Report: Mavericks to pursue Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol in free agency
Flush with an abundance of cap space in hand, the Dallas Mavericks are set to indulge in an extravagant spending spree.
Free-agent whisper one week out: Mavs not only expect to have chance to make face-to-face pitch to Melo but also plan to pursue Pau Gasol
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 22, 2014
Having Carmelo Anthony's name in the mix is nothing new for Dallas, as they have been rumored to be pursuing the All-Star forward for quite some time. Anthony is in his prime, and posted per-game averages of 27.4 points and 8.1 rebounds with the New York Knicks last season.
Earlier reports surfaced on Sunday that Anthony is planning to opt-out of his current deal with the Knicks to become an unrestricted free-agent this summer.
The news of the Mavericks' interest in Lakers center Pau Gasol is a relatively new development. The soon-to-be 34-year-old center is coming off a pair of injury-riddled seasons, and is believed to be on the decline. However, he is still quite productive, as he scored 17.4 points and grabbed 9.7 rebounds per game last season. Plus, the Mavericks sorely lack a center.
If the Mavericks are able to convince forward Dirk Nowitzki to re-sign at a deal worth no more than $10 million per year next season, that should leave Dallas with around $25 million in cap room. Of course, that also assumes they renounce the rights to a number of their own free agents, including forward Shawn Marion and guard Vince Carter. If they choose to retain some of their former players, it will obviously cut into their cap space.
Therefore, the likelihood of both Gasol and Anthony joining the Mavericks is a little far-fetched. However, either one would provide Dirk with a worthy sidekick as he rides out the last leg of his illustrious career.