[h2]
If it's not Brand, here are the Warriors' free-agent options now, next year and a few in 2010[/h2]
Posted by
Tim Kawakami on July 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am | Categorized as
NBA,
Warriors
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Minor 12:48 p.m. update: Added some names to summer 2010 market. You'll see why.
For your Warriors' fan shopping information…
Your team has anywhere from $12M (if they don't renounce everybody) to $18M or more (if they renounce everybody) in available cap room. That's PURE cap room-they can spend all of it on free agents or trade into it or anything.
What do they do with all the money? Well, it's clear they're chasing Elton Brand with a lot of it. They could go hard after Corey Maggette with a lot of it.
They could shop for a lot of other people. They could pocket it for a year or two-to the howls of Warriors fans, I know-and see what the future brings.
With things a little quiet on the Brand/Maggette front for now, thought I'd toss out the lists of current and potential future free agents…
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The remaining summer of 2008 free agents (R = restricted; U = unrestricted), listed in order of my subjective value:
(U) PF Elton Brand, Clippers: Offer from Warriors, offer from Clippers, contact with Philadelphia. Likely to remain with Clippers if the money can be worked out.
(U) SF Corey Maggette, Clippers: Contacted by Warriors, Spurs and Celtics, among others. Warriors can pay him more than anybody.
(R) PF/C Josh Smith, Atlanta: Reports of contact with Warriors and 76ers. Hawks can match any offer, but there have been cash-flow problems in Atlanta.
(R) SF Andre Igoudala, Philadelphia: Possible Plan C (or D) for Warriors and seems potentially more gettable with 76ers involved with Josh Smith or Brand. But the Warriors already have wings-they need a power forward or a point guard.
(R) PF Carl Landry, Houston: A tough player who could fit nicely with the Warriors-who have a gaping need for toughness. But it's hard to see Houston declining to match whatever he gets.
(R) PF/C Emeka Okafor, Charlotte: Possible Plan D (or E) for Warriors, but it's likely that Charlotte would match anything within reason. And why would the Warriors spend anything close to the max for an injury-prone big man who doesn't shoot threes?
(R) C Nenad Krstic, New Jersey: A Nellie-style center. Only worth chasing if the Warriors sign-and-trade Andris Biedrins. No sign of that happening.
(R) F Luol Deng, Chicago: Interesting player the Bulls probably won't let leave.
(R) SF Josh Childress, Atlanta: If the Hawks get hit with a big Smith offer, they might not want to match a Childress offer sheet. Again: Don't see the Warriors spending big dollars on a wing. They need wings, but decent ones come cheap.
(R) SG Ben Gordon, Chicago: Only a Warriors option if they can't/won't re-sign Monta Ellis. Basically the same player, a few years older.
(U) PG Jannero Pargo, New Orleans: What I said about Gordon.
(R) SG J.R. Smith, Denver: Big-time scorer. Not worth a large contract, in my opinion.
(U) PF Bostjan Nachbar, New Jersey: When he plays, he produces. I can see Nelson liking him. Injury-prone and basically the same guy as 10 other players you can pick up for free.
(R) PF Ronny Turiaf and SG Sasha Vujacic, LA Lakers: They're not letting them get away.
(U) PGs Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Orlando: Two names to remember if the Warriors run through a week or two more and still don't have a point guard. Neither is great. Both can make plays.
(U) SG Gordan Giricek, Phoenix: A tough-minded shooter. But he has bounced around a lot recently.
(R) SF Dorell Wright, Miami: A Mullin-favorite from years ago. Worth a look, not a big contract.
(U) SF James Posey, Boston: A few years too old for the Warriors, but a key contributor on two title teams.
(U) PG Anthony Carter, Denver: Solid player and can shoot the three. If I had to pick one player that I'd guess will end up a Warrior by August, it'd be Carter.
(R) F Ryan Gomes, Minnesota: Career back-up.
(R) SG Daniel Gibson, Cleveland: A Nellie-style back-up candidate at guard.
(U) PG Darrell Armstrong, New Jersey: Warriors almost signed him last summer. When he committed to NJ, Warriors grabbed Troy Hudson. Oops.
