NBA Free Agency Rumors Recap: Clippers Among Six After Paul Pierce

Now that the 2013-2014 NBA season is in the books, it’s time to take a break from some basketball news until the preseason starts in early October. Right? Wrong.

The NBA’s free agent period officially began at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, and this year’s crop of free agents is packed with big-name players, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, to name just a few.

With so many prized free agents on the market, the rumors already have started to fly. To get you up to speed, here’s a recap of the action that happened shortly after the clock struck midnight.

• Paul Pierce: According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Clippers believe they have a “real chance” of landing the former Boston Celtic now that coach Jason Kidd is out of the picture for the Brooklyn Nets. The Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies reportedly also expressed interest.
• Carmelo Anthony: Sources told ESPN that the New York Knicks star will meet with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The Lakers have been especially active and also placed calls to Trevor Ariza, Kyle Lowry and Luol Deng.
• Luol Deng: Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Mavericks were the first team to reach out to the Bulls guard early Tuesday morning. Deng reportedly also received calls from the Clippers, the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks.
• Pau Gasol: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that the Lakers, Bulls, Mavericks and Golden State Warriors were the first teams to call the big man.
• Kyle Lowry: The Toronto Raptors guard is highly sought-after by the Rockets, as general manager Daryl Morey reportedly traveled to Philadelphia to meet with Lowry. The Heat reportedly also reached out to Lowry.
• Chandler Parsons: The Rockets forward has drawn interest elsewhere in the Lone Star State, as Wojnarowski reported the Mavericks placed a call to the restricted free agent.
• Spencer Hawes: The Trail Blazers reportedly met with the Seattle native in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning, although the Cleveland Cavaliers also have a strong interest in keeping Hawes.
• Shaun Livingston: Stein reported that the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs have all called about the Nets guard.