New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson is eager to test the free-agency market for the first time this summer as he eyes the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards as his possible destinations in the aftermath.
The 28-year-old former California Golden Bears standout is already in his eighth season in the NBA and this is the first time in his career that he will become an unrestricted free agent, something that he "looking forward" to for quite some time, ESPN reported.
"I'm excited for this summer to kind of be an unrestricted free agent, finally, and feel things out, have my decision be the one that matters," said Anderson. "Really (in 2012) every other team thought Orlando was going to re-sign me, and New Orleans was the only team that made an offer for me, and we ended up making a sign-and-trade and I went to New Orleans."
Anderson, the NBA's 2012 Most Improved Player, has just finished his four-year, $34 million contract with the Pelicans, making him a UFA this July.
It is expected that a lot of NBA teams will go after Anderson in the upcoming free-agency period as his natural stretch four position is high on demand because of the teams' penchant for playing small ball at the moment.
Anderson allegedly had the option to get traded last February but he refused to go through the move as he is also considering a return to New Orleans next season if he cannot find a suitable deal this summer.
"For me, I want to play all the cards. I want to enjoy this process and see where New Orleans is at this summer," he said. "I want to see where, I don't know, Houston is at or Sacramento or Washington. So for me, I'm not going to say, 'Listen, I want a trade' when I don't know what's going to happen this summer."
Meanwhile, Fansided indicated that the three possible destinations for Anderson are the three teams he mentioned above: the Rockets, Kings, and Wizards.
The report mentioned that it is evident that Anderson "isn't desperate to leave New Orleans" in the offseason as he also wants "to keep the opportunity to return to the Pelicans in the summer alive".
However, sentimentality and loyalty may be coming out of the window in this free-agency period for Anderson if he could find the ideal contract and city that he prefers.