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
Marco Bellinelli