The 2025 NBA offseason is expected to be as busy as ever, with some of the league’s biggest stars potentially on the move. As talks around the league heat up, fans start to get a better idea of how the landscape will change this summer.
Here are some of the biggest rumors around the NBA this week.
Potential Clippers-Celtics Trade
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the LA Clippers could be looking to tweak their lineup to better compete in a tough Western Conference. The window is small for an aging duo of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, so adding another star to the mix could be their solution.
However, after a report about the Clippers’ potential interest in Boston Celtics champion guard Jrue Holiday, The Athletic’s Law Murray turned down the idea.
“I don’t see the fit as well with Jrue in 2025 as I did in 2023,” Murray said. “It’s not like Jrue is a bad player like that… This doesn’t sound like something that would come from the Clippers side of things.”
Kevin Durant’s Future in Phoenix
One of the biggest stars on the trade market this offseason is undoubtedly Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, as the future Hall of Famer could, once again, be changing teams. However, his future could unexpectedly depend on what happens with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The expectation persists that Durant will ultimately reach the trade market this offseason, but it might not happen until there is clarity on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will be staying in Milwaukee or seeking a trade of his own,” Jake Fischer wrote on The Stein Line.
“The Suns appear poised to hire a first-time head coach, only adding to the belief leaguewide that Phoenix will eventually explore Durant’s trade market in collaboration with the future Hall of Famer,” Fischer added.
Timberwolves Parting Ways With Key Players?
After losing in the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves could have a much harder time making it back to that point in the future. While they will still have young star Anthony Edwards, they might not be able to keep his supporting cast together.
The Timberwolves are expected to have trouble re-signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle.
“Timberwolves coach Chris Finch tried to downplay widely circulating suggestions that his team will struggle to re-sign the trio of Reid, Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle, saying at an end-of-season news conference,” Fischer wrote.
“The reality, though, is that Alexander-Walker is bound to generate the most significant external interest of the three — especially coming off a season in which he earned just $4.3 million,” Fischer continued. “Next season’s full midlevel exception will be worth more than three times what Alexander-Walker made last season at $14.1 million … with rumbles already in circulation that Orlando is a team to watch as a potential suitor.”
This NBA offseason could certainly get crazy, especially with some of the league’s top teams expected to make major moves. If teams like the Clippers and Timberwolves, both of whom were competing for a championship, look different next season, then the league could get very shaky.
