NBA Rumors: Giannis trade buzz, Team USA future, Warriors-Mavs trade reunion

Preseason basketball is back, which means the real thing is right around the corner. This was an atypically quiet offseason until recently, when the New York Knicks shocked the greater basketball community with their trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. Now the NBA rumors are flowing at full force, with ample uncertainty pervading the league these days.

The latest scuttlebutt is particularly enticing in nature. A few major names are floating around the trade mill and we could be getting an early glimpse at Team USA's plans for the 2028 Olympics roster.

So, let's dive in.

NBA Rumors: Warriors-Mavericks trade would reunite Klay Thompson, Gary Payton II in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks' offseason was a decidedly mixed bag. On the surface, landing one of the greatest shooters in NBA history is an unequivocal victory. Last season was not his best, but Klay Thompson still averaged 17.9 points while hitting 38.7 percent of his 9.0 attempts per game from long-range. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving naturally compromise a defense; Thompson's relentless movement and unmitigated 3-point gravity ought to make Dallas' offense especially hard to contain.

Of course, basketball is a two-sided sport. Thompson is essentially replacing Derrick Jones Jr. in the Mavs starting lineup, which creates a rather large hole on the defensive end. Jones was Dallas' most impactful defender at times last season. His range and matchup versatility was essential to the Mavs' deep postseason run. Thompson is a liability on defense at this point, as are Doncic and Irving. Dallas is going to struggle to contain dribble penetration, placing even more responsibilities on Derrick Lively's shoulders.

Newcomers Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes should provide valuable support in the second unit, but the more quality defenders Dallas can add, the better. Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes pitched a potential Golden State Warriors reunion: Gary Payton II.

"Who wouldn't love an injection of chaotic defense next to Dončić and Irving's offensive brilliance? Dallas doesn't have an ace disruptor in the backcourt, and Payton, when healthy, causes as much trouble as anyone at the position."

It's plenty realistic. Payton has become somewhat buried in a deep Warriors backcourt and he deserves regular rotation minutes somewhere. It wouldn't break the bank for Dallas, with Payton on an expiring $9.1 million contract. His versatility as an on-ball defender would work wonders in the Mavericks backcourt, especially with Dante Exum expected to miss a few months due to injury.

NBA Rumors: Team USA circling Ja Morant, Zion Williamson for 2028 Olympics roster

After a tumultuous period in USA basketball, the heavyweights returned to the international stage for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant all proved integral to USA's gold medal ascent, narrowly edging out the likes of Serbia and France in front of the entire world.

The thing is, LeBron, Steph, and KD are all nearing retirement age. There's a non-zero chance Durant and maybe even Steph are on the roster in 2028, but it's unwise to expect peak production by that point. Team USA will need to embrace a youth movement of sorts, as one source pointed out to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

"We will still have a great chance to win gold, but it won't be easy," the source said (h/t Bleacher Report). "Ja [Morant] and Zion [Williamson] need to be in the mix. Moving forward, hopefully they can get on track and stay on track."

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, have both undergone their share of turbulence since entering the NBA. Williamson has been plagued by injuries and conditioning concerns, while Ja Morant was suspended twice after flashing firearms on social media.

Both also happen to be incredibly talented individuals who would provide quite the boost to USA basketball. Zion and Morant are arguably the two best pure slashers in the NBA, deploying vastly different physical tools to similar ends. Both are impossible to keep out of the paint, which creates a ton of advantages for their respective offenses.

Both the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans should be competitive in the West this season. If both Zion and Morant can put together healthy, unabridged campaigns, that is step one toward a new era for Team USA.

NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo on trade radars due to 'wishful thinking'

The Milwaukee Bucks' 2023-24 season did not go to plan. Damian Lillard's much-anticipated debut season was marred by injuries and a noticeable decline, while the age of Milwaukee's supporting cast was deeply felt late in the campaign. It's hard to complain too much about the No. 3 seed, but a first-round exit against the Indiana Pacers of all teams was not how Bucks fans envisioned their season ending.

Optimists hope that Dame is healthier and more explosive this season, while pessismissts point to the Bucks' age — the second-oldest collective in the NBA last season — as a reason it will get worse, not better. So many of the best teams around the league are young, spry groups that can get up and down the court and smother five positions on defense. The Bucks have undeniable star-power and an established winning coach, but it can be hard for aging legs to keep up.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has willfully left the door open for a future trade request if things in Milwaukee stagnate. It's hard to imagine his asking out in year two of the Dame experiment, but NBA insider Marc Stein says there are "wishful thinking" teams keeping an eye on the two-time MVP, just in case.

"Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo also gets mentioned, of course, but that frankly sounds more like wishful thinking from teams hoping — as teams have in the past — that the Bucks unravel to the point that the two-time MVP eventually decides to force his way out."

Hey! Where there's smoke, there is generally fire in the NBA. Giannis has not made a trade request yet and odds are he won't make one midseason, but the Bucks are officially under the microscope. Giannis could've slammed the door on trade rumors ages ago, but he chose not to. That was on purpose. He wants to keep pressure on the Bucks front office, and he wants a viable escape plan if Milwaukee's contending apparatus collapses.

The clock is ticking...