Brandon Roy Rumors: Bulls, Mavericks and Timberwolves All in Play for the NBA Free Agent

In 2009, Brandon Roy was one of the best players in the NBA. Just two years later, he was out of the league because of knee problems.

After a year away from basketball, Roy is looking to get back on the hardwood.

Roy has confirmed that he is returning to the NBA, and multiple teams are interested in signing the free agent. He was a top shooting guard before his injuries slowed him down. Roy averaged 19 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in five seasons with the Trail Blazers.

Portland officially released Roy following his retirement, so he can sign with any team that he wants. In February, he hinted that he might return for the 2012-1013 season, saying, It's hard being away from the game. Don't be surprised if you see Brandon Roy make his way back to the court.

It's not known exactly how effective Roy can be if he does make a comeback. He started just 23 games in 2010-2011, scoring a career low 12.2 points per game on 40 percent shooting.

Despite all the questions marks, numerous teams are looking to sign Roy. Here are the most likely landing spots for him this offseason:

Chicago Bulls

Roy is exactly what the Bulls need. They've been looking for another scoring option to pair with Derrick Rose, preferably one that plays shooting guard. If healthy, that describes Roy to a tee.

Chicago has finished with the best record in the East for the past two seasons, but they have only won two playoff series' in that time. The Bulls inability to score has doomed them in the playoffs, and acquiring an aging Richard Hamilton was not enough a year ago.

The Bulls have a need for Roy, and they might be his best chance of winning a championship in the near future. Teams that will contend for a title next year, like the Heat, Thunder and Lakers, don't have a need for a scoring two-guard. Roy could be the missing piece that Chicago needs to get to the NBA Finals.

The biggest obstacle the Bulls would face in acquiring Roy is the amount of money they can offer him. If someone comes along and offers him a big contract, they won't be able to match it. They'd have to hope their midlevel exception would be good enough for Roy to take.

Minnesota Timberwolves

According to ESPN 1500 in Minnesota, the Wolves are very interested in adding Roy to their roster. The station says the team is willing to offer Roy a two-year deal.

If Roy wants to sign with a team that is close to winning a championship, Minnesota is not the place for him. The Wolves haven't been good for a long time, missing the playoffs for the last eight seasons. This past year, they finished at 26-40, putting them 12th among Western Conference teams.

However, Minnesota has a number of good young players, and he could sign with them if he doesn't mind waiting a few years to contend for a title. Kevin Love, who is one of the best players in the NBA, averaged 26.1 points and 13.3 rebounds last year. Ricky Rubio showed a lot of promise before getting injured by dishing out 8.2 assists per contest.

Love and Rubio are just 23 and 21 years old respectively. Adding Roy would give the Wolves three formidable starters.

Minnesota could be the place for Roy if he believes he's healthy enough to play multiple years in the league.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks did not do a very good job of defending their 2011 title. Dallas barely made the playoffs as the seventh seed this past season, and got swept in the first round by Oklahoma City.

One of the reasons that the Mavericks didn't perform so well is that they didn't do everything they could to improve the team. Management decided it wasn't going to add any more salary, hoping it could make a splash in free agency in the summer of 2012. Adding a healthy Roy would certainly improve their chances of winning next season.

Roy would be a good fit in Dallas. He wouldn't have the pressure of being a big time scorer because he'd be playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks are only a year removed from winning a championship, and they would give Roy a good chance of finally getting a ring.

If making a title run next season is a priority for Roy, Dallas will be very high on his list.