NBA Free Agency: 5 Players the Toronto Raptors Should Consider Signing

With the NBA Lockout officially over, the NBA season will begin on Christmas day, with training camps and free agency beginning on the December 9th. This gives teams about two weeks to re-sign current players and to sign some other players to bring on to the team.

The best available unrestricted free agents this season are most obviously Tyson Chandler and Nene. This free agent class is filled with big men who have exceptionally high defensive capabilities.

Jonas Valanciunas will not be playing for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season, which means if the plan was to move Andrea Bargnani to the power forward position, then the Raptors need to find a big man who can start this year and hopefully be a mentor for Valanciunas in the future.

The Raptors have a lot of cap space available to sign free agents, and with the new idea of an amnesty clause being added where teams have the ability to waive a player, they can waive someone such as Jose Calderon or Linas Kleiza and gain even more cap space.

Here is a list of five free agents that would help Toronto this year and heading into the future.

Enjoy!

Samuel Dalembert, C, Unrestricted Free Agent

Samuel Dalembert is an NBA veteran who has a great wingspan, which gives him the ability to be a great shot blocker. At 30 years old, Dalembert might not have the time to develop an offensive game, but his defense is what really counts.

He has been averaging more than one block per game every season he has been in the league, not counting his rookie year.

With a career average of 1.9 blocks per game, Dalembert is a force in the paint and is a much better option in the post on defense compared to Bargnani. 

Dalembert can easily be signed to a one or two year contract and produce right away on the Raptors.

Tyson Chandler, C, Unrestricted Free Agent

Many Raptor fans have been hoping that Chandler can sign with the Raptors, as he is an upgrade over Bargnani, and a better overall player compared to Dalembert.

Chandler has very high value coming off a championship season in Dallas and will most definitely have a high asking price—but the possibility of playing for his old defensive coach might be something that brings Chandler closer to the Raptors.

Many teams will no doubt be going after Chandler, and there is a high chance that some team will overpay for him. But with the defensive talent that Chandler has, along with his rebounding and occasional good offensive play, Chandler would be a great addition to the roster.

The problem with this is if Bargnani is unable to be dealt by next season, then Chandler, Valanciunas and Bargnani will all be in a log jam for starting rights since Chandler will probably not want to sign a one year deal.

Shane Battier, SF, Unrestricted Free Agent

Shane Battier, much like Chandler and Dalembert, is better known for his defensive abilities.

Battier is an NBA veteran who can most definitely be both a mentor and a great player on the Raptors. With the Raptors' small forward problems right now, adding Battier to the roster will help the team with something that they must improve on, which is perimeter defense.

Not only is he reliable on defense, but he is also a good long-range shooter. He can knock down the three and his .385 three-point percentage speaks for itself.

Battier is also someone who will most probably settle for a one year deal, so if the Raptors can lock him up for one year, hopefully he can help James Johnson become an even better defender.

Richard Hamilton, SG/SF, Unrestricted Free Agent

Richard Hamilton is someone whose production has rapidly decreased ever since the Pistons won the championship back in 2004. One thing that Hamilton can add to a team is offense on the perimeter, which is something the Raps do not have much of.

Ever since players like Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono left the team, the Raptors have not been a team who can shoot the three ball very well. There is Bargnani and Calderon, but aside from that, the other players are either streaky from out there or they can not make them at all.

Richard Hamilton is definitely someone who the Raptors should go after 100 percent. If they want a partial role of leadership and more offense, then Hamilton is the guy.

"Rip" does not specifically have to be a starter if the Raptors can sign him, but can be a point producer off the bench.

Hamilton will probably be looking for a two or three year contract.

Greg Oden, C, Restricted Free Agent

Many know Greg Oden as the guy who was picked before Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft. Others may know him as that guy who has played 82 games in three seasons. 

Many have poked fun at Greg Oden for being unable to stay healthy, but in reality, when Oden is healthy, he can easily be better than Dwight Howard. 

Greg Oden, like the other two centers on this list, has great defensive capabilities—100 times better than that of Chandler and Dalembert. Oden is an amazing shot blocker and can rarely be backed down in the paint.

He also has offensive potential oozing off of him. Just like on defense, Oden is a beast on offense in the paint and can back anyone down with ease. His post moves are limited, but if he were to learn some, along with developing a mid-range jumper like his teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, Oden will definitely be the best center in the NBA.

The problem with Oden is that he is a restricted free agent, which means that the Trailblazers have significant rights to try and lock Oden up before any other team has the right to do so. Trailblazer management has stated that they want to keep Oden, but whether or not they will is still to be answered.

If the Raptors can sign him to a one year deal with a team option, they can see if Oden is the real deal, and use the team option to keep him in their system. This would give the Raptors a frontcourt consisting of Bargnani and Oden, which could lead to Valanciunas and Oden, which would be like trying to break down the Great Wall of China with your bare hands.