Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[mvossman]

I personally don't think any of the forwards demands minutes (obviously excluding Coop). There are development guys who we would like to see get minutes, but ultimately I do not think May is a coach who is going to hand those minutes over simply because they are young and need development.

I think May will reward the best players with minutes. Whatever advantages any of the other 3/4s may or may not have offensively (I don't really think any of them will necessarily have any kind of significant offensive advantages unless someone like Risacher takes some ginormous development leap, or Biberovich is some kind of Peja Stojakovic clone day one), PJ's defense will be so much better than the others that he will demand heavy minutes from that alone.

I think Naji leads the ball handling of the second unit alongside De Laria, and plays predominantly at the guard spots, with some 3 behind Coop, so I don't think he will really compete with PJ for minutes much at all.

I will be really disappointed if they play the vets heavy minutes and leave all the kids on the bench.  If there was ever a development year, this is it.  

I'm not a fan of this narrative that Naji will be the backup point guard.  He provides a lot of value as a secondary creator, but I don't think playing him out of position is the answer.  

The thing with a roster full of positional flexibility is that everyone affects everyone's minutes.  My guess is that we will see all kinds of crazy combinations, but you are still constrained by having only 5 guys on the court.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The Lakers’ interest in PJ Washington of the Mavericks is a good example. LA has a need for Washington, who was a teammate of Luka Doncic during the Mavericks’ 2024 run to the NBA Finals. And Doncic, we’re told, would be in favor of a Washington reunion. But Washington signed a four-year, $89 million extension last September, which starts with a $20 million cap hit for this season. But the extension is just as big an issue for the Lakers, says one Western Conference executive: “They don’t want that contract. The Mavericks bought a little high on him (in 2025) and he wasn’t as good last year. And you’re committing to paying him $22 million, $24 million down the road.”

Heavy.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

But while the Bucks are interested in the 23-year-old forward, league sources maintain they expect the Bucks to be hesitant to include a first-round pick in any deal for Peyton Watson as they continue building out their asset base post-Antetokounmpo. Without giving up a first-round pick, the Nuggets would have to derive much of the value of a sign-and-trade with the Bucks from the player (or players) involved in the deal. While other teams interested in Watson might be giving up fringe rotation players with a first-rounder, the Bucks might need to include real rotation players to entice the Nuggets to consider their offer.

New York Times

[Chicagojk]

Dillon Brooks signed an extension yesterday.  It appears to be a tad below market value.  He was excellent last year.  I always have trouble with these type of contracts.   Especially for a guy already 30.   I think Phoenix has done a real nice job since the KD and Beal experiments and they were one of the feel good stories.   Now they sort of forced to extend their guys and it appears get stuck in the 6-10 range with little hope of getting above this.  Letting him go doesn't seem like a good move either.   These type of moves always trouble me on what I would do.   

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2085176433102524668

[Chicagojk]

The Kings nearly traded Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February -- a move he would've welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said -- for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl's contract, which doomed the deal.

ESPN

Getting off 80 million dollars with Poetl seems like a pretty big issue.  Must have not been that close.

[Chicagojk]

But while the Bucks are interested in the 23-year-old forward, league sources maintain they expect the Bucks to be hesitant to include a first-round pick in any deal for Peyton Watson as they continue building out their asset base post-Antetokounmpo. Without giving up a first-round pick, the Nuggets would have to derive much of the value of a sign-and-trade with the Bucks from the player (or players) involved in the deal. While other teams interested in Watson might be giving up fringe rotation players with a first-rounder, the Bucks might need to include real rotation players to entice the Nuggets to consider their offer.

New York Times

The Clippers are the most likely outcome right?   They give Denver DJJ and maybe some kind of draft asset and the Clippers get Watson.  Denver can still say they are competing and lower their $$ a bit.   Don't know what Cleveland or MIL could offer so Denver saying they are trying to win next year.

[Chicagojk]

Durant is just a weirdo - with everything he says he‘s just opening up more questions, be it with his burner accounts or in real life.
 
So he suggests now, that Giannis could be much better if he only wanted it more…? What a take… After saying the 76ers are much more talented than the Warriors he was on.

I think KD is someone to watch.  It appears the Rockets aren't going to make big changes at this stage, but I would not be surprised if KD is moved before the trade deadline next year.  Especially if the Rockets don't bounce back from their up and down season last year.   That first round loss to the bandaid Lakers should have sounded the panic alarm.

[Chicagojk]

I was lukewarm about moving AD at the trade deadline thinking it may have been better holding off on him until the offseason.   I am so glad we don't need to deal with it anymore.   Washington may get a better package when they move him (if he can stay healthy), but I am satisfied with the return Dallas got and how it allowed them to be flexible this summer.  

I understand how the NBA works and how agents work, but man would it be nice to not look for an extension now and show he can do it on the court.   It seems like AD has done very little to welcome himself in Washington and has been pushing for an extension (he has two years left--one being a player option).   If Washington gives him the Trae Young deal, I believe this would be very bad.

**********************
League sources told The Athletic that any meaningful talks between Anthony Davis and the Wizards about a possible extension will occur during the 2026-27 season, not before. Even if the 2026-27 season starts well for Davis and for the team, it’s reasonable to speculate that both sides could find themselves far apart on a potential extension. Because he holds a player option for the 2027-28 season, the 2026-27 trade deadline, which will fall on Feb. 11, will be a key date to monitor for Davis’ future with the Wizards.

[cow]

I was lukewarm about moving AD at the trade deadline thinking it may have been better holding off on him until the offseason.   I am so glad we don't need to deal with it anymore.   Washington may get a better package when they move him (if he can stay healthy), but I am satisfied with the return Dallas got and how it allowed them to be flexible this summer.  

