Trade Rumors: Kings, Holiday, Young, Wizards, Celtics, Wolves
Asked during a radio appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link) this week about the Kings‘ offseason plans and whether new general manager Scott Perry might make drastic changes to the roster, Sam Amick of The Athletic said Sacramento is exploring “a lot” of possibilities.
“I don’t know how much they’re going to overhaul the roster,” Amick said (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). “But I think they are looking at big stuff, I think they’re looking at small stuff. The point guard pursuit is very real. I don’t know where they will land on that front. It’s kind of an ‘If only Jrue Holiday was five years younger’-type thing. I think that type of option has been considered and explored, but is imperfect because of his age.
“If you go younger, a lot of Trae Young rumors. My understanding is that there’s not interest there unless it came attached to a bunch of first-round picks.”
While Holiday has been one of the NBA’s best two-way players for years, the Celtics veteran is entering his age-35 season and is owed $104.4MM over the next three years. Young, meanwhile, is one of the NBA’s top play-makers but isn’t a great defender and lacks positional size. The Hawks guard is owed $46MM in 2025/26 and could become an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he declines a player option worth nearly $49MM.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Wizards have explored trading up from No. 6 in the hopes of landing a long-term point guard like Dylan Harper or Jeremiah Fears and have been willing to part with “surprising names” in their conversations about the second overall pick, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. However, those efforts have been rebuffed, with the Spurs still considered likely to hang onto that No. 2 pick. As Afseth explains, stabilizing the point guard position has become a priority for the rebuilding Wizards, who have also done extensive due diligence on point guard prospects who may be on the board at No. 18.
- Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that it will be very difficult to convince the Celtics to move either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this summer. “I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston,” Charania said.
- While the Timberwolves are reportedly hoping Suns forward Kevin Durant warms to the idea of playing in Minnesota, current Wolves star Anthony Edwards isn’t actively recruiting his former Olympic teammate, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today this week (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).
Raptors Reportedly Unwilling To Include Poeltl In Offer For Durant
The Raptors have interest in Kevin Durant and continue to monitor the market for the Suns star, but they would be unwilling to include starting center Jakob Poeltl in an offer for Durant, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Multiple sources confirmed to Grange that Poeltl wouldn’t be part of any trade the Raptors make for Durant. According to Grange, when Phoenix and Toronto spoke about Durant prior to February’s trade deadline, the Suns asked for Poeltl and received a “firm” no from the Raptors. That stance hasn’t changed in the months since then.
While there have been rumors this month about the Raptors being open to putting Poeltl in the table, Grange suggests those leaks are likely designed to increase bids from other suitors for Durant as the Suns look to maximize their return.
As Grange points out, since reacquiring Poeltl in 2023, the Raptors have struggled to compete when he’s not available. In 2024/25, for example, the club had a net rating of -0.7 during Poeltl’s 1,686 minutes of action, compared to a -6.2 mark in the 2,275 minutes he didn’t play. The gap between Toronto’s net rating with Poeltl on and off the court was even more extreme in ’23/24.
Poeltl, 29, posted new career highs of 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game across 57 outings this past season, making 62.7% of his shots from the field and contributing 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per night as well.
Since the Raptors are looking to build a roster capable of winning in 2025/26, trading Poeltl would run counter to that goal, leaving them with a significant hole to fill in the middle. The more likely scenario, Grange writes, is that Toronto works out a contract extension with the big man at some point before next season tips off.
Poeltl is owed $19.5MM in 2025/26, with a $19.5MM player option for ’26/27. His maximum extension would be worth up to about $122MM over four years if he declines that option as part of an agreement, or up to roughly $88MM over three years if he picks up the option and has the new deal begin in 2027.
The Raptors still have a handful of sizable contracts belonging to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett that could be used for salary-matching purposes in a Durant deal. However, any combination of those two players would have a higher combined cap hit next season than Durant, which would complicate negotiations, since the Suns are operating above the second tax apron. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate multiple player salaries as long as they remain in second-apron territory.
International Notes: Durant, NBA Europe, Israel, Team USA U19
Kevin Durant – a current member of the Suns who could be traded to a new NBA team in a matter of days – has invested in Paris Saint-Germain via Qatar Sports Investments, as Adam Crafton and Joe Vardon of The Athletic detail.
