Using the NBA?s 2007-08 salary cap figures, I have assembled what I believe would be the best team within the $55.63 million limit. As you can see I used the entire allotted amount, staying away from players still under their rookie contracts. Now, if their current organizations would just transfer me their rights and David Stern would allow me to field a team on a very small budget ? the Perna +13 team can begin its march towards the Larry O?Brien trophy.

Starting Five

PG: Leandrinho Barbosa ($5.6 million)

Barbosa may be the NBA?s top sixth man, but he?s good enough to start on the Perna +13 roster. Leandro averaged career-highs across the board last season, with four assists per game among those highs (pretty impressive when sharing the court with Steve Nash). I also love his versatility. If need be, he?ll play some shooting guard for the team. He?s also young and only getting better (like three-fifths of the starting five).

SG: Josh Howard ($9.0 million)

I chose not to spend a boatload of cash on 2003 class members LBJ, D-Wade, and Carmelo ? but there were several guys I couldn?t keep my hands off (Barbosa, Howard and Bosh). Howard is the first defensive-oriented player I?ve selected for my team. He brings an improving offense game to the table as well, and a work ethic like none other. I probably wouldn?t have paid any more for Josh, but at nine million he?s a smart buy. Not to mention the fact that he might have been more responsible for the Mavericks? 67-win season last year than MVP Dirk Nowitzki.

SF: Ron Artest ($7.4 million)

Ron was the last player I added to my roster. His seven-game suspension may have taken him away from my team at the beginning of the season, but it hasn?t hindered my goal of winning the 2007-2008 NBA Title. It?s obvious that this signing will help fortify my team defensively, but I really feel he?ll thrive because he?ll be asked to score a lot, much like he did before he imploded in Indiana. I think he?ll embrace such a role.

PF: Robert Horry ($3.63 million)

The Spurs have asked Horry to start just thirty times over the last three years. That?s not a huge number of starts, but in basketball we all know it?s more about who finishes than who starts. Horry will provide a huge offensive lift for this team, and will probably got majority of his playing time in the first and fourth quarters. For lack of a better term, he?s my hired gun. I see him playing a nice inside-outside game forcing people to sag off of Artest and Chris Bosh in the post. The lack of size on the roster is the main reason Robert is starting, but I don?t think it?s unrealistic to expect eight and eight from him. After all, it?s his shot and championship experience that I?m most interested in.

C: Chris Bosh ($13.04 million)

Bosh was my first signing and is the star of my team. He?s the most unheralded member of the 2003 Draft Class, even taking a backseat to fellow Perna +13 starter Howard at times. He?s just twenty-three years of age but surprisingly mature for a young millionaire. He?s not likely to remain a borderline superstar for much longer, having led Toronto to the Atlantic Division crown last spring. Did I mention that he was RealGM?s 2006 Franchise Player of the Year?

The Second Unit

Anthony Johnson ($2.86 million)

Here?s where I think I have given my team a great shot at winning the NBA crown. I can?t compete with the Celtics? trio of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, but I think I have an advantage with my deep bench. Johnson won?t win a ton of games for my team, but he won?t lose any either.

Kareem Rush ($826,000)

I couldn?t assemble a team without including a Pacer, so I chose to add Rush. He?s a cheap second-string guard, who has the ability to shoot the ball with great effectiveness. He averaged double-figures for Bobcats in 2005 and 2006, before heading overseas last season. I?m really hoping he gets more playing time in Indiana because they need a shooter just as badly as I do.

Grant Hill ($1.83 million)

Overall, Hill was the second player I signed. I couldn?t get over the value he?d bring my team for such a low price. He may be thirty-four, but he played more games last season (including the playoffs) than he had since 2000 when he was a member of the Pistons. He?s never averaged fewer than 13.8 points per game, and I?ll be counting on him to provide a scoring punch off the bench.

Shane Battier ($5.88 million)

I?m not ready to give up on the concept of team basketball just yet, and that?s why I?ve included Battier on my team. I could have gotten someone more talented and explosive, but Shane is a winner. He is an underrated player in nearly every facet of the game, but his demeanor and leadership abilities make him more valuable than anything else. I didn?t want to include anyone on the team who wears #31, but Battier is a special player.

Alonzo Mourning ($2.76 million)

He doesn?t beat Horry by much, but he?s the elder statesmen on the team. He may be entering his fifteenth season, but he?s still blocking shots like its 1995. He?ll even see some time alongside Bosh when I feel like playing Chris as a forward.

The Final Four

John Lucas III ($770,000)

I see a lot of promise in the undrafted guard from Oklahoma State. He?s my second Rocket, which doesn?t mean I really like their roster but rather just a few pieces. He?s not the best shooter, but he also doesn?t have a lot of playing time under his belt this early in his career. If Rush or Johnson go down, he?ll get an opportunity to show what he?s got.

Allan Ray ($687,000)

I didn?t have the funds to pay for Ray Allen, so I opted for the dyslectic version. He?ll bring some decent shooting off the end of the bench. I don?t expect much else ? but hey, he needs to remain in the NBA somehow, right?

James White ($687,000)

White was part of my late penny-pinching run, but he?ll be useful if my team ever hosts a dunk contest during a timeout. He?ll also add some title experience from his run with the Spurs in terms of cheerleading routines.

Andrew Perna ($660,000)

I become one of the rare NBA rookies that left school with an actual degree. I resisted the urge to shorten my name to Andy (as Chris did to Christopher in last year?s edition), but I very nearly changed it to Drew for my NBA career. Drew just seems so much cooler than Andrew or Andy (sorry Bynum and Bogut).

I offered Battier a new Bentley for the right to wear #31, but he wouldn?t accept. He cited something about not being materialistic; doesn?t he understand his job description?

I plan on inserting myself into the line-up at the end of every quarter until I hit a buzzer-beating shot, which may take until around March.

What would your +13 team look like? [email protected]