年度归档 2026年7月7日

NBA free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, and it’s already getting tough to keep up with all the moving parts. Giannis Antetokounmpo is in Miami. LaMelo Ball now plays for the Timberwolves. Ja Morant has been traded to Portland. It feels like deals involving Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Duren and/or Anthony Davis could happen any second.

So let’s not waste what little time we may have to discuss 10 big names that could be on the move over the next few days in the Association.

All reporting indicates that he and the Lakers are just now planning to talk about their possible future together. Funny how that works after news breaks that the Golden State Warriors are trying to bring LeBron and his old friend Anthony Davis aboard.

That plan sounded a bit pie-in-the-sky at first, but now that Draymond Green has declined his $27.7 million player option, presumably to take less annual money to then free up room for LeBron at the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, it’s gotten a whole lot more real.

Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
Sam Quinn
Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
There is still a case for LeBron to stay with the Lakers. They have more money to give him than Golden State, and unless they’re successful in the potential long-shot endeavor of filling their center needs with Jalen Duren or walker Kessler, there probably isn’t a big man out there worth more to them than LeBron would be next season. Maybe they give him a bunch of money at the last minute. But maybe not. LeBron leaving the Lakers to join the next best player of his era, Stephen Curry, for one last Expendables run at what would be a fifth ring for both of them is a major story right now, and for good reason.

A potential new drinking game: Every time you see the words written that the Celtics have gone too far with the Jaylen Brown saga to “put the toothpaste back in the tube,” you have to take a shot. You’ll probably be in need of medical attention very soon, because at the end of the day, that feels like the truth of the matter. This bridge feels sufficiently burned.

It’s important to note the Celtics didn’t do anything wrong here. They dangled an All-NBA player in a trade for an all-time player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s the NBA. If you’re Brown, get over it.

On the other hand, you can understand the frustration of a player of Brown’s caliber being the outgoing guy in all the Celtics’ trade-machine rumors and, more importantly, the real rumors. He doesn’t feel appreciated. Now he’s battling the analytics crowd who say he’s overrated. For Brown to go back to playing second fiddle for a Boston team that, in his eyes, doesn’t value him as highly as it does the “real” stars in the league? That’s problematic.

The problem is that the Brown market might be drying up. ESPN reported that the Blazers, who were widely considered one of the likelier Brown destinations, are not “actively pursuing” Brown after they made their big play by trading for Ja Morant. Don’t believe everything you hear. The Blazers now have a glut of guards with Morant and Damian Lillard the presumed starters, and Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe might be a decent package going back to Boston if enough draft capital is involved.

If it’s not the Blazers, the Nuggets could be in play for a Jamal Murray swap. The Rockets have major need for Brown’s services and a ton of capital to work with. The Hornets. The Magic. Even the Spurs, who could trade De’Aaron Fox and a bunch of draft picks. Any of these teams would be thrilled to add Brown at a reasonable price, and the longer this goes, with the only alternative being Brown going back to Boston for an incredibly awkward training camp, they just may end up getting it.

Steve Ballmer has maintained that he doesn’t want to trade Leonard, but with all due respect, that would be crazy. Leonard is 35 years old and just had one of the healthiest and most productive regular seasons of his storied career. His value will never be higher, and not capitalizing on that to either sign Leonard to another long-term contract that will almost certainly age horribly, or let him walk for nothing next summer, would be malpractice.

Which is why a trade to Toronto feels so likely. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has reported that the Clippers and Raptors have indeed had “real” talks about a Leonard trade, and that Toronto’s preference would be to ship out Brandon Ingram to Los Angeles as the main money part of a deal.

Meanwhile, The Athletic has reported that the Mavericks have also held talks with the Clippers about a possible trade for Leonard. That would reunite him with his former GM in Toronto, Masai Ujiri, who’s now running the show in Dallas.

Leonard controls most of how this goes because he’s in the last year of his contract and can basically nix any deal he doesn’t like by saying he won’t re-sign with that team. He reportedly would only re-sign with one of his old teams, the Raptors or Spurs, and all is quiet on the San Antonio front. Sometimes the quiet team is the one that pops up last minute. But for now, the Raptors are the favorite.

Duren was third-team All-NBA last season and seemingly assured of getting a max contract, or something very close to it, from Detroit this summer. His postseason offensive no-show put a pin in that plan, and now he’s out here trying to use the Kings — the Kings! — as leverage to get Detroit to pay up.

BREAKING: Due to sizable distance apart in negotiations, Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren will meet with the Sacramento Kings at the start of free agency with the intentions of structuring a sign-&-trade out of Detroit. pic.twitter.com/rzUZWy2iJF

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 29, 2026
Sam Amick reported that the most likely deal with the Kings, which should be treated as a huge long shot, would involve Domantas Sabonis going back to the Pistons in a sign-and-trade for Duren, who is a restricted free agent. There are teams that could just pay Duren outright, however. The Nets could do it. So could the Lakers, at least up to a point, and now it’s being reported that Duren will indeed meet with L.A. on Tuesday ahead of the 6 p.m. ET start of free agency.

We know the Lakers are in dire need of a center, and be it as a free-agent signing or a sign-and-trade they would probably abort any plans they might have to bring LeBron back if it meant they could get their hands on Duren or the next guy on this list.

Kessler is another restricted free agent who so far isn’t getting the kind of offer he’s hoping for from his current team, the Jazz, who may have irked their young big man by not extending him last summer in the first place. It has been reported by ESPN’s Tim McMahon that the Jazz have already offered Kessler a five-year, $140 million deal, but he wants more.

The same teams that could pay Duren could pay Kessler, and the Lakers are again the preeminent player in this game of chicken. They could throw a huge number at him and force Utah’s hand. A lot of other teams could be sign-and-trade suitors the longer this plays out. Boston needs a center. Jaylen Brown sign-and-trade, anyone?