Known primarily for its soccer teams, Paris Saint-Germain also has professional handball and judo teams under its umbrella. Despite the fact that there’s already a Paris-based club in the EuroLeague, PSG is looking into the possibility of establishing a basketball team of its own as part of the NBA’s foray into Europe.
According to The Athletic’s report, Durant will consult on Paris Saint-Germain’s potential plans to expand into basketball.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the international basketball world:
- Speaking of NBA Europe, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic checks in on where things stand with the project, noting that the relationship between the NBA and EuroLeague appears to have “thawed” to some extent as of late. That could bode well for some sort of professional partnership between the two entities. “It is becoming more obvious that we have to work together,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas told The Athletic after meeting recently with the NBA. “I believe it is the first meeting of many where we should find ways to grow basketball. FIBA’s wishes are clear and simple and easy to get to. So it is up to both leagues to find ways to grow European basketball. Our history and fan base and teams would be a strong backbone to build on.”
- Basketball activities in Israel have halted for the time being due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, per Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Israel’s domestic league, which was in the midst of its finals between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, had its season cut short without declaring a champion. It’s also unclear if Israel will be able to send a team to Switzerland for the upcoming U19 FIBA World Cup later this month.
- USA Basketball has officially announced its roster for that U19 2025 World Cup, with A.J. Dybantsa – a contender to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 – and Tyran Stokes – ESPN’s top-ranked prospect in the 2026 recruiting class – among the group’s headliners. The tournament will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland from June 28 to July 6.
2025 NBA Offseason Trades
As we did with last year’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2024/25, Hoops Rumors will be keeping track of all of the trades made this offseason, right up until the start of the 2025/26 season, updating this post with each transaction.
Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been traded multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. If a trade has not yet been formally finalized, it will be listed in italics. The terms or structures of those deals could still change before they’re officially completed.
For our full story on each trade, click on the date above it. For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks.
We’ll continue to update this list with the latest specific details on picks and other compensation, as they’re reported.
Here’s the full list of the NBA’s 2025 offseason trades:
2025/26 League Year
- Nets acquire Kobe Bufkin.
- Hawks acquire cash ($110K).
- Nets acquire Haywood Highsmith and the Heat’s 2032 second-round pick.
- Heat acquire the Nets’ 2026 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
- Jazz acquire Georges Niang, either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Celtics acquire RJ Luis (two-way).
- Nuggets acquire Jonas Valanciunas.
- Kings acquire Dario Saric.
- Spurs acquire Kelly Olynyk.
- Wizards acquire Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and either the Mavericks’, Thunder’s, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Nuggets acquire Cameron Johnson.
- Nets acquire Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets’ 2032 first-round pick.
- Kings acquire Dennis Schröder (sign-and-trade) and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Knicks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Pistons acquire the Hornets’ 2026 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
- Clippers acquire John Collins.
- Heat acquire Norman Powell.
- Jazz acquire Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, the Clippers’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM; from Clippers).
- Pistons acquire Duncan Robinson (sign-and-trade).
- Heat acquire Simone Fontecchio.
- Trail Blazers acquire Jrue Holiday.
- Celtics acquire Anfernee Simons.
- Hawks acquire Kristaps Porzingis and a 2026 second-round pick (details below; from Celtics).
- Celtics acquire Georges Niang, the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (from Hawks), and cash ($1.1MM; from Nets).
- Nets acquire Terance Mann and the draft rights to Drake Powell (No. 22 pick).
- Note: The 2026 second-round pick going to Atlanta will be the least favorable of the following two picks:
- Either the Celtics’ 2026 second-round pick or the most favorable of the Pacers’ and Heat’s second-round picks (whichever is less favorable).
- Either the Timberwolves’, Knicks’, Pelicans’, or Trail Blazers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Hawks acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker (sign-and-trade).
- Timberwolves acquire the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick and cash ($1.5MM).
- Warriors acquire the draft rights to Will Richard (No. 56 pick).
- Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick), the Warriors’ 2032 second-round pick (top-50 protected), and the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
- Rockets acquire Kevin Durant and Clint Capela (sign-and-trade).
