Spurtacus
07-10-2008, 02:24 AM
1. Kurt Thomas, Spurs: He's 35 years old but still tough enough to help just about any title contender. The Spurs got him in a steal of a deal at the trade deadline. Look for them to try to lock him up with a three-year deal this summer.
2. James Posey, Celtics: Posey helped himself with a strong performance against the Lakers in the Finals. He's another player who should get a three- to four-year midlevel deal somewhere.
3. Ricky Davis, Heat: The talented but troubled swingman hasn't helped his cause in his second tour with Miami. Pat Riley thought, after dumping him the first time, that Davis finally had the maturity to play for him. But Riley clearly is reassessing the situation. Davis looks like a midlevel-or-below type of player. I doubt he'll return to the Heat.
4. Kwame Brown: The former No. 1 pick has run out of excuses. Yes, he's huge, athletic and only 25 years old. But after seven years in the league, he's yet to prove that he's anything more than a backup. Someone will pay him something, but no one expects much.
5. Shaun Livingston: He has amazing talent, but will he ever recover from that horrific knee injury he suffered in 2007? With the Clippers using all of their money on Baron Davis, someone might try to roll the dice.
6. Keyon Dooling, Magic: In a market starved for point guards, Dooling may be the best guy left on the board. He can be an excellent defender, has good size for his position and is coming off a solid season. He won't break the bank, and he's not a bad backup either.
8. Carlos Arroyo, Magic: Arroyo isn't a sexy name, but the market has a shortage of point guards, and Arroyo was more than adequate as a backup in Orlando last season.
9. Bostjan Nachbar, Nets: Nachbar is coming off the best season of his career with the Nets. He's not a starter, but he can provide some shooting and offense off the bench.
Other notables: Matt Barnes, Warriors; Alonzo Mourning, Heat; Jason Williams, Heat; Juwan Howard, Mavs; Robert Horry, Spurs; Michael Finley, Spurs; Jannero Pargo, Hornets; Damon Stoudamire, Spurs; Sam Cassell, Celtics; Jamaal Magloire, Nets; Kareem Rush, Pacers; Gordan Giricek, Suns; Michael Doleac, Timberwolves; Francisco Elson, Oklahoma City; Quinton Ross, Clippers; Antoine Wright, Mavericks; Fred Jones, Knicks; Juan Dixon, Pistons; Maurice Evans, Magic; Primoz Brezec, Raptors; Anthony Johnson, Kings; Tyronn Lue, Kings; Theo Ratliff, Pistons; Adonal Foyle, Magic; Sebastian Telfair, Timberwolves; Kirk Snyder, Timberwolves.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents-080629
2. James Posey, Celtics: Posey helped himself with a strong performance against the Lakers in the Finals. He's another player who should get a three- to four-year midlevel deal somewhere.
3. Ricky Davis, Heat: The talented but troubled swingman hasn't helped his cause in his second tour with Miami. Pat Riley thought, after dumping him the first time, that Davis finally had the maturity to play for him. But Riley clearly is reassessing the situation. Davis looks like a midlevel-or-below type of player. I doubt he'll return to the Heat.
4. Kwame Brown: The former No. 1 pick has run out of excuses. Yes, he's huge, athletic and only 25 years old. But after seven years in the league, he's yet to prove that he's anything more than a backup. Someone will pay him something, but no one expects much.
5. Shaun Livingston: He has amazing talent, but will he ever recover from that horrific knee injury he suffered in 2007? With the Clippers using all of their money on Baron Davis, someone might try to roll the dice.
6. Keyon Dooling, Magic: In a market starved for point guards, Dooling may be the best guy left on the board. He can be an excellent defender, has good size for his position and is coming off a solid season. He won't break the bank, and he's not a bad backup either.
8. Carlos Arroyo, Magic: Arroyo isn't a sexy name, but the market has a shortage of point guards, and Arroyo was more than adequate as a backup in Orlando last season.
9. Bostjan Nachbar, Nets: Nachbar is coming off the best season of his career with the Nets. He's not a starter, but he can provide some shooting and offense off the bench.
Other notables: Matt Barnes, Warriors; Alonzo Mourning, Heat; Jason Williams, Heat; Juwan Howard, Mavs; Robert Horry, Spurs; Michael Finley, Spurs; Jannero Pargo, Hornets; Damon Stoudamire, Spurs; Sam Cassell, Celtics; Jamaal Magloire, Nets; Kareem Rush, Pacers; Gordan Giricek, Suns; Michael Doleac, Timberwolves; Francisco Elson, Oklahoma City; Quinton Ross, Clippers; Antoine Wright, Mavericks; Fred Jones, Knicks; Juan Dixon, Pistons; Maurice Evans, Magic; Primoz Brezec, Raptors; Anthony Johnson, Kings; Tyronn Lue, Kings; Theo Ratliff, Pistons; Adonal Foyle, Magic; Sebastian Telfair, Timberwolves; Kirk Snyder, Timberwolves.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents-080629