The 2018 free agent class has the possibility to alter the landscape of the NBA. High profile players will change teams, as will emerging players who have yet to perform at their peak. Knowing who to spend money on is crucial. We are offering our opinion on UNRESTRICTED free agents only (does not include those who have yet to opt out). It seems rare that a restricted free agent worth the trouble actually gets away, making it prudent to strictly focus on the players that teams can immediately sign.

To be clear, we are always looking for players we believe can play effective NBA minutes on BOTH offense and defense. That pool of players, in our estimation, includes the following by position...

Centers:

There are four candidates at the pivot position that we would consider. The most talented is clearly DeMarcus Cousins. However, Cousins is returning from a ruptured achilles tendon, and we would be hesitant to spend any significant amount of money on any player returning from that injury. That narrows the list to three, and one of the remaining players is JaVale McGee. The Shaqtin' a Fool star makes sense, in our opinion, only for a veteran team.

The amount of money a team spends on a Center should be monitored closely. The pool of available players is plenty deep. We think there are two players that potentially make financial sense.

• Kyle O'Quinn - The 28 year old is not flashy at all. He has six years of NBA service beginning in Orlando, and continuing on to New York for the last three seasons. O'Quinn was a top-15 (efficiency per-minute) player at his position in 2017-18. On defense, O'Quinn was in the top-ten in DEFRTG differential. Most likely, O'Quinn can be signed for a reasonable rate.

• Alex Len - He has five years of NBA experience and Len is just 25 years old. While Len's per game averages have leveled off over the last three seasons, his efficiency per minute has improved (he ranked 21st among Centers last season). On defense, Len is solid enough to be a plus. We believe Len has grown into a nice pro that fits as a BIG that does not require the ball.

Power Forwards:

The list of PF's we would chase is small. There are only two that we think are top 30 talents at the position at both ends of the floor. One of those players is Michael Beasley. We still are not sold on Beasley as a guy that deserves big money but he certainly would be considered depending on the price point. So that leaves us with only one...

• David West - He was remarkably efficient in 2017-18, playing a reserve role with the Warriors. West is a consummate pro that has plenty of good playing days left in his tank at age 37. He would serve as a great mentor on a young team or he can be a perfect complementary BIG off the bench for a veteran squad.

Point Guards:

Much like the Power Forward spot, we only like a couple of Point Guards. One of them is Tyreke Evans but we still don't foresee Evans playing in enough games to warrant big money or big responsibility. I would like to be proven wrong because I really believe that Tyreke is a special talent. The reality is that Evans has missed an average just shy of 30 games per season for the last three years. So that leaves the one obvious choice...

• Chris Paul - CP3 showed just how valuable he can be last season as Houston reached previously unattainable heights while the Clippers (his former team) failed to win 50 games (they won 42) for the first time in six seasons.

Small Forwards:

There are two Small Forwards we think are top-30 at their position on both ends of the court...

• Paul George - This one is a no-brainer. A top tier starter at the most difficult position to fill is certainly going to command huge dollars.

• Mario Hezonja - He became a starting-caliber player last season in Orlando. The Magic made a mistake, in our opinion in giving up on Hezonja. It takes some players longer than others to adapt to the NBA. Hezonja is only 23 years-old.

Shooting Guards:

There are three SG's that fit the profile of top 30 on both ends of the floor at their position. One of them is Lance Stephenson. We wouldn't throw big money at Lance. Another one of the three is Shabazz Muhammed. He has never been known for his defense but Shabazz did sneak into the top 30 in DEFRTG differential at the SG spot last season. We wouldn't break any banks to sign him but he does have talent worth considering. So that leaves just one choice we like...

• Dwyane Wade - He is 36 years old but he is still rated among the top dozen on both sides of the ball among shooting guards. It seems unreasonable to expect huge minutes from Wade so we wouldn't overspend for him either. But Dwyane Wade is so much more skilled that most SG's, he still makes sense in our opinion.

The best of the rest...

Centers - Nerlens Noel, Greg Monroe, Ed Davis.

Power Forwards - Ersan Ilyasova.

Point Guards - Rajon Rondo, Elfrid Payton, Tim Frazier, Michael Carter-Williams.

Small Forwards - Gerald Green, Trevor Ariza, Vince Carter.

Shooting Guards - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Devin Harris, Mario Chalmers.

Players we would avoid:

We would not be offering enough if we just listed the players we like. There are also players we would avoid that fall outside the top-60 at their position on BOTH ends of the floor. It would be wise to stay away from the following...

Centers: Marreese Speights.

Forwards: Josh Huestis, Joe Johnson.

Guards: Jameer Nelson, Wayne Ellington, Derrick Rose, Ian Clark, Nick Young, Arron Afflalo.