It’s the NBA Offseason, the time of dastardly free agent deals, lop-sided trades and irrelevant summer-league tourneys.

And, happily for wanna-be sportswriters the world over, it’s also the time where the most authoritative, or most opinionated, NBA journalists take a vacation. This creates a gap in the market for comprehensive team-by-team analyses of current free agents and future roster possibilities.

Here are the first 15 teams – from Atlanta to Miami.

Atlanta Hawks

Restricted: Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Jeremy Richardson

New Hawks GM Rick Sund is privately resigned to losing one of his Free Agent Joshes; with no picks in the 2008 Draft, Atlanta have ample roster space but their problem is a chronic lack of cash. The Hawks will be over the cap in 2009, and ownership does not want to pay the luxury tax, which will be a distinct possibility if they match what both Smith and Childress are expected to be offered over the coming days. It only seems a matter of time before Smith, one of the game’s foremost young studs, receives an offer sheet in the region of $70-million over 5 years. Whilst Childress, who last season developed into a specialist 6th man, could reasonably command at least half that. The Hawks’ final free agent, Jeremy Richardson is so unknown that ESPN doesn’t even have a photo of him on his player page.

Unrestricted: Salim Stoudamire, Mario West

Stoudamire and West were bit players in Atlanta last season and aren’t expected to generate much interest on the open market. However, savvy GMs will be aware that both youngsters performed impressively in limited minutes against Boston in round 1, indicating their future potential.

---

Boston Celtics

Restricted: None

Unrestricted: James Posey, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Scot Pollard

With almost half his roster coming off contract, reigning Executive of the Year Danny Ainge is under pressure to repeat his free magic of a year ago when he sewed the seeds of the eventual 2008 NBA Champions. Posey is deservedly the main priority, yet the Celtics are intent on keeping at least part of their veteran exception for future free agents and thus seem destined to lose him. The same scenario applies to Eddie House, which would also be a massive loss both on the court and in the locker-room for the C’s. Tony Allen, on the other hand, isn’t generating much outside interest, and Boston are quietly confident of keeping him at a contract both parties are happy with. Brown, Cassell and Pollard are all contemplating retirement; or at least, they should be.

---

Charlotte Bobcats

Restricted: Emeka Okafor, Ryan Hollins

With Elton Brand off the market, league-wide attention is slowly turning towards Comrade Okafor, the best remaining big man in free agency. This time last year, Okafor (and agent Jeff Schwartz) couldn’t agree with the Bobcats on an extension to his rookie deal, and the 6-10 PF/C wanted to see how the team developed under a new coach before committing his long-term future to the club. The same uncertainties are in place in Charlotte today, which is why the desperate GMs around the league are talking themselves into the possibility Okafor will be available for the right team at the right price. Hollins is 7-feet tall, which is why he expects to have a chair once the music stops.

Unrestricted: Derek Anderson, Earl Boykins, Othella Harrington

The Bobcats’ years of building slowly and carefully look to be over – stakeholders are impatient for this team to start playing some legit NBA basketball. And under Larry Brown’s leadership, Charlotte is expected to rely on veterans more than ever before. However, with none of the Anderson/Boykins/Harrington troika expected back, the club’s former commitment to youth is a potential early fracture point between the Coach and the Front Office.

---

Chicago Bulls

Restricted: Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Demetris Nichols

As usual, John Paxson has been calmly spending the days and weeks following the Draft in a quiet, contemplative state. He knows his exciting young team has too many players and not enough funds, let alone minutes, to keep them all happy. But – much like the question of what to do with PJ Brown’s expiring contract 2 years ago – perhaps the problem will go away by itself if he leaves it long enough. Deng and Gordon are 2 of the remaining blue chips in restricted free agency this summer where there wasn’t many players of All-Star caliber to start with. And whether it be via exorbitant offer-sheet or attractive sign-and-trade, one or both are a distinct possibility of playing elsewhere next season. Demetris Nichols was born in Boston.

Unrestricted: Chris Duhon, Shannon Brown

Duhon made the smart decision to leave early in the free agent period whilst the checkbooks were still flying around. He should be happy in New York, even if it means he does re-join former teammates Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry. Shannon Brown’s expected departure won’t be a loss; many Bulls fans didn’t realise he was on the team in the first place.

