NBA free agency 2014 begins!

 

It’s July first and that means that NBA free agency 2014 is officially underway. Many teams are already lining up to acquire the services of some league’s top players. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have both opted out of their contracts and lead this season’s rich crop of free agents.

Anthony has lined up meetings with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. Those are the top teams which are able to make enough salary cap space for the maximum deal they expect Carmelo to have as his asking price. LeBron James is in a completely different situation, teammates Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem have all opted out of their contracts as well. James, Bosh and Wade met independently prior to July 1, the first official day teams can negotiate with players and on their own threshed out the game plan for the future of their careers. Word is that they are willing to take less than the maximum allowable contracts, but have given Heat president Pat Riley a set window of time with which he must improve the team’s roster. It’s a sacrifice Miami’s “Big Three” are willing to make for the sake of winning more championships. One thing is clear however, the Heat need to improve their stable of talent in order to perform at such an elite level.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made the biggest deal so far, although it involves a 2015 free agent. They’ve come to an agreement with star guard Kyrie Irving for a max five-year, $90 million deal. The contract is expected to be signed on July 10, when the NBA free agency moratorium is lifted.

Aside from the aforementioned Miami free agents plus Carmelo Anthony, some of the other notable free agents include:

Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) *He has verbally stated that he will be re-signing with the Mavericks

Pau Gasol (LAL)

Greg Monroe (DET) *restricted free agent

Luol Deng (CLE)

Lance Stephenson (IND)

Kyle Lowry (TOR)

Marcin Gortat (WAS)

Chandler Parsons (HOU) *restricted free agent

Gordon Hayward (UTA) *restricted free agent

D.J. Augustin, Bulls guard, unrestricted free agent

Gustavo Ayon, Hawks forward, unrestricted free agent

Leandro Barbosa, Suns guard, unrestricted free agent

Jerryd Bayless, Celtics guard, unrestricted free agent

Aron Baynes, Spurs forward, unrestricted free agent

Kent Bazemore, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent

Michael Beasley, Heat forward, unrestricted free agent

Chauncey Billups, Pistons guard, unrestricted free agent (team option)

DeJuan Blair, Mavericks forward, unrestricted free agent

Steve Blake, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent

Andray Blatche, Nets forward, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Eric Bledsoe, Suns guard, restricted free agent

Matt Bonner, Spurs forward, unrestricted free agent

Trevor Booker, Wizards forward, unrestricted free agent

Chris Bosh, Heat forward, unrestricted free agent (early termination player option)

Avery Bradley, Celtics guard, unrestricted free agent

Elton Brand, Hawks forward, unrestricted free agent

Aaron Brooks, Nuggets guard, unrestricted free agent

MarShon Brooks, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent

Caron Butler, Thunder forward, unrestricted free agent

Rasual Butler, Pacers guard, unrestricted free agent

Andrew Bynum, Pacers center, unrestricted free agent

Vince Carter, Mavericks guard, unrestricted free agent

Mario Chalmers, Heat guard, unrestricted free agent

Jason Collins, Nets center, unrestricted free agent

Darren Collison, Clippers guard, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Jordan Crawford, Warriors guard, restricted free agent

Dante Cunningham, Timberwolves forward, unrestricted free agent

Jared Cunningham, Kings guard, unrestricted free agent

Troy Daniels, Rockets guard, restricted free agent

Ed Davis, Grizzlies forward, unrestricted free agent

Glen Davis, Clippers center, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Nando De Colo, Raptors guard, unrestricted free agent

Luol Deng, Bulls forward, unrestricted free agent

Boris Diaw, Spurs forward, unrestricted free agent

Toney Douglas, Heat guard, unrestricted free agent

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Hornets guard, unrestricted free agent

Jordan Farmar, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent

Jimmer Fredette, Bulls guard, unrestricted free agent

Channing Frye, Suns center, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Francisco Garcia, Rockets guard, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Pau Gasol, Lakers forward-center, unrestricted free agent

Drew Gooden, Wizards forward, unrestricted free agent

Ben Gordon, Hornets guard, unrestricted free agent

Marcin Gortat, Wizards center, unrestricted free agent

Danny Granger, Clippers forward, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Aaron Gray, Kings center, unrestricted free agent

Jordan Hamilton, Rockets forward, unrestricted free agent

Al Harrington, Wizards forward, unrestricted free agent

Devin Harris, Mavericks guard, unrestricted free agent

Udonis Haslem, Heat forward, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Spencer Hawes, Cavaliers center, unrestricted free agent

