MVN - Most Valuable Network

Season Recap Part II: Free Agency (UFAs)

Before I get started, I would like to note that C Rasho Nesterovic did exercise his player option for next season, so that means the Raptors won’t be on the market for a new big man down low.

Now, onto some UFAs I think the Raptors should take a look at next season:

Eduardo Najera (PF): Really a great hustler and defender, two things the Raptors really need, he would be a great addition at the mid-level exception. He is a veteran player and knows how to get it done in the playoffs from his time with Dallas. He would pretty much be playing the role that Jorge Garbajosa played a couple of years ago for the Raptors, but Garbajosa is coming back next season, so that makes this need less pressing.

Austin Croshere (PF): Veteran PF in the mold of Najera who is a good hustler and defender. The long-time Pacer played only 44 games last season for the Warriors, but put up decent numbers off the bench (3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds). He’s got NBA Finals experience and could provide some valuable minutes at the 4-spot next season off the bench for the Raptors. Also, his hustle and ability to bang down low could help Chris Bosh out down low, especially with bigger teams if Rasho Nesterovic opts out.

Bostjan Nachbar (SF): He’s been a very good bench player for the Nets these last two seasons, averaging 9.2 points in 06-07 and 9.8 points in 07-08. He is pretty much one-dimensional, as he is not that good of a defender or rebounder, as he’s averaged only 3.4 rebounds over the last two seasons. He’s also an outside shooter pretty much exclusively, but he would provide an upgrade offensively over what Toronto has right now at the position.

Mickael Pietrus (SF): A solid player for the Warriors over the last few seasons, he is an above average defender and jump shot shooter. While the Raptors really don’t need any more of the latter they could definitely use some more of the former. He dropped off a little bit this season from his career year of 06-07, where he averaged 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, .7 steals and .8 blocks for Golden State. Last season he averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1 steal, and .7 blocks. He would bring some defense and athleticism at the SG/SF position off the bench, but he is another outside shooter who doesn’t attack the basket much, which, again is something the Raptors don’t really need.

There’s also a lot of strong second or third PG options out there if the Raptors can’t keep Calderon and/or Roko Uric doesn’t work out: Beno Udrih, Jannero Pargo, Royal Ivey, Chris Duhon, Derek Anderson, Carlos Arroyo, Anthony Carter, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Earl Boykins, and Kevin Ollie.

But honestly, there’s really not a lot of UFAs out there at the positions the Raptors need most in the SG/SF position, especially athletic ones. Two of the best are already failed projects in Juan Dixon and Fred Jones. There’s a few stars like Ron Artest, Corey Maggette, and Gilbert Arenas who could and probably will opt out but are out of the Raptors price range, as pretty much all they have left to offer is a mid-level exception barring some trades. I’ll take a look at some RFA and trade situations next week.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 at 1:26 am and is filed under Analysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.