The NBA free agent market and trade rumors have already begun to run rampant with speculation despite the league potentially headed towards a long and drawn out lockout. The trade rumors is what everyone is buzzing about as of late with a lot of big-name players possibly heading elsewhere before or during next season, but there are a few game changing free agents that are getting some attention as well.

Perhaps the most talked about free agent since the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals is backup point guard J.J. Barea. With Barea torching teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat in the playoffs, the Puerto Rico native has seen his stock go through the roof with a lot of teams interested in his services moving forward.

The one team that has been mentioned more than any in terms of being about to lure the Puerto Rican away from the Dallas Mavericks is the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers in desperate need of an upgrade at point guard, Barea would be able to come in and instantly make this storied franchise better in the backcourt, but they won’t be able to pay the kind of money that Mavs owner Mark Cuban is ready to throw at him.

There is no question at this point in time that the Dallas Mavericks has the edge in terms of re-signing J.J. Barea before next season, but the lightening quick guard has said he is not opposed to signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks or the Miami Heat. All three of these teams could use him and might consider putting him in the starting lineup, but the Dallas Mavericks will be doing everything within their power to keep him in a Mavs’ uniform for the foreseeable future.

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