Top 50 NBA Free Agents

NBA's Top 50 Available Free Agents

By Jordan Raanan, ComcastSports

Last year, Lamar Odom was considered by some the best player on the free agent market. This year, he wouldn't even crack the Top 10.

There's so much more available in the long awaited Summer of 2010 besides the ultimate prizes - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. And it's a good thing because every team seems to have money to spend.

Here's the Top 50 players available to NBA teams this offseason:

Key:

UFA: Unrestricted Free Agent

RFA: Restricted Free Agent

ETO: Early Termination Option

(AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

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Top 50 NBA Free ... By Jordan Raanan, ComcastSports
Last year, Lamar Odom was considered by some the best player on the free agent market. This year, he wouldn't even crack the Top 10.
There's so much more available in the long awaited Summer of 2010 besides the ultimate prizes - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. And it's a good thing because every team seems to have money to spend.
Here's the Top 50 players available to NBA teams this offseason:

Key:

UFA: Unrestricted Free Agent

RFA: Restricted Free Agent

ETO: Early Termination Option

(AP Photo/Laura Rauch)
1. LeBron James Team: Cavaliers
Status: UFA
Age: 25
Breakdown: Never before has a free agent attracted more attention. And for good reason. He's the best player in the NBA not named Kobe Bryant. Teams like the Knicks tanked for years just for an opportunity to get James. At 25 years old, his decision will make or break several franchises for the next decade or so. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
2. Dwyane Wade Team: Heat
Status: UFA
Age: 28
Breakdown: Any other year and Wade would be the ultimate prize. Instead, he's the best consolation prize ... ever! Even though he is a little injury prone, he still has another five or six years of all-world play. And D-Wade can do it all, including maybe something LeBron cannot – win it all. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
3. Chris Bosh, R... Team: Raptors
Status: UFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: His seven-year prison sentence in Toronto is mercifully over. Now, we can actually find out if he's really as good as he looks during the sneak peeks. It's hard to believe he's not considering Bosh can score, rebound, run the court and play defense. It won't hurt that he's likely to serve as LeBron's sidekick. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
4. Dirk Nowitzki Team: Mavericks
Status: UFA - ETO
Age: 32
Breakdown: Dirk's a stud. He's carried the Mavs for the better part of a decade. And his age is less of a worry than it would be for, say, a player like Bosh in his 30's. Dirk's game has never been predicated on his athleticism. It's his size and shooting ability that really make him special. That will still be the case in his mid-30's. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
5. Amar'e Stoude... Team: Suns
Status: UFA
Age: 27
Breakdown: Amar'e's one of the most difficult stars to judge. One day, he'll drop 42 and 11 like he did against the Lakers in Game 3. Then he grab 16 rebounds in the next three games combined. Plus, he doesn't play any defense. No matter, he's an offensive force, similar to Karl Malone without a jump shot. And 6-foot-11, 20.9 guys don't grow on trees. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
6. Paul Pierce Team: Celtics
Status: UFA - ETO
Age: 32
Breakdown: Pierce isn't the same player he once was. He no longer dunks on people's heads or has top-notch speed. But his well-rounded game will serve him well deep into his career and should allow him to thrive - almost certainly in Boston - well into his late 30's. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
7. Carlos Boozer Team: Jazz
Status: UFA
Age: 28
Breakdown: Boozer's numbers this past season – 19.5 ppg and 11.2 rpg – say he should rank even better on this list. There is no way on paper he should be behind Amar'e. But there is a downside to Boozer. He's undersized and needs to play with a legitimate center (at least defensively) for his team to be a legitimate championship contender. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley)
8. Rudy Gay Team: Grizzlies
Status: RFA
Age: 23
Breakdown: Gay's a nice player who has averaged close to 20 points per game over the last three seasons. And he's only 23, so there is still room for him to improve. How much? Not enough to make him a No. 1 on any real team. But he can make a darn good Pippen to anyone's M.J. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
9. Joe Johnson Team: Hawks
Status: UFA
Age: 29
Breakdown: Two months ago, Johnson was close to a Top 5 player on this list. Then the playoffs happened. Johnson disappeared and did just about everything wrong – on and off the court. The only positive is that with his stock so low, Johnson could play the next few years with a Tractor Traylor-sized chip on his shoulder. (AP Photo/Darren Hauck)
10. David Lee Team: Knicks
Status: UFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: Lost in the Knicks' pursuit of LeBron and a sidekick is that Lee would make a pretty good sidekick himself. He does everything, including all the little things, and he's young and plays hard. Pulling a Baron Davis - taking big money from a bad team - would be the worst thing for his career. (AP Photo)
11. Luis Scola Team: Rockets
Status: RFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: Scola's crafty, tough and has the closest thing to an NBA mullet. What team doesn't need that? (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
12. Richard Jeff... Team: Spurs
