Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[cow]

I don't think they will shut the door on endorsement deals (which can widely vary, cause that's life) - why would they stop outside companies from giving up their own money to enrich NBA athletes? It doesn't come out of NBA pockets. It's ideal for the NBA universe itself.

The NCAA screwed themselves by trying to prevent that. It doesn't come out of your pocket. Let idiots give you and your guys free money. Say thank you.

Agreed but maybe you need the "pornography" rule when it comes to egregious abuse which the KL situation seems to be a clear example of.

[F Gump]

Agreed but maybe you need the "pornography" rule when it comes to egregious abuse which the KL situation seems to be a clear example of.

A company (or several of them) apparently has chosen to give KL money, for whatever reason. The "why" is fuzzy.

But UNLESS that's coming from LAC or Ballmer (which makes it an NBA issue), not sure the NBA cares. I don't see the NBA really desiring to stop the stupidity of (in the immortal lyrics) Money for Nothing. In fact, to the extent it makes the stars eager to embrace the NBA and its setup, they may see it as a positive.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Jacob] There is a growing belief now, with reporting that the investigation is in fact over and the league is sifting through its findings, that the main delay will now stem from trying to find a punishment Ballmer will accept.

We are living in a funny world.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

[Jacob] There is a growing belief now, with reporting that the investigation is in fact over and the league is sifting through its findings, that the main delay will now stem from trying to find a punishment Ballmer will accept.

We are living in a funny world.

Chicken vs The Egg

Do y'all think it’s the present environment of the league that makes Silver so weak, or is it that he's personally just a weak commissioner?

Either way, Stern is rolling in his grave.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Sources tell cleveland.com the Cavs continue to discuss various trade packages involving Schroder, seeing if there is an opportunity to slightly reconfigure the roster or gain financial flexibility, which would help their pursuit of free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

[Chicagojk]

With the Leonard trade still being held up, it appears this is the dead period of the offseason.  Probably the time when most people in the organization take vacations.   So it is likely that the next few weeks are pretty slow.   Maybe something picks up then, but we are getting pretty close to the stage where teams have their teams set or the start of the season.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

It's not just the Leonard thing, IMHO, teams are waiting for recently traded players can be traded again.
That's when things would pick up.

I'm betting that's who the Mavs would get in exchange for Gafford, Klay or PJ.
Who are these guys eligible for trade in September?

[F Gump]

It's not just the Leonard thing, IMHO, teams are waiting for recently traded players can be traded again.
That's when things would pick up.

I'm betting that's who the Mavs would get in exchange for Gafford, Klay or PJ.
Who are these guys eligible for trade in September?

FWIW it works both ways, ie the newly-eligibles that could theoretically be waiting to be included in a deal can include Aldama, Sasser, Tarik, Morez, DeLarrea, Risacher.

[Scott41theMavs]

FWIW it works both ways, ie the newly-eligibles that could theoretically be waiting to be included in a deal can include Aldama, Sasser, Tarik, Morez, DeLarrea, Risacher.

I would hope that those six players have zero to do with any waiting that M&M are doing, unless the return was something very, very eye-popping.

[Chicagojk]

From the Athletic.  I thought the Thunder had a little drop back this offseason.  Although on the other hand I think they are still the best team in the league and in reality didn't give up a top 5 player.  So maybe that counts as a win.   I don wonder what happens next summer.    Things will continue to get tricky for them.   On a separate matter, I hope by the time of the Flagg extension the cap is changed a bit.    



********************

Speaking of OKC, the Thunder are facing their own financial crunch.

GM Sam Presti is unquestionably the best at simultaneously building a roster and maximizing the accumulation of assets. We always note how many future first-round picks they have and how much they can pivot even by losing key players. Even this summer, they’ve had to say goodbye to Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in trades. That was to get under the second apron. The issue is not going anywhere.

Just with the contracts of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, OKC has roughly $143 million committed this coming season, $149.5 million in 2027-28, $161 million in 2028-29, $172.5 million in 2029-30 and $184 million in 2030-31. The good news is they have three incredible players locked up for five years (SGA has a player option in that last season). The bad news is this isn’t a three-on-three league.

