The NBA free agency period is expected to be very dramatic this year and names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will be hitting the market and past that, players like Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Lance Stephenson, Rudy Gay, Avery Bradley and Mario Chalmers could cash in big as free agents for teams like the Bulls, Raptors, Knicks, Rockets and Nets.
Dirk is likely staying in Dallas and that is nearly a guarantee after playing his entire career there, while Gasol has options in LA and NY if he wants them. Gasol will be wooed by a number of teams, as will Randolph, who averaged a double-double in Memphis and could be on his way out of there as they shake things up.
Stephenson is likely leaving Indiana, as the team does not have enough space to bring him back with Paul George and Roy Hibbert. Chalmers could be on the move if someone values what he does, while Avery Bradley likely will bolt Boston. Rudy Gay is a scorer and teams that miss out on Anthony may go after him.
Everyone will be looking to woo Anthony and James this offseason and if teams cannot get those players to sign, the second tier will start to get plenty of attention. The Knicks have some moves they can make with Anthony or without him and one player they may look at due to the connection to Jackson is Pau Gasol. Jackson said that he would like to reunite with Gasol and the Lakers could be in the mix again to retain him now after they fired Mike D'Antoni, who Gasol did not get along with. While Gasol is getting older, he could be the perfect veteran option for the Knicks and if Anthony comes back that would be a nice combo to have on the front end. The team likes Gasol and the Lakers are expected to make a push for him as well.
The Bulls may look at names like Lance Stephenson, Luol Deng, Zach Randolph and Greg Monroe if they miss on the big players, but they are hoping to get someone like Anthony into the fold. The team will have to move Boozer and his $15 million salary and while he had a fine season with 13 points and eight rebounds, he will have to be on his way for any of these deals to work out. Mike Dunleavy has been solid as well, but the team could have big decisions to make on Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. The Bulls were one of the top defensive teams in the league last season, but their offense was lacking for the majority of it and adding someone like Anthony could transform the team completely.
The Bulls have a great coach in Tom Thibodeau and while playing for Phil Jackson is an intriguing prospect, Melo is getting to 30 and he realizes that his time for winning championships is running out. Melo is a fantastic scorer and he could fit into the offense with Rose and he would automatically make the team a title favorite. The Bulls will look at James as well, but it looks like he will not be leaving Miami and that makes Anthony the more likely option after the Knicks missed the playoffs and that was the first time he was out of the playoffs in his career.
Rudy Gay hits the market after being with the Raptors and Kings last season and he will be an interesting player, as he is a scorer but is not considered a winner. The Knicks could be in the mix for Gay but it doesn't seem like a fit, but he should have some attention on the market for teams looking for scoring. It won't help that the Grizzlies and Raptors got better after he left their teams, but he still can average 20 points and hot shots around the court and that should get him a contract.
Zach Randolph and Greg Monroe are big men on the market and that could cash in as well from teams looking for size in the middle. The Pistons appeared ready to let Monroe go when they didn't' give him an extension and now both players could be moving to other teams.
