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Clubs pursue big names as NBA free agency opens
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NATIONAL Basketball Association free agency opened with Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard agreeing to contract extensions to stay where they are, and the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks among the teams looking for a dominant inside force of their own.
All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland and Marc Gasol of Memphis lead the list of big men that includes DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers, Tyson Chandler of Dallas, and twins Brook Lopez of the Nets and Robin Lopez of Portland.
Dwyane Wade has to decide if he wants to stay in Miami, Rajon Rondo will leave Dallas, and the Lakers are being linked to many of the marquee names as they try to bring what was long a perennial contender back to prominence after two straight miserable seasons.
The market opened just after midnight eastern time yesterday and the Lakers wasted no time talking to their top target, tweeting that general manager Mitch Kupchak was walking into a meeting with Aldridge.
Gasol is expected to stay with the Grizzlies, Aldridge is considered a candidate to leave and Jordan is somewhere in the middle. He will meet with the Mavericks, Lakers, Clippers and Knicks, according to an anonymous source.
Players can agree to deals at any time but can’t sign until July 9, after a moratorium period while next season’s salary cap, likely around US$68 million, is set.
That’s when Davis will know the exact value of the more than US$140 million extension with the New Orleans Pelicans he agreed to. Davis tweeted: “NOLA, I am here to stay! Just getting started.”
Leonard agreed to the parameters of a five-year deal that could be worth US$90 million with the San Antonio Spurs, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed. The deal is the latest sign that Leonard is poised to become the new face of the franchise, inheriting that designation from Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Leonard averaged 16.5 points this season and won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Cleveland will try to keep Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, the backup who played so well in helping it reach the NBA Finals after Love was lost to a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs.
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