The NBA Finals aren’t even here yet, but that hasn’t stopped the trade rumor mill from reaching a higher gear. Judging from what is being said around the league, multiple All-Stars could find themselves joining new teams this offseason.
Here are all the latest rumors, whispers and inklings going around the NBA right now, starting with the former MVP and his several suitors.
Who’s going after Giannis Antetokounmpo?
It’s no secret the Milwaukee Bucks have good reason to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. After years of contending and the first championship in 50 years, the team’s supporting cast behind Antetokounmpo has become a significant concern, from Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles to Kyle Kuzma’s existence.
So any team in need of an MVP-level, defensively dominant power forward is going to be on the phone, even if the price is likely to start with a young player or two and end with every first-round pick that isn’t nailed down. Antetokounmpo himself is going into the offseason “open-minded” about a possible new home, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
One of those teams is the Toronto Raptors, as the Toronto Star’s Doug Smith reports there is mutual interest in a deal there. That’s couched with the odds of a deal being “long,” but Toronto is looking for a new way forward after the slow break-up of their 2019 championship team, who beat Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.
Another possibility is the Houston Rockets, whom The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports is targeting Antetokounmpo. However, the team has reportedly experienced recent uncertainty over whether the Bucks will actually part with their star, to say nothing of the price he is likely to command.
The Brooklyn Nets could also get involved, per the New York Post, and then there’s the haunting idea of an Antetokounmpo-Stephen Curry team-up. We don’t know how seriously the Golden State Warriors are there, but you can’t ignore one of their players talking about the possibility on television.
Suns reportedly lowering asking price for Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns were an expensive disaster this season, and all parties are reportedly ready to call it a day. We’ve known this for months.
Iko also reported the Suns have been “aggressive” in moving the 36-year-old, with the Rockets in communication there, with Phoenix gradually lowering its asking price. Few teams would be a better fit for Durant than Houston, which features a core of young players, a proven coach in Ime Udoka and one of the best defenses in basketball last season.
In addition to the Rockets, Charania recently reported the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs were all interested in Durant when he was being dangled at the trade deadline and he expects them to be similarly interested this offseason. Stein also mentioned Minnesota to have “significant interest” in teaming Durant up with Anthony Edwards.
Nothing on the Mavericks moving the Cooper Flagg pick yet
The Dallas Mavericks got the most unearned fortune of the offseason by winning the NBA Draft Lottery, but the question remains if they will A) stick with the pick and draft generational prospect Cooper Flagg or B) trade the pick for what would be one of the biggest hauls in the offseason.
Right now, there has been very little indication the team is considering Option B. Veteran reporter Marc Stein reported weeks ago there’s “no chance” Dallas moves off the Flagg pick and head coach Jason Kidd was talking Tuesday about focusing on Flagg, though with the caveat “we all understand that things change.”
Flagg represents a significant fork in the road, as the Mavericks quite loudly committed to an older core of Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving when they traded away Luka Dončić at only 25 years old. Expecting Flagg to be instantly ready as a member of a championship Big 3 would be a heck of a bet, but this front office has shown itself to be nothing if not bold.
Is the Cavaliers’ Core 4 really a Core 2?
The Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games this season and looked like an emerging power in the East, right up until the Indiana Pacers ripped their hearts out. That begs the question, is this a team that should be just running it back?
The answer appears to be “Yes, unless they get a particularly good offer on a couple guys.” Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor said on the :Wine and Gold Talk” podcast that while the Cavaliers consider stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to be “untouchables,” he has gotten the sense that the team could consider deals for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland.
Detroit Pistons looking into Naz Reid, Myles Turner
The Detroit Pistons took a nice leap this season and want to take the next step with a big man who can help space the floor. Per Stein, they have an eye on both the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid and the Pacers’ Myles Turner.
Turner is a pending free agent and could be available, but he looked pretty happy after the Pacers’ Eastern Conference title and seems a decent bet to re-sign with Indiana, which certainly has cap space for him.
Reid, meanwhile, has a $15 million player option for next season that he is almost certain to opt out of. Minnesota had one of the highest payrolls in the NBA last offseason, so this would likely be the center to chase.
