2012 Free Agent Centers
Superman. And beyond. Not only is Dwight Howard on the market (and virtually guaranteed to not wear Silver and Black next season), but there are an unusually high number of quality big men to be plucked from the vine of free agency. I list them after the jump...

Roy Hibbert...via nuggetsknicksanddimes.com
Here's the list...in no particular order...courtesy of hoopsworld.com:
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Center
(name, team – 2011-12 salary – status) - Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic – $18.1 million – Early Termination Option ($19.5 million)
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Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers – $2.6 million – Restricted ($3.7 million Qualifying Offer) -
Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers – $14.9 million – Team Option ($16.1 million) -
Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets – $3.1 million – Restricted ($4.2 million Qualifying Offer) -
Chris Kaman, New Orleans Hornets – $12.7 million – Unrestricted -
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons – $3.0 million – Team Option ($3.2 million) -
JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards – $2.5 million – Restricted ($3.5 million Qualifying Offer) -
Marcus Camby, Portland Trail Blazers – $12.9 million – Unrestricted -
Robin Lopez, Phoenix Suns – $2.8 million – Restricted ($4.0 million Qualifying Offer) -
Jermaine O’Neal, Boston Celtics – $6.2 million – Unrestricted -
Nazr Mohammed, Oklahoma City Thunder – $3.8 million – Unrestricted -
Omer Asik, Chicago Bulls – $1.9 million – Unrestricted* -
Semih Erden, Cleveland Cavaliers – $0.8 million – Unrestricted* -
Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons – $2.2 million – Unrestricted -
Mehmet Okur, New Jersey Nets – $10.9 million – Unrestricted -
Daniel Orton, Orlando Magic – $1.1 million – Team Option ($1.2 million) -
Solomon Alabi, Toronto Raptors – $0.8 million – Team Option ($0.9 million) -
Hasheem Thabeet, Houston Rockets – $5.1 million – Team Option ($6.5 million) -
Kosta Koufos, Denver Nuggets – $2.2 million – Restricted ($3.2 million Qualifying Offer) -
DeSagana Diop, Charlotte Bobcats – $6.9 million – Player Option ($7.4 million) -
Ryan Hollins, Cleveland Cavaliers – $2.5 million – Unrestricted
Let the debate begin...
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None of the above choices. Either Erden or Asik might be fine. The Spurs should have Lorbek available to join them with Tiago returning, and most likely even Tim will be back. None of the unrestricteds look worth the price. They need more of an athletic power forward than a center in the long run.
I’m not sure that the list is quite up-to-date. I ignored some as being “restricted”, but they might be in the same category as James Anderson. Are Hibbert, McGee, and the Lopez Brothers actually now unrestricted free agents as they did not get qualifying offers? I’m not positive about McGee, but recall that Indiana did not make an offer to either George Hill nor Hibbert and that Brook Lopez also did not get an offer. If they’re all unrestricted the Spurs might go after one or more, though I’d still think it would be someone that would have the ability to match up against PF’s.
Hill, Hibbert, the Lopez twins and McGee didn’t get extensions but their teams are surely going to extend them the qualifying offers. They are different things.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
I appreciate the time you put in to compile this list, but isn’t it too soon to be talking about next season? Let’s enjoy the team as currently constructed and think about this stuff in the off-season.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
by Edg5 on Feb 7, 2012 4:20 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
If we strike at the right moment(when NJ is making their pitch to Dwight), we might be able to swipe Brook Lopez. Sign him and bring Lorbek in, suddenly our frontcourt doesn’t look weak…. at all.
The longest, brightest day is followed by the darkest night.
I’m sure Lopez is a top target of most teams who realistically do not believe they can get Dwight.
Winter is coming
True. Remember, teams only have 3 days(previously 7) to match offers to RFA’s. So, if Dwight takes his time with the decision(very likely), the Nets might be forced to let Lopez go. The amount of space we can clear by getting RJ off the books should be enough to make him a max offer. He’s got size, post moves and a jumper, so he can be paired with either Timmy or Tiago without hurting the team on either end of the floor.
