Buying or Selling Latest NBA Trade Rumors on Giannis Gossip, Lakers Intel and More
It's a touch too early to say this with certainty, but it sure seems like the summer forecast is calling for an NBA trading frenzy.
That's partly because free agency looks light on both impact players and deep-pocketed spenders. There are no shortage of clubs coming off disappointing seasons, and they may not have another option to substantially strengthen their roster.
Perhaps more than anything, front offices might feel emboldened by the fact that the league has entered the fantasy realm. Remember, this is a reality in which a prime Luka Donฤiฤ was just sent packing for less than top dollar. The presumed "untouchables" suddenly feel a lot more...well, touchable.
Let's take a closer look at some of the latest rumblings.
Clippers Aiming for Win-Now Trades?
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The Los Angeles Clippers just gained firsthand knowledge of the fact that James Harden and Kawhi Leonard still have the chance to do something special together.
L.A. went a blistering 21-6 (a nearly 64-win pace) and had a galaxy-conquering plus-15.3 net rating during the 531 minutes that pair played with Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell.
However, after losing a seven-game slugfest with the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, the club hopes to take things even further next time around. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported "some rival teams expect the Clippers to be a team to watch in the trade market this summer."
Their first order of business, per Fischer, is handling Harden's contract situation. He has a $36.3 million player option for next season, but Fischer noted a "very plausible outcome" would see L.A. aligning the 35-year-old's deal with Leonard's, which spans through the 2026-27 season.
The Clippers, who could stand to up their three-point volume and squeeze more scoring out of their supporting cast, figure to be on the hunt for role players who fit this same timeline and accentuate their stars. That way they can take two more cracks at this with Harden and Leonard, and then probably pivot toward their next chapter.
Buy or Sell: Buy. The Clippers have the timeline, upside and budget to be among this summer's most aggressive non-star suitors on the trade market.
Lakers Tried To Get Onyeka Okongwu?
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Mark Williams apparently isn't the only young, Southeast Division-based big man to catch the attention of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Purple and Gold also reportedly "made a call" to the Atlanta Hawks about Onyeka Okongwu, ESPN's Dave McMenamin told the Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcast (via Ron Gutterman of Lakers Daily). McMenamin added this call occurred before the Lakers made (and later rescinded) a trade for Williams.
The Lakers were reaching out for Okongwu and Williams for a reason. They never addressed the Anthony Davis-sized hole on the interior that the Donฤiฤ deal created and were predictably punished inside during their five-game loss to the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. They've since made it their priority position for the offseason.
It's possible that circling back to Williams is among the many options they'll consider, but they probably won't dial up the Hawks again. Okongwu may not be this unobtainable superstar, but he's a key piece of Atlanta's young core. It will take more than Dalton Knecht, salary-filler and a draft pick sweetener to pry him loose.
Okongwu would, admittedly, be a great fit for this roster and a dynamic pick-and-roll partner with Donฤiฤ. He is also eminently affordable ($48 million over the next three seasons) and presumably still ascending as a 24-year-old who only became a full-time starter in this season's second half. Of course, those are also arguments for Atlanta to ignore anything other than outlandish trade offers for him.
Buy or Sell: Sell. Okongwu would be a fun fit for the Lakers, but the Hawks aren't giving him up.
Contenders Coveting Jrue Holiday?
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The Boston Celtics, as you may have heard a time or 20, need to trim payroll this season. And, to get a sense of their financial crunch, there were talks of these cuts coming before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles and their title defense fell apart in the second round.
As currently constructed, the Shamrocks could be a $500 million team next seasonโwhen they'd have little to no chance at contending with Tatum potentially missing the whole thing. This might be the definition of an untenable situation.
It isn't clear how radical of a roster shake-up Boston could consider. Marc Stein of The Stein Line previously reported the Celtics would prefer to move Jrue Holiday over Derrick White, which checks out when the former is older, more expensive and less productive.
Of course, that all makes Holiday's trade value a bit dubious, although The Athletic's Jay King reported contenders should have interest in the two-time All-Star given "his reputation as a known winner and top defender."
Those traits are clear selling points for Holiday, but are they enough to offset the fact that he's about to turn 35, will make $104.4 million over the next three seasons and is coming off one of the least productive campaigns of his career?
Teams could still technically have interest, but would they have enough to offer whatever makes this worth the Celtics' while? Or would they only be open to adding him if he's packaged with a trade sweetener or two? And is Boston that determined to cut costs to consider going that route?
If the Celtics sniff out a Holiday swap, their fans might be pretty underwhelmed by the return.
Buy or Sell: Sell. Win-now teams could use Holiday, obviously, but his age, salary and statistical decline will keep them from sending Boston anything of value in return.
76ers Keeping Paul George?
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Paul George's first go-round with the Philadelphia 76ers was, in a word, disastrous.
The 35-year-old entered the season as the potential missing piece of their championship puzzle and exited it looking like one of the most overpaid players in the league.
Things spiraled to such a degree that his first summer with the Sixers has already featured some trade rumblings. According to The Stein Line'sย Jake Fischer, though, the chatter won't amount to any more than that.
"Recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George's trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread," he wrote. "There have been no indications that they are looking to package George with the No. 3 pick or try to move him on his own."
This feels true, although there might be a few different factors at play.
It's possible Philly just wants a longer look at this and thinks (or hopes) things can't go any worse next season. The on-paper fit between the healthy versions of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey remains intriguing, especially in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
It's also possible the Sixers already poked around the trade market and discovered George is functionally unmovable. Even executives who believe he's not as bad as he looked this season probably don't want to place a three-year, $162.4 million wager on that hope.
Buy or Sell: Buy. There could be a time for Philadelphia to trade George, but this summer isn't it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Can Pick His Landing Spot?
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Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with (or without) the Milwaukee Bucks will be this offseason's biggest talking point until a deal gets done or he silences all the speculation.
It just isn't often that an in-prime, two-time MVP becomes "open-minded" about considering a scenery change, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported the 30-year-old has.
While the Bucks figure to do everything in their power to keep Antetokounmpo, the consensus among agents polled at the NBA combine is that he will eventually "direct the Bucks to send him to his preferred location," per B/R's Eric Pincus. As the analyst noted, he only has two guaranteed seasons left on his contract, so he could dissuade suitors he's uninterested in extending his stay with.
Will the Bucks factor in his interests beyond that, though? Maybe not. The Athletic's Sam Amick said on The Ringer NBA Show that Milwaukee "is going to go for blood" in an Antetokounmpo trade and not agree to something "just [to] try to be on good terms with Giannis."
If that's Milwaukee's mindset, the list of potential Antetokounmpo sweepstakes winners could be awfully thin before the bidding even starts.
Teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks can't put the best offers on the table, so they'd need his assistance to have a shot. And if the Bucks aren't going to factor in his preferences, then they're out of the running right now.
Stars do have plenty of sway in this league, though, and Milwaukee probably doesn't want to alienate one of the brightest to ever pass through the organization. There should be a workable middle ground where Antetokounmpo isn't completely left in the cold but Milwaukee's demands still drive the trade talks.
Buy or Sell: Sell. The Bucks might get a general idea of what Antetokounmpo wants, but if they ever have to trade him, they'll do so for the richest return possible.
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