Over the course of this week, we've been looking at unsigned free agents that specialize in particular areas on the court. We examined the top remaining rebounders on Monday, and looked at the best available outside shooters on Tuesday. Today, we'll focus on the best distributors still on the market, rounding up the free agents that produced the most assists per 36 minutes in 2011/12. These guys aren't exactly Deron Williams, but they can find teammates for open shots, and should be available on the cheap.
Listed below are the top 10 remaining free agents by assists per 36 minutes. Their AP36 rate for 2011/12 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, they must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in 2011/12.
- Jonny Flynn (8.3)
- Walker Russell Jr. (5.8)
- Sundiata Gaines (5.7)
- Jannero Pargo (5.2)
- Mike Bibby (5.2)
- Tracy McGrady (4.7)
- Terrence Williams (4.3)
- Derek Fisher (4.1)
- Dominic McGuire (3.5)
- Marquis Daniels (3.5)
Honorable mention:
- Anthony Carter averaged 5.9 assists per 36 minutes, but played less than 10 MPG for the Raptors in 2011/12.
- Baron Davis' 4.7 AP36 would have tied him with McGrady, but his torn MCL and ACL make his 2012/13 return uncertain.
- Gaines and Pargo provide a nice combination of passing and three-point shooting, ranking among the top five on both lists. Fisher also cracks the top 10 on each list.
- Matt Barnes' 3.2 AP36 wasn't quite enough to make the top 10 here, but it's worth mentioning, since the jack-of-all-trades was among the top 10 available rebounders and three-point shooters.