NBA 2026-27 offseason trades, signings & rumors

[Moranis]

I am going to go with Indiana & Boston as the top 2 teams in the East. I'll go further. I'll add Toronto. Indiana, Boston, Toronto are my top 3 teams in the East in some order.

I do not have NYK at the top because they lost Mitchell Robinson and they now have one of the worst benches in the league. I have them a level below these 3 teams. I see them as a 2nd tier team in the East.

I have Detroit on the same level as NYK. They need to add more offense to their team. More shooting, more scoring, more playmaking. They are far too dependent on Cade Cunningham. I do not trust them in the playoffs.

I have Cleveland below DET & NYK in my 3rd tier.

Cleveland beat Detroit last year and didn't lose a starter in free agency. 

[Who]

Tim MacMahon: Source: The Jazz are signing former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes to a two-year, $12 million deal. The second season is a team option.

Good addition. More big man depth which Utah needed.

I am guessing this means they see Filipowski more as a PF than as a C.

[Who]

Michael Scotto: The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Meleek Thomas, the 34th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, to a four-year, $9.3 million deal, league sources told @hoopshype . Thomas gets the first three years fully guaranteed for a total of $6.4 million.

3 years guaranteed. Sounds like CLE have a lot of belief in him.

Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor are interesting young guards for CLE who could step up if CLE can find a way to trade away Strus and/or Schroder.

[No Nickname]

I would love to see San Antonio move Devin Vassell to the bench instead of Julian Champagnie to make room for Tobias Harris in the starting lineup. Champagnie is bigger and better defensively than Vassell.

G: D Fox, D Harper
G: S Castle, D Vassell
F: Champagnie, Carter Bryant
F: Tobias Harris, Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes
C: Wemby, L Kornet, Tarris Reed Jr

Option 2: Start D Vassell and bring Champagnie off the bench.

Option 3: Keep last year's starting lineup. Use T Harris as main bench forward.

I don't have stats to prove it, but my eye-test over the past two years makes me think Champagnie's defense.... sucks.

[Who]

Chris Haynes: Memphis Grizzlies and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are on the verge of working on a parting resolution as he could be traded or become a free agent relatively soon, league sources tell me.

Worth a go for Boston? See if he can get his shooting touch back? If he could start knocking down 3s again, he could even start at SG for BOS.

[Vermont Green]

Tobias Harris, the 15-year NBA veteran, has agreed to sign a two-year, $31 million deal to join the San Antonio Spurs, according to Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko. The deal is fully guaranteed, too.

This snuck in.  Nice get for SAS.  Tough loss for DET.  I think Harris is better than either Vassell or Champagnie.  Vassell at $27M feels like the one to dump, but not sure they will be able to.

[Who]

Michael Scotto: JUST IN: The Orlando Magic and Jonathan Isaac have agreed to a one-year deal, league sources told @hoopshype .

One thing I do not understand about Orlando is why they have 3 backup PFs when their best player / franchise player is also a PF.

PF: Banchero, T da Silva, J Isaac, Noah Penda

[Who]

Derek Bodner

Andre Drummond reflects on being a free agent: "I love playing in the Association. It's a dream come true for me. But I'm also not willing to play for less than my worth." "I did that once and then I got labeled as one of those guys, and I think it really killed my value in the NBA, because I'm still moving like I'm in my mid-20s. I still have a lot left in the tank." "I think by taking that paycut...I feel like I've been climbing out of a hole for the last 4-5 years. It's been hard."

I wonder what Drummond thinks his worth is. I hate these cryptic answers about a player's worth. Say what you think you are worth!!

Ian Begley: If Knicks remain committed to staying under 2nd apron, and Andre Drummond remains committed to this approach in free agency, hard to see NYK & Drummond as a match.

Drummond would be a good get for NYK. They gotta fill that hole at center. Lost M Robinson and Hukporti.

[Who]

Chris Haynes: Contrary to speculation, the Detroit Pistons will not be waiving marksman Duncan Robinson, league sources tell me.

Good news for DET. I think he is their best wing shooter ahead of I Joe and K Huerter.

Detroit are using a sign and trade to get John Collins. So LAC will get a trade exception from the deal.

[Who]

Shams Charania

Free agent guard De'Anthony Melton has agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. There is a player option in the season of the deal as well.

Keith Smith

Jevon Carter is getting a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. He'll hit the cap at roughly $2.4M. Same cap hit as Nikola Vucevic.

I've got the Magic about $6.2M under the second apron with two open roster spots. Could squeeze in a Taxpayer MLE signing, but likely won't to avoid a second-apron hard cap.

Speculation on Miami pursuing ...

Veteran Khris Middleton remains a possibility for one of those minimum contracts. Miami has respect for veteran point guard Gabe Vincent, who was on the Heat?s 2023 Finals team, but it?s undecided if the Heat will pursue this.

I like Gabe Vincent for them. Defensive guard, sometimes shooter. I don't like Middleton. His body is too broken down. Too vulnerable defensively.

[SparzWizard]

Shams Charania

Free agent guard De'Anthony Melton has agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. There is a player option in the season of the deal as well.

Keith Smith

Jevon Carter is getting a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. He'll hit the cap at roughly $2.4M. Same cap hit as Nikola Vucevic.

I've got the Magic about $6.2M under the second apron with two open roster spots. Could squeeze in a Taxpayer MLE signing, but likely won't to avoid a second-apron hard cap.

Speculation on Miami pursuing ...

Veteran Khris Middleton remains a possibility for one of those minimum contracts. Miami has respect for veteran point guard Gabe Vincent, who was on the Heat?s 2023 Finals team, but it?s undecided if the Heat will pursue this.

I like Gabe Vincent for them. Defensive guard, sometimes shooter. I don't like Middleton. His body is too broken down. Too vulnerable defensively.

Ironically, Middleton reuniting with Giannis again but in Miami. Thought they both became acquaintances

[Who]

"I'm 100% sure that that's not a place I would want to return," [Rich] Paul recalled [LeBron] James telling him.

That ended any need for a formal meeting with the Lakers.

[No Nickname]

So with Mitchell being signed with the MLE the Celtics have what left? 

The bi-annual exception?  Who might we target for that?

And of course the standard trade route for more moves.

[Who]

NBACentral: The Miami Heat remain in the mix for LeBron James, Khris Middleton, Bradley Beal, and Anfernee Simons, per @JakeLFischer

Bradley Beal would be an interesting option for both Beal & Miami.

Someone was making the point how Miami have no 3 level scorer who can create his own offense. Beal would have the ball a lot in that Miami team. That might be the best situation in the league for him to re-establish himself.

[Who]

James becomes just the second player in Lakers history to leave the purple-and-gold franchise as a reigning All-Star, joining Dwight Howard on the list.

Considering the Lakers have been a franchise since 1948-49, for them to have lost just two All-Stars in free agency the following offseason is almost hard to believe.

That is impressive. Managing to hold onto your stars so consistently for 75+ years. Only twice have they lost their stars.

Although, now that I think about it, Shaq forced his way out LAL in a trade. He should be included here too.

Here is another one:

[LeBron} James is now the first player in Laker history to leave the franchise in free agency the offseason after averaging at least 20 points per game. The other Lakers to have left Los Angeles the season after averaging 20-plus points per night - [Shaquille] O'Neal, Clyde Lovelette and Jerry West - left either via trade or, specifically in West's case, retired.