- Suns acquire Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Daeqwon Plowden (two-way), the draft rights to Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick; from Rockets), the draft rights to Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 pick; from Timberwolves), the draft rights to Koby Brea (No. 41 pick; from Warriors), and either the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Rockets).
- Lakers acquire the draft rights to Adou Thiero (No. 36 pick; from Nets).
- Warriors acquire the draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; from Suns) and the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick; from Rockets).
- Timberwolves acquire the draft rights to Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 pick; from Lakers), either the Warriors’ or Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Suns), either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Suns/Rockets), and cash ($3.25MM; from Lakers).
- Note: The Suns, not the Rockets, retain the least favorable of the 2032 second-round picks.
- Nets acquire either the Clippers’ 2026 second-round pick or the most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s 2026 second-round picks (whichever is least favorable; from Rockets) and the Celtics’ 2030 second-round pick (from Rockets).
- Hawks acquire David Roddy (two-way), the right to swap their own 2031 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2031 second-round pick (56-60 protected; from Rockets), and cash ($85,300; from Rockets).
- Pelicans acquire Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the draft rights to Micah Peavy (No. 40 pick).
- Wizards acquire CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, Cam Whitmore, and the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (from Pelicans).
- Rockets acquire the draft rights to Mojave King, the Bulls’ 2026 second-round pick (from Wizards) and the Kings’ 2029 second-round pick (from Wizards).
- Note: The Wizards already controlled the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick if it landed between 31-50. Now they’ll receive it no matter where it ends up.
- Pacers acquire Jay Huff.
- Grizzlies acquire the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick and the right to swap their 2031 second-round pick for either the Pacers’ or Heat’s 2031 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Cavaliers acquire Lonzo Ball.
- Bulls acquire Isaac Okoro.
- Bucks acquire Vasilije Micic.
- Hornets acquire Pat Connaughton, the Bucks’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Bucks’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Pacers acquire the draft rights to Kam Jones (No. 38 pick).
- Spurs acquire the Kings’ 2030 second-round pick and cash ($2.5MM).
2024/25 League Year
- Lakers acquire the draft rights to Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 pick).
- Bulls acquire the draft rights to Lachlan Olbrich (No. 55 pick) in the 2025 draft and cash ($2.5MM).
- Suns acquire Mark Williams and the Suns’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Vasilije Micic, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley (No. 29 pick), and either the Timberwolves’ (top-five protected), Cavaliers’, or Jazz’s 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: The Suns had traded the Hornets their 2029 second-round pick in a previous deal.
- Hornets acquire Collin Sexton and either the Jazz’s or Clippers’ 2030 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Jazz acquire Jusuf Nurkic.
- Wizards acquire Dillon Jones and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Thunder acquire Colby Jones.
- Clippers acquire the draft rights to Kobe Sanders (No. 50 pick).
- Knicks acquire the draft rights to Mohamed Diawara (No. 51 pick) and the draft rights to Luka Mitrovic.
- Magic acquire the draft rights to Noah Penda (No. 32 pick).
- Celtics acquire the draft rights to Amari Williams (No. 46 pick), the draft rights to Max Shulga (No. 57 pick), either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Note: The Celtics had traded their 2027 second-round pick to the Magic in a previous deal.
- Jazz acquire the draft rights to Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18 pick).
- Wizards acquire the draft rights to Will Riley (No. 21 pick), the No. 43 pick in the 2025 draft, either the Heat’s or Pacers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick.
- Kings acquire the draft rights to Nique Clifford (No. 24 pick).
- Thunder acquire the Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick (top-16 protected).
- Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Cedric Coward (No. 11 pick).
- Trail Blazers acquire the draft rights to Yang Hansen (No. 16 pick), the Magic’s 2028 first-round pick, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Kings’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Pelicans acquire the draft rights to Derik Queen (No. 13 pick).
- Hawks acquire the draft rights to Asa Newell (No. 23 pick) and either the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is more favorable).
- Pelicans acquire the No. 23 pick in the 2025 draft and the draft rights to Mojave King.
- Pacers acquire the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick.
- Note: The Pelicans had acquired the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (with top-four protection) in a previous trade; the Pacers got it back in this deal.
- Magic acquire Desmond Bane.
