Good and inexpensive 2010 free agents
lol..since when is 30 and 31 considered old?. players start to appear old around 34 and up. tmac has a good 3 and a half years until then. i wouldnt be suprised if josh stayed oversea's for another year since he can command more money over there
Foye probably isn't going to be extended the QO ($4,795,096) by Washington. I think he'll probably find a team willing to give him a two year deal with an option for around $2-3 million per.
Childress has no incentive to return to the NBA for anything less than a multi-year deal for around the MLE. He has a nice gig for himself with Olympiakos, and I don't think he is itching to leave unless a good situation arises.
Tyrus Thomas is going to break some team's heart. I can easily see a team like Minnesota or New Jersey giving him a 4-year $25 million deal.
Korver isn't anything special. I don't think anyone will give him more than one or two years. He can shoot a team out of a zone, though, so a team like Denver, Chicago, or Minnesota might give him a look. I think both he and J.J. Redick will be in the $2-3 million for two years range.
House seems like the bi-annual exception kind of player, and that will be at $2.08 million next year.
Camby can probably get more money if he simply makes himself available to the highest bidder, but I think he likes LA. I think he likes New York. He'll probably take a little bit less to sign with the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, or Nets.
Josh Howard is going to take a huge cut in pay. If the character issues weren't enough, now he blew out his ACL. $3 million for a year to make good with a mutual option for a second seems reasonable.
One week ago, if this post was out there I don't think anyone would believe McGrady would get more than some team's bi-annual exception. One good game in New York, and now people think he is back. I think people need to realize a guy with that kind of mileage with that kind of knee injury is not going to be a fixture for any team over an 82-game season. 50 games and healthy for the playoffs is all I would want, but for between $4-5 million he could help San Antonio, Phoenix, Miami, or Orlando.
Gerald Green? http://lokobasket.com/club/team/78/ Why would he ever want to leave Krasnodar?
Luis Scola will probably return to Houston for a reasonable $4.1 million qualifying offer.
Al Harrington will be interesting. He produces wherever he goes, but I don't think anyone is going to want to pay him. He seems to be one of those guys who is talented enough to put up big numbers, but if he is doing so the team isn't winning that much.
The young guys with whom you pretty much know what your getting:
Randy Foye:
Good scoring combo guard with solid athleticism. Hasnt been able to piece everything together but that may be a good thing for teams looking for a bargain. Could have a similar career to Jason Terry if he finds the right home where he wont be asked to run the offense and can find a niche. Since he isnt wowing anyone he could be had for around 4 million.
Josh Childress:
Childress is suffering from the "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome. Playing well in Greece isnt the same as playing well in the NBA. Still looks like a very solid role player and filler due to his overall game. Does alot of thing well but nothing great. At 6'7" he has good size and his ability to pretty much do a decent job anywhere can lure some teams to sign him. Pricetag- 5 million
Tyrus Thomas:
Thomas is a freak athlete. He is still raw offensively but seems to be improving under the radar. A shot-blocking intimidator in the paint who can gobble up rebounds when he feels like it. Larry Brown might be able to light a fire under him but if not Thomas should receive around MLE money still living on potential.
Kyle Korver:
Korver is not a standout starter but he has one great skill that gives him an infallible niche... shooting. He has one of the sweetest strokes and fastest releases in the league. For a team with a penetrating PG that is looking for a lethal spot up shooter he could be an excellent bargain buy. He is rotting away out of the spotlight in Utah so i expect his pricetag to be around 2.2 - 3 million due to the enourmous amount of good free agents available who will be competing for dollars.
Eddie House:
It dumbfounds me why a good teammate with great shooting skills cannot find a home in the league. House is a great team player with an excellent pricetag. He's making under 3 million this year and shouldnt command much more than that in 2010.
The Battlescarred Vets who may still have game:
Josh Howard:
Howard is a stat filler and good defender. He will be 30 in April and has been having injury problems of late which kills his value. But if a team is willing to gamble the MLE or less they could have a very solid player with valuable Playoff experience.
Tracy McGrady:
T-MAC still has skills as he showed in his debut for the Knicks but he showed the other thing he was notorious for a few days later... injury. McGrady hobbled up the court on his bad knee during his third game as a Knick. Another gamble as a player close to 30 with injury problems but he is the same player (in some capacity) who challenged Kobe for best player in the league not so long ago. At 29 years old, the MLE might not be too much to see what T-MAC has left in the tank.
Marcus Camby:
Camby has a long and storied career that has been marked by playoff failures and incomplete seasons. Throughout it all he has shown consistently that his is one of the best centers in the league while healthy. Camby is one of the best rebounders and post defenders in the league. He even has a decent offensive game which most defensive specialists lack. Almost 36 years old and without a ring, Camby sees the end of the tunnel but is still quite capable of being a major contributor on a quality team. his pricetag shouldnt be astronomical so I'm guessing around the 5 million range.
The young unproven players whom you can pay dirt:
These are guys who came into the league with boatloads of potential but could never figure it out. They might be able to get paid overseas but they didnt grow up dreaming about playing in China.
Sean Williams:
An absolute shot-blocking stud. 6'10" with amazing athleticism. Off the court issues, attitude, and foul trouble have found him out of the NBA. Williams could make a splash in the NBA with his stellar D skills. A team wouldnt have to gamble much to see if they can make this diamond in the rough shine. He could be has for the min up to 1 million.
Gerald Green:
What happened?! All the talent and athleticism in the world. Solid rookie season with Bostson then fell of the face of the earth buried behind so-so wing players in Minny. Showed that he could shoot, defend, and finish but couldnt fit anywhere. He needs a strongwilled coach and a mentor.
My suggestion is to pair Green up with T-MAC and Williams up with Camby. Those were the players they were compared to coming into the league and who could possibly help them mature.