 |  |  |
Who are the top free agent shooting guards and small forwards of 2009?June 29 09  There are plenty of free agent options for GMs looking to upgrade at small forward and shooting guard. For instance, there’s a three-man, who can defend, score, and once tried rapping. Teams can also chase a former Sixth Man of The Year or tender offers to a pair of players that last starred in the NBA Finals. Without further adieu, here are the top free agent wings of the 2009 free agent class. 1. Kobe Bryant Whoa. Easy now. The best player in the world isn’t leaving Hollywood. Kobe Bean will opt-out of his current pact and immediately re-sign with Los Angeles to avoid getting hit by the new rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The only question is whether he gives the Lakers a hometown discount, so the purple-and-gold can re-sign forwards Trevor Ariza and/or Lamar Odom. 2. Ron Artest He’s reformed. Music tours in mid-season, walkouts, and beer brawls with fans are a thing of the past for the new and improved ‘Ron-Ron’. Last season, he was on his best behaviour for Houston and will likely re-up with the Rockets because of his relationship with coach Rick Adelman. However, Artest is forever a wildcard. And he may take the most money available because he’s been underpaid for most of his career. Interestingly enough, recent speculation on ESPN The Insider has him heading to Los Angeles … 3. Trevor Ariza … which means this UCLA grad will sign elsewhere. In eighteen months, Ariza has gone from role player to sought-after blending star. He can do everything: score, defend, rebound, and, most importantly, intimidate. Simply put, the Lakers aren’t world champs without their tough guy. 4. Hedo Turkoglu Few polarize like this Turkish swing. His supporters argue that the Magic never make the NBA Finals without his clutch shooting and three-point range. However, his detractors argue he’s prone to nights off and inconsistent play. The truth is in the middle. But clubs could overpay after watching this good but not great three-man in the NBA Finals. 5. Ben Gordon High-stake contract negotiations are nothing new to this combo guard. Gordon, who is a little small for the two-spot, could be squeezed out of Chicago’s backcourt by new addition John Salmons. Rumour has him inking a multi-year pact at eleven million per season with Detroit. Who do you think is the top unrestricted free agent shooting guard or small forward? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for further NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Sean Davis. |
| |||||
