Best Available NBA Free Agents

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2010

Best Available NBA Free Agents

Allen Iverson

Note: The following players were free agents as of Aug. 17. In early July, Allen Iverson tweeted that he wants to play next season "and help any team that wants me, in any capacity that they feel that I can help." That last part is the key because Iverson might need to embrace a bench role -- something he hasn't been willing to do in recent seasons -- in order to add a 15th season to his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

Delonte West

The Timberwolves acquired Delonte West in a trade with Cleveland and then waived him in early August in a money-saving move. West has had some off-court issues, but he's also been an important player on two 60-win Cavaliers teams. He's a versatile player who can play either guard position.

Earl Watson

After T.J. Ford landed in coach Jim O'Brien's doghouse last season, Earl Watson stepped in and started 52 games for the Pacers, averaging 7.8 points and 5.1 assists. Indiana has since traded for Darren Collison to be their starting point guard, while Ford and A.J. Price remain on the roster. The 31-year-old Watson is undersized and a subpar shooter, but he's a serviceable option for a team seeking depth at the point.

Louis Amundson

The Suns owed a lot of last season's success to their bench, and Louis Amundson was a big part of that. The undrafted 6-9 forward was a fan favorite who did the dirty work on an offensive-minded team. Phoenix doesn't have room for him after signing power forward Hakim Warrick and center Channing Frye to sizable contracts and drafting forward Gani Lawal.

Larry Hughes

Larry Hughes is a long way from the player who averaged 22.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.9 steals with the Wizards in 2004-05, a career year that helped him land a five-year, $60-plus-million deal with the Cavaliers as one of LeBron James' sidekicks. The poor-shooting Hughes disappointed in Cleveland and has bounced around from Chicago to New York to Charlotte in the last three seasons. The 31-year-old guard is still capable of some big nights (he had four 20-point games early last season with the Knicks before being dealt to the Bobcats), but they are few and far between these days.

Rafer Alston

Two years ago, Rafer Alston started in the NBA Finals for the Magic against the Lakers. He left the Heat near the end of last season after losing his starting job and later revealed that his departure stemmed from a family issue. The 34-year-old playground legend has started games for seven NBA teams: Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, Houston, Orlando, New Jersey and Miami. Other veteran point guards without a team include Anthony Johnson, Earl Boykins and Jamaal Tinsley.

Jerry Stackhouse

After signing in the middle of the 2009-2010 season, Jerry Stackhouse averaged 8.5 points for Milwaukee and helped the surprising Bucks surge into the playoffs. While the Bucks have moved on by acquiring Corey Maggette and re-signing John Salmons, the 35-year-old Stackhouse proved last season that he can still contribute to a winning team.

Flip Murray

Flip Murray is strictly a scorer; the problem is that he's a career 41.4 percent shooter. Murray has played for eight teams in eight seasons, including the Bobcats and Bulls last season, when the 31-year-old guard averaged 10 points for both teams.

Luther Head

The Hornets cited a failed physical in rescinding a two-year offer to Luther Head in mid-July, just after they parted ways with GM Jeff Bower, but the player's agent called that claim "absurd." So Head continues to look for work, having averaged 7.6 points off the bench for Indiana last season. The five-year veteran combo guard, who spent his three-plus seasons with the Rockets, is a career 38.8 percent three-point shooter.

Earl Barron

The big-man market is especially thin right now (Kwame Brown? Ike Diogu? Josh Boone? Joe Smith? Kyrylo Fesenko?), but at least with Earl Barron there are some positive recent signs: As a D-League call-up in April, Barron averaged 11.7 points and 11 rebounds in six starts with the Knicks, including 17 points and 18 rebounds against the Celtics. The 29-year-old 7-footer previously spent three years as a seldom-used reserve in Miami.

Jarvis Hayes

A part-time starter with the Nets last season, Jarvis Hayes has averaged between 7.2 and 10.2 points in each of his seven seasons. Another Nets small forward from last season, Bobby Simmons, also remains a free agent.

Devean George

Devean George shot a career-high 39 percent from three-point range in 45 games with the Warriors last season. He's mostly been a spot-up shooter throughout his 11-year career, and that's even more the case now that he's approaching his 33rd birthday. Besides George and Jarvis Hayes, other free-agent small forwards worth mentioning include Rodney Carney, Damien Wilkins and Ime Udoka.

Devin Brown

A journeyman shooting guard, Devin Brown started 37 games for New Orleans last season, averaging 9.7 points and making 36.7 percent from three-point range. But after a midseason trade to Chicago, Brown never earned a spot in the rotation.

Michael Finley

Is two-time All-Star Michael Finley finished? The 37-year-old swingman played sparingly with the Spurs and Celtics last season, his 15th in the NBA. Nevertheless, he still could be a handy guy to have at the end of a bench, considering his savvy and the fact that he continues to be a three-point threat.

Javaris Crittenton

Javaris Crittenton didn't play a game last season in part because of a suspension for bringing guns into the Wizards' locker room as a result of a dispute with teammate Gilbert Arenas. Crittenton also was sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. The baggage, then, is obvious, but Crittenton is a former first-round pick, he's only 22 and he's shown a bit of promise during stints with the Lakers, Grizzlies and Wizards.