---

Cleveland Cavaliers

Restricted: Daniel Gibson, Delonte West

These 2 guys are expected to stay. Gibson, who’s long been a favorite with fans and, critically, LeBron James, and last-season’s newcomer West are both skilled shooters with good attitudes and enough versatility to play both backcourt positions. The trouble is, Danny Ferry doesn’t believe either player is capable of being the team’s long term solution at point guard, and, say, re-upping both for a combined $10 million per year will be distasteful considering the Cavs’ current salary cap inflexibility and their obvious need to keep cash available down the line.

Unrestricted: Devin Brown, Dwayne Jones

These 2 guys are expected to go. Brown is a veteran swingman who’s autobiography would no doubt contain very interesting stories, but whether he can help a team in the year 2009 is uncertain. Jones, the Cavs 25-year old backup center, has value only to show Dwyane Wade the proper way to spell his first name.

---

Dallas Mavericks

Restricted: Jose Juan Barea

Dallas are massively over the cap, which means they will only be interested in any free agents who are willing to play on the cheap or for the veteran minimum. To this end, the Mavs quickly brought former big man DeSagana Diop back into town, and also re-upped the under-rated Barea, who is being groomed for increased minutes at the PG spot next season.

Unrestricted: Malik Allen, Devean George, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Jamaal Magloire, Antoine Wright

Part of the reason for Dallas’ disappointing 2007/08 campaign is right here – these 6 veterans were each expecting the good life of a role player for a 60-win contender, but instead were unable to contribute anything to what ended up being a 51-win also-ran. Players with youth on their side, like Wright and Allen, will be welcome in Rick Carlisle’s new system, but fossils like Magloire and Howard will not. Devean George burnt his bridges with Dallas brass by jeopardizing last year’s Jason Kidd trade (which in hindsight is even more regrettable for Donnie Walsh and Mark Cuban) and is also history. He wouldn’t even be trusted to take part in a sign-and-trade to inject some much needed youth into the Mavs starting lineup. Tyronn Lue has played for 7 teams in his 10 seasons in the league, so will no doubt be on someone’s roster come opening night.

---

Denver Nuggets

Restricted: J.R. Smith

Denver’s extraordinary decision yesterday to literally give Marcus Camby to the LA Clippers demonstrates just how severe the financial pressure is on NBA General Managers these days. Even if oft-injured bigs Nene and Kenyon Martin can play at full strength next season, the short-term competitiveness of the 8th-seeded Nuggets will still slip significantly. It’s a worry for Denver fans desperate for a successful team, but also for other players who now sense a real uncertainly in their future. J.R. Smith is a case in point; he has clashed with George Karl during his 2 seasons in town, but both men know there’s no better option at shooting guard than the skinny St Benedict product. At the moment. Therefore, if any other team is game enough to offer Smith a contract approaching market value for his flawed but undeniable skills, the Nuggets will happily let him go.

Unrestricted: Anthony Carter, Yakhouba Diawara, Eduardo Najera

Carter was one of the best point guards in the league during the latter half of last season, and the Nuggets wisely made his signature a priority for the summer. Diawara and Najera are both 6-7 reserves, and since the New Jersey Nets recently added Najera to their multi-lingual frontcourt, it increases the likelihood that Diawara, who is expected to play for France at the Olympics, will be retained.

---

Detroit Pistons

Restricted: Alex Acker

Not to be confused with Arron Afflalo, Acker was Joe Dumars’ 2nd round pick in 2005, and wasn’t on the active roster last season. Forget him.

Unrestricted: Jarvis Hayes, Walter Herrmann, Lindsey Hunter, Theo Ratliff, Juan Dixon

This is where the offseason action will lie, as the Pistons already have 12 players under contract for next year, so there won’t be room for all 5 veterans. Hayes and Herrmann have the most upside for a veteran team which looked tired the longer last season progressed, but with Jason Maxiell and rookie Trent Plaisted expected to be ahead of them on the depth chart, opportunities for contributions will remain limited. And Dixon, who came over from Toronto partway through last season, has failed to bring his NCAA game to the pros and will probably not even be in the league much longer. In the end, the Pistons may simply end up bringing back Ratliff and Hunter for the 3rd and 4th tours of duty, respectively.

---

Golden State Warriors

Restricted: Monta Ellis, Kelenna Azubuike, Andris Biedrins

As much as it hurts now, given time, the Warriors’ gut-wrenching free agency loss of Baron Davis to the LA Clippers will actually be a blessing for the franchise. Let’s not forget that Golden State failed to make the playoffs last season, even with their on-court leader playing a full compliment of games. And with essential components Biedrins, Azubuike and especially Monta Ellis all requiring healthy extensions this summer, the already maxed-out Warriors will in fact be better off without the presence of Davis’ $65-million carcass on the payroll for the next 5 seasons. Plus, it provides Don Nelson’s suddenly youthful team with immediate underdog status for the 2009 campaign.

