Um, he can sign wherever he wants to. He's under the same "limitations" as Josh Smith, who just agreed in DET. Which is to say, none.
I wonder what it is that NBA GMs and scouts see in Hickson that's caused them to pretty much ignore him the last two off-seasons. He's a very solid starting calibur PF, I wouldn't mind keeping him and trading LA, but he must have some flaws that aren't so apparant to me.
But does he suck that bad as a PF? He's doesn't have the defensive skillset of a center, but he can guard the post etc. There are a lot of PFs that couldn't really defend the middle like a center. LA can't defend the middle either.
You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Yes, we had a cap-hold until we renounced Hickson, but that had absolutely no impact on any other team signing him. He was not a RFA; it's not as though we could have "matched" another team's offer and kept him. Hickson getting no significant offers (that we know of) yet had nothing to with anything but other teams' opinions of his value.
The problem is the perception of value. In Hickson's mind he's worth more than the MLE. In the mind of GMs, he's worth less than the MLE. If he wants to start he has an even bigger problem. He's a bench/energy guy.
No, statistically he's better against PF's. Also, it should be noted that PF's across the league are better statistically than C's, so positional defense from the PF spot is more difficult than from the C spot. Where Hickson lacks, mainly, is in the team defense category, which is much more important from the C spot than from the PF. IMO, Hickson would be absolutely adequate defensively as a PF.
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA 52s The Denver Nuggets have reached agreement on a three-year, $15 million deal with free agent J.J. Hickson, league sources tell Y! Sports
