5 bargain free-agent three-point shooters
A cursory glance at the 19 free-agent signing agreements to date reveals one thing: there's a premium to pay for three-point shooting.
The exorbitant price mirrors the rising importance of three-point shooting in the modern game. Look no further than the success of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Shooting is the determinant to spacing, and spacing is paramount to winning.
However, the NBA is a copycat league, and a collective rise in demand has led to higher prices for shooters.
1. Anthony Morrow (career 42.8 percent three-point shooter)
It's never a secret as to why Anthony Morrow is on the floor. Armed with a lightning quick release, Morrow is a dead-eye shooter in every scenario - spot-up, transition, pull-up - everything. He can also handle the ball in a pinch, and shoot off the dribble from the mid-range.
However, like most specialists, he can't do much else. He's a poor rebounder and a weak defender. He effectively serves as a offensive platoon player whose playing time is only justified when his shot is on-point. More so than most players, Morrow is a reflection of his system. If Morrow is used in a system that is able to generate open looks, he will flourish.
The 28-year-old is an unrestricted free-agent and has already garnered attention from the Heat and New Orleans Pelicans. He's coming off three disappointing seasons, wherein injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness have limited him to playing under 20 minutes per game.
2. Steve Blake (career 38.8 percent three-point shooter)
Steve Blake profiles as your average back-up point guard. He's a steady ball-handler who is able to run the offense. At 6-foot-3, 173-pounds, Blake is too small to play anywhere other than at the point, but he's a scrappy defender who can at reliably stay in-front of his man.
Blake also happens to be an excellent three-point shooter. He's best served launching from catch-and-shoot scenarios, where he connected on 40.1 percent of his attempts, a rate better than that of forward Kevin Love or guard Ray Allen.
Blake is a 34-year-old unrestricted free-agent, and is undoubtedly looking to join a contender. He suffered a foot injury last year, which forced him to miss nearly a third of the year. After getting traded to the Warriors mid-season, Blake also fell out of favor, and out of the rotation entirely. He's worthwhile reclamation project.
3. Vince Carter (career 37.8 percent three-point shooter)
At the age of 38, Vince Carter is no longer the high-flying scorer that he once was. Save for the occasional highlight dunk, Carter has redefined his game, leveraging his bulk and guile to remain successful in the twilight of his career.
Part of Carter's improvements have come in the three-pointing department. Unlike specialists, Carter can handle the ball, allowing him to pull-up off pick-and-roll situations. He connected on 35 percent of his pull-up three-point attempts, which ranked him in the company of noted scorers such as Carmelo Anthony (35.7) and James Harden (35.3).
Carter has already drawn interest from a number of teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors. Given his age, Carter will most likely accept a discount for the chance to play for a title, something that's proven elusive over his illustrious career.
4. Anthony Tolliver (career 35.2 percent three-point shooter)
Given where he started, Anthony Tolliver has carved out quite a career for himself. After going undrafted in 2007, Tolliver paid his dues in the D-League for a year before finally getting his shot with the San Antonio Spurs in 2008.
Like many other players hailing from Creighton University, Tolliver's calling card is the three-point shot. He primarily launches his triples out of catch-and-shoot scenarios, of which he connected on 42.4 percent on last season, equaling the mark of Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Tolliver is also a responsible defender, and can hold his own against most power forwards.
His age (29) and skillset should ordinarily command a hefty salary, but Tolliver has been consistently underpaid his entire career, earning just $6.8 million across his six seasons in the NBA.
5. Ray Allen (career 40 percent three-point shooter)
Ray Allen needs no introduction. He's the all-time leader in three-pointers made and quite possibly the best shooter ever. Even at the advanced age of 38, Allen is still quite effective, having averaged 9.6 points per game with the Heat last season.
Like Carter, Allen is a veteran with eyes only for a championship. Having already earned over $184 million in his career to date, should Allen accept the veteran's minimum, he will have his pick of contenders to choose from.