NBA 2026-27 offseason trades, signings & rumors

[JBcat]

I hope a trade with NOP is still open.  The idea is to trade Paul George and Hauser for some Murphy + Zion or Poole or Murray.  I don't know that NOP would do this.  I would not if I was them.  Maybe they are so ready to be done with Zion they would take back George.  Maybe this trade:

Paul George for Zion + Herb Williams

I think that works.

I hope this as well, but I like Murphy better.

I get it but to make a deal for Zion + Murphy, I believe we would need to send back Hauser also in order to stay under the 1st apron.  That would be fine, but I don't see why NOP would do that.  NOP may not even offer Zion and Herb Williams for Paul George without a pick.  I am trying to be realistic.

Now if it is Paul George + Hauser + the (2) PHI picks for Zion and Murphy, maybe, but I am still not sure why NOP would do this.  NOP probably could have done Brown and Hauser for Zion and Murphy if they wanted.

Definitely the question is why for NO with all the trade ideas.  Need to build one that seems like a win-win.

NO needs to go into full rebuild mode if they are smart as they are stuck in no man?s land. 3 first round picks for Zion and Murphy could be what gets them at least listening. Ideally I?d like to hold onto one of the Philly picks and use 2 of our own first round picks. You need to wait 60 days if you want to include Hauser otherwise ship him out in a separate deal, or just trade George.

[Celtics2021]

Getting out of the tax is easy and will be done at the trade deadline.  They will release Banton before the end of training camp, and then trade one of Walsh, Harper Jr, Scheierman, or Garza at the deadline (whichever is furthest from making the rotation.  At least one of them will be out of the rotation).  And then they will be under the tax, with enough salary space to add one player from the buyout market and another as the 15th man heading into the playoffs.

I mean, sure, they could make a larger move, but it will not be to avoid the tax.  The tax is easy to avoid this year.

They still need to sign Cenac, but if they do that and cut/release Banton, I have them at around $1,200,000 or so over the tax if they start the season based on that.  So yes, they could then trade someone with a contract in the $2.4M to $2.9M range and take nothing back.  That would leave them at 13 roster spots.  Then they play the 10-day contract or end of season contract game like they did last season.  Keeping 13 as long as they can, and only having partial contract values count against the tax.  Not sure I call that easy, but at least workable so long as they can find someone to absorb a contract at the trade deadline.

At this point, I may prefer to trade off Conley over Walsh, Scheierman, Harper, or Garza, but there is plenty of time to sort that out.  Maybe Conley will surprise us.

I have them at $400k over the tax threshold once Banton is released.  Cenac was signed over the weekend, so he is on the books.

Literally they could just release Jordan Walsh, who is not guaranteed, before the full guarantee date in January and replace him with Dillon Mitchell to get under the tax.  That is unlikely, but my point is that it is super easy to get under the tax.  They do not actually need to make a trade to do it.  So while they are unlikely to take on extra salary in a trade this summer, any salary they move off will not be solely for getting out of the tax, because they have an automatic path if they want it.

EDIT:  Just discovered a $1 million typo in my spreadsheet.  Still, it is really easy to move a player at the deadline who makes the minimum.  It only cost cash to get rid of Tillman, and the Celtics received cash for Minott, while Boucher was a future second-rounder for a recent second-rounder on a 2-way in John Tonje.  Minimum salary contracts are very, very movable at the deadline, and the Celtics have many.

[Birdman]

Rui Hachimura is signing with Clippers

[Jiri Welsch]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49288211/sources-demar-derozan-cut-kings-hits-free-agency

DeRozan cut. Would love to have him just because I have always liked him. Probably does not make sense for our roster though.

Would also be cool if he went back to Toronto.

[Vermont Green]

Getting out of the tax is easy and will be done at the trade deadline.  They will release Banton before the end of training camp, and then trade one of Walsh, Harper Jr, Scheierman, or Garza at the deadline (whichever is furthest from making the rotation.  At least one of them will be out of the rotation).  And then they will be under the tax, with enough salary space to add one player from the buyout market and another as the 15th man heading into the playoffs.

