The NBA offseason is starting to move through the summer and pushing hard towards training camp and the start of the preseason and as teams are still looking for players, there are a number of players on the market that can fill team needs, including Sam Young, Greg Oden, Nikola Pekovic, Tyrus Thomas, Daniel Gibson, Ronnie Brewer and Leandro Barbosa.
There are a number of teams that are still looking to fill out their rosters, including the New York Knicks, LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers and those all could be destinations for some of the players. Pekovic is working on an extension with the Timberwolves and while that is taking a while, the team is prepared to keep him and all signs point to that going down. Greg Oden is on the market but that is not expected to last long, as the Heat and Pelicans appear to be his final two choices and he could pick one by next week.
Oden was a former number one overall pick for the Trail Blazers and he never could stay healthy for the team and is now finally looking like he can play for a prolonged period of time. Oden had knee issues and is still just 25 and after playing in 82 games in his career he is ready to contribute in a big way. Some free agent options include Sam Young, who played two seasons with the Grizzlies and while the Kings were interested in signing him, right now a number of other teams could go for his services and he proved last season that he can be a solid defensive presence on the floor for the Pacers.
Tyrus Thomas was amnestied by the Bobcats after the team signed Al Jefferson and now that he is a free agent he could sign with the Knicks or the Lakers to help solidify the frontcourt and add some depth at forward. The Bobcats had high hopes for Thomas, but after averaging 5.6 points and 4.8 rebounds last season they felt it was time for him to go and although he has dealt with injuries after not playing in over 54 games in each of the last five seasons, he could be a contributor this year if he can stay off the injured list. The Pelicans look like a solid option if Oden signs with the Miami Heat and Thomas is likely glad to leave Charlotte, as they won just 28 games over the past two seasons.
Daniel Gibson is dealing with some incidents off the court but he also could get a new deal on it and one team that could be an option are his old one in the Cavaliers and other teams include the Mavericks. Leandro Barbosa could be a solid option or the Mavericks despite being 30 and the team could also go after Drew Gooden or Young. Ivan Johnson is an option for the Knicks depending on what happens in the market after they lost Chris Copeland and he would come if he would be willing to sign a minimum deal with the team.
