2026 NBA Rumors Live Blog with Latest News, Trade Buzz and Grades

Deandre Ayton will not test free agency, instead choosing to accept his $8.1 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Ayton agreed to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers last summer, signing a two-year, $16.2 million deal with the center-needy Lakers. Los Angeles quickly learned what the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers already knew; that Ayton isn't a starting-caliber NBA center.

Despite having a muscular 7-foot frame, Ayton has never worked his way into becoming anything close to an All-Star since the Suns took him No. 1 overall in 2018.

His numbers regularly fool you (12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks in 72 games), yet, Ayton's swing rating of minus-5.7 ranked in the 23rd percentile among all players this season, per Cleaning the Glass. He's the league's new Andre Drummond, a talented big whose name and draft position never ended up matching his production or impact on winning.

The Lakers will continue to look to add an impact center via trade (Jarrett Allen) or restricted free agency (Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren) while either benching Ayton or using him as part of a trade.

In a move that turned some heads around the league, Draymond Green is choosing to become a free agent instead of picking up his $27.7 million player option, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

This isn't about Green as much as it is the big picture for the Golden State Warriors. 

Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported that "the Warriors are attempting to trade for Wizards big Anthony Davis and then sign Lakers free-agent forward LeBron James". Green choosing to delay getting paid for now helps open up the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of just over $15 million to offer James.

Golden State would have to trade Jimmy Butler and his $56.8 million salary to obtain Davis, who makes a nearly-even $58.4 million. Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, so the Warriors would need to entice the Washington Wizards with draft capital.

A Big 4 of James, Stephen Curry, Davis and Green would average 37 years in age, making this look more like a 20-year high school reunion than an NBA team. Out of the top 93 players in total playoff minutes this year, James was the only one age 37 or older.

Kristaps Porziņģis is still a free agent worth keeping an eye on for Golden State, as the Warriors now have $48 million to sign him, Green and James with the $15 million mid-level exception per The Third Apron's Yossi Gozlan.

Zach LaVine is staying with the Sacramento Kings for $49 million according to ESPN's Shams Charania, picking up his player option instead of becoming a free agent.

This was obviously the right move for LaVine, who's a talented scorer and shooter yet is way overpaid at this price point. He's also coming off hand surgery and was limited to 39 games with the Kings last season.

The 31-year-old made two All-Stars teams with the Chicago Bulls in 2021 and 2022 but has endured some injuries and was traded by the Bulls in a cap-clearing trade that also sent De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in February of 2025.

LaVine averaged just 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists with Sacramento last season, yet is still a good three-point shooter. He's made 41.6 percent of his threes since being traded to the Kings and could still have a long career as a reliable floor-spacer, even if his athleticism and bounce had begun to fade.

Why the Kings chose to pursue LaVine as a headliner piece in the Fox trade is still a mystery, as Sacramento now has second apron concerns (less than $1 million below the line) despite winning just 22 games last season.

James Harden is turning down his $42.3 million player option, with the expectation that he and the Cleveland Cavaliers will come to terms on a new multiyear deal per ESPN's Shams Charania.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, this new deal "has been in place since February" and "it will be in the "30-ish million dollar range". The Cavs were the only NBA team to finish over the second apron last season yet are now $42 million below before adding in a new deal for Harden.

We can assume that the Los Angeles Clippers weren't interested in paying Harden the full $42.3 million contract for this season or giving him a new, juicy deal given that he'll turn 37 this summer. Cleveland's desperation to make it out of the second round led them to giving up 25-year-old Darius Garland for Harden, who ended up leading all postseason players in total turnovers (84) despite Cleveland getting swept in the East Finals.

Harden once again battled his playoff demons, scoring just nine points on 2-of-10 shooting in a Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons in Round 2 and then averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 assists and 4.3 turnovers on 17.9 percent shooting from three against the Knicks.

Harden had just $13.3 million of his player option guaranteed, meaning the Cavs could have waived him and saved a considerable amount of money. A new multi-year deal will still help Cleveland stay below the second apron, but will guarantee Harden more money overall.

This was a foolish trade by the Cavs from the start, one that will continue to impact them for years to come.

Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet will not explore free agency this year, instead choosing to pick up his $25 million player option according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

This is a move that should surprise no one, as VanVleet, 32, missed all of last season with a torn ACL. In 2024-25, he gave the Rockets 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 60 games while shooting just 37.8 percent overall from the field and 34.5 percent from three.

The Rockets could certainly use his steady ball-handling (5.6 assists vs. 1.5 turnovers), as Houston finished 27th overall in assist-to-turnover ratio last season (1.65).

His $25 million salary has the Rockets projected to be $12.9 million below the luxury tax line, although Tari Eason is a restricted free agent and needs a new deal. Such a contract could come in between $25 million and $30 million annually.

The Rockets could also use VanVleet's expiring $25 million salary in a trade if they want to upgrade the point guard position and have hesitation about the veteran guard's production coming off such a major injury.

LeBron James may not be the only veteran forward who's led multiple teams to championships looking to leave Los Angeles to reunite with one of his former franchises.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors are "seriously engaged" in trade talks surrounding Kawhi Leonard.

Charania notes that the Raptors, who Leonard led to a NBA title in 2019, is the only team outside of Los Angeles that the two-time Finals MVP is willing to sign a long-term extension with. Leonard turns 35 years old today (June 29) and is entering the final year of his contract at $50.3 million.

A move would seemingly make sense for both teams.

The Clippers have slowly gotten younger over the last few years by letting Paul George walk in free agency (absolutely the right move) and then somehow getting the Cleveland Cavaliers to agree to give up 25-year-old, two-time All-Star Darius Garland in exchange for James Harden, who turns 37 in August.

Scottie Barnes is almost certainly off limits, although a deal around Brandon Ingram and his $40 million salary would be an easy starting point. The combination of Ingram, Collin Murray-Boyles and Ja'Kobe Walter is just $161,000 away from Leonard's $50.3 million salary, for example.

The Raptors pushed the Cavs to seven games in the first round of the East playoffs, although there's questions about the team's ceiling with Barnes or Ingram as the No. 1 scoring option. Leonard is still producing at a high level after averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals this past season.