Overall, small forward is where the free-agent action is. Not only do we lead off with LeBron James, but Carmelo Anthony is close behind. In a generally weak crop of NBA free agents, this position is the headliner.

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1

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LeBron James, Heat.

James is an overwhelming favorite to return to Miami and help the Heat attempt to make a fifth consecutive trip to the Finals — certainly, in exploring the options James has available, Miami remains the best one. But the big question will be how long his contract runs.

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Carmelo Anthony, Knicks.

Anthony will kick off his free-agent derby by visiting the Bulls, and the smart money is on his decision coming down to going to Chicago or staying in New York. Others would like to be involved — the Mavericks, Rockets, Lakers, Hawks and Suns among them — but if he leaves the Knicks, it’ll likely be for the Bulls.

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Chandler Parsons, Rockets.

The Rockets have made clear that they intend to keep Parsons, a combo forward who can play the 4. But Parsons will have suitors as he tries to drive up his price on the market.

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Luol Deng, Cavaliers.

Deng is 29 and remains much what he has been throughout his career — a solid, unspectacular wing man who is a top-tier defender and can be a second or third option on a good team. But he has a lot of mileage, which is why the Cavaliers are not as eager to keep him as they were when they first dealt for him.

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Gordon Hayward, Jazz.

Hayward has seen his scoring jump up each of the four years he has been in the league, and he averaged 16.2 points last year. But his percentages plummeted, down to 41.3 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from the 3-point line, feeding the notion that Hayward’s talent is best used as a complementary player and not a featured star. Still, the Jazz intend to match any offers. (UPDATE: They're on the clock to match after the Hornets offered Hayward a max deal, four years and $63 million.)

6

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Paul Pierce, Nets.

Pierce struggled in the first few months of his new gig in Brooklyn, but excelled once he got accustomed to playing the power forward spot for the Nets. It’s an interesting transition and one that could suit him going forward. Given the upheaval in Brooklyn, it is unclear what Pierce’s future will be.

7

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Trevor Ariza, Wizards.

Don’t look now, but Ariza had a really good year in Washington. He stayed healthy, averaged 14.4 points, shot 45.6 percent from the field and made 40.7 percent of his 3s. He just turned 29, so he still has good years ahead.

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Shawn Marion, Mavericks.

He is 36 and his game did drop of some last year, but Marion still plays pretty good defense and can knock down perimeter shots when left open.

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Evan Turner , Pacers.

Turner’s plummet was sealed in the playoffs, when he was pretty much out of coach Frank Vogel’s rotation. He was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, though, and still has value among teams willing to take a chance on rebuilding his career.

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P.J. Tucker, Suns.

There are a handful of small forwards who might be better than Tucker here (Marvin Williams, Al-Farouq Aminu), but Tucker provided huge value to the Suns, both on the floor with his defense and in the locker room with his leadership. That will show itself when he hits the marker.