Hibbert will not be leaving Indiana unless Dwight indicates interest in the Pacers(setting up a similar scenario to the one with Lopez), so Lopez would be an excellent target, even though it means that one of our centers has to play the PF spot.
The longest, brightest day is followed by the darkest night.
Spurs have a strong chance if they can make Brook realize he wants to win. I mean, he’s been on one of the worst teams to start his career. And he has Duncan to help take off defensive burdens. I can’t say I’d disagree here.
Hibbert would be stupid to leave. The team fits him perfectly and that team is just scary with Paul George learning about his game.
I hope the FO could get him. Dump RJ. Try and keep Green if his price is low enough. If you aren’t going to bring Anderson back, try and see if you can lure Courtney Lee over.
Winter is coming
Brook Lopez isn’t that great at what we need out of a big guy. I mean he shoots solid and has moves on the block but the guy isn’t that great of a rebounder or defender. I guess he could change his ways if he really wanted to because he has the size to do better than what he has done in the past.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 10, 2012 1:28 AM CST up reply actions
There’s no big out there that will fully fit. Spurs just got to pick one and adapt him as much as possible.
Winter is coming
It all goes down to cost, both in terms of money and personnel. If developing bigs were Pop’s strong suit, we could as well keep Mahinmi. If our FO wouldn’t look for saving money all the time,we would keep Scola and may had more rings by now.
Both teams played hard
We can’t use Ian as a good example. He was just too often injured and missed a season worth of games in his development years. He needed to be paid to be retained. I can find fault in many areas, but this is the one where they made the right move to let him go. Yes, it’s a money decision, but he was almost like Greg Oden at one point.
Winter is coming
I have seen somewhere that Ian is paid $0.8M this season. In this league of overpaid big men, he is a bargain. But he didn’t work for San Antonio, for whatever reason. I think, his game never fit the roles Pop sees for his big men. He didn’t hustle, he didn’t defend. So letting him go was logical decision, but for the same reasons I think it’s rather tricky for the Spurs to find a complimentary big man.
Both teams played hard
Well, he didn’t hustle and he didn’t defend. He also was often injured. It’s not worth sinking even a million into when he’s not shown anything. That’s where I don’t feel he fit the Spurs. He apparently grew up and improved those things, but you can’t wait around for that through multiple contracts. Now, Spurs lack size, so in hindsight, any size held over might have been a good thing.
Winter is coming
I think we often feel like having any big man would help. But practically not every big man can play in Pop’s system.
Both teams played hard
We as fans tend to overrate players values more often than not. The Ian now compared to the Ian back then is much different.
Winter is coming
I know I tend to overrate our players, but many others tend to overrate players from other teams. Most people on the list are overrated by PtR. Same goes for Ian, kind of. People think highly of him now, but he would probably still suck in Pop’s system. Not to blame either of them, but Yawn and Pop don’t look like a good match.
Both teams played hard
I think Ian has grown up since Carlisle is a defensive coach. I think he needed to lose his first job though. Ian is a weird story since he got into basketball late. He didn’t have a lot of disappointment to grow from.
Winter is coming
It’s not like Pop is not a defensive coach, is it? But Carlisle is getting more from Yawn for sure. He is a good coach.
Both teams played hard
Anyone worried about Brook’s rebound rate? I am sure he can play, but he makes Tiago look like a monster on the boards…
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
He plays with kris humpries though. Although Humphries is pulling down boards, but this is without Lopez.
Winter is coming
You do realize Humphries wasn’t getting a lot of run until last year with the Nets and Lopez still didn’t get over 9 boards a game his first two seasons.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 10, 2012 1:30 AM CST up reply actions
I’m more worried about the potentially awful PnR defense. Opponents would just pick and roll us to death with Tim and Lopez on the court at the same time.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
Depends on the team, but really, could that be worse than what Spurs have with Duncan/Blair?
Winter is coming
They are both extremely slow footed. The high PnR would kill us and every teams runs that. And who guards perimeter-oriented PFs?
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey

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