NBA Free Agents 2014 : Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns Interested In Luol Deng This Summer

Luol Deng is expected to become one of the most coveted free agents this summer--drawing interest from teams like the L.A. Lakers and Phoenix Suns--as reports indicated that the NBA All-Star forward will strongly consider leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Deng, who was acquired by the Cavaliers in a trade with the Chicago Bulls in January, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Cleveland is expected to make an offer to Deng, but they will face strong competition as reports indicated that Los Angeles and Phoenix are also planning to make a strong push to acquire the 28-year-old forward.

"The Cavs are expected to make an offer, but after years of success, Deng may prefer to move on. The Lakers and Suns are among those interested, league sources say," Fox Sports reported.

Most league executives are convinced that Deng will bolt out of Cleveland after a tumultuous half-season stint wherein he saw his points production down to 14.3 points from 19.0 in 23 games with the Bulls this season.

Even the Cavaliers are reportedly convinced that Deng has no plans to return next season, which was allegedly the reason why they tried to move the veteran forward before the deadline.

Deng, who has been struggling to fit into the Cavaliers' guard-oriented offense, was reportedly frustrated over the lack of team chemistry brought by locker room tension.

Sources also indicated that Deng is unsure about the direction the team wants to go in after making front office changes earlier in the season.

The Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd reported that Deng may have played his last game in a Cavaliers uniform on Saturday, especially if the 10-year veteran seeks a contract worth more than the three-year, $30 million deal the Bulls offered earlier in the season.

"Neither side has completely ruled out a return, but at this point it seems unlikely," Lloyd wrote. "Deng rejected a three-year, $30 million offer from the Chicago Bulls in January, which prompted his trade to the Cavs. It's safe to assume he'll be looking for more than that on the open market."