2026 NBA Rumors Live Blog with Latest Ja Morant Trade Fallout and LeBron Buzz

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Ja Morant trade was Portland's "big move," but not having to surrender anything beyond Jerami Grant and Kris Murray means they could still have the assets to pull off a Jaylen Brown trade.

Would some combination of Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and picks be enough for Boston?

If the Blazers emerge from this offseason with a core of Damian Lillard, Morant, Brown, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, they might enter "puncher's chance" territory against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

We're only a few years removed from Mat Ishbia blowing up his team's present and future for the Kevin Durant trade. And now, Tom Dundon has given us a potential sequel with the Portland Trail Blazers acquiring Ja Morant.

Of course, there are some key differences that Blazers fans should take solace in.

First, Portland's core hadn't shown as much as Phoenix's did at the point of the KD trade. And more importantly, Jerami Grant and Kris Murray weren't anywhere near as important to the Blazers as Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were to the Suns.

It's more than fair to worry about Morant's lack of availability and statistical downturn. But Portland, essentially, just added a multi-time All-Star on the right side of 30 for free.

If he can get back to even 85-90 percent of the player he once was, this could end up looking like a coup for the Blazers.

Kenrich Williams has never put up huge numbers in the NBA, but he's almost always had a positive impact on the teams he plays for.

Williams has a prototypical gap-filler. And over the course of his career, his teams are plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions when he plays and minus-0.3 when he doesn't.

Any team in need of a multi-positional defender who doesn't demand a lot of touches and shoots a decent percentage from three (38.6 over the last four years) should be interested.

Unless they're bracing for bad news on Walker Kessler's restricted free agency, this is one is a bit of a head-scratcher.

The Utah Jazz already have Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Kessler (assuming he's re-signed). Kyle Filipowski has probably earned an extended look this season. And drafting Darryn Peterson could push some wings like Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh into more forward minutes.

So keeping Jusuf Nurkić in that mix is a little odd.

Stilli, there's a chance Nurkić is fine with being more of a veteran presence on the bench than an actual contributor. This salary will be less than seven percent of the cap. And if he just has a couple good weeks at some point in the season, there may be a chance Utah could move him before the deadline.

Just in terms of asset management, it's a move you can wrap your head around, even if you're a little nervous about Nurkić taking minutes from younger options.

Grade: C+

Midway through the 2025-26 campaign, Julian Champagnie claimed a full-time starting role for the San Antonio Spurs. And the team's second-half takeoff coincided pretty closely with the move.

Champagnie was also instrumental in San Antonio making it all the way to the Finals.

In the playoffs, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 threes and 1.3 steals in 30.7 minutes, while shooting 39.6 percent from deep.

And now, he's been rewarded with a solid multi-year contract that pays him like a high-end reserve (which also makes the contract pretty solid on the team side too).

Grade: A

The Oklahoma City Thunder already unloaded Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, but it doesn't quite feel like they're done.

They just picked up Luguentz Dort's $17.7 million team option for next season, but he became borderline unplayable by the end of the Western Conference Finals, and his salary wouldn't be hard for another team to absorb.

If OKC wants a little more flexibility around the three max contracts and more playing time for players on rookie contracts, Dort is an obvious trade candidate.

Landry Shamet has been one of the cooler stories in the league over the last couple years. He just went from fringe NBA player scratching and clawing for his career, to meaningful contributor on a championship team to playing on a multi-year deal.

The average annual salary on this new contract ($6 million) is a small fraction of the 2026-27 cap ($165 million), and Shamet's contributions (assuming they continue around the same level) will make him more than worth it.

This postseason (which ended with a championship), he shot 47.5 percent from deep.

Grade: A

Jonathan Kuminga's last few seasons in the NBA certainly didn't go the way he envisioned, and now he's involuntarily entering free agency in a summer in which there isn't a ton of available cap space around the league.

He had his moments with the Atlanta Hawks, but he wound up barely scoring more (12.3 points per game) there than he did with the Warriors (12.1). And he played slightly fewer minutes per game too.

