NBA: Playoffs-Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets
NBA: Playoffs-Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets Reuters

Plan A was LeBron James and Plan B was Carmelo Anthony. As both big name free agents are most likely going elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks are moving on with their free agency plans and are reportedly ready to tender an offer to forward Chandler Parsons of the Houston Rockets.

Parsons is a restricted free agent (RFA), which means that his previous team, the Rockets, can match any offer by the Mavericks if they want to retain him.

That’s easier said than done for Houston however as they are also chasing another big name free agent in Anthony or from recent reports, Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat.

The Rockets’ team salary is already bear the projected $63M salary cap for 2014-2015 and that’s still not counting Parsons’ upcoming salary.

The Mavericks will most likely offer Chandler four-year max or near max deal worth around $50-$60M and that could be enough to discourage their Texas rivals from matching the offer for the 25-year-old shooter.

The Mavericks have recently re-signed veteran star Dirk Nowitzki to a bargain deal— roughly $10 million/year) and have re-acquired veteran center Tyson Chandler in a trade with the New York Knicks in the early part of the 2014 offseason but are in position to chase another FA in the market.

Parsons, who was a 2nd round steal (38th overall pick) in the 2011 NBA Draft, is looking for a big pay day after earning just less than a million a year in his first three seasons in the league.

Between the two Texas teams, Dallas can offer both huge money and a bigger role in the team’s offense.

The Mavs have an aging franchise player in Nowitzki plus combo guard Monta Ellis and Parsons can come in as an instant 2nd or 3rd option.

At the Rockets’ scheme of things, he’s already the 3rd option behind stars Dwight Howard and James Harden. If Anthony or Bosh joins Houston, Parsons will be moved further down the line.

Parsons averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 74 games for the Rockets last season.