- Grizzlies acquire Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, the No. 16 pick in the 2025 draft, the Magic’s 2026 first-round pick (with swap rights; details below), the Magic’s 2028 first-round pick, the Magic’s 2030 first-round pick, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Magic in 2029 (top-two protected).
- Note: The Grizzlies will have the ability to swap the Magic’s 2026 first-round pick for the Suns’ 2026 pick (if the Wizards’ first-rounder lands outside of the top eight) or for the least favorable of the Suns’ and Wizards’ 2026 picks (if the Wizards’ first-rounder lands in the top eight).
Latest On Ace Bailey
Having canceled his pre-draft workout with the Sixers this week, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey still hasn’t visited any teams ahead of next Wednesday’s first round. While his unorthodox pre-draft process has fueled speculation that Bailey – long considered a top-three or top-four prospect in this year’s class – may drop further than expected next week, he’s unlikely to slide too far, Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line (Substack link).
“He’s not falling into the 20s like Cam Whitmore,” a longtime scout told Fischer.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has heard from multiple league sources that Omar Cooper, one of Bailey’s representatives, wanted the Sixers to commit to drafting him at No. 3 prior to Friday’s scheduled workout. However, Fischer cites a source briefed on the process who says Bailey’s camp didn’t insist on an “iron-clad promise” from Philadelphia.
Pompey has also heard from a league executive that Bailey’s reps may want him to play on the East Coast, somewhere between Atlanta and New York. When ESPN had Bailey going to Washington at No. 6 in its latest mock draft, Jonathan Givony suggested that “geography” was one factor worth considering.
According to Fischer, there hasn’t been much chatter connecting Bailey to the Hornets, who hold the No. 4 overall pick. Lottery teams believe the Jazz at No. 5 could be a potential landing spot for the 18-year-old, but Utah is also thought to be high on Duke’s Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel, Fischer notes.
The Wizards hold the No. 6 pick and their front office has spoken repeatedly in the past about building around high-character players. While there are no apprehensions about Bailey’s character specifically – one NBA scout described him to Fischer as a “sweetheart” – there are some concerns about his focus, his approach to the game, and his maturity, per Fischer and Pompey.
“He’s not immature like a [butthead]. … He’s goofy,” a scout told Pompey. “Dancing in line. You are doing drills, he’s dancing. ‘Oh, that’s my song.’ … He’s playful, which is age-appropriate.”
The Pelicans (No. 7), meanwhile, have been reported to have interest in Bailey, but league sources tell Fischer’s Substack teammate Marc Stein that New Orleans’ interest has been overstated.
As Fischer writes, with no sense that any specific team in that 3-7 range is locked in on Bailey, there have been teams wondering if he might make it all the way to the Nets at No. 8. As Fischer and Stein previously observed, a number of evaluators and scouts believe there’s a drop-off after the top eight prospects in the 2025 draft class.
Here are a few more Bailey-related notes:
- According to Fischer, NBA teams believe that one reason why Bailey’s pre-draft approach has been so unconventional is that it’s being coordinated largely by Cooper, who is the father of former NBA guard Sharife Cooper and isn’t certified as an NBA agent. While Adie Von Gontard and Daniel Green are officially listed as Bailey’s agents, Cooper is the one believed to be running point during the pre-draft process, Fischer explains.
- Despite the questions surrounding Bailey, some sources who spoke to Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer believe the Sixers should still draft him at No. 3. “You have to take him,” one Western Conference scout said. “But you have to really know what you are getting. He has the highest upside.”
- League sources confirm to Pompey that the Sixers remain interested in moving the No. 3 pick for the right deal. Pompey has also heard from sources that the Wizards, Pelicans, and Nets may also have some level of interest in moving up for the 6’8″ forward.
Southwest Notes: Murray, Edey, Flagg, Mavs, Hooper
Appearing on The Pivot Podcast (YouTube link) this week, Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray said he has “nothing but love” for the city of New Orleans but that the last year was his “worst experience in the NBA,” as Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com relays.
In addition to sustaining two major injuries – a broken hand and a torn Achilles – Murray dealt with a series of tragedies in his personal life, including the death of a cousin, his mother suffering a stroke, and an uncle overdosing. He also felt that he wasn’t getting the sort of support he needed from the Pelicans.
