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July 7, 2005
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell Tony your opinion!
[font=Arial, Helvetica]With Ray Allen agreeing to remain in Seattle for maximum money over the next five seasons, the dominoes have begun to fall as the deepest free-agent off-guard crop in recent memory settles back up. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Michael Redd, who was thought to be not explosive enough for the league coming out of Ohio State, was the latest Thursday, deciding to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, who will not-so-happily pay him up to $96 million over the next six seasons. On the heels of a potential franchise turnaround with No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut coming aboard, Milwaukee was willing to overpay in order to keep its prized shooter from bolting for Cleveland, a decision that was equal parts questionable and commendable. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] There's now a pretty good chance the top three names remaining will also be able to land top dollar as teams vie for their services, with the free-spending Cavaliers likely to end up with one of them as a tag team partner for LeBron James. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] Having been essentially wrapped up, Allen and Redd have been omitted from the list below, even though they haven't signed yet. Same for former Utah wing Raja Bell, who has agreed in principle with Phoenix. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] CBS SportsLine's list of the Top 10 available shooting guards: [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 1. Joe Johnson, Phoenix: Johnson is reportedly mulling a preliminary offer from the Suns for less than the league maximum, which essentially means he's still there to be had if another team offers full price. Our advice to the Suns: If you have to match top dollar, do it. Johnson turns 24 at the end of the month and has improved progressively over his four years in the league. He's the team's top perimeter defender, able to match up with both point guards and wings, has developed into a steady 3-point shooter, can handle the ball well enough to run the offense and will never be a problem in the locker room. You can't ask for anything more, especially since his best days are ahead. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 2. Larry Hughes, Washington: The Wizards are reportedly willing to match any offer the versatile Hughes receives, a smart move considering how valuable he has become on both ends of the floor. Hughes led the league in steals last season and co-exists nicely with Gilbert Arenas despite the fact both require lots of shots. With Redd staying put, he'll be next on the Cavs list, likely ending up with a similar 5-year, $70 million-plus offer. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 3. Cuttino Mobley, Sacramento: Mobley never felt comfortable in Sacramento after coming over from Orlando in a midseason trade and ended up terminating his contract despite potentially missing out on a few bucks next season. His gamble could pay off significantly if Cleveland is unable to land its top three targets and has to look his way. Mobley is also reportedly drawing interest from Denver, with a potential sign-and-trade for Nene discussed as an option. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][font=Arial, Helvetica]
[/font] [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] 4. Latrell Sprewell, Minnesota: It's time for Spree to feed his family again, and he might be looking to clinch one final contract given his advancing age. The veteran swingman will be 35 when the season begins, and he began showing signs of slippage last season. That said, he's still in solid shape and worthy of a starting spot and major minutes somewhere in the league, and he'll likely be an asset provided he's content with both his role and contract. It will be interesting to see who bites -- his agent has expressed an interest in Denver. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 5. Maurice Evans, Sacramento: If you caught flashes of him late last season and in the playoffs, you can see he's oozing with potential. Evans is a tremendous athlete whose game continues to come along nicely. The Kings would be best served keeping him and moving him into the lineup in place of the departing Mobley. They would be smart to start negotiating an extension before he blows up and they're stuck paying full price next year. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 6. DerMarr Johnson, Denver: If you're looking for a bargain with interesting potential, Johnson just might be your guy. In his first full season since cracking four vertebrae in his neck in a near-fatal 2002 car accident, Johnson proved to be a more-than-capable defender and solid contributor. His floor game is still raw, but he's only 25, giving him plenty of room for growth. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 7. Ronald Murray, Seattle: "Flip" could headed elsewhere now that Allen has been signed, which means we'll finally get to see whether he can succeed in a full-time role. Seattle extended a qualifying offer to him before July 1 but would still have to match any team interested in his services. When Allen has been absent, Murray had some tremendous performances, but his defense and floor savvy may not be strong enough for him to handle major minutes. [/font]
Top Free Agents Date Position
July 4 Small Forwards
July 5 Power Forwards
July 6 Point Guards
July 7 Shooting Guards
July 8 Centers
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 8. Juan Dixon, Washington: The former Maryland standout is obviously a fan favorite in the D.C. area, as much for his college exploits as his performance as the Wizards' version of Vinnie Johnson. His slight frame has always been the major knock on him flourishing in a starter's role, but there's no question he has carved out his niche. We don't see him going anywhere. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 9. Willie Green, Philadelphia: His name has surfaced in a number of places as a potential fit, but Sixers GM Billy King has publicly pledged to keep him. Green is a nice combo guard who supplies terrific energy off the bench, but because Allen Iverson plays so many minutes, he hasn't seen as significant a role as he probably deserves. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 10. Arvydas Macijauskas, Tau Ceramica (Spain): The Lithuanian-born Macijauskas was another player who opened eyes by shining against the United States at the 2004 Olympics. He's considered one of the top shooters in all of Europe and has drawn interest from a number of teams, with the Phoenix Suns mentioned as a potential frontrunner. At 25, he's entering his prime and had a strong performance for his club in Euroleague play. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] Best of the rest: Dajuan Wagner, Cleveland; Kareem Rush, Charlotte; Casey Jacobsen, New Orleans; Jon Barry, Houston; Damien Wilkins, Seattle.
