FanPost

2013 NBA Free Agents List

Is it time to start thinking about off-season acquisition yet? I think so.

Below is a listing of players who will be free agents this summer, in rough order of how interesting I find them (aka no rhyme or reason, really).

Chris Paul - clearly the best FA in the class, but the chances of him landing here are 0. He'll be back with the Clippers unless the Nets somehow find a way to get him there.

Dwight Howard - don't want the circus, but he appears to be returning to dominance. I expect him to be back in yellow next year, because of the $$.

Andre Iguodala - maybe won't be back with the Nuggets, as they have to pay several young players and will have to move someone to do so. Having said that, I don't think another non-shooting wing is what the Suns need, despite his above-averageness in virtually every other area.

Josh Smith - I wrote a whole article a year ago about why the Suns should NOT pursue Josh Smith. He's peaked and the price tag is waaaay too too high.

David West - I would be ecstatic if we got West. One of the best post scorers there is. I expect him back with the Pacers though.

Andrew Bynum - scary injury history coming off sitting a whole season, and questionable moral character are offputting. On the other hand, his REB% has been off-the-charts amazing, and he was a top-5 post scorer. This is either a home run or several seasons down the tube. I don't know which - but I would be willing to trust Aaron Nelson's judgment.

Paul Millsap - everything surrounding the Jazz is kept so tight-lipped that there's no knowing what's going on with him. I would like to have him, as he would be an upgrade on every forward we have on the roster right now.

Nikola Pekovich (restricted) - I skipped a lot of restricted guys on this list, but talk around the league is that the Wolves would let Pek go if a backloaded contract would interfere with their ability to re-sign Love and/or Rubio later. He's a bull around the basket as a scorer/rebounder, but limited defensively due to (lack of) mobility. Not sure if worth it.

Al Jefferson - Utah has to move someone, and Jefferson is the best bet, based on age. Jefferson is intriguing in that he's basically a PF in his skillset, but has been forced to guard C's his whole career. Putting him at PF full-time could be an interesting experiment.

Brandon Jennings (restricted) - Bucks could let him walk despite the restricted tag, due to a duplication of skillsets with Monte Ellis. Despite his atrocious career FG%, Jennings has added a skill this year in 3-point shooting, and has averaged 10+ assists after the all-star break. Someone will pay big money to gamble on him taking the next step.

Manu Ginobili - will be back with the Spurs, unless Duncan and/or Popovich retire.

Jose Calderon - 90/50/40 shooting PG who puts up 9 assists per 36, but can't play defense and has a history of back problems. Where have I heard this before? It worked the first time...

JJ Hickson - has been a double-double machine for the Blazers, but cannot protect the rim at all. He would be an upgrade, but not a significant enough upgrade for the money.

JJ Reddick - A reliable 6th man scorer and crunch-time shooter, who is going to get paid way more than he's worth, despite severe defensive limitations. Just say no, Lon.

Tony Allen - Grizzlies new ownership has so-far shown themselves to be cutting salary, even at the expense of wins. Not sure I want a guy who doesn't wash his hands, though...

O.J. Mayo - said he was insulted by the Suns offer last year, which makes him unlikely to come this year.

Elton Brand - would be an interesting reclamation project for small-ish money, but we already have that in Scola, don't we?

Kevin Martin - has said he will take less to stay in OKC. I expect that to happen.

Andre Blatche - elite athleticism and skill paired with questionable decision-making and horrible shot-selection. No, I'm not talking about Michael Beasley. Blatche is basically Beasley, without the tweener status. (That's not exactly a good thing).

Beno Udrih - a solid backup PG, who also happens to speak Slovenian and be a good friend of Goran's. I don't think this will happen, based on (lack of) need, but could be an intriguing pickup if/when the Marshall project ends.

Zaza Pachulia - he's almost good enough to start. Almost.

DeJuan Blair - RC Buford and Greg Popovich are smarter than me, and they're letting Blair go. That should be a red flag. Blair's two knees are another 2 red flags.

Brandon Rush - I like wings who can shoot and defend. Unsure what the price tag will be.

Tyler Hansbrough (restricted) - Indiana hasn't been giving him minutes, which has led to speculation that they will let him walk in free agency. I doubt he's worth the trouble of going through the restricted tender procedure the NBA has right now.

Nate Robinson - an excellent bench scoring threat - about 1 out of every 3 games.

Will Bynum - is well on his way to becoming an overpaid backup PG. We don't have a need for that.

Earl Clark - still isn't good, but is getting to be nationally known based on the color of his jersey.

Others

Samuel Dalembert

Corey Brewer

Daequan Cook

Chris Wilcox

Marco Bellinelli

Kyle Korver

Chris Kaman