Gordon Hayward, Jazz forward, restricted free agent

Xavier Henry, Lakers forward-guard, unrestricted free agent

Jordan Hill, Lakers forward-center, unrestricted free agent

Kirk Hinrich, Bulls guard, unrestricted free agent

Ryan Hollins, Clippers center, unrestricted free agent

Robbie Hummel, Timberwolves forward, unrestricted free agent

Kris Humphries, Celtics forward, unrestricted free agent

Bernard James, Mavericks center, unrestricted free agent

Damion James, Spurs forward, unrestricted free agent

LeBron James, Heat forward, early termination player option

Othyus Jeffers, Timberwolves forward-guard, unrestricted free agent

Richard Jefferson, Jazz forward, unrestricted free agent

Jonas Jerebko, Pistons forward, player option

Grant Jerrett, Thunder forward, team option

James Johnson, Grizzlies forward, unrestricted free agent

Wesley Johnson, Lakers forward-guard, unrestricted free agent

James Jones, Heat forward, unrestricted free agent

Chris Kaman, Lakers center, unrestricted free agent

Ryan Kelly, Lakers forward, unrestricted free agent

Rashard Lewis, Heat forward, unrestricted free agent

Shaun Livingston, Nets guard, unrestricted free agent

Kyle Lowry, Raptors guard, unrestricted free agent

Shelvin Mack, Hawks guard, unrestricted free agent

Shawn Marion, Mavericks forward, unrestricted free agent

Cartier Martin, Hawks forward, unrestricted free agent

Kenyon Martin, Knicks forward, unrestricted free agent

Josh McRoberts, Hornets forward, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Jodie Meeks, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent

C.J. Miles, Jazz guard, unrestricted free agent

Darius Miller, Pelicans forward, unrestricted free agent

Mike Miller, Grizzlies forward, unrestricted free agent

Patty Mills, Spurs guard, unrestricted free agent

Nazr Mohammed, Bulls center, unrestricted free agent

Greg Monroe, Pistons center, restricted free agent

E’Twaun Moore, Magic guard, unrestricted free agent

Anthony Morrow, Pelicans guard, player option

Byron Mullens, 76ers center, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Toure’ Murry, Knicks guard, unrestricted free agent

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks forward, unrestricted free agent

Jermaine O’Neal, Warriors center-forward, unrestricted free agent

Greg Oden, Heat center, unrestricted free agent

Emeka Okafor, Suns center, unrestricted free agent

Jannero Pargo, Hornets guard, unrestricted free agent

Chandler Parsons, Rockets forward, team option

Patrick Patterson, Raptors forward, unrestricted free agent

Paul Pierce, Nets forward, unrestricted free agent

Luke Ridnour, Hornets guard, unrestricted free agent

Brian Roberts, Pelicans guard, unrestricted free agent

Brandon Rush, Jazz guard, unrestricted free agent

Mike Scott, Hawks forward, unrestricted free agent

Thabo Sefolosha, Thunder guard, unrestricted free agent

Kevin Seraphin, Wizards center, unrestricted free agent

Ramon Sessions, Bucks guard, unrestricted free agent

Chris Singleton, Wizards forward, unrestricted free agent

Jason Smith, Pelicans center, unrestricted free agent

James Southerland, Pelicans forward, unrestricted free agent

Lance Stephenson, Pacers guard, unrestricted free agent

Amar’e Stoudemire, Knicks forward, early termination player option

Rodney Stuckey, Pistons guard, unrestricted free agent

Garrett Temple, Wizards guard, unrestricted free agent

Adonis Thomas, 76ers forward, unrestricted free agent

Isaiah Thomas, Kings guard, restricted free agent

Anthony Tolliver, Hornets forward, unrestricted free agent

PJ Tucker, Suns forward, unrestricted free agent

Hedo Turkoglu, Clippers forward, unrestricted free agent

Evan Turner, Pacers guard, unrestricted free agent

Ekpe Udoh, Bucks center, restricted free agent

Beno Udrih, Grizzlies guard, unrestricted free agent

Greivis Vasquez, Raptors guard, unrestricted free agent

Jan Vesely, Nuggets forward, unrestricted free agent

Charlie Villanueva, Pistons forward, unrestricted free agent

Dwyane Wade, Heat guard, early termination player option

Earl Watson, Trail Blazers guard, unrestricted free agent

DJ White, Hornets forward, unrestricted free agent

Marvin Williams, Jazz forward, unrestricted free agent

Mo Williams, Trail Blazers guard, unrestricted free agent (player option)

Nick Young, Lakers guard, unrestricted free agent (player option)