The NBA free agent period for 2014 is getting closer as the playoffs continue and names like Pau Gasol, Kyle Lowry, Luol Deng, Eric Bledsoe, Gordon Hayward, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Avery Bradley and Danny Granger all could be switching teams and franchises like the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets could be targeting some of those players.
Gasol and Anthony are two of the biggest names that the Knicks will be looking at and if the team can't retain Anthony, expect them to try and sign a number of players, including Luol Deng or Kyle Lowry. This season the Knicks missed the playoffs and the fired Mike Woodson and now many fans are worried that Anthony could leave the team if he opts out of his contract. Anthony has the chance to join teams like the Lakers, Chicago Bulls or the Houston Rockets, while the Knicks at least can offer him the most money and years to stay, but even Phil Jackson said that Anthony will likely need to take a pay cut so that the team can build.
Pau Gasol was long expected to leave the Lakers after this season, but now that Mike D'Antoni is gone and the team is looking for a new head coach, he easily could be in the mix to stay. Gasol is a great player and while he is older now, he has some skills left in the tank and everyone knows that Kobe Bryant loves him and that could lead to the team re-signing him. Gasol and D'Antoni never got along and now that he is gone, Gasol could remain. The Lakers reportedly are looking at Kevin Ollie, John Calipari and Tom Thibodeau as options among other names and all those coaches seem favorable to Gasol.
Gasol could also be chased by Phil Jackson in NY and adding him could help sway Anthony to stay as well. Gasol was very successful while playing under Jackson and that could mean a reunion in the Big Apple for the two. The Lakers and the Knicks could be battling for another player as well, with Luol Deng set to be a free agent and he could command some solid money from either side. Deng was traded to the Cavs when the Bulls couldn't work out a long term deal and now he could sign with the Lakers or the Knicks and at 29 years old he still has a strong career ahead of him.
Eric Bledsoe is an interesting option for a number of teams, as he is a free agent and there is a slight chance that the Suns do not match the offer, as Goran Dragic played very well last season and won most improved player. The Lakers have over $20 million in cap space to work with and at one point he was averaging averaged 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists and he could be a solid option for the Lakers. Some other names for teams to consider includes Gordon Hayward and Avery Bradley.