Free Agent Analysis

[Timberwolves]

CENTERS


Best Overall Center: Jamaal Magloire- Jamaal was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and looked to be a blooming star there before he was traded to the Utah Jazz and his scoring and rebounding went down. Jamaal was not happy by his decreased role after being looked to as one of the stars of the previous years Bucks team and decided not to resign with the Jazz. He is 25 and is entering the prime of his career; it is highly likely that he commands a max salary in free agency as the top big man in the whole class. He has career averages of 15.3 points and 11.1 rebounds. Whatever team lands him will get a considerable boost to their frontcourt and he can easily help a team jump into contender status.
Top Contenders: Bulls, Clippers, Jazz

Defensive Specialists: Kelvin Cato, Etan Thomas, Todd MacCulloch, Bruno Sundov

Rebounding Specialists: Stanley Roberts, Eric Montross

Need a Scorer: Sharone Wright

Good to Have Bench Centers: Gheorghe Muresan, Bryant Reeves, Greg Ostertag

Underrated: Juwan Howard, Michael Olowakandi

Sleeper: Nazr Mohammed

For the Hell of It:


POWER FORWARDS


Best overall Power Forward: Kenyon Martin- The best power forward in the class was picked one spot ahead of the best center in the class and spent the last 4 years of his career on the Boston Celtics. Martin has not been able to fully shine throughout his career because he has been stuck behind some of the best bigs in the game. He has still managed to average nearly a double-double with 10.9 points and 9 rebounds a game. So far he has developed a nice inside game and is a great defender at this point in his career, but he needs to learn to be a bit of a better rebounder. Martin may get a max contract based off the potential he still has left.
Top Contenders: Hawks, Celtics, Knicks, Pacers

Defensive Specialists: Elden Campbell, Lorenzen Wright, Adonal Foyle, Mirsad Turkcan, Loren Woods, Theo Ratliff

Rebounding Specialists: Gary Trent, Josue Abdul-Wahad, Vin Baker

Need a Scorer: Laphonso Ellis

Good to have on the Bench: Scott Pollard, Malik Rose, Raef Lafrentz, Samaki Walker, Alan Henderson

Underrated: Stromile Swift, Campbell

Sleeper: Turkcan

For the Hell of It: To Toronto -

Eddie Jones
Sonics 01 2nd
Sonics 03 2nd


To Seattle -

Stromile Swift
Shawn Kemp
Cavaliers 03 1st
Raptors 03 1st


SMALL FORWARDS


Best Overall Small Forward: Glen Rice- In a change from what has happened so far, the best small forward is not a young up and coming star, but Glen Rice an older player who has been in the league for 15 years. He has a career average of 21.9 points even with only 9.9 two years ago with the Raptors. He has won 2 championships in his career and will most likely be looking for the biggest pay day possible this year. Once again he will probably just take a one year max deal. The man can still score with the best of them in the league and still plays solid defense.
Top Contenders: Spurs, Clippers, Timberwolves

Defensive Specialists: Donyell Marshall, Jermaine Blackburn

Sharpshooters: Corey Benjamin, Quentin Richardson, Ethan Twyman, Sean Elliot, Dennis Scott, Robert Horry

Pure Scorer: Billy Owens, Bonzi Wells

Good to have on Bench: Bo Outlaw, Kenny Thomas

Underrated: Antoine Walker

Sleepers: Quentin Richardson, Darius Miles

For the Hell of It: Dimitris Papanikolaou
Andre Emmett SF 6'5'' 230 22 C D D C D+ B Draft



SHOOTING GUARDS


Best Overall Shooting Guard: Grant Hill- Grant is a former number one overall pick who has developed into one of the premier all around players in the entire league. He can score from anywhere at this point and is one of the best defensive players in the entire league at his position. This past season he averaged his career high in rebounds and he seems to be a smaller scoring version of Chuck Person. For the last 3 seasons he has been on the Miami Heat and it seems as if he will stay there on a huge contract. Grant is getting up there in age, but does not seem to be slowing down.
Top Contenders: Heat, Knicks

Defensive Specialists: Anthony Johnson, Aaron McKie, Derek Polynice, Kerry Kittles

Sharpshooters: Brent Barry, Polynice, Trent Liebman, Chucky Atkins

Pure Scorer: Alvin Williams, Calbert Cheaney, Harold Miner, Ron Mercer, Isaiah Rider, Jamal Mashburn

Good to have on Bench: Williams, McKie, Polynice

Underrated: Jalen Rose, Doug Christie

Sleepers: Maurice Evans

Still Flat out good: Eddie Jones

For the Hell of It:


POINT GUARDS


Best Overall Point Guard: Michael Redd- Should not even be on the point guard list, but barely edges out Jason Kidd because he will likely be considered a bigger signing, even if he gets switched to SG. Redd is one of the best scorers in the league and still found a way to drop in 8.2 assists a game. He will most definitely command a max deal for max years, as he is considered the prize of the entire class. He has also really improved on the defensive end, when he was drafted he wasn’t looked at as a defensive player at all. Played for the Sonics last year, but hasn’t expressed extreme interest in returning to Seattle this upcoming year.
Top Contenders: Anyone with any cap at all and the Sonics.

Super 6th Man: Morris Peterson

Good For Dribbling: Khalid El-Amin, Mookie Blaylock, Tony Delk

Sharpshooter: Tyronn Lue, Hubert Davis, Anthony Peeler, Keyon Dooling

Solid Bench Man: Sam Cassell

List of Great PGs: Jason Kidd
Lindsey Hunter
Kenny Anderson
Penny Hardaway

For the Hell of It:

[76ers]

Pretty nice article!

[Pistons]

I need jamaal back!

[duncanonu]

That is a max pp article for substance alone. very nice read.

[Mavs]

i want my boy redd back

[Commish]

Nice article.

[Heat]

Holly crap the T-Wolves haven't written an article again.

Joking, good read.

[Raptors]

Redd better come back, if not the Sonics franchise is once again completely in the dust.

Juwan should be coming back to us hopefully.

I hope to steal someone with the MLE.

[Spurs]

Wow this is a lousy FA for SFs

----------------------------------------

Where are you getting your top contenders part from? Wouldn't the top contenders for any star player be: the team that had him, Knicks, Clippers, in that order?

Other than that nice article.

[danhiggins]

Great article Wolves. I think the Wolves is looking at team needs coupled with cap space to see who the top contenders are. Bird years will play a role, but I think he's looking deeper than that to see who will likely go after certain players.

He's right, I'm going after Redd and Martin.

[Trailblazers]

The players often go back to the team they were playing for, but it isnt a guarantee. I think it is great that they go elsewhere sometimes.

[Timberwolves]

Knicks is right i combined cap space and looked at team needs and threw in the team who had him. I also factored in if teams were goin young or not and things like that

[Pacers]

PACERS ARE GOING TO LAND ME ONE OF THESE ALL STAR TYPE PLAYERS WITH A MAX

[Pistons]

Nice work here Wolves. You probably spent a ton of time on this article.

[The Miami Heat]

great Article. pretty sad FA class overall. only two players really deserved max money.