NBA 2026-27 offseason trades, signings & rumors

[Celtics2021]

Relating the Randle trade to the Celtics offseason, in a roundabout measure, we see that Randle is owed $33 million this year with a player option for $35.8 million next year.  He was coming off a solid but not spectacular year, and was a workhorse.  So far it appear that Minny moved 5 spots back in the draft to unload him, so minor negative value.

A bit ago, there was a lot of activity around an idea of sending JB to New Orleans for Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray.  Murray has a very similar contact to Randle ($32.8 million this year, player option $30.8 million next year).  If Randle, coming off his quality, if overpriced, season is a downgrade of 5 slots, or roughly an earlyish 2nd rounder, in negative value, how much more negative value would Murray be?  People were trying to talk themselves into it, but I think NOP would need to give up a first for Murray in addition to the draft picks for the difference between Jaylen and Murphy.

Anyway, just food for thought as we try to value players.  Also interesting is Claxton so far seeming to have minimal value.   At $23 million this year and $21 million next year, that is interesting.  It definitely seems the market on bigs this free agency will cap out at the MLE, with a bunch of quality names coming under the full amount.

[Phantom255x]

Wow!

Dosunmu extended by the Timberwolves. 5/112M

[Who]

Jon Krawczynski

Naz Reid is going to be the starting power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time in his career.

This move is a big statement of belief in Reid and Jaden McDaniels to take the next steps in their development.

Yossi Gozlan

The Bulls will use $23.1 million of their cap space to acquire Nic Claxton. They go from from $54 million in cap space to $30.9 million in room remaining. They would still have the $9.4 million room mid-level to use after. Great business getting him essentially for free.

I am delighted the Bulls finally have a center. It was ugly watching their team in the 2nd half of last season. I thought they might leave the position unfilled for the foreseeable future in order to keep tanking / get higher draft picks.

Now with Nic Claxton on board, Chicago will actually be watchable again.

G: Tre Jones
G: Josh Giddey
F: Matas Buzelis
F: Caleb Wilson
C: Nic Claxton

That is a fun group. Giddey makes most teams fun. Beautiful player. His passing and teamwork is contagious. Tre Jones & Nic Claxton quality glue guys. Room for Buzelis and Caleb Wilson to grow and show their talents. Should be entertaining.

[Celtics2021]

Wow!

Dosunmu extended by the Timberwolves. 5/112M

Big total number thanks to raises and length of deal, but next year that will likely be around $19.3 million.  Minny has about $25 million in room under the tax after this deal and the Randle trade, with 9 players under contract.  They can use the full MLE for another addition and then fill up the roster with minimums, or split the MLE to a couple of players and/or use the BAE.

[Who]

Wow!

Dosunmu extended by the Timberwolves. 5/112M

That is Pritchard's next contract. Get ready for it. 

[Celtics2021]

Wow!

Dosunmu extended by the Timberwolves. 5/112M

That is Pritchard's next contract. Get ready for it.

Around there, yes.  It likely will be impacted by the extension rules, which could keep it a little lower on a year-to-year basis, since by the time it kicks in, Dosunmu will have gotten a couple of decent raises.  (In other words, Pritchard would get near the same amount in Year 1 of an extension as Dosunmu is now, but by the time Pritchard reaches Year 1 Dosunmu will be making $3 or so million more).

[Who]

Jon Krawczynski: The Wolves have not been in the Ja Morant mix. Decision was made to look elsewhere for backcourt help

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Chicago are trading a bench player to MIN

Jake Fischer: The Bulls are trading Mo Gueye to Minnesota, sources say, to complete the three-team deal that sends Julius Randle and No. 28 in tomorrow?s NBA Draft to Brooklyn for No. 33, and reroutes Nic Claxton into Chicago?s cap space in the new league year. Gueye?s salary is non-guaranteed for 2026-27.

I did not even know Mo Gueye was in Chicago. I thought he was still in Atlanta.

Wait, didn't he play in the playoffs for ATL? Is there a 2nd Mo Gueye? I am confused.

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So there is (a) Mouhamed Gueye (b) Mouhamadou Gueye

(a) plays for Atlanta
(b) is a nobody. He has 13 NBA games / 165 career minutes.

The nobody is who is being sent to Minnesota.

Joel Lorenzi: Bulls had a few options here to make trade legal (cash, top-55 protected future pick, etc). They got Gueye on an end-of-season, non-guaranteed deal in April, and they get Claxton without digging into assets.