Unrestricted: Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Austin Croshere, Patrick O’Bryant

In sport, like in life, it’s never a good idea to act out of spite. So when Chris Mullin angrily reacted to the Clippers’ Davis heist and threw $95-million back at Elton Brand, he was fortunate that Dave Falk didn’t bite. Nevertheless, Mullin did feel somewhat avenged when Corey Maggette agreed to terms with the Warriors, even though it meant both Matt Barnes and Mikael Pietrus immediately felt unwanted and started looking elsewhere. Pietrus will be a perfect fit in Orlando, and no matter where he ends up, Barnes is guaranteed to make his future coach very happy indeed. Patrick O’Bryant’s fall from lottery pick to failed discard is extraordinary even for a 7-foot stiff (although he has reportedly been given a second chance in Boston), and Austin Croshere’s game has regressed so far that the only General Manager likely to enquire about him is Kevin McHale.

---

Houston Rockets

Restricted: Carl Landry

The Rockets have one of the game’s most respected young minds, but Daryl Morey doesn’t get the props of a Kevin Prichard or even a Sam Presti. Morey does his work in the shade of Yao Ming’s 7-foot-2 gantry, and is currently working on the unenviable task of ascertaining whether the team can really, honesty, seriously be better without him. Many flippant sportswriters posed such a hypothesis during the Rockets’ 18-game win streak late last season, but Morey is the man charged with objectively coming up with the actual answer. No wonder Houston haven’t made any free agent moves this summer; unless you count Gerald Green, of course. But with or without Yao, gutsy young rebounders like Carl Landry will be asked to continue providing positive contributions for the team, either starting or off the bench, especially if their asking prices are cheap and reasonable.

Unrestricted: Dikembe Mutombo

Contrary to rumors – and his impressive play end the end of last season – Mutumbo is indeed 42 years old.

---

Indiana Pacers

Restricted: None

Unrestricted: Kareem Rush, David Harrison, Flip Murray, Andre Owens

It’s been a busy summer for Pacers GM Larry Bird, the first time in his post-playing career he has to make all the decisions without the guideance of Donnie Walsh alongside. Now, for better or worse, the buck stops with him. And of his 4 Unrestricted Free Agents, Kareem Rush is the only one certain to be retained, allowing him to pair with his brother Brandon as backup swingmen behind Mike Dunleavy Jnr and Danny Grainger. The other 3 decisions are not quite as pleasant; Harrison’s suspension for substance use last season couldn’t have come at a worse time, and he is likely to be banished for good. Owens, an undrafted local product, has potential but there’s already a logjam at his position. And as for Murray, he has undeniable scoring ability, but would have more chance of being re-signed if he changed his name to ‘Rush’.

---

Los Angeles Clippers

Restricted: Elton Brand, Nick Fazekas, Marcus Williams

The Clippers reacted maturely and swiftly to last week’s frustrating loss of Elton Brand to the Sixers by cleverly capitalising on Denver’s willingness to offload Camby’s 2-year, $20-million deal. It was an extraordinarily inventive move that was more akin to a young, super-GM rather than the crusty old Elgin Baylor, so credit where it’s due. We all know Brand has gone, and we all know why. But what we don’t understand is that if Brand wanted all along to flee to the relative calm of the Eastern Conference and be nearer his growing family, why did he entice Baron Davis to jump ship and join the Clippers in the first place? It’s was completely unnecessary, harmed the short-term future of both teams, and hurt Brand’s reputation as a first class guy. The Clippers did badly need a PG, however, and Davis brings them instant scoring, playmaking, leadership and cardboard beards. LAC’s other free agent big man is Nick Fazekas, a skinny 6-11 forward with intriguing potential, and Brand’s exit opens up minutes for him down the line. Finally, it’s important to realise that this Marcus Williams is a 6-7 forward, and not the guy who plays point guard for New Jersey.