Utah may not be willing to go any higher than its current offer, given the top-end frontcourt depth with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, but Danny Ainge is no dummy. He’s not going to pay Kessler one penny more than he needs to until some other team forces him to dig deeper. We’ll see how it plays out.

If Davis weren’t connected to LeBron as a possible package deal to the Warriors, he honestly wouldn’t be that interesting. He’s 33 years old and always hurt. He’s played in 29 games since the Doncic trade in February of 2025. Twenty-nine. Think about that.

When the Mavericks eventually traded Davis to the Wizards, he basically had no market. And now he wants a max contract extension that no team in their right mind should give him. The Wizards, who have already done one dumb deal this summer by giving Trae Young $212 million, might be willing to pay Davis if it comes to that, but Golden State is the out here.

The Warriors can justify paying a little more for Davis because he comes as a package deal with LeBron and they are in high-risk mode trying to make one last push before Stephen Curry hangs up his sneakers. If that deal doesn’t happen, is anyone going to get in Washington’s way if they want to pay Mr. Street Clothes hundreds of millions?

Zion’s name is always in the same sentence as Ja Morant when it comes to superstars who finally wear out their welcome with the team that drafted them, only to find they don’t have any real trade market because nobody else wants them or their contracts either.

But now that Morant (picked No. 2 in the 2019 draft after Williamson went No. 1) has found a taker, could Zion be next? He just played in 62 games and averaged 21 and 5 on 60% shooting. Given that he was a lineup mainstay from mid-December on, are the Pelicans back to seeing him as a future core guy, or is this their chance to trade him for decent value before he goes back to the injury list?

There isn’t a lot of smoke around Zion’s name right now, but it’s one to watch with the Pelicans clearly moving in the direction of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears as their inside-out combo of the future and Zion not really fitting with either one of them.

The NBA offseason has arrived, and it certainly has not been boring. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the Heat, free agency kicks off on Tuesday and rumors are swirling about some of the sport’s biggest names.

LeBron James is a free agent and recent reporting has linked him to the Warriors. That’s not all in Golden State. The Warriors could reportedly try to add Anthony Davis in a trade and pair James and AD with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the latter of whom made a key contract decision on Monday. Elsewhere on the trade market, the Celtics continue to try to solve their Jaylen Brown dilemma after falling short in the Giannis sweepstakes, and the Clippers appear ready to end the chaotic Kawhi Leonard era in L.A.

The NBA’s landscape has already shifted significantly in the last 10 days. It will look even more unusual by the end of the week. So before more major moves happen, we’re going to make some predictions. Our experts are taking their best guesses at where each of those four big names (James, Davis, Brown and Leonard) will end up by the start of next season. Do note that we did this same exercise just two weeks ago, and many of the answers have changed. Using everything we know now (as of Monday afternoon), here are our landing spot predictions.

Botkin: Draymond Green declining his $27 million player option to presumably take less annual money made this whole “LeBron to the Warriors” thing real. There is no way he does that without looking at it as the first step in getting not just James, but Anthony Davis, to the Bay, and all three of them are repped at the same agency. So again, if this happens, it would no longer be a surprise. That said, I still think the Lakers are the better bet to keep James. They have more money to give him than the Warriors, and they don’t seem to have any better options. If they land Walker Kessler or Jalen Duren, fine. But that seems unlikely. So I think the Lakers pony up in the end and LeBron stays put.

Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
Sam Quinn
Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
Gonzalez: Some of us (puts hand up) have been on the LeBron to Golden State hype train since the season ended. Staying with the Lakers makes sense given his family is there and so are his myriad business concerns, but the Lakers aren’t winning anything even if he sticks around. The best-case scenario for him to stay close-ish to his off-court interests while also finally teaming up with Steph (and Draymond and maybe even reunite with Anthony Davis while he’s at it) is heading up to NoCal. I’m not sure that even if all four of them are in a Warriors uniform that GSW would be able to get past OKC, the Spurs or even the Nuggets in the postseason, but I’m quite confident it would make for appointment viewing. LeBron will be 42 in December. Steph will turn 38 in March. Time is running out for the overdue alliance we’ve long waited to see. Let’s make this happen.

Kalland: There’s more than just a little smoke right now regarding the Warriors’ plans to bring in LeBron and Anthony Davis. Perhaps there’s some 4D chess at play here, but I’m inclined to believe this, largely because I find it hard to imagine any other team has real reason to pursue Anthony Davis as aggressively as the Warriors. Reuniting with AD and playing with Stephen Curry would be extremely appealing to LeBron, and they can all relive the glory days of Team USA’s past while trying to chase one last postseason run.

Maloney: There has been smoke about James going to Golden State for months now, and Yahoo Sports reported Sunday on Golden State’s grand plan to acquire James and Anthony Davis. I just don’t know about all that. It makes for a great summer story, but it feels like there are too many moving parts to pull it all together. Plus, ESPN reported that “happiness, not money,” is James’ priority this summer. That could sound like staying in Los Angeles and playing with Bronny.

Quinn: Maybe I’m just the dog sitting at the table in the burning room telling myself “this is fine” as smoke billows around me, but if I were to guess, I would say that LeBron’s priorities are this point would likely be getting paid and remaining close to home. The Lakers obviously have the capacity to do both. If there was a center out there worth their cap space, I might feel differently, but I don’t think the Pistons or Jazz will let their restricted free agent bigs (Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler) walk. At the end of the day, I just don’t see a better use of the Lakers’ money out there than running it back with LeBron. This free agent class is too weak to do much else.

Salerno: I had LeBron returning to the Lakers when we first put together our offseason predictions. However, there is so much smoke surrounding LeBron and the Warriors, I think this could actually happen. Pairing LeBron and Steph Curry together would be entertaining and memorable.

Botkin: This seems like it’s all but done. I’ve always wondered how much Leonard regretted leaving Toronto in the first place. That was such a magical year and he was so celebrated and seemed so comfortable. Toronto had such an awesome team seven years ago that could’ve kept running it back. But Los Angeles was home, Kawhi went back, it didn’t go as he’d hoped, and now he’s basically limited his market to the Raptors by saying that’s the only place he’ll sign an extension. Whether the Raptors should give him an extension (for big money), is another question. But they will. And Kawhi isn’t going to say no.

