NBA Free Agents 2011: Vince Carter and Best Players Still on the Market

The first official day of free agency brought plenty of action. Still, several names still remain as free agents. 

These are names that will step in to an existing situation and not miss a beat. They're all veteran players. Not having to worry about a transition is important for a contending team, especially in a 66-game season. 

Contending teams would do well to sign every one of these players.

Vince Carter

According to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram, this isn't going to be the case for long. So, teams interested in Carter had better hurry up before he joins the defending champs.

Carter is still a guy that can find the basket. He's best served in a place like Dallas where he can afford to sit on the bench a little bit and not go too hard. 

Still, when he's on the court, Carter is a fine player that will make a difference. 

Rip Hamilton

While they are different players, Hamilton is not unlike Carter. His best years are behind him, but he can still contribute in the right situation. 

Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago is saying that the Bulls are after Hamilton. That would be a great move for a team that needs a shooting guard.

That's the perfect fit for Hamilton. The team needs a shooting guard that can defend when they get to the playoffs. Hamilton fits that description.

Jamal Crawford

Another aging shooting guard. Crawford's strength is that he can still put points on the board. Also, while he's getting older, he's still reliable to be on the court for most of his team's games.

Crawford will not lead a good team in scoring. If a team is looking for him to be the top scorer, they're going to find themselves in trouble. 

But as a second or third scorer, Crawford is stellar. When other players are being double teamed, Crawford will sit back on the perimeter and burn the opposition. He'll be able to do that for a long time.

Jason Richardson

I promise, this is the last aging guard that we'll have to analyze. Richardson is still a strong, athletic player. Actually, Richardson is the perfect player to benefit from the shortened season caused by the lockout.

Injuries have plagued him for his entire career, but Richardson is still a valuable guard. A team looking for a shooting guard to reliably put up 15 points a night would do well to sign Richardson.

Nene

There aren't many centers in the NBA that can reliable get you 14 points and eight rebounds a night. Nene is just that. 

At 29, he still has plenty of good years left in him as a center. Guards struggle when they get that age, but centers are just fine. 

In each of the last three years, Nene has played 75 or more games. His numbers have been consistent all throughout that run. 

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