2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

July 1: Lakers give up picks to get Kessler from Jazz
Utah Jazz get: C Walker Kessler
Los Angeles Lakers get: Two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two first-round swaps (2028, 2030)

Grade for Utah: A+

What this means for the Jazz: As a player, Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge beat the Lakers in the 1984 Finals, and he eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in both 1992 and 1993. As an executive, he beat the Lakers for another title, in 2008.

So it's saying something that this deal is one of the biggest wins Ainge has ever had over the purple and gold.

The Jazz need a center, so losing Kessler hurts. Jusuf Nurkic -- re-signed to a two-year deal -- shouldn't start for a contender at this point in his career, and Jaren Jackson Jr. has played his best basketball as a power forward next to another true big man. (With Kessler departing before he and Jackson could ever play a game together, the Jazz will never get to see how many blocks that duo could have collected.)

But there was simply no way Utah could turn down receiving two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, and not having to increase their contract offer to Kessler beyond where they felt comfortable. Given his uncertain potential, Kessler might not be worth this contract anyway, and Utah was paid handsomely to let him go at that price.

The Jazz received more draft capital for Kessler than the Clippers did for Kawhi Leonard, and more than the Hornets did for LaMelo Ball. Heck, they received more draft capital than the Cavaliers received in the most famous sign-and-trade this century, when they landed two first-round picks and one swap in LeBron James' "Decision." Kessler is a valuable young center, but he's not a star.

They now have ample optionality as they decide how to replace Kessler. They could try playing Jackson at center and Lauri Markkanen at power forward, then add another center if necessary. Or they could aim for a stopgap solution next to Nurkic and use their immense pick stash to target and trade for a better long-term fit.

Those solutions likely won't be as clean or immediate as re-signing Kessler would have been, so it's fair to downgrade Utah's chances at vaulting up the standings and into the playoff field as a result of this trade. But in the bigger picture, the Jazz received tremendous value. They received the first A-plus grade for any deal this offseason



Grade for Los Angeles: C-

What this means for the Lakers: As if it weren't clear already, the back-to-back news breaks of LeBron James leaving the Lakers on Tuesday and the team acquiring Kessler on Wednesday definitely prove that this is Luka Doncic's team now.

Chief among the player archetypes proven to work next to Doncic is a rim-running, rim-protecting center, and the 24-year-old Kessler is an ideal player in that role.

If Victor Wembanyama didn't exist, Kessler might be considered the best rim protector in the world. The 7-foot-2 center ranks second among active players (behind Wembanyama) with a career 8.3% block rate. And he ranks third over the course of his career (behind Chet Holmgren and Wembanyama, among players with at least 500 shots defended) by allowing opponents to shoot just 54.6% in the restricted area when he's the closest defender, per GeniusIQ.

On the other end of the floor, Kessler is a more limited scorer, but more than a third of his career shot attempts are dunks, per Basketball Reference -- which explains why he's a 68% career shooter. He'll surely add plenty more slams as he partners with Doncic in the seasons to come.

Kessler hasn't typically had much success as a screen-setter. In his last full season (2024-25), his team scored just 0.85 points per play directly out of his screens, per GeniusIQ. That ranked dead last -- 46th out of 46 players with at least 1,000 screens set -- in efficiency.

But that ranking comes with a major caveat, of course: The ball handlers who were playing off those Kessler picks were the likes of pre-breakout Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and Isaiah Collier. It's safe to say Doncic and Austin Reaves will be significantly more effective partners.

Kessler also led the league in offensive rebounds in 2024-25, with 4.6 per game, so he'll provide a new element to an offense that ranked 24th in offensive rebounding rate last season.

He's even stretching his range out to the 3-point line. He went 6-for-8 from distance in five games last season, after making just six total 3s (out of 34 attempts) in 2024-25. I watched film of all 64 of Kessler's career 3-point attempts, and he has improved his form over time. Earlier in his career, his left elbow placement was erratic, with a tendency to wobble, but it looked more consistent in last season's small sample.

Despite all of those strengths, and despite Kessler's theoretically perfect fit next to Doncic, however, the Lakers are paying an outrageous price to acquire him.

It's not as if Kessler is a proven All-Star. In that respect, this deal is more like the Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane trades -- which exchanged buckets of picks for non-All-Stars -- than, say, the Lakers' trade for Anthony Davis in 2019.

There are still so many unknowns about Kessler's true quality as a two-way center. For instance, his shooting touch is largely theoretical; you'd have to place a lot of stock in last season's tiny sample to trust he's meaningfully improved from his 20% 3-point accuracy and 54% free throw accuracy from his first three seasons.

Maybe that won't matter as much on the Lakers, where all he'll need to do on offense is set screens and score the easy baskets that Doncic sets up for him. But then he won't be worth the $32.5 million per year, with a player option and trade kicker, that the Lakers are giving him; they could find a dunker who can protect the rim for a much cheaper price.

Kessler was generally healthy before last season, when a torn labrum ended his campaign after just five games, but he also hasn't played a meaningful game in his NBA career. He went to Utah as a draft pick in the Rudy Gobert trade, right as the Jazz were starting an extended swoon.

How Kessler interacts with the Lakers' future flexibility is interesting. On the one hand, there was some urgency for GM Rob Pelinka to find his center of the future now, as this was the Lakers' last offseason to use their cap space in a meaningful way before they'll have Doncic and Reaves on the books for more than half of the cap.

But on the other hand, Pelinka sacrificed nearly all his future draft flexibility by committing not only to give Kessler a contract at the very top of his market, but also to give the Jazz control of four future picks in the process. The Lakers already owed a top-four-protected pick to Memphis in 2027 and an unprotected first-rounder to Dallas in 2029, and they don't have any second-round picks until 2033.

They are now effectively out of picks they can use to make further roster upgrades for several years. This trade had better work out and elevate the Lakers to true championship contention, because they're now all-in on the Doncic-Reaves-Kessler core.



June 30: Raptors reunite with Leonard in trade with Clippers
Toronto Raptors get: F Kawhi Leonard
LA Clippers get: F Brandon Ingram, G Gradey d***, two unprotected first-round picks, one pick swap, two second-round picks

Grade for Toronto: A-

What this means for the Raptors: When he's available, Leonard remains one of the NBA's best players. Remarkably, the 34-year-old seven-time All-Star averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-high usage rate last season. LeBron James is the only player in NBA history with a better box plus/minus at that age or older.