Gonzalez:There are reports that Toronto would like to center a trade package for Kawhi around Brandon Ingram rather than RJ Barrett, who has been on the trade block for seemingly forever. Barrett is on an expiring contract, which would give the Raptors added flexibility moving forward as they ostensibly try to improve the roster around Leonard and Scottie Barnes. Which makes sense from the Toronto end, but the inverse is true for L.A. The Clippers would probably prefer Barrett’s expiring in the deal for the same reason. Either way, with the findings and punishment of the Aspiration investigation still pending, it appears that it’s time for Leonard to leave the franchise.

Kalland: Also going chalk here given how much noise there is surrounding a Raptors reunion for Kawhi. It is funny that, as of now, it seems to be a bidding war between the Raptors and Masai Ujiri (now in Dallas) for Leonard’s services. The East is going to be a wide open battle again it seems, with the Knicks as the favorites with diminished depth from their championship squad. No one knows exactly what Boston looks like after the Jaylen Brown saga and Miami seems a year away from really putting together the best possible roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo. That opens the door for next year, and Toronto will know better than anyone how capitalizing on the right opportunity can change a franchise, which is why the Raptors should do what it takes to bring Leonard back.

Maloney: ESPN reported Monday that the Clippers and Raptors are “seriously engaged” in talks over a deal that would bring Leonard back to Toronto. It’s very rare that discussions get to that point and ultimately fall apart.

Quinn: This one is pretty straightforward. It’s time for the Clippers to rebuild. Their championship window has been closed and boarded up. All they can do now is cash out on Leonard for as much as they can following one of his best seasons. Considering he’s reportedly only willing to extend in Toronto, the Raptors are the obvious favorite to secure his services. Expect a deal involving Brandon Ingram and draft picks that sends the 2019 Finals MVP back to his former team.

Salerno: Who says you can’t go home? Although Leonard spent just one season with the Raptors, it sure was memorable. I actually really like the fit of him joining this Raptors roster that is full of wings. Obviously, the cost is going to be the hold-up. If the Clippers want Collin Murray-Boyles, who I am extremely bullish on, it would be hard for me to part with him. However, this is Kawhi we are talking about. He was awesome last season and would be great in his encore with the Raptors.

Botkin: This is a total crapshoot right now. There are so many teams that could seriously use Brown and would have a realistic trade package with which to enter the conversation. The Hornets. The Rockets. The Pistons. The Blazers. I could make a case for the Spurs around De’Aaron Fox and some of their draft capital. The Magic are the team no one is talking about that would make a lot of sense; they are desperate for consistent shot creation, and I would jump at Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs if I were the Celtics. But I’ll still say the Nuggets. Nikola Jokić’s potential free agency is hanging over that franchise and they don’t have a lot of ways to get meaningfully better. I am not that sure that a Jamal Murray-Brown swap really changes the Nuggets’ fortunes, and Denver would be hurting for ball-handling. But Brown is probably a better player than Murray and a front line of Jokic, Brown and Aaron Gordon is pretty damn formidable.

Gonzalez: Should be Boston here on the merits. He and the Celtics have enjoyed considerable success together. But it feels like the vibes aren’t great after Boston dangled him in a Giannis trade that never came to fruition. Meanwhile, the Jalen Duren vibes in Detroit seem equally not great. He wanted a certain number last year; the Pistons balked. He wants a certain (bigger) number this year; the Pistons appear to be balking again — or at least double-dog daring him to find a better offer on the restricted free agent market than what they came up with to start the negotiations. Maybe the solution is the Celtics and Pistons just swap problems. Duren would look great in the Boston front court, while Brown would slot in seamlessly in Detroit. Yes, the Pistons would need to find a better option at center than Paul Reed (with apologies to BBall Paul), but that’s something to figure out after the bigger issues here get sorted.

Kalland: I’m sticking with Houston as I did the last time we did this exercise. There’s a lot of smoke with Portland, but Houston is a team that needs to make a move to really upgrade their roster and Brown makes so much sense for what they need. The Rockets have the players and the draft assets to make a compelling offer, and even though it’s been fairly quiet around Houston this summer, the Rockets could make a sudden splash to enter the Western Conference arms race in a major way.

Maloney: The Celtics are clearly willing to part with Brown this summer, but now that the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes are over, it’s hard to see a deal that makes sense. Brown is too good, has too many years (three) left on his contract and too much history with the franchise to send him out in a glorified salary dump. No team has been willing to meet the Celtics’ price, which Sam Amick described as the “sun and the moon.” In the end, I think they’ll smooth things over, at least well enough that he begins the season in Boston.

Quinn: Portland, for now, appears to be the most aggressive Brown suitor, and the Celtics aren’t going to just give Brown away. Even if the package is primarily based around picks, the Celtics could take back Portland’s valuable draft capital (most notably from Milwaukee in the Damian Lillard trade) and redirect it elsewhere if needed. It might take a few transaction cycles for the Celtics to rebuild themselves into a true contender, but it seems the toothpaste is out of the tube here and that some sort of trade is coming.

Salerno: Portland seems like the best landing spot for Brown at this point. The relationship with the Celtics is at a point of no return. The Trail Blazers have the combination of assets (picks and players) that would make it worthwhile for the Celtics. For what it’s worth, Portland should not trade Donovan Clingan in this deal. He is the one player I would want to keep, even if I’m trading for an All-NBA player like Brown.

Botkin: Being that I have LeBron staying with the Lakers, the Warriors would be crazy to sell the farm for Davis in a solo deal. Frankly, anyone would be crazy to give him the max extension he’s looking for. The dude has played in 29 games since he was traded to the Mavericks 17 months ago. Think about that. The Warriors could justify a higher price for AD if it was a package deal with LeBro, much like the Clippers overpaid for Paul George because it was a package deal with Kawhi. But, outside that scenario, I think the Wizards do the dumbest thing possible and sign both Davis and Trae Young (already done) to huge contracts that will be the death of this supposed revival.

