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the list gets horrible after jho
With the news that the Spurs are going to use the amnesty provision on Richard Jefferson, it's now official that the team is in the market for help at the small forward position. Here is my list of the top 25 available free agents that fit what the Spurs need at small forward. The order also considers their likely cost on the open market.
1. Tayshaun Prince
4 years, $21.4 million
Many attributes make Tayshaun Prince a very good fit for the Spurs. First of all, he has a lot of playoff experience and knows all about being a fourth or fifth option on a contending team. While no longer a great defender, he's still good on that end. Pop loves players who contend shots but don't foul -- and that's exactly what Prince does on that end. Offensively he has enough range to spread the floor and he's an underrated passer. Unfortunately, there's a real chance that he will get more money than the Spurs can offer.
2. Andrei Kirilenko
4 years, $21.4 million
Last season, Andrei Kirilenko made nearly $18 million. Though he's obviously not worth that sort of money, he'd be a bargain at an MLE deal. In San Antonio, he could start at small forward and give Pop a very capable small ball power forward. Kirilenko's athleticism and activity on defense makes him a disruptive force. He can get out and run and is a good finisher at the rim. His shooting is shaky, which would hurt his fit with the Spurs. But, that said, Kirilenko plays much better in international compe ion and the Spurs run the most European offense in the league so perhaps even his scoring could re-blossom. Like Prince, a higher-than-MLE offer is probably in AK47's future.
3. Grant Hill
1 year, $3 million
Even though Grant Hill is 39 years old, he's still a really good player. All those years of battling ankle injuries has allowed him to extend his career. His best attribute today is his defense; it's safe to say he's the best 39-year-old defender in the history of the NBA. He's quick, long and smart on D and is able to defend four positions. On offense, Hill doesn't have much range but picks his spots well and isn't a liability. Though he has been extremely durable the last four seasons with Phoenix, the Suns have a training staff that specializes in keeping injury-prone players on the court. In San Antonio would Hill remain as healthy? That's a legit concern. Plus, Hill has turned down the Spurs a number of times in the past so it's unlikely that he'd change course now.
4. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (R)
3 years, $9 million
Yes, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a poor offensive player. He can't shoot to save his life (except again the Spurs, it seems). Even worse, Mbah a Moute seems to spend most of his time trying to hide when his team has the ball. Even given his putrid offensive game, his defense is so good that I think he'd be a good fit in San Antonio. Mbah a Moute is tall, long and can really move his feet. In Pop's defensive scheme, it wouldn't be much of a surprise for him to emerge as the best perimeter defender in the league. Mbah a Moute also rebounds extremely well and is a plus character-wise.
5. Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
3 years, $9 million
Mike Dunleavy's career has been derailed due to injuries over the last few years. However, if available at a fair price, he'd be a worthy gamble. Dunleavy's basketball IQ is perhaps his biggest strength, which makes him a solid help defender and positive impact offensively. He can shoot from deep, get to the line and is a better rebounder and shotblocker than expected.
6. Caron Butler
4 years, $21.4 million
A talented scorer, Caron Butler can knock down mid-range jumpers and is a difficult cover in one-on-one situations. While with the Mavericks, his defensive intensity was a lot better than earlier in his career. Does he fit well with the Spurs? I don't really see it. The Spurs don't run many isolation sets and he's a shaky three-point shooter. Additionally, he suffered a torn patellar tendon last season so there's no guarantee he can regain his previous form. On paper, a volume shooter with limited three-point range doesn't fit next to the Big Three. However, reports indicate that Butler is the No. 1 target for Pop and the Spurs this offseason so perhaps they have a plan on how he can fit.
7. Shane Battier
4 years, $21.4 million
On paper, Shane Battier fits pretty darn well. On offense, he's content to catch-and-shoot threes from the corners. He's tough defender, even though he's lost a step from his prime. Battier's personality would be a great fit in the lockerroom. All that said, I think he's too limited for as much money as he'll demand on the open market. He doesn't score enough and he's not a good enough defender anymore to be worth a full MLE deal. And at 33 years old, he's about the age where he'll lose another step, which could wipe away all of his defensive value.
8. Jonas Jerebko (R)
4 years, $15 million
A forgotten man on the free agent market, the Pistons undoubtedly hope it stays that way. As a rookie, the native of Sweden was really good. Jerebko has a high motor, plays extremely hard, rebounds very well and can defend both forward positions. He missed all of last season, which would have been his sop re campaign, with a torn Achilles but has reportedly healed well. It would be a bit of a gamble because at 6-foot-10 he may no longer be able to play small forward if he lost any quickness due to the injury, but Jerebko could theoretically help now and be a building block for the future.
