Best Bargain Free Agents

Shapecity · Jul 2, 2009

Ramon Sessions (restricted, Milwaukee)
There are a few reasons why the Bucks didn't give a qualifying offer to Charlie Villanueva, but one is that it's good poker. By sending a signal to the market that Sessions is the guy they want to keep, the Bucks effectively precluded anyone from making a strong offer to try to wrest him away in free agency and thus almost certainly lowered his final price.

He's worth it, too. Sessions can't make 3s and needs the ball in his hands to be successful, but he's a deft passer who can also score around the rim. Last season, he averaged 18.8 points and 8.3 assists per 40 minutes, and did it efficiently, as he had the ninth-best turnover ratio among point guards. He's also an effective rebounder (5.0 boards per 40 minutes) and rated 13th among point guards in PER.

Best of all, he's only 23. Considering all the veteran point guards getting attention this summer despite presenting far greater risk because of their ages (Jason Kidd, Andre Miller), it's puzzling to see Sessions virtually ignored.

Marvin Williams (restricted, Atlanta)
Continuing that age theme: If you're going to dive into the free agent pool, doesn't it make more sense to add 23-year-olds than 36-year-olds? Well, Williams is 23 and is coming off a strong season, one in which he ranked 13th among small forwards in PER at 16.04 while becoming the Hawks' main defensive stopper on the wings.

At 6-9, he has the length to harass opposing small forwards, and he added the 3-pointer to his arsenal last season, hitting 35.5 percent. His tendency to fade into the background can be vexing, but on the right team that's not necessarily a bad thing. And as his offensive game continues to blossom, he could be the quiet gem in this year's free-agent class. Not that he'll come cheaply -- Atlanta is likely to match any sane offer -- but his restricted status may allow the Hawks to get a great deal on a key building block.

Von Wafer (unrestricted, Rockets)
Another 23-year-old who still has plenty of upside to explore, Wafer is a knockdown shooter who can also put it on the floor and use his athleticism to score at the trim.

While his defense is a work in progress and his passing only a rumor, he averaged 19.9 points per 40 minutes for Houston last season while shooting 39.0 percent on 3s. He's also an unrestricted free agent and the Rockets are facing luxury tax issues, meaning he might be had for the right price. As a source of bench scoring, you could do plenty worse, especially since he has enough upside to eventually start.

Hakim Warrick (restricted, Memphis)
Power forward is the league's easiest position to fill right now, but the lack of attention for Warrick is shocking given how productive he's been for the Grizzlies the past two seasons.

That's partly because he's a lousy defender, but Warrick can flat-out score. He averaged 19 points per 40 minutes for the Griz the past two season, and did it fairly efficiently, with modest turnover rates and true shooting marks in the mid-50s. That's very hard to do on a bad offensive team, and it makes him a strong sixth man candidate for a better club.

Memphis made a qualifying offer, but given its expected pursuit of Lee and draft-day addition of Hasheem Thabeet and their history of parsimony, Warrick can probably be had for a decent price.

Drew Gooden (unrestricted, Spurs)
Yes, he's a little flighty and doesn't always run the plays correctly, and that can make him maddening for a coach. On the other hand, he produces. Gooden has averaged a double-double on a per-40 minutes basis for five straight seasons, and last season was the fourth in the past five in which his PER was well above the league average.

And this may be hard to believe for a guy who has been around the block so much, but he's still only 27. He'll likely come cheap given how far down the power forward hierarchy he is this summer (Villanueva, Millsap, Lee, Anderson Varejao, Brandon Bass, Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace clearly outrank him), but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more effective reserve big man on the market.

Jamario Moon (restricted, Miami)
It's not clear if the Heat are willing to cut into their cap space by re-signing Moon, and if not, it's a good opportunity for another team to get a quality defender on the cheap.

Moon can be frustrating offensively because of his tendency to take quick 3s, but he's not chopped liver out there (35.5 percent) and he doesn't turn the ball over. Additionally, he's one of the best rebounding 3-guards in the league and is long enough to play the 4 in small-ball arrangements.

Though he's 29, Moon has been in the NBA for only two seasons, so he may still have some improvement left in him. Teams looking to split their midlevel exception among multiple players and needing a quality wing should have their eye out for him.

Rasho Nesterovic (unrestricted, Pacers)
Probably the unsexiest free-agent pickup out there, Nesterovic can't jump, looks like he's aiming a rocket launcher when he shoots and has an almost comic ability to avoid drawing fouls. But instead of winning the news conference, he lets you win games.

The 33-year-old 7-footer shot better than 51 percent from the field the past three seasons while using his solid frame to ward off opposing post threats. He's a good passer who can space the floor and his floor-bound game is likely to lose little to age. While he's not worth anywhere near the $8.4 million he made a season ago, he's going to provide somebody with a nice backup center this coming season.

Rodney Carney (unrestricted, Timberwolves)
A rotation player who can likely be had at a bargain price since the Wolves didn't pick up the final year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Carney offers two things nearly every team is looking for: an athletic wing who can defend and a decent 3-point shooter. He made 35 percent from distance last season while taking more than half his shots from out there.

Carney doesn't have great offensive instincts, so unless he's throwing down a highlight-reel jam he's pretty much a catch-and-shoot guy. But he's a solid role player and, at 25, still has a chance to get better.

Channing Frye (unrestricted, Portland)

Portland opted to turn him loose in a bid for cap space, and Frye has two big items in his favor: He can shoot and he can play center.

