With the NBA playoffs right around the corner, half of the league’s fans are hoping their favorite team can make a deep postseason run while the other half have already turned their attention to next season. It’s never too early to look at this year’s list of potential free agents and there is no shortage of top tier talent on the list of players that could become available.
The likelihood of LeBron James, Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade leaving their current teams is slim but any team looking to add a star big man in particular could have a major opportunity to get their man. Here is a look at the five biggest names set to become free agents with an emphasis on the likelihood they make it that far this offseason.
Kevin Love – C (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Unlike LeBron, Love is almost a lock to reach free agency and, regardless of whether or not he ultimately decides to go back to Cleveland, he will get a ton of attention on the open market. Love has struggled to find his identity on a team where he is not the No. 1 option but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t thrive as an All-Star once again if he gets the chance to be the man somewhere else. The Cavaliers offense leaves Love drifting towards the perimeter a lot of the time as opposing defenses have to respect him. While that opens up a ton of room for his teammates, it has hurt the big man’s overall numbers. Cleveland might not need Love to average 25 points and 15 rebounds per game but there are plenty of teams that would pay a lot of money to have him do exactly that.
Marc Gasol – C (Memphis Grizzlies)
Memphis would love to have arguably the league’s best two-way center back in the fold for next season but money could become an issue – especially if Gasol wants to see what he can accomplish somewhere else. Two years removed from his Defensive Player of the Year campaign, there is no doubt that Gasol can be an absolutely dominant rim protector as well as an offensive force at the other end of the floor where his agility and shooting ability make him a lot more dangerous than some other top-tier big men. The Grizzlies would love to have him back but the price will have to be right. They don’t have the type of resources that big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have.
Greg Monroe – F (Detroit Pistons)
One name that seems destined to hit the open market is Monroe, who gambled on himself this past summer when he declined to sign a long-term deal with Detroit as an RFA and is set to become a UFA this July. Monroe hasn’t thrived the way some expected he would with the Pistons this year but he has tremendous upside and the potential to be a star in the right situation. He’s still averaging 15.7 points per game and 10.6 rebounds.
A number of Western Conference teams will likely approach Monroe but he might prefer to stay in the East with someone like the Knicks as they’ve been rumored to be pushing hard for his services.
DeAndre Jordan – C (Los Angeles Clippers)
There have also been reports that the Knicks are high on Jordan and with the Clippers pushed against the salary cap, they might not have a choice but to let their star big man leave this summer. Jordan still needs to improve his free throw shooting numbers and jump shot, but he is an absolute force under the basket at both ends of the floor. His size and strength will be a tremendous asset for whichever team lands him.
Rajon Rondo – G (Dallas Mavericks)
Rondo’s stock isn’t what it was even a year ago but he still has a unique skill set that teams will covet and the star power to make him an even more attractive name in most markets. His overall numbers have dipped and his free throw shooting percentages in particular are cause for concern, but he is an elite ball handler that consistently puts the players around him in position to succeed. His relationship with Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has been called in to question after their on-court argument earlier this season and with Dallas strapped for cash and potentially looking to bring back Monta Ellis as well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Rondo hit the open market as a UFA.
