This summer's free agency has been very interesting and unpredictable thus far. We witnessed King James unprecedented return to Cleveland as well as Lance Stephenson signing a contract - which looked similar to that which Indiana offered him - with the Charlotte Hornets. We also saw a handful of NBA small forwards who luckily got overpaid like Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons.
We also got the opportunity to admire the loyalty and sacrifice that Dirk Nowitzki has made when he took a massive pay cut with the Mavs to improve the teams chances of adding a second championship in its tenure. And with Rodney Stuckey and Ed Davis agreeing to sign with pretty much league minimum deals, we can expect that other players who would fit the category of "role players'" will continue to become bargain signings from different teams, with the hope of contending for a championship or reviving their careers.
Here are the Top 3 free agents and role players who could come at a great bargain price this summer:
Evan Turner - Turner didn't exactly did his stock any favor when he got traded to the Indiana Pacers in the middle of the season as he averaged a mere 3.3 points as a bench warmer during the playoffs. It wasn't really the Evan Turner that we witnessed during his 76ers days when he averaged 13.3 points, 6,3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game but still he can't expect to get paid this summer like his previous 4 year, $21 million contract after his poor outing with the Pacers last season. Turner might be wise to accept a pay cut from a contender - aside from the Pacers of course - and play a sixth man role; it may just help revive his career and raise his stock back.
Jordan Crawford - A young gunner who has bounced around the league - he is already playing for 4 teams at the age of 25. The 6'4" Crawford, whose style of play seems to limit him purely on the shooting guard position, is a streaky scorer who has averaged 12.2 points per game during his career, hitting only 40.5 percent of his field-goal attempts and 30.6 from long range. He can light it out from the outside though and when he starts going at it and his shots start falling, he can be a great offensive spark for any team. He is good enough to be a decent sixth man but not good enough to be a starter making him one of the best role players at a bargain price this offseason. (The last year of his contract was for less than $3 million.)
Jameer Nelson - Jameer Nelson spent his entire 10-year career with the Orlando Magic until the team decided to rebuild after loosing Dwight Howard in the free agency and had to let a veteran like Nelson go - veterans don't deserve to be part of any rebuilding process. He averaged 12.1 points and 7.0 assists the previous seasons, numbers very identical to his career averages, and is a decent shooter both from the perimeter and beyond the arc. Jameer maybe looking for a contract that starts somewhere around at least $4 million a year or a league minimum from a contender - if its winning that matters to him at this point in his career. For that kind of money for the kind of of production, leadership, and qualities that Jameer Nelson brings, he will surely be doing his next team a favor.
Evan Tuner, Jordan Crawford, and Jameer Nelson, are just some of the top Free Agents who could come at a great bargain price this off-season. As the free agency draws to a close, we will surely see a lot more players who could be selling their selves short just to revive their careers or win a championship.
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