Gonzalez: Jimmy Butler, it was fun-ish while it lasted, but his services in the Bay Area are no longer required. I’m skeptical we get this much of an offseason bombshell in the form of Steph, LeBron, Draymond and AD all teaming up. I’m skeptical that Davis, who has played just 29 games since the Lakers traded him 17 months ago — which simultaneously feels impossibly low and too high — is healthy and available enough to make an impact even if Golden State can swap him out for Butler. I’m skeptical that even if this happens, and even if everything breaks right, that the overall roster would be a true contender in the West. I’m skeptical — but I want it to happen anyway. The entertainment value alone would be outrageous.

Kalland: Trading for Anthony Davis — who, again, has played in a total of 29 games since being traded from L.A. to Dallas in February 2025 — is a major risk at this point, but the Warriors are one of the few teams that have reason to take that on. If they can land Davis and LeBron James to play alongside Stephen Curry, their ceiling will be that of a contender. The floor is considerably lower due to health concerns, but the best-case scenario makes it worthwhile for Golden State to make one last run for Steph.

Maloney: The Warriors apparently want Davis, but who else would, given his salary and injury history? Any deal that would send Davis from Washington to Golden State would have to include Jimmy Butler, who is out indefinitely with a torn ACL. And while teams lie all the time, the Warriors have repeatedly said they have no plans to trade Butler. Again, like with James, I’m taking the boring route and predicting Davis to stay with the Wizards, who want to be much more competitive this season after drafting AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall.

Quinn: Well… I predicted that James remains with the Lakers, and if that’s the case, Washington’s leverage with Golden State in a Davis trade is minimized. At that point, the Wizards seem as though they’d prefer to just keep him, even if that isn’t his preference. Davis is extension-eligible in August. I’m not sure an extension is necessarily advisable, but the Wizards just paid Trae Young a four-year $212 million deal, so if they’re willing to hand out potentially irresponsible contracts, maybe that’s the way to calm this situation down and bring Davis fully into the fold.

Salerno: I could see this turning into a mini version of the Paul George to the Clippers trade a few years ago. No, the Wizards aren’t going to fetch the assets that the Thunder did when they traded George in 2019, but LeBron signing with the Warriors could be contingent on Davis joining the roster and vice versa. Again, too much smoke for me not to think this has legs after Draymond Green opted out.

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

CBS Sports HQ Newsletter newsletter icon
CBS Sports HQ Newsletter
We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge.

I agree to receive the selected newsletter(s) and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies.
By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to Paramount’s Privacy Policy .
Email Address
🏀 Five things to know Tuesday
The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers. Morant’s tumultuous tenure with Memphis is over. The Grizzlies reportedly sent the former No. 2 overall pick to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. In his first four seasons with the Grizzlies, Morant won Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star twice. Injuries and off-court issues have derailed Morant since then, making him an interesting buy-low candidate. But were the Trail Blazers the right team to do that buying? Sam Quinn questioned Portland’s strategy in his trade grades.
Paraguay eliminated German in a shocking upset. Four-time World Cup winner Germany is leaving the tournament much earlier than expected this year. Paraguay stunned the Germans with a win via penalty shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes. Paraguay will now crash the Round of 16 party and will take on the winner of France vs. Sweden. On the whole, it was a terrific day of soccer as Brazil rallied past Japan for a dramatic win in the 95th minute. At night, the Netherlands and Morocco went to penalty kicks with the Morrocans pulling off yet another round of 32 upset.
The Lions have released Terrion Arnold following his arrest. In the wake of his arrest on kidnapping and armed robbery charges, Arnold has been released by the Lions. Over the past two seasons, Arnold became a key cog in Detroit’s secondary, starting in 22 games while appearing in 24. In that time, he defended 18 passes and recorded an interception. As the Lions try to fill the large void in their defensive backfield, Rasul Douglas and Tre’Davious White are just two potential replacements.
Victor Hovland beat Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to win the Travelers Championship. Monday’s playoff between Hovland and Scheffler lasted just one hole as the former notched a birdie to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Scheffler missed a three-foot putt that would have extended the playoff. This win was Hovland’s eighth on the PGA Tour, and the loss was another frustrating finish for Scheffler in a year that has been full of them.
Malik Beasley was indicted on illegal sports gambling charges. Exactly one year ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Beasley was under investigation for gambling, including placing prop bets on NBA games. That investigation led to Beasley and fellow ex-NBA player Ed Davis being indicted on illegal gambling charges. Beasley and Davis are now the fifth and sixth current or former NBA players who have been indicted on federal gambling charges, with Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups among the others.
🏀 Do not miss this: LeBron James enters free agency
gettyimages-2273454466-2.jpg
NBA free agency officially begins today, and as every rumor and signing rolls in, our team will provide analysis in our 2026 NBA free agency tracker.

For the first time since 2018, LeBron James is on the market, and that could lead to the formation of a dynamic duo in the Bay Area. Could James team up with Steph Curry and the Warriors?

With rumors swirling that Golden State might have something up its sleeve as it looks to acquire James and Anthony Davis, Draymond Green did his part to make that dream a reality when he declined a $27.7 million player option in a surprising contract decision.

So, do the rumblings about James and Warriors have legs? Our team of NBA experts logged their landing spot predictions for the biggest names on the free agency and trade markets. Robby Kalland could easily see LeBron and Steph joining forces.

Kalland: “There’s more than just a little smoke right now regarding the Warriors’ plans to bring in LeBron and Anthony Davis. Perhaps there’s some 4D chess at play here, but I’m inclined to believe this, largely because I find it hard to imagine any other team has real reason to pursue Anthony Davis as aggressively as the Warriors. Reuniting with AD and playing with Stephen Curry would be extremely appealing to LeBron, and they can all relive the glory days of Team USA’s past while trying to chase one last postseason run.”
OK, but if James and the Lakers do part ways, where does that leave Bronny?

