NBA 2026-27 offseason trades, signings & rumors

[Who]

Michael Scotto: The Utah Jazz and Josh Okogie have agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal, including a team option for the second year, league sources told @hoopshype. Okogie is a noted defender who shot 38.5% from 3-point range last season. ESPN first on the deal. HoopsHype first on team option

Good get but where does Okogie fit in?

G: Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier
G: Darryn Peterson, Svi Mykhailuik, J Konchar
F: Lauri Markkanen, J Okogie, Ace Bailey, B Sensabough
F: Jaren Jackson Jr, K Filipowski, Cody Williams
C: J Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes

14 players. All 4 of their 3rd stringers are SG or SF.

Josh Okogie is the best bench forward they have. His best position is SF but those are minutes Ace Bailey needs to develop. He can play backup PF but then where does Filipowski get his playing time? Okogie could play ahead of Svi. I am not wild about Okogie at guard. It makes teams slow / stodgy. He is a forward. And he lacks the ball-handling and the passing. Utah already has issues with a lack of ball-handling & passing in their frontcourt. Not wild about Okogie playing guard.

I don't know where he fits in. Good role player. Good bench player. Good addition. But I don't know how those pieces fit together.

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Svi and Ace Bailey were one of the worst bench wing tandems in the league. Brice Sensabough as a fill in for either guy, same thing. Jon Konchar as a fill in for Svi, same thing. No matter which combo you use all of them would be among the worst in the league.

Josh Okogie is better than all of them. Much better.

Svi is a one-way offensive player. Konchar is a one-way defensive player. Sensabough is a one-way offensive player (worst defender of the 4 of them). Ace Bailey can neither play offense or defense (yet!).

Josh Okogie is a plus player on both ends.

[Who]

Okogie is a loss for Houston. One of the few guys on their team who can actually shoot.

G: F VanVleet, R Sheppard
G: Amen Thompson, M Smart
F: Kevin Durant, Tari Eason
F: Jabari Smith Jr
C: A Sengun, S Adams

Others: JD Davison, Bogdanovic, Capela

That is a solid 9 man rotation. They have only 2 above average shooters 1 through 4 in Durant & R Sheppard and R Sheppard crapped the bed in the playoffs last year. Not clear they can rely on Reed Sheppard yet or not.

[No Nickname]

Marc Stein: The Lakers are now pursuing both a wing defender and a backup big man after lining up a Deandre Ayton-to- Washington trade which adds $2 million in financial wiggle room for their summer business, league sources sa

Is that Ayton trade official? Or just a rumour?

Oh, it is real.

The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.

Good deal for Washington. They needed big man. They now have 3 legit bigs in AD, A Sarr and Ayton.

Questionable deal for LAL. Ayton, talent wise, would be one of the best backup centers in the league. However, I can see reasons to be worried about his commitment in a bench role. His effort may fall off the map. LAL already lost Jaxson Hayes in FA to Utah. He was solid middle of the pack backup center.

I wonder if this means they are planning on Mamu being the backup center for LAL next season.

Dan Woike: A name that's come up when talking to rival teams about a player who would fit the Lakers' current roster has been Andre Drummond. Interesting to see how the Lakers navigate the back-up center spot.

That would be a good replacement for LAL.

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Lakers 3rd stringers are useful players

G: Bronny
G: Jaden Hardy
F: Dalton Knecht
F: Vanderbilt
C: (none)

Their main bench players could be good if they add Drummond

G: Sexton
G: Cam Carr
F: Thiero
F: J LaRavia
C: (Drummond)

I liked Ayton rounding that bench. I felt that bench was a good bench. Above average bench. If Drummond is the replacement, it would continue to be that. If they fail to sign a quality backup center, it would drop their bench way down. Below average bench then.

Speaking of Knecht, when he was drafted I compared him stats-wise and physically to Baylor Schierman.  It was fascinating how close they were in those metrics coming out of college.

But I was struck by how much better of an athlete Knecht was.  He was just faster, stronger, and had a much higher leaping ability.

After their first NBA season I still thought Knecht was a better prospect, especially when he almost got traded to Charlotte.

So what happened? How has Knecht fallen so far in the Lakers? plans?  And how has Baylor become someone that was considered good enough to be an asset in the potential Giannis trade?

[Who]

Marc Stein: The Lakers are now pursuing both a wing defender and a backup big man after lining up a Deandre Ayton-to- Washington trade which adds $2 million in financial wiggle room for their summer business, league sources sa

Is that Ayton trade official? Or just a rumour?

Oh, it is real.

The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.

Good deal for Washington. They needed big man. They now have 3 legit bigs in AD, A Sarr and Ayton.

