The NBA offseason might be one of the slowest in recent memory, forcing fans to scour TikTok edits just to imagine how their two favorite players might fit together. But even in the lull, there’s plenty to talk about — from contract negotiations and trade whispers to whether your favorite star is actually worth the price tag.
Warriors and Kings: Deadlocked in dysfunction
If there’s one team having a quieter offseason than expected, it’s the Sacramento Kings. And if there’s another that’s gone completely radio silent, it’s the Golden State Warriors.
Sacramento is once again scrambling for answers. The DeMar DeRozan–Zach LaVine experiment fizzled before it began, trading De’Aaron Fox might go down as a misstep, and firing Mike Brown may have moved the Knicks closer to a title than the Kings will ever get.
As for the Warriors — who knew that making zero trades, zero signings, and letting a 22-year-old athletic forward walk would leave the franchise more frustrated than ever? With only rumors linking them to Al Horford and Ben Simmons, Golden State appears to be holding onto the belief that Steph Curry alone can carry them back to the promised land.
They even walked away from a potential DeRozan deal. Reports revealed that Golden State had no interest in the six-time All-Star, despite exploratory talks involving a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade.
The reality is, the Warriors don’t want to get older — and DeRozan doesn’t fit the timeline. But letting contract negotiations with Kuminga drag on only decreases his market value, and the longer this standoff continues, the more it feels like Golden State is losing leverage by the day.
Miami hesitates to pull the trigger
The Miami Heat are having a curious offseason of their own. They parted ways with Duncan Robinson and brought in Norman Powell. They drafted Kasparas Jakucionis with the No. 20 pick — a solid bench addition — but that’s about it.
They nearly acquired Marcus Smart, who signed with the Lakers after a buyout with the Wizards. Miami reportedly balked at the idea of including additional draft capital in a deal that would’ve also sent out Terry Rozier.
That decision may haunt them.
Rozier’s name has now surfaced in the NBA’s ongoing betting investigation. According to reports, a professional bettor placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes — all centered around Rozier. The Heat haven’t publicly addressed the issue, but internally, they’re scrambling to find a contingency plan if Rozier faces a suspension.
Miami’s refusal to part with future picks isn’t surprising — they only have 10 combined first- and second-rounders over the next six seasons. Still, injuries have limited Smart to fewer than 60 games in each of the last three years. If he stays healthy and contributes in L.A., this could become a clear miss for Pat Riley’s front office.
The latest on Quentin Grimes
Among free agents like Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Cam Thomas, Quentin Grimes might have the biggest question mark over his 2025–26 contract value.
Grimes quietly exploded last season, averaging 21.9 points on career-best shooting splits across 28 games. He had two 40-point games during that span — and was playing so well that the Sixers eventually benched him to boost their odds of keeping a top-five pick.
Now a free agent, Grimes’ market is unclear. One-quarter of the league values him between $12–16 million per year, with some execs pushing that number to $18 million, and at least one believing he’s worth just $10 million.
“I like Quentin Grimes. He’s a very good player,” one executive said. “I’d offer him two options: a three-year, $48 million deal or a four-year, $60 million deal. Then I’d ask, ‘Do you want money or do you want longevity?’ If he says both, I’d say, ‘We can’t offer both.’”
Nobody’s calling Grimes a bad player — far from it. He’s evolved into a high-end 3-and-D option and can score efficiently when given a green light. The outlier? His breakout came on a bottom-five team. That’s also why players like Giddey and Thomas have seen their own markets stall.
If the Sixers can free up cap space, Grimes would be a strong candidate to rejoin their starting lineup. But if another team steps in, don’t expect them to go higher than $18 million annually.