One of the remaining free agents that has drawn interest lately is Earl Barron, who appeared in 11 games for the Wizards and one for the Knicks last season. As we noted yesterday, the 7'0" center has drawn interest from the Pacers, Pelicans, 76ers, and is still under consideration for a return to New York. Barron displayed a few standout performances in 2012/13, including an eight point, eight rebound (four offensive) effort in 16 minutes of action against the Cavaliers, a four-point, four-block, and 14 rebound line over 26 minutes in Atlanta, and 11 points along with 18 rebounds in 35 minutes during New York's final game of the season against the Hawks.
One thing worth paying attention to is the ability he's shown to rebound the basketball at a high-rate, as the 18-rebound performance in April was somewhat reminiscent of Barron's last stint with the Knicks in 2009/10, when he averaged 11.0 RPG along with 11.7 PPG over the last seven games of that season. Although Barron's field goal percentage (35.7%) isn't much to look at, it's arguable that 12 games isn't much of a sample size to work with. Based on his shot charts over the course of several seasons, it appears that he's not shy about taking jumpers from mid-range, and coupled with his rebounding ability, Barron could be an option worth keeping around as insurance in the frontcourt.
With teams looking to fill out roster spots and/or hand out training camp invites at this point, it wouldn't be surprising either way if Barron was offered a guaranteed contract for the minimum or the opportunity to earn a roster spot in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal. Even if he can't make a team before the start of the regular season, he'll certainly be worth keeping an eye throughout the year in case teams find the need to add more depth at center.