Leonard's offensive gifts have scarcely departed him despite his age and injury history. Since returning from an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2021-22 campaign, he has made 40.5% of his 3-pointers. For context, Stephen Curry's at 40.6% over the same span. And out of 60 players over the past four seasons with at least a 25% usage rate, Leonard ranks 10th in true shooting percentage, despite a difficult shot diet.

He is also the rare No. 1 option on offense who is equally adept on the other end, even if the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is no longer at his peak on every possession. Leonard still averaged 1.9 steals per game last season, a top-five mark in the league. The other players in the top five were all 25 years old or younger.

Grade for LA: B

What this means for the Clippers: The Clippers have quietly been stuck in the middle even more than Toronto. They haven't won a playoff series since 2021, and in all five seasons since, they've finished with a winning record but lost in the play-in round twice and the first round of the proper playoffs thrice.

In response to all that mediocrity, the front office has actively disassembled the team's core over the past couple of years. The Clippers' top 16 scorers from the 2022-23 team that won 51 games have all cycled off the roster. That exodus includes some departures via free agency (most notably Paul George), but mostly a succession of trades: of Russell Westbrook, then Norman Powell, then James Harden, then Ivica Zubac and now Leonard.

All of those transactions have wrought dramatic changes to the roster. The Clippers were the NBA's oldest team in each of the past three seasons, per Basketball Reference. But they should get much younger in a hurry, as they pursue a complete rebuild around the backcourt duo of Darius Garland and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler. With Leonard gone, 38-year-old Brook Lopez and 32-year-old Kris Dunn are the only remaining Clippers in their 30s.

Read the full grade for the Leonard trade.



June 29: Grizzlies trade Morant to Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies get: F Jerami Grant, F Kris Murray
Portland Trail Blazers get: G Ja Morant

Grade for Portland: B-

What this means for the Trail Blazers: Ja Morant is a two-time All-Star and a Most Improved Player winner, who once ranked among the most electric young talents in the league. But there are several reasons that the 26-year-old guard was available for such a reasonable trade price -- so low that Portland didn't have to include picks in this deal.

Morant has been suspended multiple times in the past few seasons, most notably for displaying a firearm on an Instagram Live stream. He also underwent right shoulder surgery for a labral tear in January 2024.

And even when he has been available to play, Morant has faced major hurdles over the past few seasons that have kept him from reemerging as an elite offensive engine.

The first is Morant's lack of development as a shooter; his 3-point percentage peaked in 2021-22 at just 34%. His career 31% 3-point mark ranks 189th out of 194 active players with at least 1,000 attempts, per Stathead.

Players below him include Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who both have starred despite their unreliable 3-point strokes. But Westbrook and Antetokounmpo combined spectacular athleticism with dominant scoring near the basket, and Morant has also declined in those areas since his early peak.

Morant ranked among the league leaders in made baskets in the restricted area in 2021-22. That was an impressive feat because, according to GeniusIQ, every other player near the top of that leaderboard was a center or a big physical forward, such as Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. But Morant has made progressively fewer shots near the rim in every season since.


It is a massive question whether Morant can help the Trail Blazers, and if his potential can manifest again in stellar offensive production and All-Star-level play.

Though Portland hadn't been rumored to have interest in Morant before Monday, this destination makes sense for him. For large stretches of this past season, injuries left Portland without a point guard, and that had some strange effects. Forward Deni Avdija led the team in time of possession, for instance, and the Trail Blazers had the highest turnover rate in the league.

But now, the Trail Blazers will go for a bulk approach at point guard, with Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday all capable of playing the position, though trading Grant means they have almost no frontcourt depth. Other than the defensively sound, positionally malleable Holiday, those players don't make much sense playing together; there's not enough shooting or defense in that group.

But between their injury risks and potential further trades -- the Trail Blazers might be more comfortable trading Holiday for a star such as Jaylen Brown -- this logjam might not be as much of an issue as it appears. And if the Trail Blazers are eager to play Henderson off the ball, as he did while recording 59 shots and just six assists in the postseason, then Morant and Lillard could split point guard duties without too much difficulty.

The greater risk for the Trail Blazers might be how their new acquisition fits over the long term, even though they didn't have to surrender picks. At the 2026 trade deadline, the Wizards also didn't have to trade picks to acquire Trae Young -- but they turned a low-cost move into a high-cost maneuver by extending him for four years and $212 million.

That outcome seems unlikely in Portland, though; don't expect a Morant extension soon. Instead, wait to see if this move allows Morant to return to even a semblance of the stardom he once enjoyed in Memphis. It's not likely, but it's not impossible.

Grade for Memphis: B

What this means for the Grizzlies: Morant's standing had fallen so far in the league, his weaknesses growing more and more glaring, that it's not a surprise that the Grizzlies receive more in trade return. Instead, they dealt one undesirable contract for another, exchanging Grant's two-year deal for Morant's.

Grant had fallen behind Avdija and Toumani Camara in Portland's rotation. Grant can still score (18.6 points per game this past season) and make 3-pointers (39% last season), but his star has lost its luster as he has slipped defensively and suffered a litany of injuries. Grant hasn't played more than 63 games in a season since 2020.

Meanwhile, Murray, the No. 23 pick in the 2023 draft, has averaged 5.3 points in 188 games. It's difficult for a perimeter player to succeed as a 26% career 3-point shooter.

Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant over the past 12 months. That trio won 56 games in 2021-22 and 51 more in 2022-23, landing the No. 2 seed in the West both years, but won just one playoff series together.

The end of that era came with a whimper. Now, the Grizzlies can pivot to a future led by Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward and Zach Edey, a new young trio to replace the former one.



June 28: Hornets deal Bridges, picks to Suns
Charlotte Hornets get: G Grayson Allen, F Royce O'Neale, 2033 unprotected first-round pick
Phoenix Suns get: F Miles Bridges, 2027 second-round pick (least favorable of Boston and Orlando), 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Charlotte, Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota)

Grade for Charlotte: B+

What this means for the Hornets: Just a few days ago, the Hornets made the surprising decision to remove one member of last season's best five-man lineup, by trading LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. Apparently, they weren't done breaking up that band.

It makes sense to think of this trade as a natural follow-up to the Ball blockbuster, which brought Naz Reid to Charlotte along with draft capital, including an unprotected first-round pick in 2033.

Adding Reid gave the Hornets four big men with diverse skill sets, all of whom are either solid NBA players already (Reid and Moussa Diabate) or recent draft picks who need playing


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O'Neale, meanwhile, has been an available and serviceable role player for years. He hasn't missed more than seven games in any season since he was a rookie (2017-18), and he has made 41% of his 3-pointers on high volume over the past two seasons (39% in his career). He'll fit nicely on Charlotte's bench.

