NBA Free Agents: Jason Richardson and Top Targets Coming off of Down Years

Here's a quick look at three NBA free agents who had down years last season and, as a result, could be bought for cheap this offseason. 

Jason Richardson, Orlando Magic

For his career, J-Rich is averaging 18 points per game. During his first 25 games of the season last year with Phoenix, he was averaging 19.3 points and over two three-pointers per game.

When he was traded to Orlando, however, he put up career lows in points and three-pointers made. He was also pretty bad in terms of field goal percentage and assists. 

It's clear that Richardson thrives in more of an up-and-down style of basketball, and Orlando just doesn't do that as much as Phoenix or Golden State. To be fair, no one does, but that's a big reason why his numbers were down. 

Unfortunately for teams looking to acquire Richardson at a discount because of his down year, he still has a lot of name value and will be an expensive buy this fall. 

Jason Kapono, Philadelphia 76ers

Sticking with the Jason theme, Kapono became an after-thought after he was traded to the Sixers in 2009.

That eventually came to an all-time low last year, as the former UCLA Bruin started just two games, played in 24 and scored less than a point per game. 

Don't forget, though, that Kapono scored just under nine points per game during the three years before going to Philadelphia. He averaged over a three-pointer per game, and even started a good amount of the time.

Kapono isn't a sexy name, but he is going to be extremely cheap coming off a year in which he scored 0.7 points per game.

He's still only 30 years old, and I'm sure he still has his shooting stroke. There's no doubt he could be a steal as three-point specialist role player for a contending team. 

Spencer Hawes, Philadelphia 76ers

It appeared that Hawes was finally fulfilling his potential in Sacramento, as he put together two straight 10-point, six-rebound per game seasons.

Nothing spectacular, but it was at least good to see some progression from the frustrating big man. 

However, he took yet another step backwards last year, as his averages dropped to 7.5 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game.

On the surface, those numbers look poor, but Hawes battled injuries and played a lot fewer minutes than he did in Sacramento.

He's still just 23 years old, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a team try to "buy low" on this restricted free agent.