On Tuesday, June 30, NBA teams were allowed to start negotiating and reaching contract agreements with new free agents. Of course, some of these conversations start earlier than they’re supposed to, even with the NBA trying to cut down on tampering. However, with the amount of deals that have been reported already, it’s pretty clear it’s still happening. Either way, this is an exciting time of the summer. Not only are we a few weeks away from the start of Vegas Summer League, we’re starting to see what teams are doing to do chase down the New York Knicks in the 2026-27 season. With that in mind, it makes sense to have a place where we react to some of the bigger moves of the NBA offseason. Keep reading for some quick analysis on some of the bigger trades and signing.
Free Agency Bombshells
Clippers trade Kawhi Leonard to Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap, and two second-round picks
With Los Angeles taking a few steps back last season, the team decided it was time to get off Leonard. That opened up the potential for a reunion between Leonard and Toronto, and it didn’t long for the Raptors to strike. On Tuesday, they decided to move some significant draft capital for the two-time Finals MVP, who won a title with the organization in 2019 and decided he wants to end his career in Canada.
We’re going to find out the fallout of a bad Leonard story shortly, but this is at least a good one. Leonard is a hero in Toronto after having delivered the city a championship. And while it would have been nice to see him continue competing alongside his championship teammates years ago, it’s cool to see he wants to retire in a Raptors uniform. This isn’t a sentimental move though. In acquiring Leonard for the price of one rotation player, Toronto is now a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. Leonard isn’t the overall two-way assassin he was in 2019 anymore, but he was fifth in the NBA in Estimated Plus-Minus (+6.6) last season and performed at an MVP level when he was on the floor.
The Raptors now have the best defensive frontcourt in the NBA in Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles, and Darko Rajakovic is one of the best defensive coaches in the league. On top of that, Leonard gives this team an S-tier isolation scorer to rely on late in games. They also have some good pieces surrounding those three, and they have the assets required to go out and make some more moves. Kyrie Irving is a name to keep an eye on.
Of course, Toronto gave up a lot to go out and do this. But getting a top-five player in the league without giving up Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and 2026 first-round pick Allen Graves is a major win. There could also be an element of addition-by-subtraction with Ingram, who has always been a bit of a black hole offensively and a minus defensively.
As far as Eastern Conference odds go, the Raptors are my favorite value play at +800. I don’t see much of a difference between Toronto and favorites like Boston and New York.
LeBron James and Lakers will be parting ways
We don’t know where LeBron will be taking his talents in 2026-27, but we do know he won’t be on the Lakers. Rich Paul spoke with the Los Angeles front office on Tuesday, letting the Lakers know that they’re free to start mapping out a post-LeBron future. And honestly, this is exciting for both sides. LeBron can now handpick his next spot, while Rob Pelinka can begin to truly build around Luka Doncic.
For LeBron, the teams to keep an eye on are the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat. LeBron is said to have interest in all three, but it’s Golden State that is really acting like a team that will have him on the roster. Draymond Green opted out of his contract to give the Warriors time and flexibility when it comes to convincing his buddy LeBron to play in the Bay Area. Golden State is now favored to land LeBron whether you’re looking at prediction markets or DraftKings’ Next Team Odds.
As far as Los Angeles goes, the Lakers will need to be creative in order to piece together a contender this year. They’re currently being linked to centers Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren, but getting either one of them will be challenging. Los Angeles also needs to find a way to bring in some defensive-minded wings to put next to Doncic. Until then, championship contention isn’t in the question. But things can change fast. I’d like to see the Lakers go all in for the Pelicans duo of Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. If they put those two next to Doncic and Austin Reaves, they might be in the conversation.
Small Moves, Big Impacts
Sixers sign Dean Wade for four years, $39 million
Wade isn’t a franchise-changing signing, but he’s a very good role player. Defensively, Wade’s fantastic. He’s capable of guarding across multiple spots, and he can really handle some of the tougher assignments Philadelphia has to deal with. That’ll take some pressure off Paul George as he gets a little older. Offensively, Wade can knock down stand-still jumpers. He’ll also quickly keep the ball moving, he’ll crash the glass, and he’ll be active as a cutter. In signing Wade and drafting Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers are off to a good start in their quest to be deeper than they were last year. They’re probably still on the outside looking in when thinking about the Eastern Conference landscape, but you can make worse bets at 22-1.
Heat re-sign Simone Fontecchio and sign Tim Hardaway Jr.
Fontecchio was with Miami last season. He shot 37.5% from three on the year, and that shooting made him valuable to the Heat this offseason. This team is looking to add some reliable spot-up shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, so grabbing Fontecchio on a veteran’s minimum deal made a lot of sense. The same also goes for Hardaway, who averaged 13.5 points per game and shot 40.7% from deep for the Nuggets last year. Miami probably needs some more on-ball creation from the perimeter this offseason. But the Heat have very little cap flexibility. Bringing in specialists at cheap prices is good business.
Pre-Free Agency Trades
Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap, and one second-round pick
If you have been listening to (or watching) Hardwood Handicappers, it’s likely you have heard my thoughts on this trade. However, to quickly reiterate: I love what the Heat have done here. Miami’s roster was going nowhere, meaning a big change was necessary. Well, the Heat now have the best power forward-center combination in the NBA in Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Defensively, this should be a top-five team in the league. Miami is now trying to add some perimeter firepower, as bringing in the right collection of off-ball players will be crucial in building out a top-10 offense. But I’ll take my chances with Erik Spoelstra and Co. That said, the Heat are right where they belong on the oddsboard when looking at Eastern Conference odds. They’re at +900 and have a puncher’s chance, which they didn’t have last year.
Hornets trade LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second round picks
I wrote a whole article on this trade, so make sure you check it out. But I’ll hit you with the SparkNotes here. Charlotte sacrificed major short-term success to get out of the Ball business and increase flexibility for the future. The Hornets now have one of the league’s best collections of picks, plus a nice group of young players. When the next superstar becomes available for trade, Charlotte will be in a position to pounce. Meanwhile, Minnesota now has a legitimate on-ball creator to take pressure off Anthony Edwards. In making this deal, the Timberwolves are leaning into being a high-octane offensive team, and doing that raises their ceiling. However, it also lowers their floor.
Hornets trade Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick
Many people hated Phoenix giving up a 2033 pick in this trade, but there was a purpose with that move. The Suns now have a little more flexibility when it comes to trading picks, which gives them some more assets to work with as they try to maximize this window with Devin Booker — which very well could be shut already. And outside of the pick swap, Phoenix made a good basketball trade. Miles Bridges might not be a good person, but he’s a capable starting forward that gives the Suns some athleticism and downhill attacking ability at the four. Phoenix was missing that last year. The Suns also saved some money, unlocking an exception that allowed them to sign Luke Kennard. They’re undoubtedly a better team on paper. Meanwhile, the Hornets didn’t necessarily need Bridges, so they picked up a very valuable draft pick. Also, Allen is a top-tier three-point shooter that will allow Charlotte to run the same stuff when Kon Knueppel is off the floor.
Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray
This trade involves a big name, but I’m not sure it’ll make a big impact. Memphis has been dying to get off Morant, so the return was never going to be great. Portland ultimately bit on taking the flier, despite having Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson all playing Morant’s position. Morant still has plenty left in the tank, but does he make the Blazers better? Portland’s perimeter defense could be disastrous. Also, it’s only a matter of time before some of these guards get upset. If anything, I’m more intrigued by Memphis picking up a good scoring wing in Grant. The Grizzlies could end up being an Over team when looking at win totals next year. They’re much better than people think.