“The organization, it got bad, man,” he said. “As you guys can see, such and such got fired, another guy left, they brought new people in.”
Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin was let go at the end of the season, while general manager Bryson Graham left New Orleans to take a job in the Hawks’ front office.
“I’m stressed, I’m mad everyday, I’m sad, I’m angry, I don’t want to be there at that time. It’s just so much going on,” Murray said, describing his mental state during the season. “… It wasn’t just me, it was everybody’s mental. Every player. I hope this brings peace to my brothers. I hope everyone gets what they need. I hope the organization gets it together because you have the talent, but it ain’t just the talent. You need every dot to connect to have a chance to win.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Grizzlies center Zach Edey will have an initial hearing on Monday for a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving, according to Ron Wilkins of the Lafayette Journal & Courier. As Wilkins reports, Indiana police say that stopped Edey on May 1 after he was driving 101 mph in a 55-mph zone. He told the state trooper who pulled him over that he was speeding because he was trying to pass another vehicle.
- Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link) takes an inside look at Cooper Flagg‘s visit to Dallas this week, which included a Tuesday dinner with general manager Nico Harrison, head coach Jason Kidd, CEO Rick Welts, assistant GM Michael Finley, and other Mavericks staffers. According to Curtis, Flagg’s visit also included meetings with members of the Mavs’ business operations department, a tour of the team’s facilities, and a standard workout that included situational reads and shooting drills. He reportedly shot the ball “insanely well” during that workout, a league source tells Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban.
- With Flagg set to join the Mavericks next Wednesday as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Chris Mannix takes an in-depth look at the star prospect in a cover story for Sports Illustrated.
- The Mavericks plan to name Max Hooper as the new head coach of their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, reports Marc Stein (Twitter link). Hooper, the head video coordinator in Dallas, will replace Jordan Sears, who is expected to move back to the Mavs’ coaching staff after coaching the Legends for the past two seasons, Stein explains.
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, McConnell, Game 7
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton received a “wide range” of treatments in an effort to get him ready for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, who says those treatments included hyperbaric chambers, needles, massages, electronic stimulation, and a compression sleeve on Haliburton’s calf.
Fortunately for the Pacers, they raced out to a big first-half lead on Thursday and extended that lead in the third quarter, putting them in position to hold Haliburton out of the fourth quarter and reduce his workload for the night. He had 14 points and five assists in 23 minutes, with Indiana outscoring the Thunder by 25 points when he was on the court.
“He did amazing,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin said after the victory, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. “He led us to a win, and he’s a soldier. He’s not going to let no little injury hold him back from playing in the finals and helping this team win. He’s helped us get to this point, and he’s going to keep going until he can’t.”
Haliburton was listed as questionable on the Game 6 injury report and was considered a game-time decision on Thursday, but multiple teammates – including Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner – said they had no doubt the All-NBA guard would be on the court when the game tipped off.
“I just look at it as I want to be out there to compete with my brothers,” Haliburton said, according to Taylor. “We’ve had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group. I think I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance. I just want to be out there and fight. (I) just had to have an honest conversation with Coach (Rick Carlisle) that if I didn’t look like myself and was hurting the team, like, sit me down. Obviously, I want to be on the floor, but I want to win more than anything.”
Here’s more on the Pacers on the heels of their Game 6 victory:
- As big a role as Haliburton has played to get the Pacers to this point, Siakam actually looks like the frontrunner to be named Finals MVP if Indiana can pull out a win in Game 7, notes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The veteran forward, who put an exclamation point on a huge second quarter with a poster dunk over Jalen Williams and a buzzer-beating fadeaway, won a title in Toronto, but feels like he has grown significantly as a player and a leader since that 2019 championship. “I wasn’t a leader then,” Siakam said. “… I think this time around, just having been one of the only guys that has been there or one of the few guys that has been there, and I’m year nine or 10 or whatever, it’s like I have way more to say and I can impact not only by saying things but also on the floor.”
- With another big performance in Game 6, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell became the only player in league history to record at least 60 points, 25 assists, 15 rebounds, and 10 steals off the bench in an NBA Finals, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. However, McConnell’s impact goes beyond the box score. “Any time he comes into the game, the crowd loves him, and he feeds off of that,” Toppin said. “He had a great start to (Thursday’s) game, and it got us going. Brought juice into the game, energy into the game.”
