Top free-agent small forwards
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Sean Deveney /
Posted: 59 minutes ago

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2552430

There are some interesting names on this list, but interesting is not necessarily a good thing. Just look at the first two players — Hedo Turkoglu and Darius Miles. Neither has come close to living up to his potential, but they're among the best small forwards available this year.


Hedo Turkoglu struggles when he puts the ball on the floor. (Joe Murphy / AllSport)

Hedo Turkoglu, Spurs
Turkoglu's 3-point shooting was stellar during the season, but he faltered in the playoffs against the Lakers, and it cost the team badly. For a guy who is 6-10 and has shown some athleticism in the past, Turkoglu seems to have turned to a one-trick pony, an outside shooter. The Spurs used him at shooting guard, but small forward is a more natural fit. He seemed to be developing more ability to put the ball on the floor during his second year in Sacramento, but that ability has gone into hibernation. He probably needs to leave San Antonio to awaken it. Cleveland was rumored to be interested, but the drafting of Luke Jackson probably put a damper on that interest. The Clippers, Nuggets and Jazz will be interested.

Darius Miles, Blazers
Miles' first three season in the league were infuriating, because he never showed an ounce of improvement after a pretty good rookie year. Last year looked like more of the same, until he was traded to Portland, got back into his natural small forward role, ran the break, attacked the rim, boosted his shooting percentage, cleaned up his free throws, trimmed his turnovers and just played better basketball. He still needs to improve his jump shot, but in the second half of last season, Miles showed a flash of the player he could be. Of course, it's always suspicious when it happens in a contract year. But the Blazers will take a crack at keeping Miles, who is a restricted free agent. The Knicks will also inquire.

Morris Peterson, Raptors
Peterson never really fit with Raptors coach Kevin O'Neill, and to his credit, he did not complain. But last year was a rough one for Peterson, who was bounced from the starting lineup to make room for Jalen Rose, and averaged a career-low 8.3 points per game. The Raptors have made keeping Peterson a priority, but his agent has met with the Cavaliers, too. Toronto can match offers.

Bruce Bowen, Spurs
Bowen opted out of the final year of his contract, scheduled to pay him $4 million. That looks like a strange decision for a 33-year-old with little offensive game. But Bowen, who has a reputation for roughness, earned a spot on the first-team All-Defensive squad, so he would like to parlay that into a three-year contract. It's likely the Spurs will fork it over.

Trenton Hassell, Timberwolves
Hassell was another of the Timberwolves' bargain finds, and he played very well as a defensive stopper in the playoffs (he also showed he can shoot the mid-range jumper). He has little incentive to leave the team, especially with the Kevin Garnett factor helping him. The Timberwolves can match offers for him.

Eric Williams, Cavaliers
Cleveland could attempt to bring back Williams, because he was such a good influence in the lockerroom after he arrived in Cleveland. He is still a smart, active defender, even if he has slowed a bit. He still shows flashes of scoring ability, and he loves the corner 3-pointers, but his offense is limited and the Cavs need more scoring from his position. Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Minnesota could be options.

Rodney White, Nuggets
If he gets the minutes, White could be a productive scorer, but being Carmelo Anthony's backup and, apparently, being in coach Jeff Bzdelik's doghouse, meant White did not see much playing time. He is 6-9, a good athlete, runs the floor and can create his own shot. It is possible that White could return to Denver, because he likes the team and is close with Anthony, but he will look elsewhere---a return to Charlotte, where we played for North Carolina-Charlotte, would be a perfect fit.

Brian Cardinal, Warriors
Cardinal was an early-season surprise who just kept on surprising. He's a ‘tweener at 6-8, not quite a small forward, not quite a power forward. He is not much of a rebounder, but he hustles and can stick outside shots, which causes matchup problems for defenders. The Warriors hope to bring him back and unless a team is willing to break into its mid-level exception to make an offer, he will remain in Golden State.

Toni Kukoc, Bucks
Kukoc played the fewest minutes of his career last year and is well into his twilight years (he is 35), but he still is a priority for the Bucks. The team likes his on-court leadership, and expects to keep him.

DerMarr Johnson, Knicks
When injuries forced the Knicks to play Johnson in the last two months of the season, he put up some impressive games. That's not to say he is going to be a rotation player for the team, but the Knicks took a shot on the long, athletic Johnson after he recovered from a devastating car wreck in 2002.

Others: Dion Glover, Raptors; Marcus Fizer, Bobcats; Michael Curry, Raptors; Ryan Bowen, Nuggets.