James might be the biggest name on the market, but he’s not the only impact player who could be in for a change of scenery. The Jalen Duren sweepstakes is heating up, and Zion Williamson is one of several stars on the trade block this summer.

⚾ Mets fail MLB’s first half
gettyimages-2279523697-2.jpg
Getty Images
We’re already halfway through the MLB regular season, and the first 81 games went much better for some teams than others. In the NL, the Braves and Dodgers have rolled. The Mets have flailed — or in this case, failed.

Our MLB experts handed out first-half grades for each NL team, and it didn’t take long to fill out the Mets’ report card. Hitting and pitching — two core elements in the game of baseball — have been a constant struggle all year. As Mike Axisa explains, the Mets haven’t looked further away from a World Series at any point in Steve Cohen’s tenure as owner.

Axisa: “They’re near the bottom of the league offensively. The rotation started out shaky and has completely fallen apart over the last few weeks. Even some touted prospects in the minors have taken a step back. When Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020, he said he would consider it a disappointment if the Mets didn’t win the World Series within 3-5 years. Well, this is now Year 6 of the Cohen era, and they’re going to have to sell at the deadline. An unmitigated disaster from the top on down.”
If it’s any consolation for the Mets, they aren’t the only New York baseball team enduring adversity. The Yankees are 3-8 in their last 11 games, and the offense has completely vanished. Aaron Judge can’t return soon enough.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
gettyimages-2253845750-2.jpg
Getty Images
Bengals coach Zac Taylor is on one of the hottest seats in the NFL this season.
Tom Brady isn’t exactly sugarcoating the Raiders’ disastrous 2025 campaign.
The Red Wings are among six ideal landing spots for Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski.
Derrick Henry plummeted in Pete Prisco’s Top 100 NFL player ranking.
The Valkyries are suddenly leapfrogging contenders in the WNBA Power Rankings.
Former 5-star QB Jackson Arnold may be facing his last chance at UNLV.
Nebraska RB Mekhi Nelson was arrested and charged with aggravated battery.
Arch Manning’s development is one of six burning questions from the Manning Passing Academy.
Incoming Kansas star Tyran Stokes goes No. 1 overall in our early 2027 NBA mock draft.
Monday Night Raw loaded up two monstrous matches for SummerSlam.
📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
🎾 Wimbledon: First round, 6 a.m. on ESPN
⚽ World Cup: Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 1 p.m. on Fox
⚽ World Cup: France vs. Sweden, 5 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Tigers at Yankees, 7 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Commissioner’s Cup championship: Aces at Liberty, 7 p.m. on Prime Video
⚽ World Cup: Mexico vs. Ecuador, 9 p.m. on Fox

LeBron James is leaving the Lakers. Hours before free agency opens on Tuesday (6 p.m. ET), James’ agent, Rich Paul, has informed the Lakers that he will be playing elsewhere for the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN. Even before that news, speculation about James’ free agency had run rampant, particularly centered around rumors that he could join the Golden State Warriors. That pairing went from a pipedream to (potentially) reality when Warriors star Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option for the 2026-27 season on Monday.

That move by Green could give the Warriors the financial flexibility needed to sign James and also, as rumored, trade for Wizards star forward Anthony Davis, which would give Golden State a Big Four of Stephen Curry, James, Davis and Green. There are more hurdles to clear to build out that dream roster — like trading Jimmy Butler’s $56.8 million expiring salary to acquire Davis — but Green declining his player option was one of several steps.

Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
Sam Quinn
Warriors have a plan to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green just completed Step 1
Regardless, with LeBron leaving Los Angeles, another logical question will be what does it mean for his son, Bronny James, who is entering his third season in the league. The younger James went from primarily playing in the G League during his first season to appearing in eight playoff games against the Thunder and Rockets earlier this spring.

With LeBron out, here are how the potential rumors could impact Bronny’s future with the Lakers.

Bronny’s contract situation with the Lakers
June 29 was a significant day around the league. It marked the deadline for players to accept or decline their player option, and for teams to decline an option themselves (if there is a team option). It’s also a deadline for some players to have their contracts guaranteed for next season.

Bronny is set to make $2.29 million this upcoming season, thanks to the four-year, $7.89 million contract he signed after being selected with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Heading into this summer, $1.25 million of his $2.29 million salary is guaranteed. By not cutting the younger James, the rest of the contract became fully guaranteed.

Traditionally, first-round picks have team options after Year 3 and 4 of their respective deals. However, it is different for second-round picks. Most players selected in the second round are given two-way contracts. But it isn’t uncommon for players to get a standard deal, either. That’s why some players fall on Day 2 of the NBA Draft — instead of getting picked in the early 30s — because there is a preferred destination by their camp. Instead of a two-way contract, those players tend to get guaranteed deals.

Ahead of the 2024 summer, LeBron had a player option to ponder. The Lakers were also looking for a new coach. In the end, Los Angeles hired JJ Redick and LeBron signed a two-year, $101.3 million deal with a player option for this past season. LeBron played out the final year of his contract and is now an unrestricted free agent.

Why the Lakers could keep Bronny regardless
Bronny’s road to being in the Lakers’ playoff rotation earlier this spring was two years in the making — and longer than that if you go back to his time at USC. The son of arguably the greatest player in NBA history has endured plenty of scrutiny in his short career, but those playoff minutes were certainly earned.

After playing 27 regular-season games last season, Bronny appeared in 42 during the 2025-26 campaign, while also splitting time with the South Bay Lakers. Bronny’s ceiling as an NBA player is still to be determined. Living up to the hype of what his father has accomplished during his NBA career would be the weight of the world for any 21-year-old.

Regardless, Bronny has shown signs of development as an NBA player since making his first appearance on opening night of the 2024-25 season. Bronny shot 38.6% from the 3-point line (on 1.4 attempts per game) and earned playoff minutes in the Rockets series. Bronny’s role in the NBA long-term is likely as a 3-and-D guard who can come off the bench and make an impact. In his limited minutes against Houston, he did exactly that.

