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Which NBA free agents could be on the move in the off-season?

The entire Spanish population must have voted for Marc Gasol and his brother Pau's All-Star inclusion. (Erik Drost / Flickr)
Roar Guru
13th December, 2014
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Although we’re just over a month into the new NBA season, there is already talk about the free agent class of 2015, and more specifically, who is slated for a departure from their current club.

While the upcoming off-season doesn’t have the hype and fanfare of the previous, plenty of teams will be looking to secure a young talent to help build their team, add another piece to a developing roster, or install the final piece for a championship push.

These six players are the most likely six high-profile free agent targets that could be set for a change of scenery.

Omer Asik (New Orleans Pelicans, unrestricted)
While Asik is no doubt a great big man, I am far from convinced that he is the man New Orleans need to tie big money up in. Anthony Davis is no doubt the leader of this team, who will command the most money and attention in this frontcourt.

Having Ryan Anderson out on the perimeter waiting for his shot with a deadly three-point stroke has proved very effective in the past when partnered with a frontcourt beast – such as Dwight Howard – that commands the attention that Davis does.

What also has not convinced me is the back three pairing of Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans. While all three are fantastic players in their own right, they’re all ball-hawks that require a lot of ball individually.

It is likely that the Pelicans will need to put some effort into working out who goes, who stays, what other options are on the market, and how they can get their team headed in the right direction. Plainly said, the Pels don’t have time or money to be worrying about retaining Asik with the big money he will likely command on the open market.

Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers, restricted)
One of the more interesting sagas of the coming off-season will be how the Cleveland Cavaliers go about dealing with Tristan Thompson, and the situation may largely depend on how Cleveland address their current issues through they trades they make this season.

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Two things about this Cavaliers team right now are clear – they desperately need some rim protection and Thompson right now seems like a luxury for Cleveland coming off the bench. Only one thing seems certain about this entire situation – if Thompson returns to Cleveland next year, it’ll be as a starter.

The Cavs will not pay Thompson the kind of money he will be worth to come off the bench. However, if Cleveland have not sorted out their shot-blocking woes by the off-season, that’s less money they have to address that issue. It’s also no secret that Thompson will command big money.

The big Canadian will be courted by lots of teams, and will likely end up getting paid more than he’s worth – much more that the Cavs would want to pay to the fourth-best guy on this team. I think it is very unlikely Thompson returns to Cleveland, even with any kind of pay cut.

Goran Dragic (Phoenix Suns, player option)
Much has been made of that the mess that is the Phoenix Suns’ backcourt, and with Goran Dragic owning a player option for $7.5 million next year, he may very well choose to turn it down. Although Phoenix have a winning record, they have not nearly been as convincing as last year, and all three of their star guard’s numbers are down.

Jeff Hornacek is a good coach and may very well find a way to integrate all three into the rotation, but as Stan van Gundy is finding out in Detroit, sometimes great coaches aren’t enough; sometimes the combinations just do not work.

If the Suns can’t manage to work out a situation which benefits the team, or at the least, makes Dragic happy, it’s very possible that he walks at the end of the year. There wouldn’t be any shortage of bidders for the 2014 Most Improved Player of the Year, and one would think that it would merely take the right kind of offer if Phoenix haven’t shown any signs of improvement.

Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons, unrestricted)
Detroit is just about the last place in the league anyone wants to be, and being in a loaded frontcourt battling for minutes isn’t particularly appealing either. Unfortunately, Greg Monroe finds himself in both these predicaments, and in a contract year, you’d think his eyes would be purely on where he’ll be next season.

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In fact, Detroit’s predicament is so dire that Monroe may not even face this problem – he may not be on the Pistons team come the end of the season, or even the end of the year. However, if he does manage to find himself in motor city come the end of the season, you’d imagine Detroit would not be matching any offer made to him, especially considering frontcourt partners Josh Smith and Andre Drummond are being paid through to the end of 2017.

There is plenty of room in the league for a talented young big capable of posting the kind of numbers he’s produced, with destinations such as Boston and the Lakers already being mentioned. Unless his trade is worked for another of Detroit’s frontcourt superstars, it’s likely this is Monroe’s last season in the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics, unrestricted)
It seems as if every year Rajon Rondo’s spent in the pros he has been engulfed by rumours of him departing Boston. But each year Danny Ainge has defied the pundits and Rondo has returned for another season in Celtic green.

In 2014-15, Rondo’s contract season, the critics have returned as loud as ever, and it (yet again) seems a real possibility this may be the point guard’s last year with the famous club. With Ainge ever-hesitant to pull the trigger on a trade for his star, this saga may drag its way into the off-season, in which it would take a better offer from a better club for Rondo to consider a switch.

However, it may come to be that the best offer would be the highest bidder and the club with the best prospects, which would force Danny Ainge to literally put his money where his mouth is and either cough up the cash or let #9 walk.

Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies, unrestricted)
Arguably next off-season’s hottest property, MVP candidate Marc Gasol is a real chance to leave Memphis for greener pastures given the opportunity – and the opportunity certainly seems to be there.

Whispers of Tim Duncan’s imminent retirement are getting louder, as are mentions of Marc Gasol as a possible successor to the Spurs’ throne. Gasol is a typical Gregg Popovich guy – a no nonsense, skilful big man who is 100 per cent committed to the cause, and not a guy you’d read about in the paper for the wrong reasons. He’s about as close to Tim Duncan as they come in this league.

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To make the deal even sweeter, he’s an international player – favoured by the Spurs due to their personality, loyalty, and unlikeliness to be tempted by a larger market. For Gasol, you’d think an offer from the Spurs would be an incredibly hard one to turn down, however it would also be equally hard to leave Memphis.

You’d have to think a lot of the decision will be made by how well the Grizzlies perform in the post-season, and afterwards, the off-season.

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