He's not a good defensive player and probably needs to be less ambitious with the shooting, but his numbers have been much better when he's played the center position (his first and third seasons) rather than power forward (his second and fourth seasons). As a floor-spacing backup 5 who can also play extended minutes at the 4, Frye seems like a good bargain pickup, especially since he's well-liked in the locker room and is only 26.

Ike Diogu (unrestricted, Kings)
If you're looking at guys who will be available for the minimum or not much more, Diogu is a good place to start. Let's start with the negatives: His practice habits and conditioning have been questionable at best, and he's not a good defender.

But look at the production. Diogu has been in the league four seasons for four different teams, and put up big numbers at every stop. His PER has been above the league average all four seasons, he has averaged more than 22 points per 40 minutes the past two, and he's done it with reasonably efficiency -- a difficult feat when the minutes come in sporadic seven-minute chunks.

As a scoring big man off the bench he can be devastatingly effective, and I'm surprised he hasn't got the chance to do it more regularly. For a team looking to fill that role, he'll be available for pennies.

Othyus Jeffers
My favorite D-League alum that nobody's heard of, Jeffers was third in the NBDL in PER last season behind James White and Courtney Sims. The latter two got call-ups but he didn't, even though Jeffers has a lot of promise. Unlike a lot of D-Leaguers, he's still pretty young -- he doesn't turn 24 til August -- and he's a savage defensive player.

He has some issues that will hurt him in the pros -- he's undersized at 6-3 (his listed height of 6-5 is a joke) and he can't shoot 3s -- but his tenacity should allow him to stick as a defending role player once he gets the chance. If I'm looking at a minimum contract, I'd much rather take a shot on him than on a proven failure.
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Per Hollinger

Mamba · Jul 2, 2009

If we lose Odom, I'd like to go after Gooden.

Moo2K4 · Jul 2, 2009

I didn't even realize Gooden was on the market. I personally wouldn't mind going after Marvin Williams. He's still got a lot of potential and is probably a better offensive player than Odom. He does lack in the rebounding compared to him. We could still look in to him as a replacement for Ariza too.

Mamba · Jul 2, 2009

If we lose Ariza, what about Carney?

bbwSwish · Jul 2, 2009

With all of the free agency buzz surrounding wings Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, it is easy to forget about Dahntay Jones.

Jones is an unrestricted free agent and has been receiving a lot of interest from teams looking to add a top perimeter defender to their roster.

“Dahntay is coming off of a great year and was a key part of Denver’s success last season," said agent Aaron Mintz to RealGM's Alex Kennedy. “The special thing about him is that he can guard everyone, from point guards to big men. Five or six teams have contacted us and there’s a lot of interest.”

Jones averaged 7.0 points and 2.4 rebounds during the playoffs, but his defense and energy will be the attributes earning him a considerable raise. Last season, Jones was one of best bargains in the NBA, making just $797,581 as a starter.

The Nuggets have said that they will do their best to re-sign Jones, but with Chris Anderson and Linas Kleiza also on the market and receiving interest from multiple teams, it’ll be hard for them to do so.

In the playoffs, Jones was assigned to cover Chris Paul, Jason Terry, and Kobe Bryant, as the Nuggets made their run to the Western Conference Finals.

“We saw how well he guarded those guys. He did well against Paul, Terry, and Bryant and proved that he can be a key piece to a playoff team,” says Mintz.

According to a source close to the situation, Jones hopes to continue contributing to a playoff team next season and is looking mainly at “up and coming teams who could contend soon or contenders.”

While he’s still weighing his options, Jones could become highly sought after once the dust has settled from Artest and Ariza, who are both asking for considerably more money and also want to play for an elite team. Whoever misses out on these players may get a steal in Jones for a discounted price.
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http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi...ntay_jones_receiving_interest_from_5_6_teams/

Moo2K4 · Jul 2, 2009

I can't say that I'd be that interested in Jones. He's a black hole on offense and I've never been much of a fan.

anique_24 · Jul 3, 2009

I love Sessions. A great Cinderella story. He's a solid starter-caliber player.

huevonkiller · Jul 3, 2009

anique_24 said: ↑

I love Sessions. A great Cinderella story. He's a solid starter-caliber player.
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Yeah but I'm pretty sure the Bucks love him too.

They gave up Charlie V for him.

anique_24 · Jul 3, 2009

Hahaha! Yeah, I know. Just saying my opinion about him, he is better than Charlie after all.

Channing used to be a very good prospect for NY right? What happened to him upon arriving in Portland? No PT?

huevonkiller · Jul 3, 2009

anique_24 said: ↑

Hahaha! Yeah, I know. Just saying my opinion about him, he is better than Charlie after all.

Channing used to be a very good prospect for NY right? What happened to him upon arriving in Portland? No PT?
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I just think Channing kind of fizzled out you know. Happens sometimes.

One of these PGs should take our vet minimum.

AKIRA · Jul 3, 2009

we should sign up Rodney Carney, he would fill that spot that we lost when we lost Ariza, the energy guy who can turn the momentum of a game with some highlight plays. also Rasho would be a good pick up, nice backup center, way more serviceable than DJ.

Mamba · Jul 4, 2009

Carney > Sasha.

I think someone will scoop him up to a 2 or 3 year deal worth abotu $2 mil a year.

anique_24 · Jul 4, 2009

Yeah, Carney was pretty ok. Dunker and can shoot the 3.

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Best Bargain Free Agents

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Best Bargain Free Agents

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Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

Moo2K4 NBA West Producer

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

bbwSwish Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Moo2K4 NBA West Producer

anique_24 Active Member

huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

anique_24 Active Member

huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

AKIRA GO LAKERS!!!

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

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