Bronny’s contract is also minimal, with a team option for next season. Even if LeBron leaves, continuing to develop Bronny while he’s playing on essentially a league-minimum contract would be the smart play.

Could Bronny join his dad if LeBron signs with the Warriors?
If the Warriors sign James and acquire Davis (who is set to make $58.4 million this season), the Warriors will have a top-heavy roster when it comes to salary. Factoring in a new deal for Green — while also signing James — and Curry’s $62.58 million cap hit next season, it could get expensive fast for the Warriors. That’s why Bronny could make sense as a league-minimum contract for the Warriors, if his deal doesn’t become fully guaranteed by the Lakers.

The Warriors would be taking a shot on someone who has shown signs of being a productive rotation player in the NBA. The most likely path is Bronny returning after the Lakers guaranteed the remainder of his $2.29 million deal, but never say never.

LeBron James will change teams for the fourth time in his career after informing the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he would not be returning for a ninth season with the storied franchise.

The 41-year-old will hit the free agent market when the league’s window opens at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday and will determine where he spends his 24th season in the NBA. James will have plenty of options, as he was still tremendously productive in 2025-26, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds on 51.5/31.7/73.7 shooting splits in 60 regular-season games. He was even better in the playoffs, leading L.A. to the second round with Luka Dončić out and Austin Reaves banged up, proving he’s still got plenty in the tank.

The question is not so much who will want James as much as what teams James will be interested in — and what his asking price will be from each different suitor. James could chase any combination of money, championship opportunity and the comfort of an old home with his decision this summer. So, what are the top landing spots for James as he gets set to be wined-and-dined by suitors? Let’s explore the options from the expected to potential wild cards that could enter the mix.

team logo
The Expendables — Golden State Warriors
It’s no secret LeBron wants to play with Steph… it’s closer than ever to happening
The least surprising move, at this point, would be for James to make the trek up the California coast to join forces with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in San Francisco. The Warriors have been inquiring about James’ availability for at least the last two trade deadlines, and their interest in landing James this summer has been well reported. James and Curry have mused about what it’d be like to play together in the NBA after finally pairing up for USA Basketball in Paris, and now have the opportunity to in what would be a possible last chapter for the two former rivals and the defining stars of their era. With Draymond Green declining his player option, the Warriors can give James up to $15 million with the non-tax mid-level, which is more than some contenders who may try to convince James to chase a title on a minimum or near-minimum deal.

steph-lebron-usa-getty.png
LeBron and Steph were golden as teammates at the 2024 Olympics. Will they be teammates in Golden State? Getty Images
The big question for the Warriors is whether they’ll also add a serious pursuit of Anthony Davis to bring him to the Bay alongside James, or if they’ll keep Jimmy Butler in hopes he can return from his torn ACL to assist in a late postseason run. Trading for Davis is reportedly not a requirement for the Warriors to land James, per Marc Stein, and after re-signing Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford, they have already ensured their frontcourt depth is solidified with or without Davis.

team logo
The Homecoming (again) — Cleveland Cavaliers
Ten years after leading the Cavs to their only title, would LeBron go home to try to win another?
Many have speculated for years that James will eventually go home one more time and end his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s already gone home once, returning to Cleveland after his stint with Miami to deliver the Cavs their first championship, and with the Cavs once again falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals, it would be poetic for James to return to try and push them over the edge one more time.

cavs-lebron-getty.png
LeBron played for the Cavs in 2007 and 2017… so what about 2027? Getty Images
There is reportedly interest on the Cavs side to opening the door for another homecoming, per NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes, but the financial situation is tricky. A sign-and-trade would hard cap the Cavaliers at the first apron. Even if they worked something out to send Jarrett Allen to the Lakers to help fill their center void and LeBron took a good bit less than what Allen makes, it would still make it extremely difficult for them to re-sign James Harden at the number he’s likely looking for and fill out the roster. The only other option is for James to return home on a minimum deal, which is considerably less than what Golden State and others could offer.

The heart wants what the heart wants, and if James wants the storybook ending back home in Cleveland, he can make that happen. James certainly doesn’t need another eight-figure salary at this point in his career, but it would still be quite the sacrifice given the other opportunities that will be out there for him to take a minimum to return home.

team logo
Talents back to South Beach — Miami Heat
A LeBron Big 3 in Miami? We’ve seen this movie before
While we’re talking about returning to familiar homes, Pat Riley and the Heat will surely make a call to James to gauge his interest in returning to South Beach and forming a new Big 3 with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Like with the Cavs, Miami would need LeBron to take less than the Warriors can offer — barring a surprise sign-and-trade involving Andrew Wiggins’ $30 million deal. It’s hard to imagine James would prefer playing with Antetokounmpo and Adebayo — where the fit is questionable and he doesn’t have deep personal ties to either — over the Warriors opportunity with Curry and Green, whom he is close friends with.

spo-lebron-getty.png
More than a decade after LeBron left, Erik Spoelstra (and Pat Riley) are still in Miami. Getty Images
His connections are instead with Riley and Erik Spoelstra, who will almost certainly make an overture to see if he wants to make one more run in the sun.

team logo
The King and The Alien — San Antonio Spurs
Teaming the 41-year-old James up with the 22-year-old Wemby could make the Spurs title favorites
If we’re talking about teams that can pay LeBron more than the minimum and offer him a chance to win another title, there’s probably not a better landing spot from a sheer basketball perspective than the San Antonio Spurs. James could team up with Victor Wembanyama and help show the young star the ropes of how to navigate life as the league’s preeminent force and try to help the Spurs and Wembanyama capture a championship after their run to the Finals in 2025-26.

wemby-lebron-getty.png
Wemby could be the heir apparent to LeBron as the ‘face of the NBA.’ Getty Images
They have access to the non-tax mid-level and can give James the same kind of $15 million deal the Warriors can, and there’s no question they’re in a better position to win a title right now than Golden State. James would be able to play a secondary — but still vital — role, with the defensive pressure on him alleviated by Wembanyama (and the rest of the roster, really) while providing the Spurs with a much-needed on-ball creator on offense. It seems unlikely James will pick this route, but from a purely basketball perspective, there isn’t a better place for him at this point in his career.

