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Sports Look
September 11,
2008
NBA Top 20 Free
Agents - Week of September 8th
With only a few
weeks left till training camp, most teams have already settled with the roster
they plan to have for the rest of the season. Sure some of the players in
training camp will be cut and others will be signed, but the majority of roster
decisions are already at a locked position at this point. That means that the
players besides Ben Gordon on this list will take a much longer time to be
signed if they get singed by an NBA team at all.
The most likely
scenario is an NBA team losses a player to injury in camp or pre-season and has
to find a replacement or a team realizes just how much help a position needs and
sings an emergency PG like Sam Cassell or Damon Stoudamire.
There are a few
teams still looking to fill roster spots though. The Heat are still looking for
a PG. The Magic are looking for a 3rd PG and a PF/C type player
(Melvin Ely fits this mold) that can hold down the end of the bench. There are
other teams that still are looking for a piece here or there and sometimes fans
see a much more pressing need than the coaching staff does. Most Nuggets fans
are hoping that their PG situation gets fixed either by Cassell or Stoudamire to
have on the bench and provide spot minutes.
There are other
players on this list that have offers on the table and just have to accept
them. Some are one year tender offers and others are players offered only the
veteran minimum that are expecting more than that and are holding out (this
scenario usually does not lead to good things).
Ben Gordon will
most likely just have to take the Bulls minimum offer or hope that a team like
the Heat is willing to trade for him. He would fit in well with the Heat but
there isn’t much Miami can really give up for him at this point that the Bulls
would actually want.
Look for a few
more undrafted rookies to find roster spots over the next two weeks and for the
some of the players on this list to find homes, but for the most part, this list
will stay the same for some time.
1: Ben Gordon does not want to be a Bull but wants to
get paid at the same time. His best bet might be to take the one year tender
offer from the Bulls and become a free agent next season.
2: Shaun Livingston could be a steal for a team willing
to take a risk on him coming back healthy. It’s a big risk, high reward sort of
situation because if he blooms, he could really help a team.
3: Sam
Cassell is likely to sign with a team like the Nuggets. He is a coach on the
floor but can kill an offense from his constant dribbling at the top of the
key. His minutes should be limited but is a nice insurance policy.
4: PJ Brown is most likely going to retire but could be
picked up mid way through the season just as he did with the Celtics this past
season. He is still an asset to a team in limited minutes.
5: Alonzo Mourning is still saying he is going
to play this season. He is out for another 4-6 months but hopes to make it back
around the All-Star break. If healthy, Mourning can help any team he is on. He
is still a great defensive stopper and can score inside. Miami appears to be
the place he wants to be and would be a great lift for the Heat for the final
stretch of the season.
6: Carl Landry is most likely to resign with Houston.
The money and years is the sticking point right now.
7: Robert Swift is said to be wanted back by Oklahoma.
Swift has tons of potential but has been injured most of his time with the
Sonics. He will most likely get a two year deal in which time he has to prove
that he can actually play the game.
8:
Delonte West should be returning to the Cavs but could be included in a sign and
trade if they are not able to reach a deal that works for both sides.
9: Robert Horry will have a hard time finding a new
contract and could be a mid year signing. He didn’t play a lot with the Spurs
this past season and the Spurs are looking to fill his roster spot with a
younger player.
10: Dikembe Mutombo might be closer to 50 than 40
but he can still fill in adequately on limited minutes for a team. It’s unsure
if he will resign with the Rockets or just retire.
11: DJ MBenga had the best of luck last season. He got
cut by the Mavericks in order for them to sign Juwan Howard and then was picked
up by the Lakers and made it to the Finals. MBenga is a good third Center on a
team and can be a second in certain situations.
12: Damon Stoudamire should be finding a home soon. He
was waiting for the Suns to make their decision on him and now he’s going to
have to find another spot to play. Damon has a better chance of finding playing
time overseas but Stoudamire doesn’t appear to be the type that wants to head
overseas to play.
13:
Bonzi
Wells has really fallen off of the planet the last two seasons. He was an
instrumental piece of the Kings three seasons ago and then struggled with his
first year in Houston. This past season he split time with Houston and the
Hornets but didn’t do anything to stand out positively or negatively. Look for
him to get some form of deal in the US as he has the skills to be a good player,
it’s just if he is mentally prepared to show them.
14: Kirk Snyder
is another player that has hurt his career because of immaturity. Snyder has a
scorer’s mentality and can help a team needing some bench scoring. The problem
is if he can stay out of a coach’s doghouse long enough to show what he is
capable of.
15:
Ira Newble is still a
good defensive player that can add some offense from time to time. He’s a
decent 2 or 3rd wing player off the bench.
16:
Melvin Ely has never
found a team where he has been able to become a dominant player. Ely has the
skill but needs to find a team where he could make an impact.
17:
David Harrison has hurt
his career with his off the court issues. If he can keep his nose clean, he
could help a team, but he needs to find a team willing to take a chance on him.
18: Fred Jones
is rumored to go overseas otherwise his best option is signing a one year
minimum contract in the NBA.
19: Kevin Ollie
will be lucky to find another contract. He’s at the end of his career but could
be a good player coach and backup on a team like the Jazz or Hornets where he
could provide veteran leadership, not expecting playing time and play if there
are injuries.
