Fullcourt Press is our bi-weekly look at the latest headline news from around the league. We'll examine stat trends, injuries, depth chart battles and schedule breakdowns, along with notable performances throughout the NBA season.

Imagine if there was no more basketball ...

Imagine what it would be like without Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson?

What if we never got to see Michael Jordan achieve any of those six championships, or watch Hakeem Olajuwon's amazingly quick "dream shake?" What if Magic never took that junior sky-hook in lane to seal the 1987 Championship or John Stockton never teamed up with Karl Malone?

That was almost the case for the 2005-06 season.

With the threat of a lockout looming for next year, owners and players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement Tuesday, and slashed the possibility of a lost season. The visible damage that the NHL has experienced over the past year was apparently a major influence on the National Basketball Association, as they managed to sidestep a possible atrocious situation with the landmark agreement.

As the Finals wind down, a time of big changes throughout the league awaits. The NBA Draft will be held in New York on June 28 and free agency officially begins July 1. Many teams will undergo major facelifts with their personnel as they revamp for a title run in 12 months. In this edition of Fullcourt Press, we will take a look at the league's most notable free agents.

Point Guards:

1. Damon Stoudamire - The former Rookie of the Year winner had best scoring season in six years, averaging a respectable 15.8 PPG and 5.7 APG. He'll have to take a major pay cut after earning $12.5 million last year but will still have Fantasy value next season.

2. Jeff McInnis - McInnis' season was night and day last year -- he averaged 14.3 PPG through his initial 61 contests, but just 7.1 PPG in his final 15 games. The Cavs have a lot of question marks on their roster, something new coach Mike Brown will need to address, including McInnis' fate with the Cavs.

3. Andre Miller - As one of the league's most consistent point guards the past five years, Miller will be very sought after this offseason. With career averages of 14.3 PPG, 7.4 APG and 1.4 SPG, he should be targeted in the middle rounds wherever he signs.

4. Earl Watson - One of the league's best backup point guards, averaged 13.5 PPG, 7.4 APG and 1.6 SPG in 11 games that starter Jason Williams did not play. If he lands a starting role, he'll be a major sleeper.

5. Troy Hudson - Hudson's status in the Twin Cities depends entirely on what the T-Wolves decide to do with Sam Cassell. He is a very solid backup, but has struggled in the starting role.

6. Brevin Knight - The veteran averaged a career-high 10.1 PPG and 8.9 APG -- good for second in the league. Despite the career year, Knight might become expendable if Charlotte elects to draft Chris Paul, Raymond Felton or Deron Williams.

7. Tyronn Lue - Playing with the lowly Hawks, Lue racked up his most productive season as a pro -- averaging 11.2 PPG and 4.6 APG. Much like Knight, Lue could bolt if Atlanta takes one of the many talented point guards with the second overall selection in this summer's draft.

8. Marko Jaric - Jaric could bolt with Clippers' future point guard duties likely going to Shaun Livingston. He is a great source of assists despite not being a pure point.

9. Gary Payton - The Glove posted his lowest statistics in a decade last season. He will be utilized as a backup floor general with great leadership skills wherever he signs.

Shooting Guards:

1. Ray Allen - the Sonics are offering Allen about $70 - $75 million through five years. He'll likely remain in Seattle unless Cleveland, Atlanta or New Orleans decides to offer more money. He'll average 20-plus wherever he lands though.

2. Larry Hughes - Hughes emerged into one of the most complete players in the league last year. He registered career-bests in scoring (22.3 PPG), rebounding (6.3 RPG), assists (4.7 APG) and steals (2.9 SPG). He'll likely stay in the nation's capital, but is a legitimate second round Fantasy draft selection regardless where he signs.

3. Michael Redd - If Larry Brown leaves Motown for LeBron, expect Redd to follow in his footsteps. His numbers will go down a bit sharing the rock with James, but he'll still be a No. 1 Fantasy guard.

4. Juan Dixon - Dixon has proved he can be instant offense off Washington's pine the past few years. The major knock on the former NCAA champion has been his size -- at 6-feet-3, he's too small to battle most shooting guards and doesn’t have the ideal game for a point guard. If he lands in Charlotte, expect big things.

5. Latrell Sprewell - Spree is coming off his least productive season in the NBA. He'll be 35 when 2005-06 tips off, so his best Fantasy days are in the rear view mirror.

6. Dajuan Wagner - The No. 6 selection of the 2002 draft -- Amare Stoudemire went eighth that year -- scored 20-plus points 11 times his rookie campaign, but just two times in the past two years. Injuries have sidelined for 59 percent of his regular season games.

