Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Multiple franchises are pursuing aggressive, high-risk moves to position themselves as playoff contenders this offseason.
- One aging superstar duo — LeBron and Anthony Davis — could reunite on the veteran-heavy Warriors, aiming to capitalize Steph Curry's final seasons.
- The Raptors face a make-or-break decision on Kawhi Leonard that could either catapult them into title contention or result in severe penalties.
Another day of the offseason has come to roost, and that means another day filled with enticing NBA trade rumors. With so many difference sources reporting so many different things, it can be hard to keep tabs of all that's going on. So, here's a round-up of some of the most prominent rumors circulating through our airwaves.
The Warriors are chasing two Hall of Famers this offseason
After extending head coach Steve Kerr for another two years, one thing became abundantly clear: the Golden State Warriors are going to extract whatever they can out of the last few seasons of Stephen Curry's career.
This offseason was going to play a key role in making that happen. Even if Jimmy Butler III never tore his ACL, it was apparent that the Warriors did not have enough to be serious contenders in the Western Conference.
The first part of their plan included drafting the older, ready-to-win-now Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Many of us thought the next phase included signing LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player who has ever lived, in free agency. However, he isn't the only future Hall of Famer they are targeting.
According to NBA Insider Kevin O'Connor, along with trying to sign James, the Warriors are also trying to trade for Anthony Davis. And it looks like Draymond Green is willing to do his part to make sure this happens.
The opt-out comes days after the Warriors said they expect Green to pick up the $27.7M option. Instead Green delivers Golden State time and space to pursue Davis with the Wizards and convince James to join Stephen Curry, Green and his old Lakers championship teammate in the Bay. https://t.co/uNMngqPSw2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
First off, kudos to Green. Whatever you want to say about some of his on-court temper tantrums or off-court antics, the guy is clearly committed to getting the most out of the Warriors' swan song.
Personally, I am pretty skeptical that putting together a cast of past-their-prime stars (Curry, Green, Butler, James, and Davis) will be enough to make the Warriors a serious threat, especially in a league that is shifting toward youth and athleticism. However, I appreciate the sheer audacity of what they are attempting to accomplish here. It very much reminds me of when the Houston Rockets tried pairing Charles Barkley with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, which led to the team coming within two games of the NBA Finals in 1997.
Kawhi Leonard returning to Toronto?
Back in the Summer of 2018, the Toronto Raptors took the gamble of all gambles, trading for Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs, despite having no indication that the Finals MVP would re-sign with the team after his contract expired. That gamble paid off for them in a huge way, as the team won their first (and only) NBA Championship, with Leonard as their Finals MVP.
It looks like the Raptors are going to try to play a game of Time Roulette once more. Recent reporting from Marc Stein points to the Los Angeles Clippers being interested in a trade involving Brandon Ingram and Leonard, as adding Ingram would help them stay fairly competitive in the Western Conference.
This time, the risk the Raptors are taking on is far scarier. Leonard and the Clippers are currently under investigation for possible cap circumvention, which could lead to Leonard being suspended and/or his contract being voided.
There are some scenarios where this goes terribly wrong. But if it works out, pairing Leonard with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Collin Murray-Boyles could make the Raptors one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. I don't know about you, but I, for one, am very curious to see how this experiment would play out.
Marcus Smart to the Rockets
After a renaissance 2025-26 campaign, Marcus Smart is an unrestricted free agent (if he opts out of his player option, which is highly likely), and it appears that he may not be doing another tour of duty with the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to The Athletic's Dan Woike, Smart could be reuniting with his former coach Ime Udoka over in Houston. While this wouldn't fix all of the Rockets' problems, I do really like the idea of signing him for them. Smart will give them an offensive organizer, while maintaining the identity that helped this team pull themselves out of the doldrums of the Western Conference -- one predicated on defense and physicality.
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