The NBA free agency class for 2014 has some potential big names as restricted and unrestricted free agents, as Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Luol Deng, Chandler Parsons, Pau Gasol, Kyle Lowry, Lance Stephenson, Dwyane Wade, Greg Monroe, Eric Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas and Gordon Hayward all could be on the market and teams like the NY Knicks, Miami Heat, LA Lakers, Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets could be in the mix for some of them.
The focus for the summer free agent class obviously starts with Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James and those are the two players that have been written about and speculated on the most. Experts think that James is very likely to stay in Miami with the Heat, but everyone talking about Carmelo knows that he is opting out and while some feel the Knicks are going to retain him, there has been a strong push that the Houston Rockets or Chicago Bulls could make a run at him and that terrifies New York fans.
Phil Jackson has some major decisions to make regarding Anthony and the Knicks don't really have much flexibility this offseason, but they should be in position to go after Kevin Love after next season and in the summer of 2015, as contracts like Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will be off the books and that could open up the team to make some moves. Some trades could open things up, but apart from Anthony the team is likely to sit tight this offseason and get ready for the next one.
Depending on what players opt out and hit the market, the class is very deep and one player that is likely to move is Stephenson, as the Pacers may simply not have enough money to keep him. The team signed Roy Hibbert and David West to deals along with Paul George and Stephenson may get some big money after the way he has played over the past two seasons. Look for teams that target James and Anthony to go after Stephenson if they miss out on those superstars.
Kyle Lowry is likely to move along from the Raptors after he did not sign an extension with the team and he has turned himself into a valuable option on the market at point guard. There are a number of teams where he could fit and the Miami Heat, Pacers and the Knicks could all be interested if his price tag doesn't get too high. Pau Gasol is going to get some attention on the market as well, while Tim Duncan is likely staying with the Spurs even if he declines his option for next year.
Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons are young players that could command some money after this past season, while Luol Deng will also be a prime target. The Knicks, Lakers and Chicago Bulls all will be going after Deng and he could return to the Bulls after they couldn't work out on a contract extension. Both Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas also should get attention and they could be options for the teams that miss out on the top name free agents.