Unrestricted: Corey Maggette, DeShawn Stevenson, Quinton Ross, Dan Dickau, Smush Parker, Paul Davis

Maggette, coming off a career season, was regarded as one of the most sought-after players in the second tier of Free Agents this summer; which is a backhanded compliment if ever there was one. So when the Warriors came calling, he chose the fun and freedom of Don Nelson’s offense over the committments to defense that would have arisen if he’d signed with the Spurs or Celtics. Silly, perhaps, but understandable. Once Davis came on board, the Clippers renounced Shaun Livingston, the former wunderkind whose epic knee injury was so bad, youtube of it still makes people squeamish. It’s a damn shame, but the Clipps are clinically moving on. With the starting PG sorted for the next 5 years, there team now needs a backup for those days when Davis is either missing too many shots, or the game entirely. In this way, last year’s abject starters, Dickau and Parker, suddenly become valuable. Speaking of value, Quinton Ross has the type of game, and temperament, to potentially go from the end-of-bench at the Clippers to a key contributor on a contender. Paul Davis, not so much, but there is likely to be a roster spot for him if he wants to accept the minimum.

---

Los Angeles Lakers

Restricted: Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic

Both these men made a name for themselves, although poorly pronounced, during the Lakers’ impressive run through the Western Conference Playoffs. So much so that their respective struggles in the 6-game Finals defeat to the Celtics haven’t harmed their marketability. Turiaf has been courted by the Golden State Warriors, who seem desperate to continue their trend of unorthodox foreign-born centers, but Turiaf is expected to stay loyal to the Lakers who stood by him during his heart operation as a rookie. Plus, the Lakers will need his presence at PF if the rumored Lamar Odom / Ron Artest deal ultimately goes down. Vujacic is also keen to stay in LA, and his agent is reportedly reminding the Lakers Front office that his client played Manu Ginobili to a stand-still in the Conference Finals, and thus deserves to be recognised.

Unrestricted: Ira Newble, DJ Mbenga

Newble is a handy swing prospect who started last season in Cleveland, although I’m still not quite sure how he wound up in LA by the end. He is a candidate for a 14th roster spot, somewhere. Mbenga’s future with the team was at serious risk until Kobe Bryant realized he was not in fact the DJ at Shaq’s rap club.

---

Memphis Grizzlies

Restricted: Juan Carlos Navarro

Juan Carlos and his agent deserve credit for informing the Grizzlies at the very start of the Free Agency period that he would be returning to Europe next season, no doubt to take advantage of the relaxed defenses (and better exchange rates) of home. This meant that Memphis didn’t have to waste any effort pretending to look for ways to keep him, and that Navarro didn’t have to waste any time pretending to want them to. Win win.

Unrestricted: Casey Jacobsen, Kwame Brown, Andre Brown

Once upon a time, Jacobsen allegedly had NBA range, but with rookie OJ Mayo dominating the all post-draft coverage on Yahoo! sports, it appears Jacobsen’s last hope of a just-in-case shooting guard spot with Grizz next season is in vain. Perversely, it’s Andre Brown, not Kwame, who has more value in the NBA at this point in their respective careers. Andre is willing to take a tiny portion of the salary cap and is able to bring a good work ethic to practice every day. Kwame’s biggest achievement is that he’s still sitting above Michael Olowokandi, but below Joe Barry Carroll, on the All-Time-Number-#1-Pick-Busts list.

---

Miami Heat

Restricted: Dorell Wright, Chris Quinn, Kasib Powell

Midway through last season, Wright was given the ultimate compliment by part-time coach and full-time GM Pat Riley; he was shut down for the remainder of the year with a non-existent ailment. Thus, you can make a case that behind Messrs Wade and Marion, Wright was the next best player on the Heat’s 2007/08 roster. Or perhaps, the least worst. Either way, he is a keeper. Chris Quinn has handles and Kasib Powell is tall, but apart from that, neither player offers much for the future, nor as tidbits in possible sign-and-trades. Especially since both men play the same positions as Miami’s 2008 draftees Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. Just co-incidence, surely.

Unrestricted: Blake Ahearn, Earl Barron, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams, Ricky Davis

Pat Riley may be many things, but disloyal is not one of them, so until proven otherwise all 5 Free Agents have high hopes of being part of the suddenly bright future in Miami. Youngsters Ahern and Barron were admittedly out of their depth last season, but the force-feeding of minutes will no doubt pay off professionally at some point, whether or not they remain in South Beach. At the other end of the age spectrum, Williams and Mourning have both sweated blood and tasted champagne in Miami uniforms, so for the right price they could find themselves sitting at the top end of the bench next season, cheering on the kids. Ricky Davis, on the other hand, is not expected to be as fortunate; afterall, he didn’t help Riles win a championship, or the draft lottery.

Note; teams Milwaukee to Washington to follow.