Fishsticks
Banned
The top 10
1. Ryan Anderson (2013 Age: 24)
Estimated PER: 21.8; Status: RFA
Anderson
Anderson has always had sparkling per-minute numbers and last season, he took a major step forward in playing time. The combination of efficiency and opportunity marked him as an All-Star caliber talent. Unfortunately, his performance lagged after Dwight Howard was injured. With Howard potentially on his way out of Orlando, it's entirely possible that the new Magic regime will view him as too expensive to retain.
2. Brook Lopez (2013 Age: 24)
Estimated PER: 21.7; Status: RFA
Lopez
It was just five games, but last season Lopez's problematic rebounding numbers were unbelievably low for an NBA center. His troubles in that area seem to get worse with each season. For the Nets, that may present a problem both in terms of counting on him as a building block and using him as a trade chip. While the defense and rebuilding are lax, few big men have Lopez's upside as a scorer. Brooklyn obviously won't let him walk, but whether Lopez remains a Net, he's got to be paired up with an impact interior defender.
3. Jeremy Evans (2013 Age: 25)
Estimated PER: 21.0; Status: RFA
Evans
You won't see Evans this high up on many top free-agent lists but, again, we're ranking players by a bottom-line metric. The fact of the matter is that Evans has been remarkably efficient so far in his career, posting a .665 true shooting percentage in two NBA seasons. Sure, that's because he dunks about everything he gets his hands on, but he's also got crazy-good shot-blocking numbers. He's only played 680 minutes in two NBA seasons and may be hopelessly stuck behind a logjam of big men in Utah. It would be really interesting to see what Evans could do with a regular rotation role.
4. Tim Duncan (2013 Age: 36)
Estimated PER: 20.9; Status: UFA
Duncan
As we saw throughout the playoffs, Duncan is still a franchise-type performer. Wouldn't it be a gas to see him just up and change teams? But we know that's not going to happen. Whether it's one season, two seasons or more, Duncan is a Spur for life. In the grand scheme of things, that's a really refreshing thought.
5. Deron Williams (2013 Age: 28)
Estimated PER: 20.7; Status: UFA
Williams
You might have assumed that Williams would be the default top free agent and, in reality, he is. His estimated PER would rank on top if it were based on his past three seasons in Utah. As a Net, Williams has had to shoulder too much of the scoring load and his efficiency has taken a hit as a result. He's still one of the league's best guards, but he's 28 and probably as good as he's ever going to be. Still, he's the best unrestricted free agent who might actually switch teams. The problem for the majority of the league is that Williams has pretty much promised to either stay with the Nets or return to his hometown of Dallas. At least he's honest about his intentions.
1. Ryan Anderson (2013 Age: 24)
Estimated PER: 21.8; Status: RFA
Anderson
Anderson has always had sparkling per-minute numbers and last season, he took a major step forward in playing time. The combination of efficiency and opportunity marked him as an All-Star caliber talent. Unfortunately, his performance lagged after Dwight Howard was injured. With Howard potentially on his way out of Orlando, it's entirely possible that the new Magic regime will view him as too expensive to retain.
2. Brook Lopez (2013 Age: 24)
Estimated PER: 21.7; Status: RFA
Lopez
It was just five games, but last season Lopez's problematic rebounding numbers were unbelievably low for an NBA center. His troubles in that area seem to get worse with each season. For the Nets, that may present a problem both in terms of counting on him as a building block and using him as a trade chip. While the defense and rebuilding are lax, few big men have Lopez's upside as a scorer. Brooklyn obviously won't let him walk, but whether Lopez remains a Net, he's got to be paired up with an impact interior defender.
3. Jeremy Evans (2013 Age: 25)
Estimated PER: 21.0; Status: RFA
Evans
You won't see Evans this high up on many top free-agent lists but, again, we're ranking players by a bottom-line metric. The fact of the matter is that Evans has been remarkably efficient so far in his career, posting a .665 true shooting percentage in two NBA seasons. Sure, that's because he dunks about everything he gets his hands on, but he's also got crazy-good shot-blocking numbers. He's only played 680 minutes in two NBA seasons and may be hopelessly stuck behind a logjam of big men in Utah. It would be really interesting to see what Evans could do with a regular rotation role.
4. Tim Duncan (2013 Age: 36)
Estimated PER: 20.9; Status: UFA
Duncan
As we saw throughout the playoffs, Duncan is still a franchise-type performer. Wouldn't it be a gas to see him just up and change teams? But we know that's not going to happen. Whether it's one season, two seasons or more, Duncan is a Spur for life. In the grand scheme of things, that's a really refreshing thought.
5. Deron Williams (2013 Age: 28)
Estimated PER: 20.7; Status: UFA
Williams
You might have assumed that Williams would be the default top free agent and, in reality, he is. His estimated PER would rank on top if it were based on his past three seasons in Utah. As a Net, Williams has had to shoulder too much of the scoring load and his efficiency has taken a hit as a result. He's still one of the league's best guards, but he's 28 and probably as good as he's ever going to be. Still, he's the best unrestricted free agent who might actually switch teams. The problem for the majority of the league is that Williams has pretty much promised to either stay with the Nets or return to his hometown of Dallas. At least he's honest about his intentions.