Status: UFA - ETO
Age: 30
Breakdown: Jefferson is crazy to opt out. He was due $15 million and after the season he had in San Antonio, only Isiah Thomas would match that price. Unfortunately for Jefferson, Thomas is out of the league. Jefferson, though, can still play and should be able to bounce back this season, just with a much smaller contract. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
13. Ray Allen Team: Celtics
Status: UFA
Age: 34
Breakdown: At the tail end of his career, Allen is only worth signing on a short-term deal. But he can still be a solid addition for a good team with his shooting stroke and adequate defense. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
14. Raymond Felt... Team: Bobcats
Status: UFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: It's hard to judge Felton's career given he's spent much of it with the schizophrenic Larry Brown as his coach. Was Larry holding him back or is Felton just stuck in Steve Blake land? Either way, Felton's worth giving a shot as a full-time starter on a decent team. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
15. Josh Childre... Team: Hawks
Status: RFA
Age: 27
Breakdown: There's a good chance Childress returns to the NBA and Atlanta still owns his rights. Even with a ridiculous afro and an even more ridiculous-looking jump shot, Childress can help any team. He can rebound, get to the basket and is a quality defender. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
16. Jermaine O'N... Team: Miami
Status: UFA
Age: 31
Breakdown: A lot of people think O'Neal is done. In a way, he is. He's done being a real difference maker. But the veteran can still be a solid 4th or 5th starter in the mold of Rasheed Wallace. At $20 million a year, O'Neal is horrible. For the veteran minimum, he's a steal. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
17. Brendan Hayw... Team: Mavericks
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: Big Brendan has evolved into a competent NBA center. Really, though, he's only slightly more skilled than the player he replaced, Erick Dampier. Would anyone give Dampier a big contract? Oh wait, Dallas already did. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
18. Al Harringto... Team: Knicks
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: Harrington's a decent player but at over-30 and coming straight from high school to the pros, he has a lot of wear and tear on his body. Plus, his numbers the last two seasons are Mike D'Antoni inflated. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
19. John Salmons Team: Bucks
Status: UFA - ETO
Age: 30
Breakdown: Salmons has compiled impressive scoring numbers on middling teams the last few years. Still, he's just a nice third scorer on a good team. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
20. Linas Kleiza Team: Nuggets
Status: RFA
Age: 25
Breakdown: Kleiza's only 25? Somebody check his passport. Is that Dikembe Mutombo's signature at the bottom? Kleiza seems like he's been around a while. In fact, he's only had four NBA seasons and spent last year in Greece. He can definitely help some teams with his offense off the bench. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
21. Tyrus Thomas Team: Bobcats
Status: RFA
Age: 24
Breakdown: Even at 24 years old, it's past the point where we're still not sure if Thomas is going to live up to his high draft status. That hope is gone. He's been relegated to Drew Gooden status, not that there is anything wrong with that. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
22. Wesley Matth... Team: Jazz
Status: RFA
Age: 23
Breakdown: He came out of nowhere (Marquette actually) and is now about to get paid after a surprising rookie season. No way Utah let's this hard worker go, but there could be plenty of teams interested in his diligent shooting game. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
23. Jordan Farma... Team: Lakers
Status: RFA
Age: 23
Breakdown: There are some that still believe Farmar can be a starting NBA point guard. At times, he looks capable. It's the other 65 percent of his career that's worrisome. He is, however, still young. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
24. Randy Foye Team: Wizards
Status: UFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: Foye's not a true point guard and not big enough to be a full-time two. He's good at a lot of things but not great at any. What he will be is a perfect third guard on a good team. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
25. Udonis Hasle... Team: Heat
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: He averaged 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench for Miami last season, almost exactly his career averages. He's a model of consistency and a piece that any good team could use. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
26. Tracy McGrad... Team: Knicks
Status: UFA
Age: 31
Breakdown: McGrady is a slightly less selfish Iverson. If he would accept that he's just a solid bench player and not jack up shots every time he touches the ball, the former All-Star could be a good addition. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
27. J.J. Redick Team: Magic
Status: RFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: I'm not fooled by Redick's breakout year. He's still just a 15 minute per game player, is undersized and has trouble guarding anyone at the NBA level. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
28. Kyle Korver Team: Jazz
Status: UFA
Age: 29
Breakdown: Korver might just be the absolute best shooter in the NBA. Too bad he can't do much else. Still, most teams wouldn't mind having that singular talent off their bench. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
