Buy or Sell NBA's Latest Trade Rumors Including Kevin Durant and Paul George Gossip
NBA trade whispers are beginning to grow louder, especially with a number of playoff-hungry teams selecting at the top of the 2025 draft.
Could the Philadelphia 76ers use the No. 3 overall pick to get off of Paul George's contract and land a star? Will the San Antonio Spurs look to move the No. 2 pick to get Victor Wembanyama immediate help? LaMelo Ball is projected to go where, according to Lonzo?
It's time to buy or sell the latest and spiciest trade rumors.
Jrue Holiday Should Interest Several Contenders if Celtics Make Him Available
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The Boston Celtics are currently projected to cost more than $493 million in salary and luxury tax next year, per capsheets.com, and they won't have superstar Jayson Tatum for most of the season due to a torn Achilles.
Putting a player like Jrue Holiday (owed $32.4 million) on the table could help the Celtics duck the second apron (currently $22.7 million above), as he's Boston's third-highest paid player behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
As The Athletic's Jay King writes, "Though Holiday dealt with lingering injuries throughout the regular season, his reputation as a known winner and top defender should interest several contending teams if the Celtics do look to move him, according to league sources."
Holiday has long-been heralded as one of the league's good guys and best teammates. He's won titles in Boston and with the Milwaukee Bucks and could seemingly plug into any contender's starting lineup at either guard position.
With that being said, now is not the time to be buying stock in him.
Set to turn 35 in a few weeks, Holiday is coming off the worst statistical season since his rookie year in 2009-10. He's still owed a hefty $104.4 million over the next three years, or an average of $34.8 million a season.
The Detroit Pistons could use a veteran guard and have fairly clean future salary sheets. The Orlando Magic also need a floor general upgrade, and the Sacramento Kings could benefit from Holiday's stability and defense.
Trading for Holiday is no longer a no-brainer given his age, drop in production and future money owed. A few teams will likely be interested depending on the price, although using the word "several" may be a stretch.
Buy or Sell: Sell-ish. This version of Holiday only makes sense for a handful of teams.
Spurs Not Expected to Trade No. 2 Overall Pick for a Star
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After seeing each of their first-round picks over the past two seasons go on to win Rookie of the Year, the San Antonio Spurs were lucky enough to land the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 draft.
With Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox already in the backcourt, would the Spurs stand pat and take another guard like Dylan Harper? Or could they move this selection to help lift Victor Wembanyama, Fox, Castle and others into the playoffs next season?
"Though trade speculation has swirled around San Antonio and this pick since lottery night, at this stage of the process, it appears to be simply that. The Spurs want to get Wembanyama to the playoffs, but don't have to rush into a blockbuster deal, be it for Giannis Antetokounmpo (should he become available) or a different star," ESPN's Jeremy Woo writes.
Already armed with the best young player in the world and with a talented supporting cast, the Spurs should be considering all options at No. 2.
The Giannis conversation probably needs to happen, as pairing him in the frontcourt with Wembanyama would be an impossible duo to try to score on. San Antonio could also move back slightly, selecting a better-fitting piece like Ace Bailey and try to pick up a veteran or future draft assets.
At the end of the day, the Spurs can afford to be patient. Wembanyama has another two years on his rookie deal. Castle has three. With NBA star player salaries exploding as the cap rises 10 percent each year, having another cost-controlled top prospect becomes even more valuable.
San Antonio should be weighing all options, yet it shouldn't feel any pressure to move out from the No. 2 pick.
Buy or Sell: Buy. The Spurs can still be patient with such a young core.
Warriors 'Very Interested' in Bringing Jonathan Kuminga Back
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Jonathan Kuminga has had a rocky few years with the Golden State Warriors.
He's one of the most athletic players in the league and is coming off back-to-back years with 15-plus points per game, but he still hasn't found a consistent role on a veteran-heavy Warriors team. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 draft was benched entirely at times this season, including part of the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets.
Despite that roller-coaster of a role, the Warriors claim they want to keep him.
"We value JK," Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said via ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I think he had a resilient season. ... As far as bringing him back next season, I think it's something we're very interested in doing because, when I look at the things JK does well, in terms of getting to the rim, finishing, getting fouled, these are things we greatly need. We know he can bring those to the table. It's not hypothetical."
In this case, actions speak louder than words.
The Warriors are still trying to compete for titles with 37-year-old Stephen Curry, 35-year-old Jimmy Butler and 35-year-old Draymond Green. Head coach Steve Kerr seems reluctant to let the 22-year-old Kuminga play through his mistakes.
A sign-and-trade remains the best path forward for both parties. The Warriors could move Kuminga to a younger team where he can have a consistent role and receive win-now vets and/or draft picks in return.
Buy or Sell: Sell. The Warriors and Kuminga should both want a split.
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LaMelo Ball Will Be Traded to Clippers, per Lonzo Ball
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NBA trade rumors can come from anywhere, although we rarely get them from a sibling of a player, much less one who's currently playing in the league.
Such was the case when Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball predicted the future of his brother, Charlotte Hornets floor general LaMelo Ball.
"I low-key got Dylan Harper going to the Hornets and I got 'Melo going to the Clips," Lonzo said on his What An Experience podcast.
It wouldn't be a shock for the Hornets to shop Ball, the talented yet oft-injured one-time All-Star, although there's a few problems with Lonzo's predictions.
Most mock drafts (including Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman) have Harper going at No. 2 overall to the San Antonio Spurs. Unless the Hornets plan on trading up, Harper will likely be gone by No. 4.
The Clippers are also woefully low on trade assets following their deals for Paul George and James Harden. Los Angeles owns the last pick of the first round in 2025 and doesn't control any other of its first-rounders until 2030.
There's not a lot of young talent on the Clippers roster to appease the ever-rebuilding Hornets, either. A package of Kobe Brown, Cam Christie, salary filler and a future first-round pick or two isn't going to be enough for Ball, even with his injury concerns.
Buy or Sell: Sell. Ball may be traded, but it won't be to the Clippers.
76ers Could Trade No. 3 Pick, Paul George for Kevin Durant or Lauri Markkanen
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The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2024-25 season with championship hopes, but injuries sunk them early on. They could jump back in the title mix next season with the help of the No. 3 overall pick.
"Some teams expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations, with names such as Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah) as potential targets in packages that could include Paul George and the No. 3 pick," ESPN's Jonathan Givony writes.
Such a deal would mean getting off of George's remaining contract (three years, $162.4 million) while netting the 76ers a different star, with Durant likely being the top target in mind. This hypothetical deal would have the Sixers entering next season with a core of Joel Embiid, Durant and Tyrese Maxey with future cap space cleared up unless Durant is extended.
Wiping George's deal off the books is tempting. Bringing in a player of Durant's caliber would certainly raise this team's ceiling as well.
With that being said, using the No. 3 overall pick in a strong draft just to come away with a 37-year-old Durant on an expiring contract or Lauri Markkanen at $49 million a year would be a massive waste of an asset.
If the No. 3 pick is going out, a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo better be coming back in return. If not, Philly needs to keep the pick.
A prospect like Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe could contribute immediately and may only be a few years away from becoming a star. By that time Durant, nearly 40, would have hit free agency.
The Sixers are stuck with George, who can still be a high-level starter when healthy, even if he's overpaid. The team can only pray that Embiid will be healthy and there's some young talent with Maxey and Jared McCain.
Keeping the pick is the safe choice. Swapping it only to end up with Durant or Markkanen would be another short-sighted move by team president Daryl Morey.
Buy or Sell: Sell, sell, sell the 76ers making a such foolish move. We hope.
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