At this point, it's tough to see him as anything other volume-scoring forward who doesn't check many other boxes and doesn't even do the scoring all that efficiently.

The chances of him signing a new deal with a salary near that $24.3 million he would've made in 2026-27 are next to nonexistent.

Grizzlies Receive: Jerami Grant and Kris Murray

Trail Blazers Receive: Ja Morant

The writing has been on the wall with the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant for years. And on Monday, news finally broke on the deal that ended Memphis' Ja era.

He's headed to the Portland Trail Blazers. It's certainly an interesting destination, given the presence of Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson on the roster, but this is a price that's just too good to give up.

Jerami Grant seems even less integral to Portland's future than Ja did to Memphis'. And Kris Murray is a soon-to-be-26-year-old shooting forward with a career three-point percentage of just 25.9.

With all due respect to Grant and Murray, Portland is essentially getting Morant for free.

And while there's a pretty serious logjam in the backcourt now, at least in theory, Holiday and Henderson are big and physical enough to play some 2.

For Memphis, it certainly would've been nice to get any draft capital (even a second-rounder) or a slightly more promising or younger prospect, but some reporting suggested the Grizzlies might've had to attach a pick to Morant to get out from under his deal.

He's set to make $42.2 million next season and $44.9 million in 2027-28, and not being on the hook for that obviously opens up a ton of flexibility for Memphis.

The Grizzlies can now focus on the next era, with a strong foundation of Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward and Zach Edey.

Grizzlies Grade: B

Trail Blazers Grade: B+

This is about as close to a no-brainer as a team option gets.

Dannis Jenkins' $4 million salary in 2026-27 will represent a minuscule portion of the $165 million cap, and he was one of the team's most productive guards last season.

In just 20.2 minutes, Jenkins put up 9.3 points (seventh on the team) and 3.9 assists, while shooting 37.4 percent from deep.

If he stays anywhere near that level, this option will pay for itself before the All-Star break.

The Sacramento Kings are trading guard Devin Carter and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Stein Line and Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer notes that the pick is a 2033 second-rounder.

Carter was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 draft, yet has battled injuries and playing for the Kings the past two seasons. He gets a fresh start in Atlanta, a franchise that's actively collecting guards following the Trae Young trade earlier this year.

The Hawks now have CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings, Aaron Wiggins and Buddy Hield in their backcourt, so it's hard to see where Carter fits in. Still, taking him on for nothing and getting a future pick is smart business.

In 12 starts this season, Carter averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals and shot 33.3 percent from deep in 29.0 minutes. He has good defensive potential and registered positive swing ratings in both professional seasons.

This was a salary dump by the Kings to try and get out of the second apron following Zach LaVine picking up his $49 million player option.

Darius Acuff, you're our only hope.

Kings Grade: D

Hawks Grade: B

Bradley Beal will become an unrestricted free agent, turning down a $5.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers per NBA on Prime's Chris Haynes.

Beal, 33, signed a two-year, $11 million deal in LA after receiving a massive buyout from the Phoenix Suns last summer. Beal will continue to make $19.4 million in each of the next four years from Phoenix.

Hip surgery ended his 2025-26 season after just six games, and Beal is potentially looking at a very different Clippers roster then the one he joined just a year ago. Kawhi Leonard is in trade talks with the Toronto Raptors and James Harden was previously traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler look like the new backcourt in Los Angeles.

Some contender should still feel good enough about the gas Beal has left in the tank to offer him more than the $5.6 million he just turned down. The Detroit Pistons are the best mix of fit, money and starting opportunity for the three-time All-Star.

Thomas Bryant has agreed on a one-year contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Bryant, 28, was the primary backup to Jarrett Allen last season, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes while shooting 50.6 percent overall and 35.9 percent from three. Given Allen's non-shooting and Evan Mobley's shaky three-point accuracy, the Cavs valued Bryant's floor-spacing ability in their frontcourt.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bryant is likely signing the same veteran minimum deal he did a year ago after waiting all of summer 2025 without a deal. He eventually signed with the Cavs on September 25th, just before training camp.

