The 2014 NBA Free Agency curtain is about to close and the dominoes have already fallen in the wake of LeBron Jame's return to Cleveland. Chrish Bosh and Dwyane Wade are the only remnants left of the 'Big 3' and the championship era in Miami, Carmelo Anthony stayed with New York and now the free agent pool is starting to evaporate. With majority of the big names off the board, a number of teams are now competing on the best remaining free agents.
Here is a quick look at the top left overs, 5 free agents in each position who are still available this summer in the free agency.
Eric Bledsoe (PG) - An explosive high flying point guard who has elevated his career last season with the Pheonix Suns when he averaged 17.7 points, 1.6 steals, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 32 minutes per game. He is a restricted free agent but has yet to reach a deal with Phoenix who obviously want's to keep him. The Suns offered him a four-year, $48 million contract extension but Bledsoe turned it down. The young, rising point guard is reportedly looking for a maximum five-year, $80 million deal according to ESPN's Chris Broussard. If a team offers him the max contract that he wants, there is a chance that the Suns won't match especially with their recent signing of Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Greg Monroe (C) - Another young, talented restricted free agent who's future is still uncertain in this summer's free agency. The fate of Monroe, whether he will stay with the Pistons or not, will most likely rest with his teammate Josh Smith who is now again part of a trade discussion between Detroit and Sacramento. Monroe is an offensively gifted young big man but obviously does not mesh well with Smith. If Smith stays then Monroe will likely head elsewhere. Defense is still an issue for the Pistons big man but at only 24 has a lot of years left to develop his game.
Shawn Marion (SF) - When Dallas won the stare down against Houston for Chandler Parson's, it was clear that the team was moving on without Shawn Marion who was an instrumental part of their 2011 championship run. The Matrix may not be the athletic player that he was once before but he is still a versatile wing defender who can do a little bit of everything. The Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, Hawks, Suns, Pistons, Rockets and Heat should all take a look at Marion. He is a solid defender and rebounder who brings in a veteran leadership and professionalism. His amazingly still a plus player at his advance age and the drop on his price should allow contenders to grab him at a great discount.
Ray Allen (SG) - The best three point shooter in history was uncertain on whether or not he would still play for the the Heat after they got demolished by the Spurs in the finals and when LeBron James decided to return to Cleveland, Ray Allen went for a vacation to think things through. There are four options that he needs to weigh: A.) retire B.) team up with LeBron in the Cavs C.) team up with Bosh and Wade in the Heat D.) Play for a different contender. But even at this point in his career, Allen can still put a contender over the top with his clutch shooting and veteran leadership.
Andray Blatche (F) - There were only a few big names in the PF position this free agency and now that Gasol and Bosh are off the board, it leaves Blatche as arguably the best option in the position. Blatche drew interest from the Raptors early in the free ageny period, but no deal transpired. The price for Blatche remains to be seen and now with the market drying up, its difficult to see whether or not he will receive a much better offer than the $1.43 million player option he left. But if a team could acquire him for less than $3 million a year, then it could prove a big boost in their bench as adding a scoring big like Blatche could make a decent impact.
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