Breaking Down the Free Agent Landscape

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As a follow up to this morning's post in which Sir Charles thinks that the Sixers should avoid Josh Smith and other big name free agents this off season, I thought Chad Ford's article today is a good read. Ford breaks down all the top free agents as well as the teams with cap space who may be likely to bid on them. It's a great summary of the current free agent landscape.

Of interest to me was the fact that Ford lists Andre Iguodala as the top restricted free agent ahead of Atlanta's Josh Smith.

1. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: Iguodala's decision to turn down a
$57 million deal last summer is tough to justify. At the time, the
Sixers appeared to be the only team with significant cap room; I'm not
sure where he thought his next paycheck would come from. He had a great
regular season, but a woeful postseason has put his stock back in
check. He's coveted by the Grizzlies, but the chances of them prying
him away from Philly look very slim.

2. Josh Smith, Hawks: On
talent and potential, Smith should be on top of this list. He's a
freakish athlete who can score, rebound and block shots. What holds him
back is a questionable attitude. Nonetheless it appears the Hawks have
to re-sign him.

Given the Hawks' ownership woes, Smith is one
of the few restricted free agents a team with cap space may try to
pluck away -- the same way the Hawks did with Joe Johnson a few years ago. I could see the Sixers making a run at him.

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