The Hornets probably wish they weren't paying that duo in the neighborhood of $30 million per year to come off the bench. But that's a price worth paying to add to their growing pick stash.

Grade for Phoenix: D+

What this means for the Suns: Here is a list of NBA players who have been traded for at least one unprotected first-round pick so far this summer: Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball and Bridges. Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP. Ball is a former All-Star and Rookie of the Year who's still just 24 years old. Bridges, meanwhile, is a 28-year-old forward who has never come close to making an All-Star squad.

That makes for a strange use of an unprotected pick, for a team that already has very little draft capital: The Suns had previously traded their first-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031, and they'd traded swap rights in 2028 and 2030.

Until this week, they were unable to trade any further picks outright, due to the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading first-round picks in consecutive drafts. But now that 2033 picks can go for sale -- teams can trade picks from up to seven drafts in advance -- the Suns got rid of theirs with the utmost haste.

In return, they acquired Bridges, who in 2022 was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge of injuring a child's parent. He didn't play in the 2022-23 season and was further suspended for the first 10 games of 2023-24.

Since his return, Bridges has put up box score stats, but his raw scoring totals (17.1 points per game last season) overstate his impact. Advanced stats rate him as a roughly average player.

Bridges will add size to a small Suns perimeter rotation, but there are a few problems with his fit on a winning team. The first is his defense; the Hornets have typically had a worse defensive rating with him on the floor versus when he's off.

Bridges is not a very active defender. He averaged just 1.2 steals plus blocks per 36 minutes last season, which ranked 248th out of 279 players with at least 1,000 minutes. Many of the players below him are offensive specialists, either on-ball stars (Jalen Brunson, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine) or knockdown shooters (AJ Green, Sam Hauser, Duncan Robinson). Bridges isn't.

Instead, he's only a 34% career 3-point shooter, which complicates his fit next to a non-spacing center. It's worth noting that in 978 minutes together in Charlotte, Bridges and center Mark Williams -- another former Hornet who's now starting in Phoenix's frontcourt -- had a subpar 111.6 offensive rating, per databallr (though the Hornets were generally terrible on offense in those seasons, with Ball so often injured).

One wonders whether the Suns have an overly optimistic view of Bridges because of his connection to Michigan State, where he played for two seasons before entering the NBA draft in 2018. Suns owner Mat Ishbia, coach Jordan Ott and general manager Brian Gregory all spent years at Michigan State; Gregory was a consultant for the program in 2016-17, Bridges' freshman year.

(That might be overstating the case somewhat, as the Suns were rumored to be interested in trading for Bridges as far back as the 2024 trade deadline. That was Bridges' first season after his suspension, and it was before Gregory and Ott joined the organization.)

The Suns also completed this trade with an eye on their cap sheet. Allen and O'Neale will make a combined $29 million in 2026-27 and $31 million in 2027-28 (assuming Allen exercises his player option). Bridges will make $22.8 million in 2026-27 before becoming a free agent next summer; he's eligible to sign an extension worth up to three years and $89 million before then, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

That amounts to some savings for the Suns, but only a small amount if they keep Bridges beyond next season -- certainly not enough to warrant the trade of an unprotected first-round pick and the opportunity cost of losing their best trade chip.

The 2029 first-rounder the Suns acquired in exchange -- reacquired, in a way, because they'd first sent Charlotte the rights to the least favorable pick among Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota in the Williams trade -- is much less valuable than an unprotected selection. The Hornets, Jazz, Cavaliers and Timberwolves would all have to miss the playoffs in 2029 for that pick to land in the lottery.



June 26: Pistons add Joe from Thunder for picks
Detroit Pistons get: G Isaiah Joe
Oklahoma City Thunder get: Two second-round picks (2030, 2031)

Grade for Detroit: A-

What this means for the Pistons: Detroit entered the offseason with two glaring weaknesses: secondary creation and shooting, both of which would bolster an offense that was too dependent on Cade Cunningham, without enough support around the All-NBA guard.

Joe won't do much to address the first of those two weaknesses, as he has never averaged more than 1.6 assists per game in a season and is much more of a play finisher than a playmaker.

But he's one of the best options in the league to address the second issue. The Pistons ranked 28th in made 3-pointers last season, with only Duncan Robinson (2.9 per game) and Cunningham (2.0) making more than 1.3 per game.

Joe, meanwhile, made 2.5 triples in just 21 minutes per game. He's cing around Cunningham.

Aaron Wiggins have a lot in common.

Both were long shots to make an NBA impact: Wiggins was the No. 55 pick in the draft, while Joe was the No. 49 pick before being waived by Philadelphia. But both wings developed into solid rotation players in Oklahoma City, averaging double-digit points in around 20 minutes per game, and both signed extensions that started in 2024-25 and declined over the course of their contracts.

Despite that production and value, both players fell to the fringes of Oklahoma City's postseason rotation, because the Thunder boast the NBA's deepest roster. And ultimately, both players were traded for two second-round picks apiece this summer: Wiggins to Atlanta, Joe to Detroit.

Like the Wiggins trade, the Joe deal is all about the money. Oklahoma City entered the offseason with a projected 2026-27 payroll of $557 million, including both player salaries and luxury tax payments.

But by trading both Wiggins' $9.0 million and Joe's $11.3 million -- and by declining Kenrich Williams' $7.2 million player option -- the Thunder will turn about $27.5 million in salary savings into a whopping $216 million in overall savings, because their tax bill shrinks by $189 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

The Thunder's updated payroll projection is now $341 million, which is still high, but nowhere near its previous peak. And while they might have cost themselves some regular season wins in the process -- because Wiggins and Joe are high-quality fill-ins when Oklahoma City's regulars miss games -- the elimination of some depth shouldn't move the needle much in the postseason.

At $18 million above the second apron, Oklahoma City might not be done. GM Sam Presti could pursue further transactions to duck below that threshold, such as dealing Luguentz Dort or trading recent draftees Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber, now that the Thunder picked two more young players at their positions in the 2026 draft.

But if Presti had to cut payroll somehow, then he has done well so far to massage his team's finances while also adding draft capital, rather than having to attach picks to part with undesirable contracts. That's the value of long-term planning.



June 25: Hornets deal Ball to Wolves for Reid, picks
Minnesota Timberwolves get: G LaMelo Ball, F Josh Green
Charlotte Hornets get: F Naz Reid, 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033)

Grade for Minnesota: D+

What this means for the Timberwolves: The Timberwolves had to make a choice last summer. Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were potential free agents, and for all intents and purposes, the Western Conference finalists could keep only two. So Minnesota opted for size, re-signing power forwards Randle and Reid and letting the smaller Alexander-Walker leave for Atlanta.