9. Reggie Williams (R)
3 years, $9 million
When it comes to young, talented scorers, Reggie Williams could very well be the best option on the market. Not only is he a quality shooter from deep, he understands how to move without the ball and makes really good decisions. He has that "it" factor in regards to just knowing how to score. However, he isn't without flaws. Williams has never been in good shape and is a poor defender. Does he have the dedication to thrive on a contender? It's questionable.
10. Vince Carter
2 years, $6 million
Ah, Vince Carter. A guy who had all the tools to go down as one of the game's greats but seemingly just didn't care enough. Now that his physical abilities are eroding, he's probably headed toward an ugly end to his career. So why is he ranked this high? Good question. Firstly, since the Suns already owe him $4 million this season, it's possible to sign him for a relatively cheap deal. And second of all, that talent is still seductive. If he ever really started to care, he could be a damn good player -- even today. But that's a gargantuan If.
11. Josh Howard
3 years, $9 million
In the last three seasons, Josh Howard has played a total of 53 games. He hasn't played a complete season since the 2007-08 season. Spurs fans may remember him as a playoff headache -- but it's been a long time since he was even a decent NBA player. He no longer has three-point range, he has character red flags and his quickness has deteriorated drastically. But since he'll be cheap and he's still just 31, Howard might be worth rolling the dice. There's a chance he could become an above average small forward again, although not a very good chance.
12. Anthony Parker
2 years, $6 million
Much like Battier, Anthony Parker fits on paper: he can shoot, he can defend and he's a good character guy. But even though he'll be a lot cheaper than Battier, he's a questionable fit for what the Spurs need. At 6-foot-6, he's much more of a guard than a small forward. And at 36, he's quickly losing the little athleticism he has left.
13. Al Thornton
3 years, $9 million
Al Thornton is 6-foot-8, built like a tank and can jump. He's much stronger than most small forwards and much too quick for any power forward. (One of Thornton's hobbies is destroying Matt Bonner whenever the two are on the court together.) He will also not demand that much money on the open market. So why is he so low on this list? He's as dumb as a pile of bricks. Thornton has no idea how to play the game of basketball. He can put points on the board, he can rebound and he has the tools to defend -- but it just hasn't clicked yet with him ... and likely never will.
14. Peja Stojakovic
1 year, minimum
Peja Stojakovic's bulky back has made him a shadow of his former self. When his back is acting up, he can hardly move. His career may very well be over due to his back. But, as we saw last year in the playoffs, when he's feeling good, Stojakovic is still one of the best shooters in the solar system. His size and quick release makes him deadly when he's on. If the Spurs could get him for a minimum deal, they could hope that his back is loose come playoff time.
15. Michael Redd
1 year, minimum
Michael Redd is in the same boat as Stojakovic, except his problem is a knee that keeps imploding. He has only played 18 games the last two seasons and looked really bad in those games. The Spurs could take a low cost gamble and hope Redd's knee has another season in it. But since Redd has never been known as a hard worker, the chances of a bounce back season are slim.
16. Vladimir Radmanovic
2 years, $5 million
Vladimir Radmanovic remains a tease. At 6-foot-10, he can stroke it from deep and is surprisingly quick and athletic for his size. On the Spurs, he could play both forward positions while spreading the floor and not being too much of a liability on defense. The problem is that his effort level is suspect and he never seems mentally engaged.
17. DeShawn Stevenson
2 years, $6 million
In reality, DeShawn Stevenson is a player who should be paid the minimum. But since he's coming off a championship run, he'll be overpaid. Stevenson, when his back is cooperating, is a really good defender. He doesn't blink and isn't afraid to mix it up. Offensively, the only thing he can do is loft his iffy three-point shots -- though that honestly isn't too much of a bad thing in San Antonio. Overall, his extremely limited offensive game and injury history make him a gamble at anything more than the a couple million dollars a year.
18. Gary Forbes (R)
2 years, $4 million
Gary Forbes came out of nowhere to have a solid rookie season with the Nuggets last year. He's not much of an outside shooter or defender but he can score and has shown a well-rounded game. Forbes doesn't have a high ceiling, though it appears as if he has the tools to be a functional rotation player going forward. The native of Panama is a good bet to carve out an NBA career.
19. Julian Wright
1 year, minimum
A former top-flight prospect, Julian Wright just never reached any of his potential. He's an athletic 6-foot-8 wing who can handle the rock a bit and he plays hard. But Wright can't shoot, has lost all confidence and doesn't make an impact defensively even though he's built like a guy who should be able to defend. He is still just 24, which is why he's even this high on the list, but I haven't seen any reason to believe he'll figure it out.
