Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One Eastern Conference champion is weighing major roster changes after a stunning first-round exit this season.
- Multiple teams are positioning themselves to acquire a star player, though his supermax contract adds significant complexity to any potential deal.
- The outcome will test the front office's long-term vision and could trigger a chain reaction across the league this offseason.
The New York Knicks are officially NBA champions — and the offseason is now in full swing for all 30 teams. With the Spurs emerging as perennial contenders in the West and the East as chaotic as ever, a ton of front offices will be scrambling for solutions this summer.
We already know Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the trade block. Other stars could soon join him. Here's all the latest buzz, from trade rumblings to free agency buzz:
Celtics open to trading Jaylen Brown, with prominent suitors emerging
- Hawks, Blazers and Rockets all expressing 'interest' in Jaylen Brown trade
- Brown's supermax contract, worth $57 million annually, adds 'layer of complexity' to negotiations
The Boston Celtics were bounced in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the seventh-seed Sixers. Brad Stevens and the front office will face difficult decisions now, with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors picking up significant steam in recent days.
If the Celtics make a play for Giannis, former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown will almost certainly be part of the deal. Brown is coming off of his best individual campaign to date, which culminated in a second team All-NBA nod. His five-year, $285 million supermax contract is a potential hurdle in trade talks, but according to Marc Stein, three teams have expressed interest:
"Portland, Houston and Atlanta are teams routinely mentioned as suitors with Brown interest, but the sheer salary numbers do add a layer of complexity to any talks," he writes. "Brown, who turns 30 in October, just assembled a career season but also has three years and $183 million left on his current contract."
Milwaukee will almost certainly reroute Brown to a third team if he's part of a Giannis deal. If the Celtics trade Brown without acquiring Giannis, it would signal sweeping changes to Boston's short- and long-term plans.
Atlanta is Brown's hometown, so a Hawks union makes sense both sentimentally and basketball-wise. Portland controls Milwaukee's draft rights from 2028 through 2030, which could give the Blazers a leg up in three-way negotiations involving the Bucks. Houston, meanwhile, clearly needs to instigate major changes after sputtering out in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Nets expected to offer Austin Reaves a max contract in restricted free agency
- Nets expected to offer Austin Reaves a max four-year, $178.5 million contract in free agency
- Hawks, Pistons are other 'interested teams' who can create space to make a competitive offer
The Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to build properly around Luka Dončić this summer. That starts with making a decision about the futures of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, both of whom are free agents — and both of whom could command max contracts.
Reaves in particular stands out. He's a restricted free agent, so the Lakers can match any offer sheet. Dončić has also made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he wants Reaves to stick around.
Still, it's unclear if the Lakers truly have the appetite to invest max money in a defensive liability like Reaves. According to The Athletic's Dan Woike, the Lakers will face stiff competition, with "multiple NBA front office sources" expecting the Brooklyn Nets, with $78 million in cap space, to submit a max offer sheet worth $178.5 million over four years.
The Hawks and Pistons are also mentioned as potential suitors that can "create space to make competitive offers." The Hawks were the best team in the NBA over the second half of the campaign and took the Knicks to six games, longer than any other series played by the new champs. Detroit was the top seed in the East, but fell in the second round to a flawed Cavs team (after the eighth-seed Magic took them seven games).
Brooklyn does not control its immediate draft future, so the Nets will look to rapidly shift out of tank mode this offseason. The Nets are loaded to the gills with guards right now, yet still lack a proper offensive engine. It's fair to wonder if Reaves is the ideal use of Brooklyn's financial resources, but he can still in and lend immediate credibility to the Nets offense. Pairing him with a coach like Jordi Fernandez certainly can't hurt either.
Pelicans finally listening to trade offers for Trey Murphy III
- Pelicans are, for the first time, 'truly willing to field offers' for Trey Murphy III
- The asking price is 'a lot,' with Pistons and Pacers among known suitors
The New Orleans Pelicans' first season under President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars did not go as planned. New Orleans struggled to compete and wound up handing the No. 8 overall pick to Atlanta as a result of the Derik Queen trade.
Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray will probably stick around on account of their ugly contracts, but the Pelicans could look to shift their timeline with a Trey Murphy III trade. According to Marc Stein, "this is the first time [New Orleans'] new front office regime... has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy."
Interest around the league is "intense," with the Pistons and Pacers among the reported suitors. The Pelicans are understandably asking for a lot. Murphy, 26, is on a friendly contract for three more years, coming off of his best individual campaign to date. In a league that values positional size and skill, Murphy's mix of length, IQ and shooting gravity on the wing is a hot commodity.
The Pelicans could hope to match the four first-round picks Memphis received for Desmond Bane last offseason. Murphy offers similar value as a deadeye shooter with secondary creation skills and a solid defensive foundation. New Orleans is still stuck in an uncomfortable middle ground between contention and full-scale rebuild, but a Murphy trade would at least signal a desire to look to the future.
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