Questionable deal for LAL. Ayton, talent wise, would be one of the best backup centers in the league. However, I can see reasons to be worried about his commitment in a bench role. His effort may fall off the map. LAL already lost Jaxson Hayes in FA to Utah. He was solid middle of the pack backup center.

I wonder if this means they are planning on Mamu being the backup center for LAL next season.

Dan Woike: A name that's come up when talking to rival teams about a player who would fit the Lakers' current roster has been Andre Drummond. Interesting to see how the Lakers navigate the back-up center spot.

That would be a good replacement for LAL.

------------

Lakers 3rd stringers are useful players

G: Bronny
G: Jaden Hardy
F: Dalton Knecht
F: Vanderbilt
C: (none)

Their main bench players could be good if they add Drummond

G: Sexton
G: Cam Carr
F: Thiero
F: J LaRavia
C: (Drummond)

I liked Ayton rounding that bench. I felt that bench was a good bench. Above average bench. If Drummond is the replacement, it would continue to be that. If they fail to sign a quality backup center, it would drop their bench way down. Below average bench then.

Speaking of Knecht, when he was drafted I compared him stats-wise and physically to Baylor Schierman.  It was fascinating how close they were in those metrics coming out of college.

But I was struck by how much better of an athlete Knecht was.  He was just faster, stronger, and had a much higher leaping ability.

After their first NBA season I still thought Knecht was a better prospect, especially when he almost got traded to Charlotte.

So what happened? How has Knecht fallen so far in the Lakers? plans?  And how has Baylor become someone that was considered good enough to be an asset in the potential Giannis trade?

Knecht can't play defense. He is a very poor defender. It is hard to put another poor defender out there alongside Luka & A Reaves. On a better defensive team, he would have gotten more opportunities to play.

The worrying part is Knecht hasn't improved his defense at all while he has been in LAL. He is a solid offensive player but his defense is so bad that he is nearly unplayable. Even with more opportunities, he probably would have ended up where he is now at some point or another anyway.

Knecht should think about going to Europe after his contract is over. He could have more success there. Maybe learn how to play some defense and try the NBA down the line.

[No Nickname]

Marc Stein: The Lakers are now pursuing both a wing defender and a backup big man after lining up a Deandre Ayton-to- Washington trade which adds $2 million in financial wiggle room for their summer business, league sources sa

Is that Ayton trade official? Or just a rumour?

Oh, it is real.

The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.

Good deal for Washington. They needed big man. They now have 3 legit bigs in AD, A Sarr and Ayton.

Questionable deal for LAL. Ayton, talent wise, would be one of the best backup centers in the league. However, I can see reasons to be worried about his commitment in a bench role. His effort may fall off the map. LAL already lost Jaxson Hayes in FA to Utah. He was solid middle of the pack backup center.

I wonder if this means they are planning on Mamu being the backup center for LAL next season.

Dan Woike: A name that's come up when talking to rival teams about a player who would fit the Lakers' current roster has been Andre Drummond. Interesting to see how the Lakers navigate the back-up center spot.

That would be a good replacement for LAL.

------------

Lakers 3rd stringers are useful players

G: Bronny
G: Jaden Hardy
F: Dalton Knecht
F: Vanderbilt
C: (none)

Their main bench players could be good if they add Drummond

G: Sexton
G: Cam Carr
F: Thiero
F: J LaRavia
C: (Drummond)

I liked Ayton rounding that bench. I felt that bench was a good bench. Above average bench. If Drummond is the replacement, it would continue to be that. If they fail to sign a quality backup center, it would drop their bench way down. Below average bench then.

Speaking of Knecht, when he was drafted I compared him stats-wise and physically to Baylor Schierman.  It was fascinating how close they were in those metrics coming out of college.

But I was struck by how much better of an athlete Knecht was.  He was just faster, stronger, and had a much higher leaping ability.

After their first NBA season I still thought Knecht was a better prospect, especially when he almost got traded to Charlotte.

So what happened? How has Knecht fallen so far in the Lakers? plans?  And how has Baylor become someone that was considered good enough to be an asset in the potential Giannis trade?

Knecht can't play defense. He is a very poor defender. It is hard to put another poor defender out there alongside Luka & A Reaves. On a better defensive team, he would have gotten more opportunities to play.

The worrying part is Knecht hasn't improved his defense at all while he has been in LAL. He is a solid offensive player but his defense is so bad that he is nearly unplayable. Even with more opportunities, he probably would have ended up where he is now at some point or another anyway.

Knecht should think about going to Europe after his contract is over. He could have more success there. Maybe learn how to play some defense and try the NBA down the line.

Wow and I thought Baylor?s defense was bad. I didn?t realize Knecht was so putrid on D.