NBA free agents

This year’s NBA free agent market will automatically be less ‘exciting’ than last years, primarily because there will be no Decision 2011, at least as far as I know. There are, however, plenty of big names and players that can turn a mid level team to a conference or NBA title contender. Here are my top five unrestricted free agents this summer. These players are not listed in any particular order.

1. Michael Redd
Michael Redd had a down year due to injury. Six of Redd’s eleven NBA seasons he averaged twenty plus points per game and every year except his first (which he was also hurt) and this previous year he has averaged over eleven points per game. Redd is labeled as one of those “knock down shooters”. Redd is a Ray Allen or Jason Terry type of player that can boost any teams offensive production.

2. J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith has averaged over ten points a game six of his seven seasons. What Smith brings is a very versatile player that can use his athleticism on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Smith is only twenty five years old and has shot at least 39% from the three in four seasons. Smith is a streaky player who can either put up five points or twenty five points with little effort.

3. Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford has a career average of 15.4 points per game. Crawford was the sixth man of year in 2010 and this past postseason aided in the take down of the Magic and helped give the Bulls a struggle. Crawford like Smith is a streaky player who can be streaky but plays the one or two position instead of the three.

4. JJ Barea
JJ Barea has not averaged over ten points in a single of his five seasons. It’s not the past five years that anyone cares about. It is the past two months that is what most teams are looking at. Barea made the Lakers defense look slower than a desert tortoise on a hot day, kept up with Russel Westbrook and made the Heat’s amazing defense look lack luster. Bonus is that he is twenty seven years old and his better years are still ahead of him. His quickness and ability to get to the rim is similar to Tony Parker.

5. Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler is also on this list because of what he has done in the recent past and because of his size. Two of ten seasons Chandler has averaged over ten points, and only twice he has also averaged over ten rebounds a game. But because of his size, 7’1”, he is an addition to any team that can use his size and better yet his defensive presence he brings to the game.

Sadly not of this matters in the near future since the NBA has joined the NFL and is officially locked out.