Free Agents 2009-10

crossing my fingers that some of this year’s restricted free agents don’t get what they want from their team and sign a qualifying offer - then they’d be on this FA list. Ben Gordon is a high probability one, but don’t really see him coming here - but Luol Deng would be one that I’d love to see fall through the cracks. The Bulls might try to lowball him if nobody else steps up to the plate with serious money. With the right wink and a nod in his direction, perhaps he’ll see that this is one way to get onto a contender with cap space next summer…

We’ll probably see a lot of changes to this list before the end of the season. At the same time, we’ll have until February or so to evaluate where we are – which should give us the time to clarify the guards and the SF spot. The issue on the frontcourt is Pryz, Frye and Diogu, not getting more players. Pryz and Frye are both likely to be pretty attractive to a lot of teams, if only because Pryz is a better player at center than many of the current starters in the league, and Frye proviedes some insurance at both the PF and Center spots. Diogu needs a solid season to get much interest, given his last three years, but the sense I have with Webster is that the Blazers will have to make some decisions at SF by spring to resolve that spot. The cap space isn’t just about getting another player, it’s also about making decisions about the players we already have – and keeping them. Right now, Pryz, Diogu and Frye behind Aldridge and Oden seem to give us everything we need in the frontcourt, so losing one would mean only they’d have to be replaced. And this means this year will be the time to make some long term decisions about the team we now have. Then, we can talk about adding another piece. From where I sit, if the guards work out, then it comes down to keeping the frontcourt players we have, and resolving the SF spot if we’re not entirely satisfied. Let’s not forget that with 4 players on the restricted list, that the cap space is going to be affected if they’re not either resigned or traded before the end of the season.