29. Josh Howard Team: Wizards
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: His antics and injury (Howard tore his knee last year) make him tough to count on this year and beyond. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
30. Shaquille O'... Team: Cavaliers
Status: UFA
Age: 38
Breakdown: What does it say that Shaq is 32nd on any list? It's time to retire. Each year, it's only going to get worse for the big fella. (AP Photo/Matt York)
31. Travis Outla... Team: Clippers
Status: UFA
Age: 25
Breakdown: Outlaw showed promise in Portland before a down year in Los Angeles. Given the right situation, he can get back to being a double-digit scorer. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
32. Mike Miller Team: Wizards
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: It's about time Miller gets a chance with a team that isn't horrific. Maybe then we can see just how useful he really is. He did shoot close to 50 percent from 3-point range last year and 80-plus percent from the line. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
33. Luke Ridnour Team: Bucks
Status: UFA
Age: 29
Breakdown: Ridnour's a quality backup who worked well as a reserve behind Brandon Jennings. The Bucks want him back, but will someone give him another chance to start? (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
34. Matt Barnes Team: Orlando
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: OK, where has Barnes not been yet? And will his wife stay out of the spotlight? Aside from that, Barnes did start almost 60 games last season for the Magic and had one of his most productive seasons. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
35. Ronnie Brewe... Team: Grizzlies
Status: UFA
Age: 25
Breakdown: The Grizzlies were expected to keep Brewer around, but didn't offer him a qualifying offer. So, basically, the Grizz traded a conditional first-round pick for five games. And Brewer's a good guy to have around. He's tough, low-maintenance, shoots a high percentage and plays good defense. He's the kind of player any team could use off the bench. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
36. Brad Miller Team: Bulls
Status: UFA
Age: 34
Breakdown: At 34, Miller is on the decline. He spent half of last year coming off the bench and he can no longer log big minutes. He's little more than a 7-foot bit player at this point in his career. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
37. Steve Blake Team: Clippers
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: He's quicker than people think and can shoot it pretty well too. You're not going to hand him the keys to a franchise, but Blake is a quality backup point guard. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
38. Channing Fry... Team: Channing Frye
Status: UFA
Age: 27
Breakdown: He's 6-foot-11, can shoot the 3 and do little else. He's perfect for the Suns, where he will likely remain. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
39. Nate Robinso... Team: Celtics
Status: UFA
Age: 26
Breakdown: It's not good that the same thing that is said about Iverson can be said about Nate, nine years his younger. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
40. Amir Johnson Team: Raptors
Status: UFA
Age: 23
Breakdown: The positive is he's only 23. The negative is that he's just not that good. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
41. Tony Allen Team: Celtics
Status: UFA
Age: 28
Breakdown: He's physical, can guard Kobe and shoots from the perimeter like, well, Shaq. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
42. Matt Bonner Team: Spurs
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: If you can play for Greg Popovich, you can play for anyone. Bonner can be a useful bench player with his six fouls and ability to knock down jumpers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
43. Carlos Arroy... Team: Heat
Status: UFA
Age: 31
Breakdown: He should be on a good team just to shoot free throws down the stretch. Kind of like Sasha Vujacic with the Lakers this past season. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
44. Roger Mason Team: Spurs
Status: UFA
Age: 30
Breakdown: He can still shoot it ... a little bit. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
45. Anthony Morr... Team: Warriors
Status: RFA
Age: 24
Breakdown: Morrow can shoot and, well, that's about it. His deficiencies would limit his effectiveness almost everywhere, except maybe with Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
46. Ben Wallace Team: Pistons
Status: UFA
Age: 35
Breakdown: Big Ben has a unique talent. The man can rebound, with or without the afro. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
47. Lou Amundson Team: Suns
Status: UFA
Age: 27
Breakdown: Every team could use an athletic white guy off the bench. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
48. Kurt Thomas Team: Bucks
Status: UFA
Age: 37
Breakdown: He still has a few more flagrant fouls left in him. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
49. Zydrunas Ilg... Team: Cavaliers
Status: UFA
Age: 35
Breakdown: He make Shaq look mobile, but he can still knock down a jumper. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
50. Allen Iverso... Team: 76ers
Status: UFA
Age: 35
Breakdown: Iverson wants to play. It's unlikely anyone will sign him. But if the right team (San Antonio or Boston) could get him to accept a reserve role where he doesn't shoot every time he comes off the bench and touches the ball, A.I. could help a team win. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
See more on Comc... You've seen this year's top 50 NBA free agents. Now see which teams had the best 2010 draft. 2010 NBA Draft Winners and Losers.