7. Ronald Murray - The uniform Murray will wear next year will depend entirely on where starter Ray Allen decides to sign. Murray averaged 18.2 PPG in Seattle's first 23 games in 2003-04 when Allen was sidelined.

8. Kerry Kittles - Coach Mike Dunleavy said it is unlikely Kittles will return for a second season in L.A. Injuries limited him to 11 games last season. The most serious was a degenerative disc in his lower back. "Probably 95 percent sure that no he won't be back, based on my last conversation with him," Dunleavy said. "That was a couple of weeks ago."

Small Forwards:

1. Antoine Walker - Contrary to November 2003, general manager Danny Ainge is making retaining Walker a priority for the Celtics. Walker is a gunner -- expect 18 PPG, 6 RPG and 4 APG if he stays in Beantown.

2. Bobby Simmons - The league's most improved player's preference is to remain with the Clippers. "I have to weigh my options, to see what's best for my family," Simmons told the Orange County Register. "But I'd love to stay here because of my teammates and the coaching staff, which helped me be prepared, starting from the first day of training camp last year. But it's going to be very interesting for a guy like me, who's never been in this situation before."

3. Morris Peterson - MoPete is a streaky small forward with deadly range. Toronto appears to be committed towards rebuilding in the wake of the Vince Carter deal, and Peterson is not likely to be a part of their plans. He's a worthy late round draft choice if he can continue his role of perimeter offense off the bench.

4. Rodney Rogers - Rogers is a physical specimen with uncanny long range. He's been a backup for the vast majority of his career, so don't expect that trend to change. Avoid Rogers on Draft Day.

5. Glenn Robinson - Despite playing just nine regular season games with three teams, the Big Dog could still end up getting a ring with the Spurs. He's got the talent to still score around 15-18 PPG but his character and work ethic are major question marks.

6. Toni Kukoc - Kukoc is pondering retirement this offseason. If he does return to the NBA, don't expect much.

Power Forwards:

1. Shareef Abdur-Rahim - Abdur-Rahim was a 20 PPG, 10 RPG guy his first seven seasons in the league, but has taken a smaller role the past couple seasons in Portland. The Blazers and the veteran have expressed interest in continuing their tenure together, but Shareef would see a major spike in value if he landed in New Orleans, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Toronto or back in Atlanta.

2. Stromile Swift - Swift has been a No. 1 Fantasy center the past couple years despite sharing time with Lorenzen Wright at the center position. If he signs elsewhere and gets the 30 minutes/game he deserves, expect something special. Goals of 12 PPG, 8 RPG and 1.5 BPG are realistic goals for Swift.

3. Udonis Haslem - He's a virtual lock to remain in Miami. Haslem averaged 10.9 PPG and 9.1 RPG while registering 23 double-doubles. Expect 10/10 from the Heat's bruiser.

4. Donyell Marshall - Marshall was one of the league's premier Fantasy forwards in 2003-04 with the Raptors, but took on a lesser role last season. He'll likely be headed back to the states, so expect a slight increase in his value. He's one of the more complete all-around players in the game due to his ability to rebound, bury 3-pointers (282 3's the past two years) and finish in the paint.

Centers:

1. Zydrunas Ilgauskas - With all due respect to Larry Brown and Michael Redd, resigning Ilgauskas should be Cleveland's major priority this offseason. Only Shaquille O'Neal was a more productive center in the Eastern Conference. Target Big Z in the first three or four rounds.

2. Jamaal Magloire - A finger injury robbed the former All-Star for most of last season. His bad blood with Hornets' management has almost assured Magloire will be playing for another franchise next season. One rumored deal has Magloire and P.J. Brown heading to the Lakers for Caron Butler and a draft pick.

3. Dan Gadzuric - Gadzuric quietly ranked second in the league in rebounds per 48 minutes (18.1 RPG) behind Seattle's Reggie Evans. Milwaukee has the No. 1 overall selection and is expected to snare Utah's Andrew Bogut. If so, Gadzuric will be wearing another uniform. He's worth a middle round draft choice in Rotisserie formats because of his rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage.

Please e-mail your unique commissioner rules to us at fullcourt@sportsline.com. Be sure to put Attn: Full Court in the subject field. We will highlight some of the more interesting ideas in Fullcourt Press when the Fantasy season comes to its conclusion.

Matt Lawrence is the champion of the 2005 Sportsline.com Head-to-Head Experts Fantasy Basketball League.