20. Jamario Moon
2 year, $4 million
A cult favorite when he broke into the league with the Raptors, Jamario Moon's career has flatlined. Teams have learned that he can't dribble so they crowd his jumper. Today, Moon relies on contested threes and alleyoops to score the few points he's able to produce. He can rebound and seems to have the tools to defend so he's not totally worthless … but paying him more than the minimum would likely end up being a mistake.
21. James Jones
1 year, minimum
All James Jones can do is shoot three-pointers. That's it. He never takes the ball to the basket and is worthless offensively if he can't get his shot off. On defense, James is decent thanks to his long 6-foot-8 frame, but he's hardly anything to write home about. Even at the minimum, the Spurs should be looking for more than a player who can just shoot.
22. Maurice Evans
1 year, minimum
Maurice Evans lives in San Antonio and he's a high character guy. He likes shooting corner threes and will compete on defense. But with his athleticism in decline and limited talent to begin with, Evans holds little value. A few years ago, he could have made sense. However, the Spurs weren't interested then and I don't know why that would change now.
23. Derrick Brown
1 year, minimum
Derrick Brown is ultra athletic, and at 6-foot-8, he looks like an imposing small forward. Unfortunately for him, he hasn't shown enough perimeter skill to be anything more than a small, skinny power forward. He can't shoot and can't dribble. The hope with signing Brown would be to send him to Austin for a year and try to mold him into a small forward … but it's unlikely he'll amount to anything.
24. Dominic McGuire
1 year, minimum
If the NBA allowed designated defenders, Dominic McGuire would be a rich man. At 6-foot-9, he can defend just about every position on the court. But he's such a train wreck offensively that his time in the league is probably coming to an end. Outside of Jared Jeffries, he's probably the worst offensive player in the league. The worst part of his offense is that he doesn't seem to realize how bad he is at it.
25. Rasual Butler
1 year, minimum
He's a James Jones clone but a worse shooter and worse defender.
Not listed for being too expensive: Arron Afflalo, Jeff Green, Thaddeus Young, Jason Richardson
the list gets horrible after jho
I would move a few around, most notably I'd have AK47 as my number 1 and Dun above Luc, other than that a solid list. When looking at the first 15 all seem like improvements over RJ in the cats we need the most, even if they aren't as talented. I have to wonder how good Leonard can be/is and why they seem to be pressing so hard for a SF.
My guess is they sign Prince, AK or Caron. I'd be thrilled with one of the first two and happy with Caron. There are other players I would be happy with (Dun & Luc or Hill) but those 3 I mentioned are the best available IMO.
(throws up)
Also, I guess kudos to the Spurs for making basketball decisions over financial ones (at least it appears that way for now). Spurs have had some rough luck lately so let's hope they can get something going in FA/Trade that works out.
I'd rather have Nachbar than half of those guys..
WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Tayshaun Prince will sign a four year, $27 million dollar deal to stay with Detroit, league sources tell Y! Sports.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...pistons_120811
Last edited by ace3g; 12-08-2011 at 01:59 PM.
Where does Bostjan Nachbar work into this? #32?
The Spurs already have a guy like this playing in Austin. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lance Thomas in training camp for a week.
Nevermind I'm way late.
Forgot about Nachbar. I'll add him in.
Prince got a nice contract but I'm surprised he wants to play on a loser team.
He will be with the Hornets.
I was going to drop out the players who have already "agreed" to deals.
But then I remembered about Lamond Murray.
Thanks, just found the list. That's a surprise. We'll miss him, but I don't think he'll be gone long. No perimeter skills at all yet.
kawhi is better than most of em....
why even sign anyone if they just gunna be worse than him..
i only want butler or kawhi to start
Nice list.
No Gelabale?
I like Battier and Dunleavy from that list.
Does somebody know what's the deal with Nocioni? Will he get cut?
whats the situation with luc richard? is there a chance of us getting him?
bingo. get a bigman
Good call....here is a link to a summary of TP's radio show...http://www.basket-ball.com/blog/tp-week-4-ar8542.html
"Il a envie que Mickaël Gelabale le rejoigne aux Spurs, en refaisant des essais. "
I don't know if this is an exact quote from Parker but it sounds like Gelabale has Tony Parker's approval! That would be a nice addition. I don't know exactly what it says beyond that. Google translator doesn't nail it all the time.
Last edited by The Great Fantastic; 12-08-2011 at 02:37 PM.
I was going to mention that Gelablae is under contract, but forgot that Tony would be able to release him to the Spurs. That would actually work pretty well.
What's his contract/health status? I heard TP talking about him in French but I think he was just talking about getting him on some his show.
Then again I don't know French
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