NBA 2026-27 offseason trades, signings & rumors

[Donoghus]

HOLY

Cavaliers and Mitchell agree on extension. 4/273M

So nearly 70M a year

The backside of that deal is gonna be bad.

[Celtics2021]

HOLY

Cavaliers and Mitchell agree on extension. 4/273M

So nearly 70M a year

The backside of that deal is gonna be bad.

I am waiting for the Harden deal to drop.

[Goldstar88]

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.

Exactly. Those trades make zero sense for NO. PG13 has negative trade value. Zion and Herb do not. They are not just going to give us their good players for garbage.

[Roy H.]

HOLY

Cavaliers and Mitchell agree on extension. 4/273M

So nearly 70M a year

The backside of that deal is gonna be bad.

So much for the argument that these extensions are a thing of the past.  I guess more accurately, it's "these extensions are a thing of the past *in Boston*".

But, I agree with you:  Mitchell is unlikely to age well.  But, it's the cost of doing business; you pay some extra salary at the end of a player's career so that you maintain a window of contention while you have stars in place.  That's the tradeoff, with the other choice being not to have those stars at all.

[byennie]

HOLY

Cavaliers and Mitchell agree on extension. 4/273M

So nearly 70M a year

The backside of that deal is gonna be bad.

So much for the argument that these extensions are a thing of the past.  I guess more accurately, it's "these extensions are a thing of the past *in Boston*".

But, I agree with you:  Mitchell is unlikely to age well.  But, it's the cost of doing business; you pay some extra salary at the end of a player's career so that you maintain a window of contention while you have stars in place.  That's the tradeoff, with the other choice being not to have those stars at all.

I mean, that deal is absolutely putrid and I'd put Cleveland at less than a 10% chance, at best, of winning any championships before it's over. I don't think being jealous of crap franchises overspending to stay relevant is the way to go.

[Roy H.]

HOLY

Cavaliers and Mitchell agree on extension. 4/273M

So nearly 70M a year

The backside of that deal is gonna be bad.

So much for the argument that these extensions are a thing of the past.  I guess more accurately, it's "these extensions are a thing of the past *in Boston*".

But, I agree with you:  Mitchell is unlikely to age well.  But, it's the cost of doing business; you pay some extra salary at the end of a player's career so that you maintain a window of contention while you have stars in place.  That's the tradeoff, with the other choice being not to have those stars at all.

I mean, that deal is absolutely putrid and I'd put Cleveland at less than a 10% chance, at best, of winning any championships before it's over. I don't think being jealous of crap franchises overspending to stay relevant is the way to go.

Eh.  I wouldn't call them a crap franchise, nor would I dismiss their chances.  Allen / Mobley / Lebron (likely) / Mitchell / Harden has as realistic a shot at a title as most EC teams.

And, JB is a wildly different player than Mitchell.  I think that paying two stars roughly 55% of the first apron is a very reasonable way to sustain a franchise.  You've still got $100 million to fill out a team.  And, a top tier franchise in revenue can easily afford to go into the second apron for a couple of years.

You figure:

Top-tier stars (2); $110 million or so
Third option (1):  $30 million
Additional starters and sixth man (3):  $45 million
Rotation:  (#7 - #9): $21 million
Bottom 5 (#10 - #14):  Combined $12.5 million
Open spot (#15)

That's $218.5 million.  The first apron line is $220 million next year.  It seems like a pretty doable budget.

Maybe to keep within the budget long term you need to sign Andre Drummond for the minimum rather than Mitchell Robinson for the MLE.  But, no team should be acting like this is some sort of Gordian Knot (which Brad solved in about the same way as Alexander).

[Vermont Green]

There are several differences here.  First, Mitchell had a player option for 2027-28 so the current contract was essentially expiring, not 3 years left like Brown.  And I see the question about having Brown as your second big contract as more analogous to CLE having Mobley as their second big contract.  CLE didn't give Mobley $70M per.  He is extension eligible at the end of this season.  I doubt they extend him at max money.

I would not want to see BOS pay Mitchell that kind of money, but not sure what else CLE could do.  He is their 1A.  If they don't pay him, who else are they going to get to come to CLE?  You either pay him or blow it up and start over.  They decided not to blow it up.

[Donoghus]

Wiseguys are still thinking highly of this Celtics squad.

