallas’ title run, Butler’s season-ending knee injury left him out of the spotlight. Even coming off that injury, though, the 31-year-old forward has a lot to offer a new team.

Butler has established himself as one of the NBA’s most versatile players, a small forward who can score, rebound, pass and defend multiple positions. He showed no signs of age catching up with him before he got hurt last season, and still has more than enough ability left to be a part-time starter even on a championship-caliber team.