Fast-forward a year, and it's clear the Timberwolves would like a mulligan on that decision: Alexander-Walker is the Most Improved Player winner, while both Randle and Reid are off the team entirely, after two blockbuster trades.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday that Minnesota was sending Randle to Brooklyn in a three-team deal, and that transaction folded in a fourth team Thursday, with an addition that essentially swaps Ball for Reid and future picks.

Minnesota already had little draft capital remaining, as a result of trading for Rudy Gobert and Rob Dillingham in previous summers. The Timberwolves now don't control their own first-round pick in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031 or 2033, and their 2032 pick is frozen due to second apron rules.

In other words, this is the last big swing the team can realistically take to build around Anthony Edwards, and to push past the Thunder and Spurs and other Western Conference contenders to actually reach the Finals, rather than stall out a round or two short. Is it enough?

Let's start with a positive frame. Despite the occasional foolish turnover or ill-advised off-balance 3-pointer, Ball is a tremendous offensive engine. He's a solid 3-point shooter on immense volume, an excellent passer and knows how to navigate a pick-and-roll. (He ranked second in the league in total pick volume last season, behind only Jalen Brunson, per GeniusIQ.)

Over the past two seasons, he ranked in the 99th percentile in on/off differential on offense, per Cleaning the Glass, as Charlotte's offense hummed with him on the floor and cratered without him.

Mike Conley began to show his age.

With Edwards and Ball -- the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in the 2020 draft -- Minnesota now boasts one of the NBA's best backcourts. Add in Ayo Dosunmu, who's staying in Minnesota after signing a five-year, $112 million deal, and the Timberwolves have transformed their guard rotation from Edwards and question marks to an undeniable strength.

But now comes the negative side, with two overwhelming concerns. The first is Ball's availability, on which Minnesota is essentially staking its future.

Here are Ball's games played over the past four seasons, since he was an All-Star in Year 2: 36, 22, 47, 72. In that light, last season's 72 games played looks like an outlier -- and even then, the Hornets limited his minutes to just 28 per game to keep him fresh. It's possible Ball has turned the corner and will be healthier going forward, but that's a large gamble.

The second main drawback is what this trade does for Minnesota's roster balance. For as deep and dynamic as the backcourt now looks, the frontcourt appears equally barren, with two of Minnesota's three big men from last season leaving in the same trade.

The Timberwolves' depth chart now features Jaden McDaniels at small forward, Gobert at center and 19-year-old Joan Beringer at backup center -- but a big empty hole where the power forward should be. That's a major issue in a league in which size is once again becoming more important, and it's unclear if the Timberwolves have the resources to address it.

It's possible McDaniels could move up a position, but his greatest strength is his ability to stymie opposing guards. In the playoffs, he most frequently guarded Jamal Murray and De'Aaron Fox, according to GeniusIQ tracking; in the regular season, his most common matchups included bigger wings such as Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, but more lead guards such as Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry.

The Timberwolves could also try trading Donte DiVincenzo, who's out indefinitely after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs, for more size. But without attractive draft picks, it could be difficult to incentivize a partner team in that hypothetical deal.

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Otherwise, Minnesota has only about $10 million to fill its last three roster spots -- after it signs second-round pick Isaiah Evans -- before reaching the second apron, where it's hard-capped as a result of aggregating players in this trade. That's nowhere near enough room to add the caliber of players it needs to round out a championship-worthy rotation.

For a while now, the Timberwolves have sought to use their scant remaining resources to add star power next to Edwards. And compared to missing on Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ball seems like a lesser prize. He's still just 24 years old, and if he remains healthy, his contract is fair value for a player with his offensive potential ($130.7 million over the next three seasons, or about 25% of the cap).

But in taking their final big swing on an injury-prone, defensively limited guard who fills one big hole but opens up another just as large, the Timberwolves might have locked themselves into an unwinnable situation. And now they have less flexibility than before, if they want another mulligan next summer.

Grade for Charlotte: B-

What this means for the Hornets: Minnesota isn't the only team breaking up a lineup that worked in the search for something greater: By trading Ball, Charlotte is removing the engine that catalyzed what was by far the NBA's best high-volume lineup last season. In 509 minutes, Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate outscored their opponents by 26.4 points per 100 possessions, with an eye-popping 134.9 offensive rating.

That lineup surged after the All-Star break, as the Hornets became every NBA nerd's favorite sleeper contender. Charlotte ended up missing the playoffs due to a play-in loss but finished the regular season with the league's eighth-best net rating (plus-4.9) -- two spots better, incidentally, than the Timberwolves.

Now the Hornets are making a significant change, rather than trusting a young group to continue growing together.

Taken on its own, this trade will make the Hornets worse next season, because despite their other exciting young talent, Ball was still their most important player. Their offense scored 123.2 points per 100 possessions with Ball on the court last season, per NBA Advanced Stats. That was better than the Nuggets' league-best rating. But the offense scored just 110.6 points per 100 possessions without Ball, which was equal to the Kings' 26th-ranked unit.

In return, the Hornets primarily gained optionality. Reid is a solid two-way player, if somewhat overpaid with four years and $103.4 million remaining on his contract. Between Reid, No. 14 pick Hannes Steinbach and incumbents Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Hornets now boast a fascinating big man rotation, with a blend of skill sets that coach Charles Lee can spend the season exploring.

But the bigger draw for Charlotte is the money and picks involved. In addition to shedding Ball's contract in this deal, the Hornets created a $40.7 million trade exception, which is the largest in NBA history, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

They also added an unprotected first-round pick in 2033, which is now their most valuable future draft asset. They hold several other teams' first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, but those have some level of protection.

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And while pick swaps have historically been less important than advertised because they don't often convey, they should be more valuable in the new draft system, where every lottery pick is drawn rather than just the top four. (One of the swaps will be a "swap of swaps," however, because Minnesota already owed a swap to a different team in 2030, and the Timberwolves might not even have a pick to swap in 2029, because they owe a top-five-protected pick to Utah.)

Is that future value sufficient to warrant slowing an up-and-coming contender's momentum, after the franchise's most exciting season in more than a decade? That's a trickier case to sell, and it requires trusting the front office: Nobody knows Ball better than the Hornets, so if they're choosing to sell high on the star guard after his healthiest season in years, it's worth wondering whether they know something the Timberwolves don't.