Hardwood Paroxysm

@HPbasketball
?
19m
Some early win totals via
@DKSports
 
Wolves 49.5
Heat 48.5
Raptors 47.5
Celtics 51.5
Sixers 48.5
Pacers 44.5 (?!)
Thunder 60.5
Spurs 59.5
Knicks 53.5
Lakers 47.5

[Roy H.]

Wiseguys are still thinking highly of this Celtics squad.

Hardwood Paroxysm

@HPbasketball
?
19m
Some early win totals via
@DKSports
 
Wolves 49.5
Heat 48.5
Raptors 47.5
Celtics 51.5
Sixers 48.5
Pacers 44.5 (?!)
Thunder 60.5
Spurs 59.5
Knicks 53.5
Lakers 47.5

Interesting.  The Celts are second in the East among listed teams (where are the Pistons, Cavs, etc.), but they're expected to regress by three games despite a healthy Tatum and adding Mitchell.  I'm sure that bakes in the Paul George downgrade.

[smicker16]

Wiseguys are still thinking highly of this Celtics squad.

Hardwood Paroxysm

@HPbasketball
?
19m
Some early win totals via
@DKSports
 
Wolves 49.5
Heat 48.5
Raptors 47.5
Celtics 51.5
Sixers 48.5
Pacers 44.5 (?!)
Thunder 60.5
Spurs 59.5
Knicks 53.5
Lakers 47.5

Interesting.  The Celts are second in the East among listed teams (where are the Pistons, Cavs, etc.), but they're expected to regress by three games despite a healthy Tatum and adding Mitchell.  I'm sure that bakes in the Paul George downgrade.

Yup absolutely likely mainly due to JB to George drop off, but also the fact that teams are unlikely to be tanking as much with this being a bad draft and the new draft lottery set-up.  I think in general the Cs record last year was a bit inflated because of that. 

[No Nickname]

Wiseguys are still thinking highly of this Celtics squad.

Hardwood Paroxysm

@HPbasketball
?
19m
Some early win totals via
@DKSports
 
Wolves 49.5
Heat 48.5
Raptors 47.5
Celtics 51.5
Sixers 48.5
Pacers 44.5 (?!)
Thunder 60.5
Spurs 59.5
Knicks 53.5
Lakers 47.5

Interesting.  The Celts are second in the East among listed teams (where are the Pistons, Cavs, etc.), but they're expected to regress by three games despite a healthy Tatum and adding Mitchell.  I'm sure that bakes in the Paul George downgrade.

It factors in that the Raptors, Wizards, Heat, and Cleveland (if they add LeBron), will all be better.

The Celtics - Jaylen Brown + Tatum (Full Season) + Mitchell + George = #2 in (a much stronger) East

51.5 wins in 2026-27 >  56 wins in 2025-26

[Donoghus]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
20m
Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed on a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar tells ESPN.

[Roy H.]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
20m
Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed on a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar tells ESPN.

That makes we happy, at least.

[Celtics2021]

Wiseguys are still thinking highly of this Celtics squad.

Hardwood Paroxysm

@HPbasketball
?
19m
Some early win totals via
@DKSports
 
Wolves 49.5
Heat 48.5
Raptors 47.5
Celtics 51.5
Sixers 48.5
Pacers 44.5 (?!)
Thunder 60.5
Spurs 59.5
Knicks 53.5
Lakers 47.5

Interesting.  The Celts are second in the East among listed teams (where are the Pistons, Cavs, etc.), but they're expected to regress by three games despite a healthy Tatum and adding Mitchell.  I'm sure that bakes in the Paul George downgrade.

It factors in that the Raptors, Wizards, Heat, and Cleveland (if they add LeBron), will all be better.

The Celtics - Jaylen Brown + Tatum (Full Season) + Mitchell + George = #2 in (a much stronger) East

51.5 wins in 2026-27 >  56 wins in 2025-26

It also bakes in that teams at the bottom are unlikely to be tanking to the same degree, because of reduced lottery odds for the bottom 3 teams.  There will be limited off nights this year.  This is why the Spurs and Thunder are projected downward by a similar amount.

[Birdman]

Kevon Looney signs with Lakers so it?s Luka with no great help. Kessler, jury still out on him & Reeves was overpaid. Lakers are a play in team in my eyes