(R) PG Louis Williams, Philadelphia: Can score a little.
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An edited list of the potential 2009 free agents (not including most of the scrubs or potential non-starters) :
(U*) G Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers: Has an opt-out. Probably won't.
(U*) PF Carlos Boozer, Utah: Has an opt-out. Probably will. Connected to Miami in league talk, but you never know with him.
(U) F Shawn Marion, Miami: Didn't opt-out this summer. Still might be traded. He can guard anybody. It's feared that he'll be asking for $20M a year and won't understand if he only gets $14M.
(R) PG Deron Williams, Utah: Talent would put him near top of this list, but down-graded because I'm assuming Utah locks him to a max deal in a matter of days (just like New Orleans just did with Chris Paul).
(U) SF Ron Artest, Sacramento: Didn't opt-out this summer and regretted it immediately. Slightly erratic, you might have heard. Good guess is that the Lakers chase him hard.
(U) F Lamar Odom, LA Lakers: Could be trade bait this summer, though the Lakers deny it.
(R) C Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers: Big-time candidate for an extension this summer. The Lakers don't usually lose guys like this.
(U*) PG Steve Nash, Phoenix: Has an opt-out. Downgraded on this list because I really, really doubt he'd use the option unless things implode in Valley of the Sun.
(R) C Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee: Candidate for an extension this summer. If he doesn't get one, he'll be a big target for any center-less team. Which is almost everybody.
(R) PF Jason Maxiell, Detroit: Very, very useful player. Detroit usually keeps those kinds of guys.
(U) G Allen Iverson, Denver: Didn't opt-out this summer. Hard to see him landing any big money at his age and size. But somebody will want him.
(U) PG Andre Miller, Philadelphia: Could be trade bait this summer. Can still play.
(U*) G Jamal Crawford, NY Knicks: Has player option to terminate last two years. Unlikely to do it, though.
(U) PF Drew Gooden, Chicago: Not my favorite player. Sloppy, loses focus, wastes a lot of talent, doesn't ever really seem to help his team win, gets benched in a lot of fourth quarters. He'll get interest, though.
(U) PF Chris Wilcox, Seattle: Also not my favorite player for many of the same Gooden reasons.
(U) PG Mike Bibby, Atlanta: Hobbling last year, hard to determine his worth.
(R) G Mo Williams, Milwaukee: Can be a big-time scorer. Poor man's Ben Gordon/Monta Ellis.
(U) PG Stephon Marbury, NY Knicks: Most likely will be let loose by the Knicks this month, either bought out, traded or just released.
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And you might have heard some things about the potential free agent class of 2010…. …
UPDATE: I ADDED SOME BIG NAMES FROM 2009 LIST because I just figured out that if they don't opt out in 2009, they automatically become 2010 F/A's. Of course they could opt-out and re-sign or whatever, but to compile a good list, had to add the names. WHAT A MONSTER CLASS this could be…:
(U*) SF LeBron James, Cleveland: Can opt-out. Nets or Knicks, King James?
(U*) SG Dwyane Wade, Miami: Can opt-out.
(U*) PF Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix: Can opt-out.
(U*) PF Chris Bosh, Toronto: Can opt-out.
(U*) F Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: Has player option. Very unlikely to use.
(U) SG Joe Johnson, Atlanta: Excellent player.
(U) SF Manu Ginobili, San Antonio: Great, great player. Will be a bit old by this time and he's already breaking down.
(U*) Nash: If he doesn't opt-out in 2009, his contract will run out in 2010, when he'll be 36.
(U*) Boozer: If he doesn't opt-out in 2009. Interesting case: Does he want to be a UFA in 2009 or 2010?
(U*) Bryant: If he doesn't opt-out in 2009. Can you imagine a free agent class that includes LeBron, Kobe, Wade, Bosh, Nowitzki, Nash and Boozer?
(U) SG Tracy McGrady, Houston: I forgot about him. But I'm not sure he'll be healthy or worth much when he's 30.
(U) C Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix: Just for the hell of it.