Cason Wallace is extension eligible and has made comments about wanting to get paid. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are on team-friendly deals for the next couple of seasons but might become second-apron casualties. Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Jared McCain are extension eligible in a year. The second apron is rearing its ugly head with OKC in real time and will continue to do so as long as the Thunder keep that big three together. They might have to make a big-time decision soon. If Holmgren continues to struggle against Victor Wembanyama when it matters most, then maybe that decision becomes easier.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I dunno why the Thunder were in such a hurry to max Chet. Maybe they expected more growth out of him by now.

[Chicagojk]

I like Chet.  I think he is a really good player.  I do worry how his body is going to hold up over time though.    He needs to get past the mental block he has against Wemby.   That could be the difference between a couple of championships.  

I think Chet is an ideal #3.    his uniqueness of his game and his skills really gives his team even more advantages.    I think he could be a better version #3 than Chris Bosh or Kevin Love.   Maybe.   I just think in today's salary cap, I don't think it is possible to have three max or near max players for an extended stretch.  Especially with other highly paid glue players.    Although JDub is a sneaky shock trade as well.  He was hurt for most of the year and OKC still won a ton.    He is probably a top 15 player in the league when healthy, but maybe they shock the league there in the next year or so.

[windjc]

I don’t think the Thunder are the best team in the NBA.

No way Williams is a top 15 player. No way.

[michaeltex]

OKC has their core in place, depending on whether you consider Chet “core” or not. They also have a pool of contributors to fill in the gaps to varying degrees. They also have a truckload of future picks to allow them to update/upgrade these contributors.

Personally, I think they’ve lost some toughness with the departure of Dort and Joe this summer. It is TBD how this affects their success this season. They have the resources to keep the pipeline full of new talent so OKC, inl as they make some really poor draft decisions, should be a contender for the foreseeable future.

There are a lot of WC PGs and SGs that will be grateful of only having to get mauled by Dort twice a season. And only if they reach the finals.

[Mavs2021]

OKC has their core in place, depending on whether you consider Chet “core” or not. They also have a pool of contributors to fill in the gaps to varying degrees. They also have a truckload of future picks to allow them to update/upgrade these contributors.

Personally, I think they’ve lost some toughness with the departure of Dort and Joe this summer. It is TBD how this affects their success this season. They have the resources to keep the pipeline full of new talent so OKC, inl as they make some really poor draft decisions, should be a contender for the foreseeable future.

There are a lot of WC PGs and SGs that will be grateful of only having to get mauled by Dort twice a season. And only if they reach the finals.

More like big SG/SF/PF types. He´s usually useless against quicker/smaller guys. He needs a guy that is physically superior, so the refs can do their usual "it´s so unfair, he´s so much smaller than these big skilled players" routine. It´s the treatment the refs specialized at with Luka and Dirk.

[SleepingHero]

I dunno why the Thunder were in such a hurry to max Chet.  Maybe they expected more growth out of him by now.

I wonder if he's going to be a Mavs target in 3-4 years.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Free agents who I'm told are drawing legitimate interest from Golden State for the Warriors' open roster spots: Georges Niang and Brandon Williams. On his Bleacher Report livestream Tuesday afternoon, Jake also mentioned Dalen Terry as a potential Warriors target.

marcstein.substack.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

League sources say Cleveland has been exploring various trade possibilities with both Schröder and Strus that would enable the Cavaliers — provided one or both of those salaries could be shed — to make a representative four-year offer to Peyton Watson. Schröder is scheduled to earn $14.8 million in 2026-27 and $15.5 million in 2027-28 ... with only $4.4 million guaranteed in the latter season. Strus holds an expiring $16.7 million contract for 2026-27 to complete a four-year, $63 million deal he originally signed with Miami.

marcstein.substack.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

A return to the Clippers, league sources say, has not been ruled out for Bradley Beal, who has also drawn interest from Miami. The 33-year-old played in only six games last season for the Clippers last season before needing season-ending surgery to repair a fracture in his left hip.

marcstein.substack.com

[Dirknows]

I wonder if he's going to be a Mavs target in 3-4 years.

I hope Morez is good enough and Lively is healthy enough that we don’t waste our resources on Chet. Presti is going to trade him or J-Dub in the next few years as they keep getting hammered by the 2nd apron, and someone else made the point of it being nearly impossible to have 3 max players in this CBA.