NBA Free Agency Just Hours Away

At 12:01 Wednesday morning, the NBA will begin to make some noise. The beginning of free agency is always entertaining. Where will my favorite player end up? What’s my hometeam’s plan? Can the Clippers become contenders? (Note: the last question was a joke.) Below is a list of available players (ones worth mentioning) and a quick thought of their potential status come the beginning of the season…

• Mike Bibby, PG, ATL : Bibby will hopefully stay in Atlanta, but he may wait to hear what other teams offer. It must be noted early that the money really isn’t there this year. Not only is the economy hurting most money-making oppourtunities, but some teams are holding out for the 2010 free agency period that is FULL of great players. Bibby stays in Atlanta.
• Ben Gordon, SG, CHI : He missed out on a HUGE payday before, so he won’t deny $11 million per this season. Detroit is reportedly the leader of the pack and they have a short list (Gordon and Charlie V). Gordon will be knocking down shots with Detroit, and their new coach, next season.
• Allen Iverson, SG, DET : Sadly, for someone who was once so dominant, Charlotte is probably the only suitor for the former All-Star. His move to Detroit was disastrous and ex-coach Larry Brown may be the only man willing to take the risk. If he can learn to share the ball, take a slight backseat, and realize he isn’t 27-years-old anymore, then the Sixers may bite. However, that is highly unlikely.
• Rasheed Wallace, PF, DET : Rumors are swirling. First it’s Cleveland, then it’s Boston, and the list goes on. I personally would like to see the Cavs make a run at him and see what they can do. At the end of the day, Sheed wants to contend. Why not head to Cleveland? This one is a tough call.
• Trevor Ariza, SF, LAL : We’ve all heard that Ariza will stay, and that’s how it will go. Ariza broke out last year, showing that he can defend and bury a three. Lakers hold on to the young fella if they’re smart.
• Lamar Odom, SF, LAL : When Odom shows up, the Lakers do well. Assuming he shows up all of next year, the Lakers will continue to do well. Lakers have two priorities, Odom and Ariza. Odom stays in L.A.
• Anderson Varejao, PF, CLE : With the addition of Shaq, the current roster spot of Big Z, and the Cavs interest in guys like Sheed and Charlie V., Varejao will likely land somewhere other than Cleveland. How does somewhere down South sound?
• Jason Kidd, PG, DAL : He is set to meet with the Knicks, and then with Mavs owner Mark Cuban. With the Knicks likely to only offer a one-year deal, Kidd will probably remain in Dallas. As much as I would like to see Kidd in orange and blue, staying in Dallas just makes more sense. The Hawks are another suitor for Kidd if they lose out on Bibby, but I’m sticking with Dallas.
• Ron Artest, SF, HOU : Ron Ron is so fun to talk about. His skills make your mouth water when you think about certain scenarios. Say, Cleveland? The Cavs don’t have any cash to spend on him but think about the possibilities. Detroit was also reportedly in the mix (yikes!) but Artest has said he plans on staying in Houston. I’ll go along with that.
• Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL : Purple and Gold.
• Charlie Villanueva, PF, MIL : Charlie V is a hot commodity. Cleveland is certainly interested because he’s a 6-11′ runner who can jack the three (a la Rashard Lewis). Although he can’t play much defense, I think the Cavs land Charlie V over Sheed.
• Hedo Turkoglu, SF, ORL : With the Magic’s recent trade for Vince Carter, Hedo is on the way out. He could return to Sac-town and play for the lonely Kings. However, I think Hedo heading to Toronto has a sweeter ring to it.
• Carlos Boozer, PF, UTH : Boozer got smart real quick, realizing there wasn’t a whole lot of money to throw around this free agency period. It has been reported that Boozer will stay with Utah.

Sure, it’s not 2010’s class, but it’s got some talent. We all know it’s just a shot in the dark when you’re trying to pick potential landing spots, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.