In the meantime, Charlotte can use Knueppel on the ball more, as the rising sophomore continues to develop at the NBA level. They can re-sign free agent Coby White to play on the ball, even if he's underqualified as a lead playmaker. (Editor's note: Shortly after this grade was posted, Charania reported that White intends to sign a three-year, $74 million with the Hornets.) And they can search for a different point guard of the future who's more reliable than Ball, making use of all their extra flexibility to target the right player at the deepest position in the league.

That route limits their potential to continue climbing up the standings next season, but it's a bet that might pay off over the long term.



June 24: Detroit sends Stewart to Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies get: Isaiah Stewart
Detroit Pistons get: Three second-round picks

Grade for Memphis: B+

What this means for the Grizzlies: Spiritually, Stewart might have always been destined to become a Grizzly. Few players in the current NBA embody the "grit 'n' grind" ethos more than the 25-year-old, who has never been afraid to get physical on the court.

In addition to providing that toughness for a fanbase bound to appreciate it, Stewart will serve two key roles for his new team. First, he's an elite rim protector: Stewart allowed opponents to shoot just 44% at the basket last season, per NBA Advanced Stats, which led all players with at least 100 shots defended. The previous season, he ranked second behind Chet Holmgren.

And second, Stewart will provide center insurance behind 7-foot-3 Zach Edey, who pairs immense potential with immense injury risk. Edey played just 11 games last season and has had multiple ankle surgeries in the past 12 months -- an especially worrisome sign for a center of his size.

By the end of last season, with Edey and Santi Aldama injured and Jaren Jackson Jr. traded, the Grizzlies had effectively run out of big men and were playing entire games down the stretch without anyone taller than 6-foot-9.

Stewart himself is only 6-foot-8, but he plays bigger and operates mainly as a center. His 3-point shot has never fully developed (33% last season on 2.1 attempts per game), which makes it difficult for him to play with a non-shooting big. But next to Aldama or No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer -- or even former Utah lottery pick Taylor Hendricks, who showed flashes last season after joining Memphis in the Jackson trade -- Stewart would function as a perfectly competent backup center, or as a fill-in starter when Edey misses time.

Stewart will make $15 million in 2026-27 and has another $15 million via a team option for 2027-28. That eight-figure sum might be too much for Detroit to bear -- more on that below -- but Memphis has plenty of room to absorb Stewart's salary while still retaining flexibility for other moves.

Given that the Grizzlies initially acquired three second-round picks from Detroit during the first round of the draft on Tuesday to move back from the No. 17 pick to No. 21, they effectively added Stewart in exchange for moving back four slots after the lottery. That's good value for a team in their position.

Grade for Detroit: B

What this means for the Pistons: Like with several other moves from contenders this month, the Pistons' motivation to trade Stewart is primarily financial. The salaries for Detroit's young core are growing more expensive: Cade Cunningham is now playing on a max extension, Jalen Duren is a restricted free agent this summer and Ausar Thompson is eligible for an extension.

Trading Stewart's $15 million salary without taking back any money in return bumps Detroit's room below the luxury tax to $75 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. The Pistons could also operate as a cap space team with a few additional maneuvers, such as shedding Duncan Robinson, who has only $2 million of his $16 million salary guaranteed.

So it's almost unfair to give the Pistons a grade for this trade yet, as it's clearly the first domino in a series of moves designed to give the 60-win team a better chance at advancing further than the conference semifinals next season. It remains to be seen how they use their extra wiggle room.

But the Pistons are aiming, above all, for more financial flexibility: to re-sign Duren (who almost has to return at this point, despite his playoff struggles, given that the Pistons traded his backup), re-sign Tobias Harris and add more firepower next to Cunningham.

And while Stewart matched Detroit's ethos just as aptly as he will in Memphis, the Pistons might not miss him as much on the court. Analytics darling Paul Reed is overqualified as a third-string center -- either he or Oklahoma City's Jaylin Williams is the best third-stringer in the league -- and is signed to a nonguaranteed $5.6 million deal for 2026-27. Promoting him to second string would save Detroit nearly $10 million in the tradeoff.

Ultimately, taken on its own, this trade makes the Pistons worse, as they lost a positive contributor without adding anyone in return. But Detroit's front office deserves the benefit of the doubt -- that it has a plan in mind for what more impactful domino should fall next.



June 21: Wolves, Bulls, Nets complete three-way deal
Minnesota Timberwolves get: No. 33 pick (via Nets), Mouhamadou Gueye
Chicago Bulls get: Nic Claxton
Brooklyn Nets get: Julius Randle, No. 28 pick (via Timberwolves)

Grade for Minnesota: B

What this means for the Timberwolves: Two years after they acquired Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns, Towns is an NBA champion while DiVincenzo is out with a torn Achilles and Randle is the subject of a salary dump. If it needed any further clarification, Minnesota definitely lost that blockbuster trade.

But focusing on how the Timberwolves landed Randle two years ago is a matter of the sunk cost fallacy, so let's focus on the present. Minnesota's side of this three-team trade is almost entirely motivated by finances. Randle is owed $33.3 million in 2026-27 and $35.8 million on a player option in 2027-28, as part of an extension he signed last summer.

By trading Randle in a deal involving the two teams with the most cap space in the league, the Timberwolves were able to shed that hefty salary without taking any guaranteed money back in return. They also had to drop just five spots in the draft to do so, even if the difference in "they traded a first-round pick for a second-round pick" overstates that gap.

The Timberwolves' new financial situation places them $42 million below the luxury tax line and $50 million below the first apron. It also gives them access to multiple exceptions they can use to sign players this offseason, as well as a $33.3 million trade exception they could use for a highly paid veteran who fits their roster better.

Step one with all of that extra space was re-signing Ayo Dosunmu, an unrestricted free agent after a positive post-deadline stint with the Timberwolves. Further upgrades are sure to come thereafter, because without Randle or the injured DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves' roster is still very incomplete.

Replacing Randle shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge. His departure opens up a starting slot for sixth man extraordinaire Naz Reid, with whom Rudy Gobert has a proven partnership -- the duo has a plus-9.1 net rating in more than 2,700 minutes together over the past three regular seasons, per databallr.

And while Randle averaged 20 points and 4.9 assists per game over two seasons in Minnesota, his notorious playoff struggles limited his team's upside. For the Timberwolves to make a run at their first Finals berth -- and to get past the Thunder and Spurs in the process -- they couldn't rely on Randle as their No. 2 option behind Anthony Edwards.

But the real problem is what happens once Reid moves to the starting lineup, because the Timberwolves were already relying on a tight playoff rotation, with little depth beyond their top seven or eight players. They'd better make good use of their extra money to round out a more supportive roster, because they're now down two good players from last year's group without adding any suitable replacements -- yet.