20:
Austin Croshere can still fill the role of the big that can hit the three but
provides little of anything else.
Top 5 by position
PG
1. Shaun Livingston
2.
Sam Cassell
3. Damon Stoudamire
4. Kevin Ollie
5. Anthony Carter
SG
1. Ben Gordon
2. Delonte West
3. Bonzi Wells
4. Kirk Snyder
5. Fred Jones
SF
1.
Ira Newble
2. Ronald Dupree
3. Awvee Storey
4. Chris Richard
5.
Casey Jacobsen
PF
1.
PJ Brown
2. Carl Landry
3. Robert Horry
4. Juwan Howard
5.
Melvin Ely
C
1. Alonzo Mourning
2. Robert Swift
3. Dikembe Mutombo
4. DJ MBenga
5. David Harrison
Recently signed players:
Antawn Jamison
re-signed with the Wizards
Baron Davis
signed with the Clippers
Gilbert Arenas
re-signed with the Wizards
Jose Calderon
re-signed with the Raptors
DeSagana Diop
re-signed with the Mavericks
Beno Udrih
re-signed with the Kings
Chris Duhon
signed with the Knicks
Gerald Green
signed with the Mavericks
Elton Brand
signed with the 76ers
Corey Maggette
signed with the Warriors
Mickael Pietrus
signed with the Magic
James Jones
signed with the Heat
Ronnie Turiaf
signed with the Warriors
Roger Mason
signed with the Spurs
Brent Barry has
signed with the Rockets
Patrick
O’Bryant has signed with the Celtics
Jarvis Hays has
signed with the Nets
Antoine Wright,
Keith McLeod and James Singleton all signed with the Mavericks
Dee Brown
signed with the Wizards
Eduardo Najera
signed with the Nets
James Posey
singed with the Hornets
Tyrone Lue
singed with the Bucks
Daniel Gibson
re-signed with the Cavs
Kelena Azubuike
had had his offer sheet matched by the Warriors
Craig Smith has
re-singed with the Timberwolves
CJ Miles singed
an offer sheet with Oklahoma and the Jazz matched it.
Keyon Dooling
was signed and traded to the Nets
Rodney White
signed with Maccebi Elite and joins former NBA players Marcus Fizer and Esteban
Batista there.
Juan Carlos
Navarro signed with Barcelona
Carlos Delfino
signed with Khimki BC in Russia
Jorge Garbajosa
signed with Khimki BC in Russia
Malik Allen
signed with the Bucks
Boston Nachbar
signed with Dynamo Moscow in Russia
Matt Barnes
signed with the Suns
Tony Allen and Eddie
House resigned with the Celtics
Primoz
Brezec signed with Virtus Roma in Rome
Josh Childress
singed with Olympiakos in Greece
Kurt Thomas
resigned with the Spurs
Sebastan
Telfair resigned with the Timberwolves
Maurice Evans
singed with the Hawks
Loren Woods
signed with Zalgiris Kaunas of Euroleague
Royal Ivey
signed with the 76ers
Chris Anderson
signed with the Nuggets
Monta Ellis
resigned with the Warriors
Dahntay
Jones signed with Denver
Andris
Biendrins resigned with the Warriors
Sasha Vujacic
resigned with the Lakers
Ryan Hollins resigned
with the Bobcats
Ricky Davis
signed with the Clippers
Emeka Okafor
resigned with the Bobcats
Nenad Krstic
signed with Triumph Moscow
Kwame Brown
singed with the Pistons
Kareem Rush singed with
the 76ers
Ryan Gomes
resigned with the Timberwolves
Randolph Morris
has singed with the Hawks
Loul Deng
resigned with the Bulls
Louis Williams
resigned with the 76ers
Brian Skinner
signed with the Clippers
Adonal Foyle
resigned with the Magic
Carlos Arroyo
signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Walter Herrmann
resigned with the Pistons
Earl Boykins signed with
Virtus Bologna
Bobby Jones signed with
Miami
Shannon Brown signed
with the Bobcats
Jason Williams
singed with the Clippers
Francisco Elson
signed with the Bucks
Yakhouba Diawara signed
with Miami
Ryan Bowen
resigned with the Hornets
Josh Smith
resigned with the Hawks
Ronald Murray singed
with the Hawks
Andre Iguodala
resigned with the 76ers
Dan Dickau
signed with Avellino of Euroleague
Josh Powell singed with
the Lakers
Jannero Pargo
signed with the Russian club Dynamo Moscow
Michael Finley
resigned with the Spurs
Paul Davis signed with
the Clippers
Theo Ratliff signed with
the 76ers
Gordan Giricek signed
with Turkish club Fenerbache
Luke Jackson
signed with the Blazers
Dorell Wright resigned
with the Heat
Earl Barron signed in
Italy
Qyntel Woods signed in
Italy
Devean George
resigned with the Mavericks
Demetris Nichols
resigned with the Bulls
Devin Brown signed with
the Hornets
Eddie Jones
exercised his contract with the Mavericks
Donyell
Marshall signed with the 76ers
Jamaal Magloire
signed with the Heat
Lorenzen Wright
signed with the Cavs
Scott Church has been an NBA freelance writer for more than six years. He
resides in Utah and you can contact him at
Scottshoops@yahoo.com.
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