I mean, sure, they could make a larger move, but it will not be to avoid the tax.  The tax is easy to avoid this year.

They still need to sign Cenac, but if they do that and cut/release Banton, I have them at around $1,200,000 or so over the tax if they start the season based on that.  So yes, they could then trade someone with a contract in the $2.4M to $2.9M range and take nothing back.  That would leave them at 13 roster spots.  Then they play the 10-day contract or end of season contract game like they did last season.  Keeping 13 as long as they can, and only having partial contract values count against the tax.  Not sure I call that easy, but at least workable so long as they can find someone to absorb a contract at the trade deadline.

At this point, I may prefer to trade off Conley over Walsh, Scheierman, Harper, or Garza, but there is plenty of time to sort that out.  Maybe Conley will surprise us.

I have them at $400k over the tax threshold once Banton is released.  Cenac was signed over the weekend, so he is on the books.

Literally they could just release Jordan Walsh, who is not guaranteed, before the full guarantee date in January and replace him with Dillon Mitchell to get under the tax.  That is unlikely, but my point is that it is super easy to get under the tax.  They do not actually need to make a trade to do it.  So while they are unlikely to take on extra salary in a trade this summer, any salary they move off will not be solely for getting out of the tax, because they have an automatic path if they want it.

EDIT:  Just discovered a $1 million typo in my spreadsheet.  Still, it is really easy to move a player at the deadline who makes the minimum.  It only cost cash to get rid of Tillman, and the Celtics received cash for Minott, while Boucher was a future second-rounder for a recent second-rounder on a 2-way in John Tonje.  Minimum salary contracts are very, very movable at the deadline, and the Celtics have many.

OK, I had missed the Cenac signing.  I plugged that in and I have them at $4.2M over with Banton and $1.4M over without him.  So I think we have the same numbers.  I agree that historically, it has not been that hard to move a min contract at the deadline.  The players that BOS would be looking to move have more value than Tillman.  Walsh, Scheierman, Harper, Garza, these are all potentially useful players.  Conley might be the one who gets moved.  It will be a tricky dance to play the 13 man roster window and all, but I agree, there is a path.

[Celtics4ever]

Thanks for correcting me, I was using the 188 figure from last year and was way off.

[Who]

NY Times on Jokic's extension / non-extension

Yet as league sources close to Jokić explained, he wants to wait on his next contract to add another year of max money (approximately $80 million) to his deal. He has one guaranteed season left on his contract, with a player option worth $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season.

A five-year deal with the Nuggets signed a year from now would run through the 2031-32 campaign, with Jokić turning 37 years old midway through the final season. Per sources, the chance to get that sort of payday in his late 30s is a significant factor in this decision.

Man, that would be a nice final big contract. 37 years old. I wonder what Jokic will be like by that age. He reminds me so much of Larry Bird. Bird's body broke down early. Jokic has avoided major injuries. Hopefully he doesn't decline young like Bird.

[Who]

Jake Fischer: Only the first season of Quinten Post?s three-year, $30 million offer sheet from Memphis is guaranteed, per sources. Yet there are ~$1.3M in unlikely incentives each season if Post were to make an All-Defense Team, so that extra money would count against the Warriors? apron

Why does Memphis want to pay more than the minimum for what would be their 3rd string center?

They already have Zach Edey & Isaiah Stewart. Maybe to use I Stewart more as a PF. They have plenty of depth there too with Cameron Boozer & Jerami Grant at PF.

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

Here is an answer to that question

Chris Herrington: Everything I?ve heard is that the Edey trajectory hasn?t changed. Expectation is he?ll be ready for opening night. But I also expect they?ll be careful with him. He?ll miss games. So will Stewart. They needed a third center.

[Who]

Joel Lorenzi: Noa Essengue said with his new shoulder he has to ?learn how to play again.? Says he?s at about 98% and is still working through some range-of-motion stuff. Said he hasn?t talked to the staff about how many games he?ll play in Vegas.

Jeez, what happened to his shoulder?

I am struggling to find out what specific injury he had. They just say "left shoulder surgery". Likely out 6-7 months.