Grade for Brooklyn: C+

What this means for the Nets: Welcome back to New York, Julius Randle. The three-time All-Star's first stint in the city, with the Knicks, saw him play alongside a high-scoring veteran forward with trade value (Marcus Morris) and a bunch of young ball handlers (RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr., among others), and he looks poised to repeat that experience, with Michael Porter Jr. as the forward with trade value and all of the Nets' 2025 draftees as the young guards.

In a league that no longer rewards tanking as it once did, thanks to new lottery rules, Randle carries extra value as a floor-raiser -- and the Nets, who don't even control their 2027 first-round pick, had might as well try to win some more games next season after losing 50-plus in each of the last three seasons.

In that respect, Randle's greatest ability is his availability. He has played in at least 69 games (or the equivalent in COVID-shortened seasons) in 10 of the past 11 seasons, ranking seventh in total games and eighth in total minutes in that span.

Randle's steady 20 PPG production should boost the Nets' 30th-ranked offense. And while he has never been the most efficient shooter, he's an underrated passer, which could relieve some pressure from the overtaxed group of young guards who struggled last season.

It's fair to wonder, though, what Randle's acquisition amounts to for Brooklyn, which will end up cutting out a major chunk of its cap space this summer to add a player without much value -- at least, on his current contract -- throughout the league. The Nets are still unlikely to be a playoff team next season, barring further meaningful upgrades, and the 31-year-old Randle will likely be well past his prime by the time the Nets are ready to contend.

Moving up five spots in the draft doesn't seem like a large enough difference to justify this trade on an opportunistic basis, either.

The Nets should be more interesting next season as a result of this trade. Randle and Porter form a fascinating forward combination. Day'Ron Sharpe deserves extra playing time, and should slot in as the Nets' starting center with Claxton gone. Multiple first-round picks will join the five first-rounders who already played for Brooklyn last season.

But does this trade make the Nets better, over the long run? It's hard to answer yes with much confidence.

Grade for Chicago: B-

What this means for the Bulls: Trading for Claxton is the first move of new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham's tenure, and it makes use of the Bulls' copious cap space to add an experienced center essentially for free. (Gueye played two games for Chicago last season, and is on a nonguaranteed deal for 2026-27.)

Claxton has two years left on a contract that declines year over year. He is owed $23.3 million in 2026-27 and $21.1 million in 2027-28, which ranks in the middle of the pack among starting centers. That fits Claxton's status as a middle-of-the-pack center.

Or, at least the Bulls hope he's still at that level. At his best, Claxton's calling card is his defense, but his metrics on that end have declined precipitously over the last few seasons, as he's largely toiled away in obscurity for an out-of-contention Nets squad.

Claxton averaged 2.5 blocks per game in 2022-23, when he received down-ballot Defensive Player of the Year votes. But he's tallied fewer blocks in every season since, down to 1.1 per game last season. At the same time, Claxton has allowed a higher field goal percentage at the rim every year.

Opposing FG% at Rim Against Nicolas Claxton


The Bulls' hope is surely that Claxton felt the effects of not playing an important game for years on end, and that he can reverse his decline in a new environment. (Given the Bulls' rebuild, however, it might be some time before Claxton plays an important game in Chicago, too.)

At 27 years old, Claxton is still theoretically in his prime, and he'll have the runway to grow alongside 21-year-old forward Matas Buzelis and whoever the Bulls select with the No. 4 pick on Tuesday. If North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson lands in Chicago, as ESPN's Jeremy Woo projects, then the Bulls would have a supersized, super-athletic frontcourt for their future -- befitting Graham's "SLAP" philosophy, emphasizing size, length, athleticism and physicality.

"SLAP" applies to Claxton, who has also been one of the NBA's best switching bigs in previous years. But he's a more limited player on the other end: He has never made more than five 3-pointers in a season, and he's a career 56% free throw shooter. He'll enjoy setting screens and rolling to the rim for Josh Giddey lobs, but likely not much else -- though his 3.7 assists per game last season represented a major career high, and hint at untapped playmaking potential.

The larger question about Claxton in Chicago is whether the Bulls would have been better off using their cap space to trade for negative-value contracts and acquire extra draft picks in the process. They are also no longer a threat to offer a large contract to Jalen Duren or Walker Kessler -- two younger, better centers than Claxton -- in restricted free agency.

Claxton might have come essentially for free, in terms of assets, but his arrival still comes with a meaningful opportunity cost.

Still, the Bulls have $31 million in remaining cap space even after adding Claxton, which gives them enough flexibility to take on a bad contract and an associated pick if they desire. And they didn't have any true centers on the roster after they traded Nikola Vucevic last season, so Claxton -- ironically, a polar opposite player stylistically from Vucevic -- fills a massive hole.

Taking on his contract into their cap space means it's fair to treat the Bulls' end of this three-team deal as if they were signing Claxton to a two-year, $44 million contract. That would be decent but not overwhelming value, and their grade here reflects that tradeoff.



June 21: Heat acquire Giannis in massive blockbuster
Miami Heat get: F Giannis Antetokounmpo, F Bobby Portis
Milwaukee Bucks get: G Tyler Herro, C Kel'el Ware, F Jaime Jaquez Jr., G Kasparas Jakučionis , 2026 first-round pick (No. 13), 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick, 2030 pick swap, 2033 second-round pick

Grade for Miami: B-

What this means for the Heat: The Miami Heat have a reputation as a destination for the stars -- but it has been quite a while since they actually landed one. The last time any Heat player finished higher than 10th in MVP voting was 2013-14, when LeBron James was the runner-up.

Since then, Miami's biggest acquisitions are Jimmy Butler III and lower-level stars such as Goran Dragic, post-prime Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier (the less said about that transaction, the better). The Heat were routinely in rumors surrounding superstars but didn't turn those hypotheticals into reality.

That inability to close showed on the court. The Heat have reached 50 wins only once in 12 seasons since James left after the 2014 Finals, and they've been stuck in play-in territory four seasons in a row. Two Finals appearances in that span -- including one marvelous run as the No. 8 seed -- helped mask Miami's mediocrity, but this is a team that has been searching for a higher level for a while.

Grade for Milwaukee: B+

What this means for the Bucks: Antetokounmpo's departure closes the book on what is inarguably the greatest individual career in Milwaukee Bucks history. The former No. 15 pick is the franchise's leader in almost every major statistic: games, minutes, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, field goals and free throws. He has 56 triple-doubles for Milwaukee; no other Buck is even in double digits. He's a 10-time All-Star, two-time MVP and one-time Finals MVP, after scoring 50 points to close out the Bucks' first title in 50 years.