- While the Pacers will carry the momentum from their resounding Game 6 victory into Sunday’s Game 7, they know they’ll still be significant underdogs in Oklahoma City against the 68-win Thunder, as Zak Keefer of The Athletic details. They also know that anything can happen in a single game. “One game,” Carlisle said on Thursday. “This is what it’s all about. This is what you dream about growing up, this opportunity.”
- Stephen Holder of ESPN spoke to former Pacers like Metta Sandiford-Artest, Lance Stephenson, Stephen Jackson, and Rik Smits about what it would mean to them – and to the city – if this Indiana squad can win a championship on Sunday. “This franchise really deserves it,” Smits said. “We had a lot of great years, but obviously never made it this far. So, I’m just happy for the team, the owners, the whole city. It’s a great fan base here. I’ve always loved playing here, so I would love to see a championship.”
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Golden State Warriors
As they scoured the market for another star last summer, the Warriors attempted to engineer an opt-in-and-trade scenario to acquire Paul George from the Clippers before the veteran forward instead declined his player option in order to sign a maximum-salary free agent contract with the Sixers.
Golden State subsequently shifted its trade-market focus to Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, but came up short in that pursuit as well, with Markkanen signing a long-term extension in Utah that made him ineligible to be traded prior to the 2025 deadline.
Although Golden State's front office ultimately pivoted away from its star search and added a handful of quality role players - De'Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson - to the roster, Melton suffered a season-ending injury in just his sixth game with the team and the Warriors showed during the first few months of the season why the front office so badly wanted to trade for another impact player.
Stephen Curry was being asked to carry a heavy workload on offense, with secondary scorers like Andrew Wiggins and Hield having up-and-down years, Jonathan Kuminga missing an extended period due to an ankle injury, and midseason trade acquisition Dennis Schröder struggling to find his fit.
So, after striking out on the trade market during the 2024 offseason, and with his team sitting at .500 (25-25) through 50 games, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. went out and took a big swing at February's trade deadline, reaching an agreement with the Heat to acquire Jimmy Butler and then immediately signing the star forward to a two-year, maximum-salary extension.
The move was a risky one. As talented a player as Butler is, he was in his age-35 season, has dealt with a series of injuries over the years, and had earned a reputation for acting out when he felt his time with his current team had run its course, as was the case in Miami. Before being traded to Golden State, Butler had been serving an indefinite suspension imposed by the Heat for conduct detrimental to the team and withholding services.
However, Butler has also repeatedly shown he can be on his best behavior once his trade request gets met, which is exactly what happened in Golden State. In the 30 regular season games Butler played for the Warriors, they went 23-7 and posted the NBA's defensive rating. They then won a play-in game to earn the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, knocked off the No. 2 Rockets in round one, and took the first game of their second-round series against the Timberwolves.
Unfortunately, Curry suffered a hamstring injury in that Game 1 win over Minnesota that sidelined him for the rest of the Warriors' postseason run, which didn't last much longer without their leading scorer on the court -- Golden State lost its next four consecutive games to the Wolves.
As deflating as the end of their season was, the Warriors were rejuvenated by the addition of Butler and now enter the 2025 offseason without the same urgency they had a year ago to find their Robin to Curry's Batman. Butler can be that player. The goal this summer will be to figure out how to supplement the team's veteran stars (Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green) with enough effective complementary pieces to get back into title contention.
The Warriors' Offseason Plan
With Curry, Butler, and Green on deals that run through 2027, the biggest contract decision facing the Warriors this offseason will be what exactly to do with Kuminga, who is eligible for restricted free agency.
Lakers Notes: Walter, Buss Family, Sale, NBA Reaction
The Lakers were at the center of the NBA conversation once again this week — during an exciting ongoing Finals series — when it was revealed that the Buss family was selling its approximate 66% majority stake in the franchise to minority owner Mark Walter. Los Angeles was valued at $10 billion in the sale.
Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times opines that Walter, who owns stakes in multiple other teams including the Dodgers, will give Los Angeles a more expansive trajectory moving forward — unencumbered by the financial constrictions or occasional cronyism that may have impeded the Lakers’ title pursuits of years past.
