The Chicago Bulls are heading into free agency with a number of targets and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are at the top of that list and players like Lance Stephenson, Luol Deng, Pau Gasol or Chandler Parsons could be in the mix if the team opts to trade Carlos Boozer or use the amnesty clause on him.
The Bulls are a very talented team, but without Derrick Rose in the lineup the team lost in the playoffs to the Wizards and now are waiting for the offseason. The team could be very active this offseason, as rumors have Anthony looking at the Bulls as a realistic destination, while James also is opting out and the free agency summer could be very busy.
Another team that could be very busy this offseason is the Miami Heat no matter what happens to them in the playoffs, three peat or not. The Miami Heat are powering towards a third straight NBA championship and as they get into the summer of 2014, the Big 3 and free agency will be the big questions and with LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all able to opt out, names like Pau Gasol, Luol Deng, Greg Monroe, Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Lance Stephenson and Zach Randolph may come up as possible targets for the franchise.
There is a chance that the Big 3 all stay on new deals that allow Miami to add some free agents, but if either Bosh or Wade are gone, the team could look to a number of names to try and convince to come to Miami, including an Turner, Luol Deng, Greg Monroe, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Eric Bledsoe, Chandler Parsons and Pau Gasol. Some of those players will be restricted free agents and some unrestricted and depending on how much Miami has to work with, they could have a whole new look for next year.
Parsons is also a restricted free agent and he could be an option as well, with the Houston Rockets putting a lot of money in Howard and they might not be able to match a deal. The team also could chase Carmelo Anthony and Dirk, but they also could go after someone like Zach Randolph, who will be an unrestricted free agent, or even Luol Deng, who is expected to be one of the top names available.
James has been playing some great basketball as of late and after dropping 61 points on the Charlotte Bobcats, the team is looking even stronger than many thought and that could lead to another championship. Everyone expects James to remain in Miami along with Wade, but if they come in with pay cuts or lower than expected deals, Miami could rake in some big name free agents to put alongside the King. According to ESPN.com, Miami has Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, James Jones and Rashard Lewis coming into the final year of their deals and that could leave the team with around $50 million to play with in the offseason.
Obviously that number will be affected by what the Big 3 decides to do, but if they come back with not too much of the cap directed at them, Miami could snag a very interesting roster of players coming up. Stephenson would be very interesting, as he will likely be out of the Pacers price range and he is expected to cash in after playing well over the past two seasons in place of Danny Granger. Monroe is another interesting option, as he will be a restricted free agent, but the Pistons are likely to let him go, as they could not come to a contract extension agreement with him this season.