Allen could be a key trade piece this summer if Cleveland wants to keep their core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and James Harden, so the signing of Bryant helps with the depth at center.

This isn't getting the Cavs any closer to a title, but it's more than fine at the veteran minimum.

Cavs Grade: B

Three-time NBA All-Star and one time sportfishing champion Ben Simmons is interested in a return to the league.

"I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed," Simmons told Clay Skipper of Men's Health. "I don't have a plan on where. Maybe I'll go back to Philly. Miami would be nice. And not because it's Miami—I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture."

Something tells us Sixers fans may not be so enthusiastic about a reunion.

Simmons last played for the 76ers in 2021, ending his tenure with a trade demand following a disappointing playoff showing. He was out of the NBA entirely this past season, last playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025 after averaging 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 43.4 percent shooting in 16.4 minutes.

Simmons has battled through multiple back surgeries and nerve issues, yet clearly wants to return to the NBA when healthy.

Marcus Smart has declined his $5.4 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers and elected to become an unrestricted free agent according to the NBA on Prime's Chris Haynes.

The 32-year-old guard had a strong season in LA, mostly serving as a starter. Smart averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals while doing a lot of heavy lifting defensively in a starting unit that also featured Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, 41-year-old LeBron James and Deandre Ayton.

He may also have his next team mapped out.

Mark Stein of The Stein Line reports that there is "growing expectation" that Smart could sign with the Houston Rockets and reunite with former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka once free agency officially begins.

The Rockets have their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15 million and the bi-annual exception of $5.5 million. Both would represent raises from the player option that Smart turned down.

Smart leaving the Lakers would only increase their need for a dynamic defensive center while also looking for another player who can guard multiple positions on the wing.

Andrew Wiggins is not only picking up his player option to stay with the Miami Heat, but also extending his contract to stay with the franchise according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Bleacher Report.

Wiggins is picking up his $30.2 million player option and also signing a two-year, $34 million extension, bringing his total contract value to $64.2 million over the next three years.

Expected to be the starting small forward alongside a frontcourt that now features Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, Wiggins averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals last season while shooting 41.4 percent from three.

It's not surprising to see Wiggins stay in Miami or sign an extension, although this makes it less likely for the Heat to keep Norman Powell, an unrestricted free agent.

Miami is hard capped at the first apron following the trade for Antetokounmpo, a line they currently sit just $20.5 million below with six roster spots left to fill. Powell was an All-Star last year, averaging 21.7 points in his first season in Miami and could command well north of $20.5 million by himself.

It would have made more sense to convince Wiggins to opt out and sign a new three-year, $64 deal starting around $20 million, giving the Heat more space under the first apron to re-sign Powell.

The overall value for Wiggins is good, but the structuring of this money will sting if Powell ends up leaving in free agency.

Heat Grade: B-

Day'Ron Sharpe and Josh Minott are both returning to the Brooklyn Nets on two-year deals that include raises, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Nets turned down team options on both, with Sharpe agreeing to a two-year, $20 million deal and Minott receiving a two-year, $9 million contract.

Sharpe, 24, is one of the better backup bigs in the NBA. He's a big, strong, physical center who becomes more important to the Nets with Nic Claxton being traded to the Chicago Bulls. When given a starting opportunity, Sharpe averaged 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks over 28.2 minutes in seven games.

Minott, 23, showed he could play in an NBA rotation with the Boston Celtics to begin last year before being traded to the Nets. The 6'8" forward put up 10.8 points on 39.5 percent shooting from three for Brooklyn and could see an even bigger role if the Nets end up trading Michael Porter Jr. to a contender.

These won't be the headline deals of the offseason, but were a nice bit of business for the Nets as they look to grow their collection of young talent. Brooklyn should have looked to extend these to three or even four-year deals if possible at such reasonable annual numbers.

Nets Grade: B+

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.