KEY NBA PLAYERS entering their final season in the NBA

It's never easy to predict when a player is going to hang the laces up. There are guys still kicking around the league that probably should have retired a few years ago, and then there are retired players who could step on the court right now and still hack it.

From the team perspective, it's just as hard to identify when loyalty will win out over business savvy. Money is a good indicator, but some teams are more willing to reward past performance than others are.

Whether it's a lucrative contract, a successful career or a lengthy tenure with one team, all good things eventually must come to an end. The following players should be ready to start a new era with a different team, or close the book on their careers completely after this season.

Contract data courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.

Marcin Gortat, C, Phoenix Suns

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Age: 29

Contract Status: Expiring deal worth $7.7 million

After being perennially underpaid, Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat should be looking for a sizable long-term contract this offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Gortat's stock took a hit without Steve Nash hand-feeding him easy opportunities, but contending teams around the league will undoubtedly still be interested.

The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, are clearly not one of those contending teams. The Suns are rebuilding and already drafted Gortat's replacement in Alex Len, and they'll want to give the rookie plenty of playing time in order to develop him. Paying an older center to stunt Len's growth going forward doesn't make any sense.

If Gortat doesn't get dealt at some point this year, he's a virtual lock to end up in another uniform starting next year. He's still a very good player, but neither side should be interested in staying together. This is the rare mutual breakup that's actually mutual. Hopefully Gortat will still want to be friends, though.

Luol Deng, F, Chicago Bulls

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Age: 28

Contract Status: Expiring deal worth $14.25 million

There's very little disconnect between what the Chicago Bulls want to do on the court and what Luol Deng does.

Deng is a great defender and a workhorse who can shoulder obscene amounts of playing time, and he's a smart offensive player who understands when to cut and where to be. On the court, this is a perfect match.

On the books, though? Maybe not so much. The disconnect isn't between Deng and the Bulls, but rather the Bulls and the Bulls. Chiacgo's front office seems to have a slightly different vision than the coaching staff, and another big payday for Deng might not be in the cards.

Why is that? Well, Chicago is already over next year's projected cap of $62.1 million by about $4 million, even without Deng's salary. Signing Deng would likely put the Bulls well over the luxury tax line (projected at $75.7 million), unless Deng is willing to play for less than $9 million a season, which seems pretty unlikely.

Deng could almost certainly receive a bigger payday in unrestricted free agency than in Chicago, and perhaps the Bulls see Jimmy Butler as a Deng replacement and an opportunity to add a three-point shooter into the lineup.

It's hard to imagine Chicago's ownership not forking the money over if the Bulls win a title, but if that doesn't happen, there's a good chance this is Deng's last year in the windy city.

Danny Granger, F, Indiana Pacers

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Age: 30

Contract Status: Expiring deal worth $14 million

The situation for the Indiana Pacers and Danny Granger isn't all that dissimilar to Chicago's with Luol Deng. Both players are on big expiring deals and both teams are already over the cap and weary of the luxury tax going forward.

The big difference, however, is that while Deng is still a very effective player, knee issues have hampered Granger and kept him out of games completely. Granger just can't get on the court anymore, and the Pacers have already shown that his production can be successfully replaced.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Granger comes back fully healthy and performs at a high level, but even if that does happen, he'd be wise to seek out a long-term contract in free agency that would likely be too rich for Indiana.

Unless Granger was willing to cut his salary by at least $10 million next season, this is probably the last we'll see of him as a Pacer. The money just isn't there, and the long-term guarantees probably aren't either.