NBA Free Agents 2014: Luol Deng Could Draw Interest This Summer From Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers aggressively shopped Luol Deng before last week's trade deadline but failed to find a taker, putting them in danger of losing the former All-Star forward for nothing this offseason.

The Cavaliers traded for Deng last month in a deal with the Chicago Bulls in hopes of adding veteran presence to their locker room for the next several years.

However, league executives are convinced that Deng will not return to Cleveland next season. Sources said that Deng has not been comfortable with his new teammates and coaches since last month's trade.

Deng's numbers have gone down since getting traded to the Cavaliers. In 23 games with the Bulls, the 28-year-old forward averaged 19.0 points and 6.9 rebounds; now, those stats are down to 15.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in his first 21 games in a Cavaliers jersey.

But despite his recent struggles and injuries this season, Deng, whose shooting percentage went down from 45.2 percent to 41.0 percent since the trade, is expected to become one of the biggest names on the free agency market this summer.

"We're surprised the Cavs did not move Luol Deng. He'll be gone on July 1, no later than a minute past midnight, and despite an Achilles injury that prevents him from practicing on most days, he'll be high on everyone's free-agent list," the New York Daily News noted.

Several teams with enough cap space are reportedly expected to aggressively pursue the 10-year veteran, including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and the Charlotte Bobcats are also interested in signing Deng in the offseason. The Cavaliers are expected to try to keep Deng, but sources said that the former Duke standout is not highly interested in the Cavaliers' roster centered around Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

"The Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Charlotte are all interested. Why not stay in Cleveland? Kyrie Irving doesn't make players around him better and Dion Waiters is a me-first player," the NY Daily News noted.

The Lakers, which will have enough salary cap room to sign a superstar in the offseason, have Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James on top of their wish list. But if both superstars decide to stay with their respective teams or sign elsewhere, the Lakers are expected to make a strong push to sign Deng.

On the other hand, the Celtics are also expected to make a roster shakeup in the offseason in hopes of convincing Rajon Rondo to re-sign with the team when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2015.