Kerr's Eleven

With the NBA draft a recent memory and the threat of a labor dispute vanished, basketball fans now can anticipate the start of the league's free agency period Friday.

Teams can begin negotiating with players and come to verbal agreements, although they can't actually sign contracts until July 22. With lawyers from both the NBA and the Players Association hammering out the final details of the collective bargaining agreement, one week was added from the original July 14 date for contract signings.

Unlike in recent years, when franchise players like Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill were coveted free agents, this year's crop lacks star power. But with plenty of very good players available – and a handful of teams loaded with cap room – there should be plenty of action.

The Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, Seattle SuperSonics, New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks all have put themselves in a position to be major players in free agency, although the Bulls and Sonics most likely will spend their money on retaining their own talent. The Bucks will try to retain Michael Redd, which would use up much of their cap space, but they'll have some room left to add players.

Here are the top 11 free agents, in no particular order:

KERR'S TOP FREE AGENTS

Ray Allen, guard, Seattle
The Sonics desperately want to re-sign him, but it will be expensive. Once Seattle has its coaching situation straightened out, look for the Sonics to do all they can to keep the sharpshooter.

Still, Allen is unrestricted, which means a team like Atlanta or Cleveland could come in and swoop him up. Allen and LeBron James together in the Cavaliers backcourt? Wow! Probably wishful thinking for Cleveland fans, though.

Michael Redd, guard, Milwaukee
Milwaukee cleared cap room last season by trading Keith Van Horn and Mike James with the clear intention of signing Redd this summer. Redd said he wanted to re-sign with the team.

So what would make him leave? The Cavaliers play in his home state and they have LeBron. And Terry Porter was fired last week, meaning the Bucks don't have a coach or a plan. Yes, they have Andrew Bogut, but is he enough to entice Redd to stay?

Larry Hughes, guard, Washington
The league's steals leader had a terrific season with the Washington Wizards, helping lead the resurgence that got them back into the playoffs. He's not the shooter that Allen and Redd are, but he's athletic, he can play either guard spot and he's fearless.

The Wizards probably will re-sign him, but it will cost them an awful lot. And with Gilbert Arenas on the books for $60-plus million, Washington could have a very expensive backcourt.

Joe Johnson, guard, Phoenix
He will be coveted, but unlike Allen, Redd and Hughes, Johnson is a restricted free agent, meaning the Phoenix Suns can match any offer. On top of that, Phoenix will have seven days after the contract is signed to make its decision. That means if a team were to come to a contract agreement with Johnson in early July, its money would be tied up for three or four weeks while they awaited the Suns' decision to match or not.

It may be irrelevant. By trading Quentin Richardson, general manager Bryan Colangelo sent a clear message to the league this week that he fully intends to keep Johnson by matching any offer.

Raja Bell, guard, Utah
He isn't a star, but he has developed into an outstanding role player. Bell can defend the perimeter, shoot the ball, play either guard spot and be a key bench player.

After years of bouncing around, Bell should find a long-term contract this summer. He's not a difference maker, but he'd be very effective on a playoff-type team.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, forward, Portland
He's in between a three and a four, position-wise, so he never was worth the maximum dollars he has been making the past seven years. But throw him into the mid-level range ($5 million) and he becomes a versatile frontcourt forward who can really help a team.

The San Antonio Spurs may take a long look at him after dealing with the Detroit Pistons' three-headed monster in the Finals. Tim Duncan could use some help on the front line, and with Robert Horry getting older, Abdur-Rahim makes sense.

Either way, he won't be back with the Portland Trail Blazers. Look for Rahim – who never has played in a playoff game – to take a pay cut and offer his talents to a winning team.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, center, Cleveland
With his foot problems seemingly behind him, Big Z is one of the better centers in the NBA. Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry is a close friend and a former teammate, and he wants to keep Ilgauskas but not at his current max deal.

If Ferry can convince Ilgauskas to sign a contract in the three-year, $8 million-per-year range, he will stay in Cleveland. If a team comes in and blows him out of the water with a huge deal, he'll be gone. But with the history of foot injuries, will anyone take that chance?

Eddy Curry, center, Chicago
He's a big, gifted low-post scorer, and the league doesn't have many of those. He also has been given a clean bill of health after a series of tests on his heart. Curry is a restricted free agent, and Bulls GM John Paxson plans to match just about any offer. Chicago has the financial flexibility to do so.

Tyson Chandler, forward, Chicago
After four seasons, Chandler finally appears to have carved a niche for himself in the NBA. He's not an offensive force, and he's not a back-to-the-basket post player. But he is an excellent, long-armed defender who will block shots, slide his feet and generally cause havoc in the lane.

He's the perfect complement to Curry, so Paxson most likely will keep Chandler around, too. And since he is also a restricted free agent, the Bulls can match any offer.

Samuel Dalembert, center, Philadelphia
Tall, athletic shot blockers are tough to come by, and new Philadelphia 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks will want one in his lineup. Dalembert is restricted, so Billy King will control the outcome of Dalembert's free agency.

Still, if a team makes a huge offer, the 76ers' hands could be tied. They already have Chris Webber's huge deal on the books for the next three years, and Allen Iverson is making a ton of money, too. On top of that, Dalembert still is raw and not much of an offensive threat. The question is, how high will Philadelphia go to match a deal for him?

Antonio Daniels, guard, Seattle
Daniels has established himself as a very reliable player. He was among the NBA leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, and he can play either guard spot at both ends of the floor. He has also improved his shooting considerably.

Daniels will be coveted as a mid-level player by a lot of teams. And with the Sonics likely to keep Ray Allen, it would be surprising to see them hang on to the unrestricted Daniels.