Superstars need to be appreciated. Pau Gasol would be the center of an All-NBA Trade Rumors team last year. Now he's at the helm of the 2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions. No less than two of the NBA's best players are courting him to go to Oklahoma!

The report from ESPN has the best duo of the league seeking to add the skilled 7-footer as the last part of their championship piece:

"The Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook acting as lead recruiters, have unexpectedly emerged as a leading contender for the services of Los Angeles Lakers free-agent center Pau Gasol, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that Durant and Westbrook made a face-to-face pitch Wednesday to Gasol in Los Angeles to join them in Oklahoma City despite the financial limitations the Thunder would face in signing him."

Joining OKC would give them a fearsome offensive-defensive All-Spanish frontline with Serge Ibaka. Along with Durant and Westbrook, that looks like a championship starting five. They were just two games away from beating eventual title-holders San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs are actually players for Pau Gasol themselves. His skills and basketball IQ would be great for Gregg Popovich's system. It also curtails OKC's efforts to defeat them.

But it won't be easy for the Thunder and Spurs. They have financial limitations and Gasol has loved LA not just for the basketball.

CBS Sports points out:

"One thing to consider: when Gasol was moved to the Lakers, he commented immediately on how much he appreciated having the opera of LA available to him. I'm sure that the Oklahoma City and San Antonio operas are great, but you're still talking about a cultural shift.

Either way, Gasol looks to be the most popular upgrade option for the contenders right now."