LINK
[/font]
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell Tony your opinion!
[font=Arial, Helvetica]With Ray Allen agreeing to remain in Seattle for maximum money over the next five seasons, the dominoes have begun to fall as the deepest free-agent off-guard crop in recent memory settles back up. [/font]
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Joe Johnson is likely to return to Phoenix, where he averaged 17.1 points last season. (Getty Images)[font=Arial, Helvetica]Michael Redd, who was thought to be not explosive enough for the league coming out of Ohio State, was the latest Thursday, deciding to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, who will not-so-happily pay him up to $96 million over the next six seasons. On the heels of a potential franchise turnaround with No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut coming aboard, Milwaukee was willing to overpay in order to keep its prized shooter from bolting for Cleveland, a decision that was equal parts questionable and commendable. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] There's now a pretty good chance the top three names remaining will also be able to land top dollar as teams vie for their services, with the free-spending Cavaliers likely to end up with one of them as a tag team partner for LeBron James. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] Having been essentially wrapped up, Allen and Redd have been omitted from the list below, even though they haven't signed yet. Same for former Utah wing Raja Bell, who has agreed in principle with Phoenix. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] CBS SportsLine's list of the Top 10 available shooting guards: [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 1. Joe Johnson, Phoenix: Johnson is reportedly mulling a preliminary offer from the Suns for less than the league maximum, which essentially means he's still there to be had if another team offers full price. Our advice to the Suns: If you have to match top dollar, do it. Johnson turns 24 at the end of the month and has improved progressively over his four years in the league. He's the team's top perimeter defender, able to match up with both point guards and wings, has developed into a steady 3-point shooter, can handle the ball well enough to run the offense and will never be a problem in the locker room. You can't ask for anything more, especially since his best days are ahead. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 2. Larry Hughes, Washington: The Wizards are reportedly willing to match any offer the versatile Hughes receives, a smart move considering how valuable he has become on both ends of the floor. Hughes led the league in steals last season and co-exists nicely with Gilbert Arenas despite the fact both require lots of shots. With Redd staying put, he'll be next on the Cavs list, likely ending up with a similar 5-year, $70 million-plus offer. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 3. Cuttino Mobley, Sacramento: Mobley never felt comfortable in Sacramento after coming over from Orlando in a midseason trade and ended up terminating his contract despite potentially missing out on a few bucks next season. His gamble could pay off significantly if Cleveland is unable to land its top three targets and has to look his way. Mobley is also reportedly drawing interest from Denver, with a potential sign-and-trade for Nene discussed as an option. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][font=Arial, Helvetica]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 5. Maurice Evans, Sacramento: If you caught flashes of him late last season and in the playoffs, you can see he's oozing with potential. Evans is a tremendous athlete whose game continues to come along nicely. The Kings would be best served keeping him and moving him into the lineup in place of the departing Mobley. They would be smart to start negotiating an extension before he blows up and they're stuck paying full price next year. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 6. DerMarr Johnson, Denver: If you're looking for a bargain with interesting potential, Johnson just might be your guy. In his first full season since cracking four vertebrae in his neck in a near-fatal 2002 car accident, Johnson proved to be a more-than-capable defender and solid contributor. His floor game is still raw, but he's only 25, giving him plenty of room for growth. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 7. Ronald Murray, Seattle: "Flip" could headed elsewhere now that Allen has been signed, which means we'll finally get to see whether he can succeed in a full-time role. Seattle extended a qualifying offer to him before July 1 but would still have to match any team interested in his services. When Allen has been absent, Murray had some tremendous performances, but his defense and floor savvy may not be strong enough for him to handle major minutes. [/font]
Top Free Agents Date Position
July 4 Small Forwards
July 5 Power Forwards
July 6 Point Guards
July 7 Shooting Guards
July 8 Centers
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 8. Juan Dixon, Washington: The former Maryland standout is obviously a fan favorite in the D.C. area, as much for his college exploits as his performance as the Wizards' version of Vinnie Johnson. His slight frame has always been the major knock on him flourishing in a starter's role, but there's no question he has carved out his niche. We don't see him going anywhere. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 9. Willie Green, Philadelphia: His name has surfaced in a number of places as a potential fit, but Sixers GM Billy King has publicly pledged to keep him. Green is a nice combo guard who supplies terrific energy off the bench, but because Allen Iverson plays so many minutes, he hasn't seen as significant a role as he probably deserves. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] 10. Arvydas Macijauskas, Tau Ceramica (Spain): The Lithuanian-born Macijauskas was another player who opened eyes by shining against the United States at the 2004 Olympics. He's considered one of the top shooters in all of Europe and has drawn interest from a number of teams, with the Phoenix Suns mentioned as a potential frontrunner. At 25, he's entering his prime and had a strong performance for his club in Euroleague play. [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica] Best of the rest: Dajuan Wagner, Cleveland; Kareem Rush, Charlotte; Casey Jacobsen, New Orleans; Jon Barry, Houston; Damien Wilkins, Seattle.
LINK
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