The NBA Finals are a week away, and once a champion is crowned it’s full steam ahead to free agency. With a few stars possibly on the move, we could have a crazy offseason of trades, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo does orchestrate an exit from the Milwaukee Bucks. If he’s moved to a different team it will reshuffle the NBA landscape, but by no means is the Greek Freak the only domino we’ll be on the lookout to fall to kickstart this offseason.
Several teams who have already been eliminated will be looking to upgrade or retool, with the Boston Celtics mentioned most frequently as a team looking to overhaul a roster that is trying to cut their tax bill while still remaining competitive.
We’re about a month away before teams can start talking about trades and looking at free agents, but there’s plenty of chatter out there to keep us wondering how this is going to play out. With that being said, here’s the latest intel from the rumor mill.
Aside from Antetokounmpo, Durant is the biggest name that has been mentioned in the rumor mill. His tenure with the Phoenix Suns has been marred by injuries both to Durant and other stars around him like Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. There was also the issue of the Suns lacking any real depth for practically his entire time there, so Phoenix was always a tier below the legitimate championship contenders in the West.
Now, after missing the postseason entirely, firing another coach and with a top heavy roster that carried the highest tax bill of any other team in the league, there’s been hints of change on the horizon for the Suns, specifically with Durant. There were reports at the trade deadline that Phoenix entertained the idea of trading Durant to the Warriors, but the MVP superstar nixed that idea. But Golden State wasn’t the only team with interest in the NBA champion. The San Antonio Spurs and Durant had mutual interest in each other, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, which is potentially notable for how this summer may play out.
What could a Durant-Spurs trade look like?
It’s unclear to what extent that interest was, and perhaps San Antonio doesn’t hold Durant in that same regard after landing the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft. However, if the interest is still there on San Antonio’s side, there’s plenty of assets the Suns would find intriguing in a return. Aside from a treasure trove of future draft picks the Spurs have of not just their own, but the rights to swap with teams like the Mavericks, Hawks and Celtics, San Antonio has a few young guys that may interest the Suns.
Unless the Spurs would consider trading the No. 2 pick in next month’s draft — which is incredibly unlikely — San Antonio is going to have a crowded backcourt if they take Dylan Harper, which means someone could be on the move. Devin Vassell could be the odd man out, and he certainly should be of interest to the Suns as he’s only 24 years old, is about a 15 points a game scorer and still has room to develop.
Spurs get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan
Vassell could be the starting package for a return for the Suns, who should also be asking for the No. 14 pick in next month’s draft in any deal with San Antonio, as well as multiple other first-round picks. Adding Johnson and Sochan not only works monetarily, but gives Phoenix the kind of depth on both ends of the floor that they didn’t have in previous years. It also ensures that the Suns still have a somewhat competitive roster around Booker. The Suns could also swap Johnson and get Harrison Barnes if they value his veteran presence, that also works financially, though Johnson has more upside at 25 years old.
The Celtics are widely considered to break up its championship team in some form, in part to cut down on a payroll that is third highest in the league, but also to retool around the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Holiday has been one of the most-mentioned names as someone who could be on the move, with several other teams as potential suitors, like the Mavericks. But the Clippers could also be in line for trying to nab Holiday from Boston, according to Mass Live’s Brian Robb.
The Clippers tried to get Holiday back in 2023 when the Celtics originally acquired him from the Portland Trail Blazers but struck out. But now they could try for a second time to acquire the two-time champion. The major issue here, though, and this is true of any team that wants to acquire Holiday, is his $104.4 million owed over the next three years, making it difficult to work up a trade for him.
What could a Holiday-Clippers trade look like?
This would be a difficult framework to think up because the Clippers are also a team that wanted to avoid the luxury tax, which is in part why they were fine parting ways with Paul George last summer. So taking on Holiday’s contract, who is another aging player with injury issues, doesn’t seem like the best fit initially. But thinking about the defensive prowess Holiday will bring, and when you think about pairing him with James Harden in the backcourt and combining his defense with Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers would be a stalwart.
Celtics get: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, Drew Eubanks
Clippers get: Jrue Holiday
This deal works financially, though it’s unclear if both sides would be OK with this return. There’s been reports suggesting that the Celtics would have to attach a first-round pick to a Holiday trade, so perhaps the Clippers would be more inclined to do this if that were the case. For Boston, this is about getting money off the books in the short and long term. Eubanks will be an expiring contract next season, Bogdanovic has a club option next summer and Dunn could be a potential trade chip next season for a team looking for a point of attack defender.