But it was long past time for both him and the team to move on. After years of unfortunate injuries (Khris Middleton in 2022), ill-fated transactions (the Damian Lillard trade) and wasted drafts (the last Bucks pick to make a real impact for the team was Donte DiVincenzo, who was drafted eight years ago), the Bucks were no longer a legitimate contender, even with Antetokounmpo still receiving MVP votes.

Over the past four seasons, 15 teams won at least one first-round series. The Bucks weren't one of them.

Read the full grade for the Antetokounmpo trade, plus league winners and losers.



June 21: Hawks acquire G Wiggins from Thunder
Atlanta Hawks get: G Aaron Wiggins
Oklahoma City Thunder get: Two second-round picks (2030, 2032)

Grade for Atlanta: B+

What this means for the Hawks: Wiggins' acquisition continues a solid start to the offseason for Atlanta, which first extended CJ McCollum on a low-risk deal over the weekend. Wiggins also comes with low risk: He's on a good contract -- $9 million in 2026-27, $8.2 million in 2027-28 and $8.2 million on a team option in 2028-29 -- and the Hawks had to surrender only two far-off second-round picks to land him.

In Oklahoma City, Wiggins had fallen to the edges of the NBA's deepest rotation, but he should have a much greater impact in Atlanta. The Hawks have a splendid starting lineup but were frightfully thin by the end of last season; in their six-game playoff loss to New York, Jonathan Kuminga was their only bench player to average more than five points per game or make more than eight total shots all series.

Wiggins can do better than that: He has averaged 17 points per 36 minutes over the past three seasons while making 39% of his 3-pointers. That scoring ability should make him one of the first players off Quin Snyder's bench -- though it does raise further questions about 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher's place in Atlanta's rotation, if Wiggins earns more minutes on the wing.



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The only factor dropping Atlanta's grade on this deal from an A to a B+ is uncertainty around Wiggins' true level. His numbers declined across the board in 2025-26 compared to the previous two seasons, most notably a true shooting percentage that was well above league average in 2023-24 (66%) and 2024-25 (60%) but fell below in 2025-26 (54%).

But even middling production would make Wiggins a relatively valuable contributor in Atlanta, given the inferior options he's replacing.

Grade for Oklahoma City: B

What this means for the Thunder: Wiggins is a solid player, but he'd become a luxury in Oklahoma City, where he was the 12th or 13th man in the rotation. While he helped raise the Thunder's floor in the regular season, serving as an effective fill-in when the players ahead of him were injured, he played just 75 minutes in the 2025-26 postseason.


When Wiggins received opportunities to prove he belonged in the Thunder's conference finals clash against San Antonio, the Spurs played him off the floor.

Still, Oklahoma City's decision to trade him is almost entirely motivated by finances, rather than his own play. In addition to removing the $9 million he's owed next season from their books, the Thunder will save a projected $61 million in luxury tax penalties with this trade, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

And because Wiggins is on an attractive contract, Thunder GM Sam Presti was able to acquire picks -- even less valuable second-rounders -- while shedding Wiggins' salary, rather than including picks to entice another team to trade for him.

Expect additional moves of this nature as the offseason continues and Oklahoma City seeks to further reduce its exorbitant tax bill, which stands at a projected $152 million.

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LeBron James free agency: Pros and cons of potential destinations
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What's at stake for LeBron's legacy after his decision to leave Lakers? (1:14)

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LeBron James informed the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he will play elsewhere during the 2026-27 season, ending his eight-season run in L.A. Where will the four-time MVP go now that he's an unrestricted free agent and the Lakers have moved on by filling out their roster with other free agents?

After he took his talents to South Beach in 2010, opted for a Cleveland Cavaliers homecoming in 2014 and headed to Hollywood in 2018, James must now weigh "The Decision 4.0." Let's break down the pros and cons of his most likely destinations.

Jump to a team:
Cavaliers | Heat | Nuggets
Timberwolves | Warriors


Golden State Warriors[/paste:font]
Pros: The Warriors check a lot of boxes for James, who maintains strong relationships with Golden State stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. James and Curry, longtime rivals, teamed up to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics under Warriors coach Steve Kerr and share a desire to play "meaningful basketball" as they inch closer to retirement. By combining their powers, perhaps they could squeeze in one more deep postseason run: James hasn't been to the Western Conference finals since 2023, and Curry last reached that stage in 2022, when he led the Warriors to their fourth championship in eight seasons. James is reportedly prioritizing "happiness" this summer, which seemingly aligns with Kerr's belief in the power of "joy."


LeBron tells Lakers he plans to play elsewhere

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  LeBron James understands the price of basketball freedom
  Justin Tinsley

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  Sources: Warriors eyeing LeBron, AD reunion
  Anthony Slater

Golden State would also be a practical choice for James, who put down roots in Los Angeles over the past eight years and mentioned in May that his wife and young daughter would factor heavily in his free agency decision. James could theoretically continue living in Southern California and commute to the Bay Area as needed, and he would join a Warriors organization with a reputation for accommodating its stars. The Warriors, like the Lakers, are a glamour franchise that would keep the 41-year-old James on center stage.

Cons: While Green declined his player option this week in a move that could potentially ease Golden State's ability to sign James, the Warriors have big contracts on the books for Curry and Jimmy Butler III and re-signed Kristaps Porzingis this week. In other words, James would be looking at a steep pay cut from his $48.7 million salary last season even if Golden State maneuvered to offer him a full mid-level exception.

The other major concern is Golden State's advancing age. The Western Conference is expected to run through the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, and it's hard to imagine James, Curry (age 38), Green (36), Butler (36) and the Warriors being able to stay healthy enough to keep up with those rising powers as the playoffs unfold. Golden State is reportedly interested in trading Butler for Anthony Davis, a move that would make the team younger, but wouldn't alleviate any injury concerns given Davis' track record. So far, the Washington Wizards have resisted the deal.

Cleveland Cavaliers[/paste:font]
Pros: James, a native of Akron, Ohio, received a hero's welcome when he returned to Cleveland in 2014 and ascended to the highest tier of sporting heroes in the state when he led the Cavaliers to the 2016 championship. A third stint with the franchise that selected him No. 1 overall in the 2003 draft would no doubt be warmly received, and it would set the table for a full circle retirement tour at some point down the line. The narrative vibes are strong.

Cleveland really could have used James' playmaking, size and playoff experience when it was swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers' forwards repeatedly lost their matchups, and guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden couldn't come through in the biggest moments. The Cavs need to part with a rotation player or two to re-sign Harden and make James a competitive offer, but there would still be enough talent on hand for him to believe he would have a shot at reaching his 11th NBA Finals and first since 2020. One East executive told ESPN in March that Cleveland represented "the cleanest fit."