LeBron James will not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN on Tuesday. James will be a free agent at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and has told the Lakers he intends to sign elsewhere after spending the last eight seasons in L.A. James led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title in the league’s Orlando bubble and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer while wearing a Lakers uniform in 2023. Paul also confirmed to ESPN that James will return to play in 2026-27 for an NBA record 24th season in the league.

The Warriors, who have been linked to James for the last few days, appear to be the frontrunners for the 41-year-old’s services in the 2026-27 season. The Warriors are reportedly trying to land James in free agency and Anthony Davis in a trade and reunite the title-winning teammates with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State. Chris Haynes also reports that the Cavaliers are interested in bringing James back for a third stint in Cleveland.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers president Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

James responded to the Lakers’ statement, saying it was “truly a honor” to play for the franchise.

No, THANK YOU! Truly a honor to wear the 💜💛 while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint. 🙏🏾🫡👑 https://t.co/RmQ6uvvgv0

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 30, 2026
James, who led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title, was technically an unrestricted free agent in 2024, but this is the first offseason that he will change teams since he joined the Lakers in 2018. When James picked up his player option last offseason, he released a statement that indicated he was not fully satisfied with how the Lakers were operating.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN at the time. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”

LeBron’s numbers by team
Team (seasons) Games Points NBA titles MVPs
Cavaliers (11: 2003-10, 2014-18)

The Lakers acquired Luka Dončić at the 2025 trade deadline, a stunning blockbuster that forced them to reconsider the timeline that they prioritized in building their roster. Dončić and Austin Reaves were suddenly the priorities, pushing James down the organizational pecking order. When he returned from a bout with sciatica early in the season, he was, for the first time in his career, the No. 3 option for his team offensively.

Yet James made the most of it. He settled in and thrived in his new role, and the Lakers ultimately went 15-2 in March with the James-Dončić-Reaves trio on a heater. Any championship hopes the Lakers might have harbored were ultimately dashed when Dončić and Reaves suffered a pair of late-season injuries that kept the former out for the whole postseason and the latter out for part of it. James still led the Lakers to a first-round upset over the Houston Rockets, but they were swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

James now becomes an unusual free agent. He is coming off a near-max contact, and he is arguably the greatest player in NBA history. He isn’t nearly that valuable anymore, but he remains a very high-level player capable of leading a team through a first-round series and probably supporting a better one deeper into the playoffs. Someone of his stature would surely expect a pretty hefty salary, but cap space is minimal on this market.

Unless you were under a rock on Monday, you know by now that the Golden State Warriors are making a real run at LeBron James and Anthony Davis — a coup keeps becoming more plausible, if not probable. First, on Monday, Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option for the 2026-27 season. Then, on Tuesday, James told the Lakers that he’s not coming back and will instead land elsewhere in free agency. Immediately, the Warriors were viewed as the frontrunners for LeBron.

So why is the Green contract decision important? Because now Green can sign a contract that pays him more over the long term but less than the $27 million annually, with any savings able to be redirected to LeBron as they aim to get him at a $15 million annual number to fit into the non-taxpayer midlevel exception slot.

It’s a tight fit because to pay out the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, your total team salary cannot exceed the first-apron line, so when news broke that the Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porziņģis to a two-year, $40 million deal, it became a question of whether Golden State could make the math work.

The answer is yes … with a possible Moses Moody caveat.

How the Warriors can create money for LeBron and Draymond
As noted by salary-cap guru Yossi Goslan, who hosts the Third Apron podcast with CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, the Warriors are currently $32.5 million beneath the first apron with $176.5 million devoted to the following 10 players: Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Porziņģis, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Brandon Podziemski, Gui Santos, Will Richard, first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg and second-round pick Lajae Jones.

You have to roster a minimum of 14 players, meaning the Warriors would have to add four more players for less than that $32.5M number. So let’s do some math. Let’s say the Warriors give LeBron the $15.1 million NTMLE. That’s 11 players with $17.4 million left to pay Green and two more veteran-minimum deals at $2.4M each. So Green takes a little over $12 million in the first year with the max 8% increases — let’s say a three-year deal for around $40 million, just for argument’s sake — and the math works.

Would Green accept that low a salary? Maybe. But he wouldn’t have to if the Warriors moved off some other money. Which is where Moody comes in. Moody is on the books for $12.5 million next season, which he isn’t likely to participate in as he recovers from a horrific knee injury. That money could be absorbed into someone else’s midlevel exception or cap space, or the Warriors could trade for a less expensive player with each dollar saved able to be routed to Green.

If the Warriors incentivized a team to take Moody into their space by attaching a future draft pick, his full $12.5M goes off the books and could be replaced by a vet minimum to fill the roster spot. That’s north of $10M extra the Warriors would have to give to Green or split between him and James.

But wait, that doesn’t include Anthony Davis. How do they get him? From a money standpoint, that part’s easy. They trade Jimmy Butler’s $56.8 million next season for Davis’ $58.5 million. The Warriors would have to absorb the extra $1.5 million on Davis’ deal, and that would count toward this final number they’re trying to stay under, so in the event of a Moody trade they would now have about $8.5 million more to give Green in the first year.

That would take him up near $20 million annually, the same deal that Porziņģis just got. That seems reasonable, but again it would necessitate trading Moody without taking the same, or preferably any, money back. It’s not a huge task if the Warriors will attach a pick. Then they attach more picks to get Davis. And they sign LeBron into the NTMLE, and we’ve got a deal.

