The NBA trade deadline is coming up in February, but some of the biggest names like Marc Gasol, Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo and Greg Monroe likely will be staying put, as those players are heading into free agency and could be targets for a number of teams, including the LA Lakers, NY Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets in the summer of 2015.
Dragic is likely going to be a top target for teams at the trade deadline this year, as many think he will sign elsewhere this summer. According to Pro Basketball Talk, many execs think that Gasol will remain in Memphis, although he has said he plans to have an open free agency where all teams will be considered. Gasol is the centerpiece in Memphis and he has turned into an All-NBA player and they likely will not let him leave without a fight.
Rondo is in an interesting situation, as he is not going to sign an extension now but was traded to the Mavericks from the Celtics. The Mavericks gave up picks and players for him and many in the league have wondered if they will be able to keep him after giving that up. Rondo plans on hitting the market and while he said that the Mavs will have the advantage, he has not ruled out other teams, which is the smart thing to do heading into free agency.
The Lakers and the Knicks are both bad teams this season, but they will have money to burn and will be looking at free agents this summer. The Knicks have always had an eye on Rondo and if he ends up in Dallas or another team, they could look at Dragic instead. Pro Basketball Talk reports that Gasol is the top target for Phil Jackson, as he would like to pair him with Carmelo Anthony like he did Pau Gasol with his star Kobe Bryant in LA. The Knicks will have money to spend, but after how terrible they have been it could be hard to get players to sign up in free agency.
Gasol is having a career year and has been getting some MVP attention, while Dragic is coming off of a most improved player award and has continued to develop into a top point guard. Marc Stein at ESPN.com wrote that Dragic is a main target for the Rockets, as they would like to upgrade over Patrick Beverley moving forward. The team checked in on a Rajon Rondo deal, as he was another target, but the Mavericks had a better package to give.
The Suns are in an interesting position, as they have Dragic as part of the three headed monster with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas and he is heading towards free agency. According to Yahoo Sports, Dragic is actually the one the team would love to keep, but after signing back Bledsoe and adding Thomas last offseason, the Suns may end up losing him on the back end. Dragic has made it clear that he will hit the market for an "open" free agency, but he also has expressed interested at staying in Phoenix.
