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Depending on what the Washington Wizards do with Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis, they could have around $12 million of salary-cap space to spend this summer. It remains to be seen if the Wizards actually use it or bank it towards the 2013 class, but in any event, there are a number of free agents that could help the team's push into playoff contention. We'll take a look at several of those options in this running series. Next up: Gerald Green.
PREVIOUSLY: Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum, O.J. Mayo, Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Lou Williams, Danny Green, George Hill, Marco Belinelli, Landry Fields, Brandon Rush, CJ Miles, Kris Humphries, Jeff Green.
Team: New Jersey Nets.
Type: Unrestricted free agent.
This past year: Revived his NBA career with an outstanding 31-game stretch in relative obscurity with the Nets. Received plenty of playing time and took advantage of it by showing off a smooth and efficient offensive game. Thirteen points a game in 25 minutes per game with very good efficiency is impressive, even if it came at the end of a dreary year for the Nets.
Why he's fit in well: Green can score, and the Wizards need wings who can score. In his brief time with the Nets, Green was proficient in all types of offense, scoring efficiently in isolation situations, post-ups and spot-ups, according to MySynergySports.com. He didn't run a ton of pick and roll, but that might not be a bad thing because the Wizards need guys who can play off others. While Green is still a bit trigger-happy, he reigned in those tendencies compared to previous years in the NBA.
Why he might not: Green is still a very weak defender, though coach Avery Johnson said he improved on that end in his brief time in New Jersey. As noted, he still displays poor shot selection at times, and he's not the kind of guy who can make plays for others in the pick and roll.
Likely price tag: I could see a whole range, but I suspect he'll get half of the mid-level exception.
Verdict: Green's an interesting gamble. I do believe that, temperamentally, he has become much more mature since his Boston days. I just wonder if his deadly-efficient scoring is a fluke. My concern is that the Wizards would give him a guaranteed deal, only to see him have a couple bad shooting years. If he's not scoring, he's still not bringing a lot to the table, so it's kind of a waste to have him on the roster.
But as a fallback option, there's certainly some upside here that makes him worth considering.