So… will it happen?
Obviously, it won’t be as easy as that sounds, but there are a lot of ways to skin this cat. Hell, LeBron could just say I’ll play for $10 million next season if Draymond wants a little more, or they could give either one of them a low first-year salary with a player option in Year 2 that they can opt out next summer and then potentially re-sign for more.

The point is, the math on the Warriors pulling off this LeBron-AD coup is still very much viable. It’s a little bit trickier after the Porziņģis deal, but if you think the Warriors aren’t well aware of the number it would take to re-sign Green and still have a satisfactory amount left for LeBron, and didn’t factor that in before they handed that deal to Porziņģis, you’re wrong.

Everyone with a card in this hand knows pretty much exactly what it would take to make this work, and if they didn’t think it could happen, Green wouldn’t have opted out, and the Warriors would not have signed Porziņģis yet.

LeBron James is taking his talents elsewhere, so the Los Angeles Lakers’ mandate this offseason is straightforward: Build around Luka Dončić.

The Lakers have already secured a co-star for Dončić. Austin Reaves agreed to a four-year max contract last week. Beyond Dončić and Reaves, though, they have seven players on the roster — Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Deandre Ayton, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Adou Thiero and rookie Cameron Carr — and Los Angeles might not see any of them as a long-term starter.

This means that, with $52 million of cap space at their disposal (accounting for Reaves’ cap hold and nobody else’s), the Lakers could target just about anybody in free agency and on the trade market. Naturally, they will be more interested in players who are in or approaching their prime years and can complement ball-dominant playmakers.

One big question: Can they find Dončić a pick-and-roll partner? A source close to Dončić told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that Dončić’s “first and foremost desire is an A-list center.”

LeBron James landing spots: Four teams that make sense as The King leaves the Lakers
Robby Kalland
LeBron James landing spots: Four teams that make sense as The King leaves the Lakers
Los Angeles is scheduled to talk to restricted free agent Jalen Duren on Tuesday, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Duren was an All-Star and made the All-NBA Third Team this past season, and he doesn’t even turn 23 until November. Guys like this are typically not available, but, after Duren’s poor offensive showing in the playoffs — in which opposing defenses flagrantly ignored the Detroit Pistons’ perimeter players and took away his rolls to the rim — maybe the Lakers have an opportunity.

They cannot get Duren, however, without Detroit’s cooperation. If he signs an offer sheet from Los Angeles, the Pistons can simply match it and retain him. And the Pistons have shown no interest in a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN.

Dončić is a fan of Duren’s game, according to The Athletic. To acquire him, though, they’ll need to offer him a contract Detroit won’t match or a trade it won’t turn down. It’s not clear how realistic either scenario is.

Restricted free agents rarely change teams. Los Angeles, however, is reportedly interested in two RFA centers. It is expected to meet with Walker Kessler on Tuesday, according to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.

Kessler turns 25 next month. He played just five games for the Utah Jazz last season before having season-ending shoulder surgery, but is one of the league’s best rim protectors when healthy. He would be a killer lob threat next to Dončić, but he is not in the same class as Duren when it comes to scoring and short-roll playmaking.

Two weeks ago, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Jazz had offered Kessler a five-year, $140 million contract, but he was looking for more. The dynamic here is more or less the same as the Duren situation: The team is offering less than the RFA wants, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is willing to let the RFA go. It is notable, though, that Utah agreed to a deal with another center on Monday: Jusuf Nurkic is coming back on a two-year, $22 million contract.

The Lakers are also interested in Mitchell Robinson, per The Stein Line. Robinson just won a title with the New York Knicks, but he might be on his way out because owner James Dolan wants the champs to stay below the second apron.

If he can stay healthy, the 28-year-old Robinson would make a ton of sense with the Lakers. At his best, he’s a game-changing offensive rebounder, a top-tier rim protector and exactly the kind of player who would feast off of lobs from Dončić. Los Angeles could live with his terrible free-throw shooting because of everything else he brings to the table.

Durability, though, is a real question. If the Lakers envision Robinson playing more than 20ish minutes a night, how confident are they that they can keep him on the court?

Los Angeles is also interested in Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to The Stein Line. Mamukelashvili, 27, is nominally a big man, but he’s not a shot blocker and not a lob threat. If the Lakers sign him, it will be to give the team a different look. He’s a skilled big who can stretch the floor, serve as an offensive hub and create off the bounce.

Last season with the Toronto Raptors, Mamukelashvili was one of the league’s most productive reserves. He played far more minutes than he did in any prior season, was more efficient than ever before and made 38.9% of his 3-point attempts.

Los Angeles could also bring back center Jaxson Hayes, who recently became a Slovenian citizen.

I wouldn’t call Dean Wade a center, but he can slide up to that position in small-ball lineups and, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Lakers will be one of his suitors in free agency. Wade has lasted seven years in Cleveland largely because of his defensive versatility, a clear area of need for Los Angeles.

Other non-bigs that the Lakers have reportedly looked at include the Denver Nuggets’ Cam Johnson (per HoopsHype), restricted free agent Tari Eason (per Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko), free agent Quentin Grimes (per The Stein Line) and free agent Ziaire Williams (per The Athletic’s Dan Woike). Johnson, like almost everybody else in Denver, is a trade candidate. In theory, the front office could also throw an offer sheet at restricted free agent Peyton Watson and/or go after other UFAs — Kelly Oubre Jr. and De’Anthony Melton seem like sensible targets.

And then there are the other familiar faces. Yes, the Lakers are looking for upgrades, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t re-sign Rui Hachimura and/or Luke Kennard. The same is technically true for Marcus Smart, who declined his $5.4 million player option, but multiple outlets have already linked Smart to the Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles has the cap space to make a big splash to begin the post-LeBron era. Free agency, however, is not what it used to be, with stars now tending to sign extensions and change teams via trade. There is an argument, then, that they’d be better off trying to hit singles than taking a big swing at someone like Duren or Watson. Given the money they’ve committed to Dončić and Reaves, though, it’ll be a long while before they have this much financial flexibility again.