The NBA free agent period opens up on July 1 and names like DeAndre Jordan, Greg Monroe, Tobias Harris, Omer Asik, Rajon Rondo, DeMarre Carroll, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade all are on the market and teams like the NY Knicks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, LA Lakers and Detroit Pistons could be landing spots for some of those names.
The Knicks, Lakers and Celtics all have money to spend this offseason and with their cap space, names like Jordan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tobias Harris are all in play. Monta Ellis opted out of his deal with the Mavericks and he is getting targeted by numerous teams, while Jordan and Aldridge are reportedly setting up meetings with teams. The Sacramento Kings are reportedly looking at Rajon Rondo or Ellis as their main free agent option, while Greg Monroe is being targeted by the Knicks.
DeAndre Jordan is one of the top targets on the market and reports have him meeting with the Dallas Mavericks, Rockets, Knicks and Lakers. According to Yahoo Sports, Jordan is likely to leave LA and the most favorable spot for him to land is in Dallas. The Mavs are going after Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge, but Aldridge is more likely to land in Houston or San Antonio over Jordan. Omer Asik is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and he could be a target for the Pelicans as well as the Rockets, Knicks and Lakers after averaging 7.3 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Tobias Harris is a player to watch in free agency, as he is not expected to be back with the Orlando Magic as a restricted free agent. Shams Charania of Real GM reports that Harris is looking for a "maximum-level offer sheet" and teams like the Celtics, Pistons, Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested. The Magic will "let him walk" if he gets a max offer.
Monroe is expected to have a number of offers this summer and Frank Isola at the Daily News reports that the Knicks are one of the favorites to sign him. Monroe is likely not returning to the Pistons and the Knicks have the cap space to offer a max deal. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Celtics are expecting to be aggressive in free agency and they are targeting Kevin Love, Monroe and LaMarcus Aldridge as options. The team is also reportedly looking at Wesley Matthews and Monta Ellis as potential additions.
The Cavaliers have a number of players hitting the market in LeBron James, Love, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Matthew Dellavedova, which means one or a couple of those players could leave. James and Thompson are almost guaranteed to stay, while Kevin Love could be tempted by another team. Smith, Shumpert and Dellavedova all are potential options to remain in Cleveland, but with other players needing to be signed, it's very likely one or two of those players don't end up staying.
Shumpert is reportedly being targeted by the Lakers, Mavericks and Bucks this offseason and if his price gets too high, he likely will be out for Cleveland. The team also his Kendrick Perkins, James Jones and Smith hitting free agency and that means there will be some changes on the roster in Cleveland.
