NBA Free Agents 2013: Latest Buzz Surrounding Top Remaining Players

Building a successful NBA roster is a high-stakes game of chess. 

With a limited amount of legitimate superstars in the league's pool of players, some teams maneuver for years in order to land a coveted player.

Many of the top players in the 2013 NBA free-agent class have already landed with new teams, but there are still valuable players on the market who have yet to sign a new contract. For the most part, the NBA's free-agency signing period runs in waves, as players are divided into tiers. 

Now that the cream of the crop has been harvested, general managers are turning their attention to the second wave. 

So, which top remaining players are generating the most buzz?

Nikola Pekovic, Center (Restricted, Minnesota Timberwolves)

Pekovic is a rising star in the NBA. He's improved by leaps and bounds in each of his three seasons with the Timberwolves, culminating in an impressive 2012-2013 season that saw him average 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

A league source conveyed to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski recently that Minnesota was getting close to finalizing a four-year, $50 million extension with Pekovic:

But the Yugoslavian-born center and his agent are making Minnesota sweat right now in contract negotiations. After seeing Wojnarowski's report via an aggregate site (Sportando), Pekovic's agent denied that the two sides were close:

Perhaps this is a sign that Pekovic wants out of Minnesota. Or, perhaps Pekovic and his agent are just trying to squeeze the Timberwolves for all the money they can. 

For now, Pekovic is still technically available to any team that wants him. Minnesota could always match any offer he receives, but all it takes is one team willing to offer him more money than Minnesota—a team in a small market—would be willing to pay.

Monta Ellis, Guard

Ellis has generated plenty of interest in the past week or so.

The Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats and Dallas Mavericks are the four teams atop his list, and according to Chris Broussard of ESPN, he will decide which team to sign with soon:

ESPN's Marc Stein appears to believe the Hawks have the edge over the other three teams, but he also notes the Kings as serious contenders.

It's hard to argue against that point. 

Sacramento has reportedly been trying to move guard Jimmer Fredette and forward Chuck Hayes in an effort to clear enough cap space to land Ellis, as noted by Stein on ESPN.com.

It's hard to figure out what the Kings are thinking with this potential move.

The Kings need a small forward, not another shoot-first guard. The team drafted Ben McLemore and brought in point guard Greivis Vasquez via the sign-and-trade deal that sent Tyreke Evans to the New Orleans Pelicans, as reported by Stein.

With four teams in the mix for his services, however, it's hard to predict where he'll land. 

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