by Randy Hill

Comment

With the draft seeming less influential in the championship process, teams attempting to triumph through free agency have been polishing their recruiting tactics. But with the salary cap presiding as a deterrent to a spending-induced spree, NBA executives must be creative in wooing potential players.

This means that in addition to reaching the paradise of free agency, contract-seeking workers now can enjoy being hustled much like they were as college-teasing 17-year-olds.

It should be noted that while the July free-agent party is enjoying unprecedented media scrutiny, NBA recruiting practices aren't exactly new. Ten years ago, for example, the Dallas Mavericks were dinged $25K by the league for sending free-agent-to-be Gary "The Shaq of the MAC" Trent and his family on an all expenses-paid trip to Maui.

Acknowledging that limitations now are firmly in place, let's begin our contemporary look at free-agent recruiting in Orlando, where Daryl Morey made his first 2009 strike at one minute past midnight on July 1.

Let's point out that Daryl is general manager of the Houston Rockets and a guy who places a great deal of emphasis on numbers. Two numbers that seem relevant are 3.8 and 4.5; they represent the per-game scoring and rebounding averages, respectively, recorded by Orlando Magic backup center Marcin Gortat during the 2008-2009 regular season.

Gortat's numbers were quite similar while he was busy impressing the basketball world as Dwight Howard's stand-in during the postseason.

Anyway, Morey was sold enough on Gortat's potential as a Houston Rocket to — in addition to knocking on Marcin's door at 12:01 a.m. — create an electronic mail address dedicated to demonstrating just how much his franchise wanted to sign another center. So rocketfanslovegortat@gmail.com was launched. Hundreds of those fans sent e-mails to this address suggesting how great it would be if Gortat began suiting up in a Rockets uniform.

Unfortunately at our post time, it had been reported the Dallas Mavericks had the best chance of landing Gortat. We're not sure if Mavs owner Mark Cuban set up a Marcin-related Web site or not.

The Mavericks also had been interested in hiring free-agent big man Rasheed Wallace, whose lucrative contract expired at the end of his final season as a Detroit Piston. The San Antonio Spurs reportedly had a really swell shot at landing Wallace, then teaming him with Tim Duncan for another big swing at a championship.

But the Boston Celtics, who suffered without Kevin Garnett or any other legitimate veteran low-post component late last season, responded to this threat by taking the recruiting process up a notch.

Armed with nothing more than a mid-level exception, the Cs decided that successfully wooing Wallace would require something like an intervention.

'Sheed got a visit from his new Boston teammates at his home in Michigan before signing with the Celtics. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

The Boston team arriving at Rasheed's home in Michigan included team owner Wyc Grousbeck, coach Doc Rivers, president Danny Ainge, KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and (according to rumor) the ghost of Red Auerbach.

This show of solidarity impressed Wallace, who proved that winning remains more important to him than commissioning a bar code as his next tattoo. All that's left now is for Rasheed to begin his Boston T Party.

We're also here to remind you that free-agent recruiting includes franchises using desperate tactics in attempts to keep their own players. A great example of that is credited to the Mavs, who will cough up $25 million in a three-year deal to keep 36-year-old point guard Jason Kidd.

It has been posited around Dallas that the multiyear deal was necessary because Kidd's willingness to pass the basketball may attract free agents to Dallas next year.

Sometimes the buddy system is used to convince desirable free agents that one particular franchise offers the best signing alternative. A year ago, the Los Angeles Clippers imposed upon the salesmanship of their own free agent, power forward Elton Brand, to close the deal on crony Baron Davis.

Davis, who generated big-money interest for his work as the free-wheelin' point guard of the Golden State Warriors, was considered a perfect leader and playmaker for the historically inefficient Clips.

Well, Brand did a splendid selling job and Davis agreed to terms with the Clippers. But the goodwill didn't extend to Elton's own free-agent dealings with Clippers coach/general manager Mike Dunleavy.

So Brand signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, then had an injury-and-performance-plagued first year in the City of Brotherly Love. Davis spent his first Clipper season in reported disharmony with Dunleavy.

Brand was temporarily replaced on the Clips' front line by Zach Randolph, who came to Los Angeles last season when the New York Knicks decided to forfeit any shot at the 2009 playoffs by trading their top two scorers (Jamal Crawford was the other).

The Knicks did this because Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is scheduled to be the top dog in the mighty NBA free agent class of 2010. And to be able to offer LeBron (and a friend) a max contract, the Knicks had to get rid of some payroll.

New York upped the recruiting ante last season when team president Donnie Walsh mentioned that other potential free agents (such as Toronto Raptor and James' pal Chris Bosh) should be receiving advance notice as coveted members of the 2010 class.

James, who (we assume) is exempt from self-recruiting violations, even admitted he wouldn't mind working full-time at Madison Square Garden. But not to be outdone are the New Jersey Nets, whose ownership group includes James' buddy Jay-Z.

Still checking in as major participants in the LBJ recruiting derby, the Cavs continued recruiting James by trading for Shaquille O'Neal and making (thus far) unsuccessful overtures toward any athletic player willing to work for reasonable loot.

It should be interesting to see if LeBron can have more success recruiting a free agent to another city.

With the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds going lower than expected, such progressive teams may have to be even more creative.