Cons: James would need to leave California's charms and adjust to a roster filled with new faces, as he hasn't previously played with Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen. Cleveland took a step back in the chemistry department last season after a sensational 2024-25 campaign, and coach Kenny Atkinson struggled at times as a game manager during the East finals. Though Atkinson has been an NBA head coach or assistant since 2008, this would be his first time working with James.

Miami Heat[/paste:font]
Pros: James' previous stint with the Heat was the most successful stretch of his career, as he won two championships and reached four Finals from 2010 and 2014. Miami's key leaders -- president Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra -- are still in place, and the organization is intent on entering another cycle as a contender after landing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in a June trade.



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The potential basketball fit would be strong: The Heat could use James as a prolific secondary scorer and ball handler after trading Tyler Herro and losing Norman Powell in free agency, and he would slide cleanly into an imposing frontline alongside Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Miami dominated the NBA universe during the "Heatles" era, and a South Beach return would surely resuscitate some of that intrigue.

Cons: Would Antetokounmpo and James be able to get the most out of each other? Antetokounmpo's star partnership with Damian Lillard sputtered in Milwaukee, and James never seemed fully satisfied with his reduced offensive role once Luka Doncic arrived in Los Angeles. Style of play could be another tension point: Antetokounmpo is at his best when he can get downhill in transition, while James is more comfortable controlling games at this stage of his career.

Minnesota Timberwolves[/paste:font]
Pros: While the Warriors, Cavaliers and Heat seem like the obvious leaders in the clubhouse, the Timberwolves can make a strong pitch to James too. Minnesota recently traded for LaMelo Ball to add a playmaker next to Anthony Edwards, but its frontcourt talent took a big hit with the departures of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. James would plug that hole perfectly, and center Rudy Gobert would provide excellent cover for him on the defensive end.

James has called himself a "longtime fan" of the ascendant Edwards, his teammate during the Paris Olympics. With Ball and James on board, the Timberwolves' roster would be more championship-ready on paper than at any point of Edwards' career, including during trips to the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025. If James wants a shot at a fifth ring, he could do a lot worse than Minnesota.

Cons: Leaving Los Angeles for Minneapolis would qualify as culture shock. Past that, James must decide whether he would benefit from a lighter offensive load by playing with Edwards and Ball, or whether he still wants to be a primary playmaker. After all, James is just a few months removed from leading the Lakers to the second round of the playoffs without an injured Doncic.

Minnesota has carefully managed its salary cap situation since Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez took over as owners, and Edwards, Ball and Gobert are already on the books for a combined $126 million next season. Though money isn't believed to be his top priority, James will likely receive better financial offers.

Denver Nuggets[/paste:font]
Pros: The Nuggets need a shake-up after a first-round playoff exit, and adding James would certainly qualify. Pairing Nikola Jokic and James would give Denver the greatest passing duo in NBA history, and it would surely produce electric sequences on a nightly basis.

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• Marks: Draft, free agency, trade targets for all 30 teams

The Nuggets' veteran-dominated roster is designed to win now, and they pushed the Thunder to seven games in the 2025 second round. Jokic, James and Aaron Gordon would have a strong case as the NBA's best frontline, and Jokic's presence would allow James to pace himself during the regular season with an eye toward playoff glory.

Cons: Even with Jokic as a perennial MVP candidate, Denver has struggled to capture national attention. James would immediately change that, but he will have suitors who boast larger platforms.

Denver, like Cleveland and Minnesota, has several large contracts on its books and should be motivated to keep restricted free agent Peyton Watson, so it would need to get creative to make a real run at James. Does it make basketball and financial sense for the Nuggets to pursue James at this stage of his career, or are there better paths to maximize Jokic's prime?

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Well…LBJ is available. Just sayin. What would it look like if he said “ok I am in” and came for that $7M?

 

Nonsense..WHO is built for the playoffs? What body of work are you referring to on that? That's a crazy take if anything. Meh...WHO is supposedly mentally tougher than Lebron or Smart? Hell...Rui?

 

Didn't remember Sexton played with Kessler. Let's see if there's any synergies there.

Another thing is we might need to wait for the vet mins. Some guys may still want to see if they get more money in the open market before accepting the vet min.
We may also be trying to convince them before waive & stretching anyone

 

No.

 

If you can't see, you can't see, don't worry it will become clearer for you later. Good grief, the LeBron stuff coming. He was not mentally tough the last few years. Smart I wish we could have kept.

 

No. You can't just throw out stuff like that brother. Tell me WHO are these players that we added, that you claim are mentally tougher? I'm going to need some examples of such. That's a crazy take bro. You can like LeBron or hate him, but that's some outrageous CAP.

 

If I offended you, I apologize, this is too good of a day to argue. I'm just going to enjoy our championship roster.

 

It's all good..I'm pretty sure this discussion will be amped up pretty high, by the Christmas day games. We'll see what the games show.

 

Lebrons agent said he’ll be good as long as there’s golf.

 

What? How though?

Jake and Vando moved up the rotation. You lost LeBron and Smart - two certified playoff performers that bring toughness. You lost Rui and Kennard, two great shooters who don’t shrink.

Kessler and Sexton haven’t even made the playoffs. Grimes and Mamu have barely any playoff experience and don’t look at their performances in the playoffs just gone by - you’ll be super disappointed that we have 7th and 8th man starting.

 

IMO, the theme was mental toughness. A quality they looked for in players they signed. JJ can blend these type of players into a good team.

 

He gone; Im more concerned about who's still here. As always.

 

we lost a Top15 player who was still the best player in our latest playoff run, lost a former DPOY, lost 2 of the best shooters in the league

we added guys who were backups in their teams and gave them 4 year contracts with PO

no matter how you want to spin this positively, it does not compute.

 

Is that huge pic of Shams necessary?

 

Only Van and Ayton wont like their roles. getting rid of these two should be next. We have no more picks to trade so may have to take on a bad contract. I preferred Hayes as the back up center. But he is now on Jazz.

 

I just see it differently, I am expecting Adou to be a starter.

 

Again...Who displayed these qualities and when? I'm always optimistic, but I'm also pragmatic. I'm struggling with this idea, that we somehow got mentally tougher. Players don't just get gifted that label.

 

Dang, I missed that, who was a top 15 player we lost? I thought we kept AR and Luka??

 

I'm sure Rob will try to trade them for Zach Lavine.

Dead a** serious too.