Free agent guard John Lucas III received interest from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies, but declined those potential opportunities due to their short-term nature and has focused on making a more long-term decision, league sources told RealGM.

The Thunder, Pacers and Grizzlies scoured the free-agent market for point guards after injury issues, and they contacted Lucas prior to deciding upon players this week. Lucas, who has been working out in Houston since his release from the Washington Wizards, also received proposals in the Chinese Basketball Association.

As a seven-year NBA veteran who carved an instant-offense role, Lucas had his most successful and potent stretch in 49 games for the Chicago Bulls in the 2011-12 season. Long considered a respected teammate in the locker room and prepared on the court, Lucas had four 20-point efforts that season — including a 24-point game in March 2012 against the Miami Heat.

Lucas is believed to be hoping to ultimately return to the Bulls on a deal later this season, league sources told RealGM. Chicago currently has 14 players on the roster.

“John has received interest from different teams, but to say he has declined any formal offers would be inaccurate,” Lucas’ agent, Bernie Lee, said when reached on Wednesday. “John is in a situation, after a crazy summer, of trying to make the right decision versus any decision, but he is willing to prove himself as requested. John owes a tremendous amount of his value in the NBA to the opportunity Chicago's front office gave him there initially. Over time, it's become clear that Gar Forman has a unique ability to find value in obscure places: He signed John out of China, and he might be the best in the NBA at this. In some ways John was at the beginning of this.

“I have not had a single conversation with Gar about John since John left. The different situations just haven't lined up. Gar has found various ways to replace the role John left, including this year, and John has been under contract since leaving. I do have every belief that John will resume his NBA career soon, but to date the only opportunities John has declined have been lucrative money offers with Jilin in China earlier in the year and Fujian on Wednesday.”

Lucas, 31, has spent the past two seasons with the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz, signing multi-year NBA deals in 2012 and 2013. The 5-foot-11 product has scored 4.8 points and registered 1.4 assists per game in his career, and averaged 3.8 points and one assist in 42 appearances for Utah a season ago.