Chad Ford breaks down the 2009 free agent class that has been flying under the radar with 2010 being the summer of LeBron. The Pistons will be about 40 million under the cap this summer and it will be interesting to see how much they're willing to spend. There are certainly some guys that could help them on this list, but I'd have to believe all teams that are in a position to spend big may want to play it conservative so as to give themselves a chance at the King.......sucks to be a free agent in 09.
Anyways, he breaks it down by unrestricted, restricted, and early termination/player option (but in reverse order).
Some names that stick out:
Chris Wilcox: Has been grinding away in relative anonymity, but impresses me every time I see him. Super athletic and effective both ends.
Ben Gordon: Would probably like to go to a team that allows it's leading scorers to start games.
Lamar Odom: Is just to good to be riding the pine for the Lakers. I'm not taking issue with Phil Jackson, but there are a lot of teams out there that would love to have this guy in their starting rotation. Obviously inconsistency and being sent to the bench in a contract year will cost him a lot of money.
Ron Artest: I would love it if the Pistons signed him. That would be the greatest storyline of the year. Not only would his style of play fit that city to a tee, but him playing 41 games a night in the Palace of Auburn Hills would be priceless. This has to happen.
Shawn Marion: It's unfortunate that injuries, questions about his motivation, and concerns about the fact that team success does not appear to be a high priority for him have all overshadowed his versatility and defensive brilliance over the past few seasons. Nevertheless, he will get paid. This is the kind of player teams want.
Sheed: As Chad said, it's unlikely that Sheed will be seeing top tier money. However, don't underestimate the impact he could have with a fresh start.
The Answer: AI can still put up points and assists with the best of them (see last night against the Warriors). But, the explosion that he has lost through the years makes it harder to look past his turnovers, low field goal percentage, and defensive shortcomings. He's still exciting, but the days of him taking the 76ers on his back and willing them to victory seem like a distant memory at this point.
Leon Powe and Glen Davis: Both are restricted, and I hope that both stay in green. Powe's not going anywhere. I can't imagine Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers would let Leon get away. I hope Big Baby will stay, but it's hard to know. If he keeps playing at a high level this season, somebody might be willing to overpay, and I can't imagine the Celtics would match if it's too much.
Charlie Villanueva: I am a UCONN fan, and I still don't know what the hype is all about. I've been hearing great things for almost a decade. All I see a guy that plays flat every night, is lazy on defense, and has no eyebrows. But, somebody will make him a big offer I'm sure.
The most intriguing names come from the list of players who have early termination options. That is where you can find Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Hedo Turkoglu, Eddy Curry, Al Harrington, and Jermaine O'Neal. Obviously, the plausibility of these guys leaving varies greatly. Kobe's not going anywhere (what a difference a year makes), Eddy Curry is almost certainly gone, Jamal Crawford has big money in New York but is playing well enough to possibly land in a more stable environment, and we'll have to wait and see with the rest.
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