Plaschke predicts that, as was the case with MLB’s Dodgers, Walter will help modernize and build out L.A.’s infrastructure behind the scenes.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports observes that, much in the same way the Lakers’ purchase in 1979 by late family patriarch Dr. Jerry Buss led to a massive sea change for the league at large, the Buss family’s departure from team control signals the end of another era.
There’s more out of Crypto.com Arena:
- Current Lakers governor Jeanie Buss was the guiding force to galvanize this record-smashing sale, ESPN insider Shams Charania said on the network’s “The Pat McAfee Show” (Twitter video link). Charania added that the Buss family trust, split between the six children of the departed Dr. Buss, will still hold a significant stake in the team for at least a while. “The Buss family will have just over 15% of the minority share for a period of time,” Charania said. “Jeanie Buss will stay on as the governor for a period of time after this sale… My understanding is that Jeanie Buss really drove this sale of the Lakers.”
- Unlike when a similar situation played out with former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban, Jeanie Buss’ short-term continued role as Lakers governor has been defined in a written agreement, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne told ESPN Radio Los Angeles’ Clinton Yates (Twitter video link, h/t to RealGM for the transcription). “It’s in writing,” Shelburne said. “Mark Cuban did not get his role in writing. Jeanie Buss’ is in writing. That’s part of the deal. She’s staying on for the foreseeable future to run the team. There’s going to be a great continuity in this transfer of ownership.” Cuban said ahead of the Mavericks’ sale that he’d remain in his governor role, but that didn’t end up happening.
- The league at large has weighed on the Lakers’ blockbuster sale, according to Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “This is a good move,” an NBA source told ESPN. “The Lakers can finally be run like a real business.” As Bontemps and McMenamin note, the franchise was revenue-dependent under the Buss family. Now, it’s just another investment for the far wealthier Walter. “Most of these owners now, this is a part of their portfolio,” an executive said. “It’s not the only thing in their portfolio.”
Draft Notes: Guards, Wings, Trades, Fears, Queen
Even after Duke phenom Cooper Flagg and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the draft’s presumed top two picks, come off the board, this year’s draft lottery is loaded with intriguing wings and guards.
David Aldridge of The Athletic consulted with anonymous league scouts and coaches about the best guard prospects in the draft, and also took a look at the best potential NBA wings.
Harper proved to be somewhat divisive. The folks Aldridge consulted were decidedly mixed on his upside, with some projecting him as an eventual All-Star and others believing he could be a longtime pro but may not have a high ceiling.
“He has a professionalism about him that’s really uncommon,” one college assistant coach said of Harper. “He knows the game. He plays the right way. He guards. He tries defensively.”
Arizona wing Carter Bryant may lack a great handle, but an Eastern Conference scout appreciates the rest of his offensive makeup. He’s projected to be the No. 10 pick in the latest ESPN mock.
“His shot’s fluid, especially in spot-up situations,” the scout said. “He’s not somebody who’ll create his own shots, at least his first few years in the league. He’s good at relocating to open space. His shot comes out of his hand really well, and the defense is high-level.”
There’s more intel ahead of the draft:
- In a fairly deep draft year, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports identifies several prospects he believes could be worth trading down out of the top three to acquire for the Spurs and Sixers. O’Connor evaluates the shooting promise of Duke guard Kon Knueppel and Texas guard Tre Johnson, the motor of Baylor wing V.J. Edgecombe, and the upside of Duke center Khaman Maluach, among other lottery-level players.
- Should they stay put, the Nets could still have plenty of promising possibilities to select with the eighth pick this year. An NBA scout raved to Brian Lewis of The New York Post about the upside of Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, who could still be available in the middle of the lottery. “I’m not [drafting] in the top two or three, in terms of being able to hit a home run on a guy that could be an absolute superstar game-changer, he’d be one of the guys past [Nos.] 3 or 4 that could actually do that,” the scout said.
- Under a new front office regime, the Pelicans are high on freshman Maryland big Derik Queen, a source informs Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). New Orleans possesses the No. 7 pick this season following another injury-plagued year. The All-Big Ten center averaged 16.5 PPG and 9.0 RPG in Maryland last year.