Last week, I examined the top three-point shooters still available in free agency, for teams in need of perimeter scoring. Many of those players saw their strong three-point percentages propel them to solid scoring averages in 2012/13, but outside shooting isn't the only way of putting the ball in the net.
While many NBA teams are done with their free agent shopping, there are likely still a few clubs that wouldn't mind adding a scorer or two to supplement their benches. Taking a flier on a Summer League standout or an undrafted rookie could pay dividends, but there are plenty of veteran scorers still on the market as well.
Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by points per 36 minutes. Their PP36 rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.
- Nikola Pekovic (18.6) (restricted)
- Richard Hamilton (16.2)
- Ivan Johnson (15.7)
- Antawn Jamison (15.7)
- Leandro Barbosa (15.1)
- Mo Williams (15.0)
- Jannero Pargo (14.7)
- Jeremy Pargo (14.6)
- Hakim Warrick (14.3)
- Cartier Martin (14.0)
- DeJuan Blair (13.9)
- Beno Udrih (13.3)
- Damien Wilkins (12.8)
- Terrence Williams (12.5)
- A.J. Price (12.4)
Honorable mention:
- Dominique Jones also averaged 12.4 points per 36 minutes, but lost out to Price by percentage points. Jerry Stackhouse (12.0), Luke Babbitt (12.0), and Rodrigue Beaubois (11.9) also just missed the cut.
- Nolan Smith (13.7) and Corey Maggette (13.3) would have earned spots on the list, but Smith only averaged 7.2 MPG in 40 contests, while Maggette appeared in just 18 games for the Pistons.
- Plenty of traditionally strong scorers didn't qualify for the list, either because they had subpar seasons by their standards, or didn't get a chance to play 20+ games. Among them: Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady, and Stephen Jackson.