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

The penalties for spending into the second apron can make team-building a lot more difficult, but a championship-winning roster is worth preserving.

And Mitchell Robinson's size, rebounding and finishing were key ingredients in New York's success.

In three of the last four seasons (including this one), the Knicks' point differential was better when Robinson was on the floor.

Most of these grades have been from the team perspective, which is a little weird when a player option is exercised, but this is still a pretty good deal for the Milwaukee Bucks.

A guard who's capable of starting games making less than $6 million when the cap is $165 million is a borderline steal. And KPJ is indeed good enough to start games.

That was his role in 36 of 38 appearances last season, and he averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 assists.

Of course, availability is a big concern. A career 34.8 three-point percentage could raise some eyebrows too.

But all in all, the Bucks should be fine with this.

Grade: B+

We'll get the concern out of the way at the outset. Unfortunately, injuries have been perhaps the defining feature of Mark Williams' career.

In 2025-26, he managed 60 appearances, but that was his career high. Over his four years in the league, he's barely averaged 41 games per season.

There's a very real chance that continues to be an issue through the life of the contract. In fact, it's probably the likelier outcome.

But at this price, this is still a very good deal for the Phoenix Suns.

The average annual value on this contract is less than eight percent of the projected cap for 2026-27. That's next to nothing for a starting center. And there's no question Williams is that caliber of big men when he's available.

For his career, Williams has averaged 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 23.6 minutes. In 2024-25, he even added 2.5 assists per game.

He may not be the best at his position at any one thing, but he's good at a lot of them. And even with the health concerns, this is a good value move for Phoenix.

Grade: B+

This was an easy decision for the Atlanta Hawks.

Mouhamed Gueye has provided plenty of energy to the team over the last three years, has a solid block rate and has even shown hints of three-point shooting ability.

for the 23-year-old, there may not be a ton of developmental runway left, but $2.41 million is such a small piece of the cap that that doesn't really matter.

Grade: B+

This news doesn't necessarily mean Buddy Hield will be a free agent this summer, but it certainly increases the likelihood.

And if Hield does hit the market, there should be multiple suitors willing to sign him.

For his career, Hield has averaged 2.9 threes per game and hit 39.5 percent of his three-point attempts. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the only players in league history who match or exceed both marks.

This was another easy decision on a team option.

The New Orleans Pelicans only have to pay Karlo Matković $2.3 million this coming season, which is plenty affordable for one of their more consistent role players.

In just 14.7 minutes, Matković averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, while shooting 42.2 percent from three. He was tied for fourth on the team in total wins over replacement player.

He certainly doesn't look like a future star or anything, but Matković brings a good combination of size (6'10") and outside shooting and is only 25.

Again, a pretty easy choice when the team option is as small as this one.

Grade: A

There was a brief moment in time, around 2022 or 2023, when there was talk of Ja Morant potentially being the next face of the NBA.

He was perhaps the most explosive guard in the league and was leading an exciting, up-and-coming Memphis Grizzlies team that included Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane.

In the three years since the 2022-23, Morant has averaged fewer than 30 appearances per season. He's served suspensions and missed games for multiple injuries. And even when he was available last season, he just wasn't very good.

So despite the fact that Morant is only 26 years old, it's really not that difficult to understand why, seemingly, no one wants him in a trade. It's also pretty easy to see why the Grizzlies are ready to move on.

The new core with Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey and Cedric Coward doesn't need Morant's baggage as it develops together, but the only way forward might be a buyout.

From the Raptors' perspective, this really is a no-brainer.

The salary cap is $165 million in 2026-27, so $2.3 million is a minuscule portion of it. And Shead was quietly one of the more important pieces of Toronto's success last season.

His shooting efficiency leaves plenty to be desired, but Shead trailed only Scottie Barnes among Raptors in total assists. And the team's net rating was dramatically better when he was on the floor.

Keeping him around and making sure that second unit stays as intact as possible is wise.

Grade: A

The Stein Line and Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer was pretty clear that Kawhi Leonard leaving the Los Angeles Clippers was a long shot, and now Toronto Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg is pumping the brakes even more.

Yes, the idea of a Kawhi reunion in Toronto is fun. And he, Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles would make for a heck of a defensive trio. But this rumor may not make much further than the rumor mill.

The Utah Jazz' frontcourt is suddenly a little crowded with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. already being on the team and Darryn Peterson potentially sliding Ace Bailey into more of a small forward role, but Utah should still be keen on bringing Walker Kessler back.

Since the Rudy Gobert trade, and despite Utah having a way-below-.500 record during this stretch, the Jazz are plus-0.9 points per 100 possessions when Kessler is on the floor with Lauri Markkanen. His rim protection and rebounding were a near-ideal complement for Markkanen's more perimeter-oriented game. And the latter skill could be especially nice in lineups with the notoriously poor rebounding JJJ.

During the second round of the NBA Draft, ESPN's Bobby Marks dropped a not-so-subtle hint that one of Kawhi Leonard's former teams might be interested in getting him back.

Well, that only leaves the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.

And while the bridges seemingly being burned in San Antonio appeared to rule out the Spurs, longtime insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer made it sound like both possibilities are open on Thursday.

"Sources close to the situation tell The Stein Line that, when it comes to potential trade talks, there are only two other teams that Leonard would consider signing an extension with: The two teams he played for before becoming a Clipper," Fischer wrote. "Toronto and San Antonio."

In both cases, it's not hard to understand the appeal. Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles (assuming he wouldn't be in the deal) would be a ferocious defensive trio with the Raptors. And for the Spurs, pairing Victor Wembanyama with the two-time Finals MVP might make them instant title favorites.

Of course, Fischer also reported that Leonard's preference is to stay in L.A., and that the Clippers are inclined to keep him. But if someone throws out an offer they can't refuse (like the Timberwolves did for LaMelo Ball), Kawhi could be on the move.

This is a bit of a surprise. Have things really gone so sour this offseason that the Boston Celtics-Jaylen Brown relationship is just unsalvageable?

He just won a title with this team two years ago. We have pretty good evidence that the pairing of Brown and Jayson Tatum works.

It's hard to square how the team went from the level of success it had with these two to "can't be competitive" with Brown so quickly.

If there really is no path forward, some other team could back into one of the league's best second options. And it looks like several might already be in the mix.

Of course, Boston isn't going to just give him away, but all signs are pointing to Brown landing on a new team before the season starts.

Shortly after news broke that the Charlotte Hornets were trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, we learned that Coby White would re-sign with Charlotte.

And considering the fact that he's sort of the de facto starting point guard now, this deal is a steal.

The average annual value here works out to about 15 percent of the 2026-27 salary cap, which is below market for the role and minutes White is likely to play.

And though he's not quite the distributor Ball is, if White produces like he did post-trade last season (he averaged 15.6 points and 3.0 assists in 19.3 minutes, while shooting 39.1 percent from deep), the Hornets should still push for a playoff spot.

There's some playmaking upside yet to be developed for Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, and White's off-ball experience should help on that front too.

At this price, bringing him back was a no-brainer.

Grade: A

Hornets Receive: Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks

Timberwolves Receive: LaMelo Ball and Josh Green

LaMelo Ball was a huge part of the Charlotte Hornets' second-half surge last season, but he's also long been a significant injury risk. And this offer from Minnesota was simply too good to pass up.

Minnesota, on the other hand, was happy to take on the risk to pair Anthony Edwards with a bona fide playmaking star who actually finished 2025-26 with a higher EPM than Ant.

The risk is pretty high, but so is the reward.

Hornets Grade: B+

Timberwolves Grade: B-

Full Grades