Centers

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Free agents: Risks accompany top men in the middle
July 8, 2005
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
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More and more, it appears the winning formula in the NBA requires at least a serviceable big man to keep defenses honest and space the floor for teammates. Playing inside out, rather than vice versa, is why San Antonio will hang another banner this fall, Miami made monumental improvement after adding Shaquille O'Neal and, just last week, Milwaukee made Andrew Bogut the No. 1 draft choice ahead of the more promising Marvin Williams.


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Eddy Curry missed the playoffs due to his heart condition. (Getty Images)
That's what makes this season's free-agent centers so appealing. Teams will have to weigh potential payoffs against complete disaster and gamble with their checkbooks. The top four available players in this year's crop all have huge question marks, but their potential to help turn a marginal team into a competitive one or make a good team great will get them paid.

Not quite as much as O'Neal, technically a free agent himself. He's not included on the list below, because the Heat will pay him the king's ransom he rightly deserves and keep him in South Florida.

As for the others, will they provide reimbursement or regret? No choice but to roll the dice and find out.

CBS SportsLine's list of the Top 10 available centers:

1. Eddy Curry, Chicago: Only 22, Curry is a rarity as one of the promising young true centers in the league. He really started coming into his own last season, averaging a career-high 16 points per game, but missed the playoffs because of a heart condition. The team has been very carefully monitoring his progress, although just this past week, he participated in his first major workout since being cleared for physical activity. A restricted free agent, Curry says he wants to see what Chicago offers him before he looks to visit other teams. That puts the ball in the organization's court, having to decide how much it wants to invest in a potential health risk.

2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland: After playing in only 29 games from 1999-2001, and missing another 20 in 2002, the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian has really turned things around. He has played nearly every game in the past three seasons, missing only five, having apparently conquered the chronic foot problems that once jeopardized his career. In terms of production, he now commands a sizeable income, but there's clearly some apprehension over having to overpay him as he enters his 30s, with every step he takes a reason to make you wince. Still, re-signing him remains new GM Danny Ferry's top priority alongside adding another shooter.

3. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia: One of the top athletes at his position, Dalembert has bounced back nicely from the knee surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2002-03 season. He simply takes a while to get going, never really finding his groove until about January. Still, his length and leaping ability make him a valuable defender and rebounder teams covet. GM Billy King has said the Sixers will do almost anything to keep him.



4. Jerome James, Seattle: Consider James the ultimate gamble, and it has nothing to do with health concerns. He's been an enigma for the length of his career, but after a single postseason in which he was absolutely dominant, he stands to make himself a lot of money. James says he has tapped into his passion for the game and finally started to approach things the right way, hence the drastic turnaround. Will that end once he's financially comfortable? Clearly, a player with his size and agility should have his way, but with James, it's all mental. It would be nice if you could pay him by the game, or offer a series of one-year contracts, but that's not how things work.

5. Dikembe Mutombo, Houston: At 39, Mutombo takes great care of his body and proved to be a terrific backup and mentor to Yao Ming in his first season in Houston. Mutombo told the Houston Chronicle he wants to end his career with the Rockets and is confident that's how things will turn out.

6. Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee: Pachulia, a 21-year-old from Turkey, has already logged a pair of NBA seasons and has impressed with his relentless play around the basket. He's certainly raw but clearly has very good upside that teams have taken notice of. Milwaukee has made it known it would like to keep him to play behind and next to Bogut.

7. Steven Hunter, Phoenix: An athletic shot-blocking specialist who fits in nicely with the Suns' run-and-gun style, Hunter's first choice would be to remain there. But his agent says a number of teams have inquired about his availability, leaving his status up in the air.

8. Zeljko Rebraca, L.A. Clippers: The veteran Serb had his moments last season and works hard in practice, so the Clips are very interested in having him stick around. He's been traded four times, proving a 7-foot, 265-pounder is always a commodity.

9. Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee: He's a fabulous athlete, maybe the best at his size in the entire league, but he's still rawer than a newly laid egg. The Bucks enjoy his ability to run the floor and block shots, made their qualifying offer to keep him and will continue to work on tapping into his potential. At the very least, he might serve a purpose as Bogut's sparring partner.

10. Predrag Drobnjak, Atlanta: The Hawks understandably didn't pick up the $3 million dollar option on his contract, but he's certainly a quality backup if he comes at a more reasonable price. Drobnjak's strength is a really nice shooting touch.

Best of the rest: DeSagana Diop, Cleveland; Ervin Johnson, Minnesota; Francisco Elson, Denver; Mikki Moore, L.A. Clippers; John Edwards, Indiana.

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9. Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee: He's a fabulous athlete, maybe the best at his size in the entire league, but he's still rawer than a newly laid egg. The Bucks enjoy his ability to run the floor and block shots, made their qualifying offer to keep him and will continue to work on tapping into his potential. At the very least, he might serve a purpose as Bogut's sparring partner.

10. Predrag Drobnjak, Atlanta: The Hawks understandably didn't pick up the $3 million dollar option on his contract, but he's certainly a quality backup if he comes at a more reasonable price. Drobnjak's strength is a really nice shooting touch.

Best of the rest: DeSagana Diop, Cleveland; Ervin Johnson, Minnesota; Francisco Elson, Denver; Mikki Moore, L.A. Clippers; John Edwards, Indiana.