Maybe it was just a strange turn of phrase or a mistranslation that it came out as "new shoulder". I find it odd they are being cryptic about his surgery though. Bulls fans say this is typical of their medical department. They never get out any info. Bulls fans seem to hate their medical department. Think they are one of the worst in the league.

Oooh, New Orleans were offering that trade package to Chicago for Derik Queen that they ended up giving to Atlanta for that #11 pick Chicago used on Noa Essengue. Chicago passed it up. They thought Essengue was better. Atlanta got that trade deal for the 13th pick instead. Chicaog = dumbasses.

[Who]

At 41 years old, LeBron James is still the NBA's free agent of the summer. However, any teams involved in the highly-touted sweepstakes for James have reportedly been kept "in the dark" and haven't heard from the superstar or his camp, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst.

Diva

He is stringing along these teams so he can get more media attention.

[Who]

Heat Central: BREAKING: Giannis Antetokounmpo announces he doesn?t think he will keep number 34 this year with the Heat. He likes the number 7.

Giannis would look good in #7.

Etienne Catalan: Bobby Portis Jr. ( @BPortistime ) will wear No. 95 for the #Heat. Number never worn in franchise history. #NBA

Horrible number.

Anthony Chiang: It should come as no surprise, but @TheJaxShow is correct. Tim Hardaway Jr. will wear No. 10 in Miami. Tim Hardaway Sr. changed his mind and will allow his son to wear his number with the Heat.

[Who]

Rui Hachimura is signing with Clippers

Source says Rui, who wanted to stay in LA, prioritized Clippers over interest from Brooklyn, San Antonio, Golden State, Minnesota, and Portland.

Wow, he passed up interest from 2 top teams in San Antonio and Minnesota to stay in LA ... on a losing team with the Clippers.

Jake Fischer: The Clippers are signing Rui Hachimura by way of their mid-level exception, per source. The two-year, $28 million deal has a team option in the second season, and I?m being told does not rule out Los Angeles from a sign-and-trade pursuit of Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson.

Great signing for the MLE.

So Rui will be their new starting PF.

G: D Garland, K Dunn, Cam Christie
G: Kobe Sanders, Keaton Wagler
F: B Ingram, B Mathurin, Jordan Miller, Gradey Dick
F: Rui Hachimura, Derrick Jones Jr
C: Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson, Niederhauser

14 players deep. Legit NBA players. Niederhauser the biggest question mark but I like what I have seen from him. I think he will be a good NBA player.

Adding Rui is a good move. A quality big defensive forward. Quick versatile big defensive forward. Has some physicality which their main perimeter guys lack (Garland, Ingram, K Wagler). Lots of 3pt shooting between Rui & B Lopez. That will make life easier for Garland and B Ingram. Those 2 guys could have big seasons as a result.

[Who]

Bobby Marks: Some context on the Quinten Post offer sheet in Memphis.

* Last time a player signed an offer sheet of $5M+ per season was Matisse Thybulle with Dallas in 2023.

* Last time an offer sheet went unmatched was 2020 (Bogdan Bogdanovic with Sacramento/Atlanta)

Jesus. That is a long time. Restricted free agents aren't moving at all. That is terrible.

I never liked restricted free agency. I knew it reduced movement but I had no idea it was that bad. 6 years. Q Post would be the first one to move in 6 years.

[Roy H.]

Bobby Marks: Some context on the Quinten Post offer sheet in Memphis.

* Last time a player signed an offer sheet of $5M+ per season was Matisse Thybulle with Dallas in 2023.

* Last time an offer sheet went unmatched was 2020 (Bogdan Bogdanovic with Sacramento/Atlanta)

Jesus. That is a long time. Restricted free agents aren't moving at all. That is terrible.

I never liked restricted free agency. I knew it reduced movement but I had no idea it was that bad. 6 years. Q Post would be the first one to move in 6 years.

Small quibble, but restricted free agents still move once in a while. They just do it via sign and trade, rather than through offer sheets.. think Grant Williams, Walker Kessler, etc.