I understand how the NBA works and how agents work, but man would it be nice to not look for an extension now and show he can do it on the court.   It seems like AD has done very little to welcome himself in Washington and has been pushing for an extension (he has two years left--one being a player option).   If Washington gives him the Trae Young deal, I believe this would be very bad.

**********************
League sources told The Athletic that any meaningful talks between Anthony Davis and the Wizards about a possible extension will occur during the 2026-27 season, not before. Even if the 2026-27 season starts well for Davis and for the team, it’s reasonable to speculate that both sides could find themselves far apart on a potential extension. Because he holds a player option for the 2027-28 season, the 2026-27 trade deadline, which will fall on Feb. 11, will be a key date to monitor for Davis’ future with the Wizards.

I'm kind of the opposite, we sold AD at an all time low which is pretty reminiscent of KP.

[Chicagojk]

I'm kind of the opposite, we sold AD at an all time low which is pretty reminiscent of KP.

I was not a fan of the KP trade.  Even if we played the best ball of the year after the trade and made the WCF.  I just did not see the upside of Dinwiddie and Bertans.   The market was very light for KP though.

I think Washington could get a better deal if/when they move AD.  Although, he better play well.  Even so, I have no idea what the market is for a guy making 60 million and looking for an extension.

The players the Mavs got in the AD trade may not pan out, but the package winded up being:

Aldama, Sasser, Tarek, Sergio and Risacher or AD, Hardy and DLO.  I believe they could also still use the MLE as well   .    That is not nothing.    It will look a lot better if one or two of these guys hit.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Mike Vorkunov: The Hornets and Pelicans are the only NBA teams not to have paid the tax since 2002. Pistons only other team under $1 million.

x.com

[mvossman]

I'm kind of the opposite, we sold AD at an all time low which is pretty reminiscent of KP.

I was super pissed at the KP trade, but I was more than happy with the AD trade.  I think the space they generated (including getting under the tax for the current year) has more value than it seems.

[SleepingHero]

I'm kind of the opposite, we sold AD at an all time low which is pretty reminiscent of KP.

Remains to be seen.

Mavs had to take a discount because AD wants a max contract extension. If the Wizards can convince him to sign for his true market value and flip him for a good deal, then I'd agree, but at this point its still too early to say Mavs sold at an all time low.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I was super pissed at the KP trade, but I was more than happy with the AD trade.  

.

I can't understand how anyone can be against the AD trade. The entire organization has room to breathe now and move on to the next chapter. Instead of holding our breath every second of every game that he doesn't get hurt again.

I dont give a damn what he gets traded for in the future.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Shams on Peyton Watson: "They are in active trade talks with multiple teams on a Peyton Watson sign-and-trade. That includes Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the Clippers. There are combinations of player packages, pick packages as well. So, either they're gonna trade him, or you could potentially have him back on a 1-year, $6.5 million qualifying offer"

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Bennett Durando: Lonnie Walker IV's agreement with the Nuggets is a training camp deal, league sources tell @DenverPost . He will compete for a roster spot at camp this fall. Denver still has two open spots.

x.com

[Moviemavguy]

Bennett Durando: Lonnie Walker IV's agreement with the Nuggets is a training camp deal, league sources tell @DenverPost . He will compete for a roster spot at camp this fall. Denver still has two open spots.

x.com

His defense must really be THAT bad.

[Dundalis]

I will be really disappointed if they play the vets heavy minutes and leave all the kids on the bench.  If there was ever a development year, this is it.  
I'm not a fan of this narrative that Naji will be the backup point guard.  He provides a lot of value as a secondary creator, but I don't think playing him out of position is the answer.  
The thing with a roster full of positional flexibility is that everyone affects everyone's minutes.  My guess is that we will see all kinds of crazy combinations, but you are still constrained by having only 5 guys on the court.

I'd love to see the young guys get minutes, but I don't think they get minutes simply due to being young. As in, if their play earns it they should get more minutes. If it doesn't, regardless of it being a developmental year, they don't get minutes over vets who are playing better, simply due to being young.

I'm kind of the opposite, we sold AD at an all time low which is pretty reminiscent of KP.

I actually agree that we sold AD at an all time low. The difference is I think that all time low will prove to be closer to his ceiling value moving forward. We'll see if thats the case if the Wizards end up moving him.

[Mapka]

I actually agree that we sold AD at an all time low. The difference is I think that all time low will prove to be closer to his ceiling value moving forward. We'll see if thats the case if the Wizards end up moving him.

I think we traded him at the right time.

I don't think there was a better deal to be had and the oppurtunity cost for having him on the roster would be much higher than any value we could have added later on.
I also don't think his value increased or will increase at all.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, whose sponsorship deal with a now-bankrupt green banking company is at the center of an NBA investigation, also had an undisclosed sponsorship agreement allegedly worth millions of dollars with the company that designed the Clippers' videoboard inside the Intuit Dome, former ESPN contributor Pablo Torre reported on his podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out" on Thursday. Torre interviewed someone identified as an "anonymous high-level source under contract for Intuit Dome" who alleged that the sponsorship deal "was 1,000% a way to circumvent the salary cap. It was funneling money from the Clippers through Daktronics back to Kawhi." Torre also cited an anonymous former Clippers official who said they knew that Leonard had a sponsorship deal with Daktronics, the South Dakota-based company that designed "The Halo Board" -- the largest double-sided halo display built in an arena -- inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the Clippers' $2 billion venue that opened in August 2024. Though it is unclear when Leonard reportedly began his sponsorship deal with Daktronics, or what the alleged terms for the pact included, a spokesperson who represented Daktronics told Hunterbrook Media, which collaborated with Torre, that Leonard doesn't have an active contract with the company.

ESPN

Welp, more possible dirt found? This investigation won't conclude until next year, I believe.