With the 2025 NBA Draft just a little more than a month away, trade rumors are heating up around the league. Here are some worth noting.
Antetokounmpo for Mobley trade?
When Bill Simmons floated the idea on his podcast of a Giannis Antetokounmpo for Evan Mobley trade, it seemed like the kind of out-of-left-field, fun to think about with no basis in reality idea that Simmons tends to discuss.
Except, is there a little more to it than that?
Let's pump the brakes here. First, the Bucks aren't trading Antetokounmpo unless he demands it, and that has yet to happen (the sides were supposed to meet and talk about the future this week). If Antetokounmpo did ask for a trade, he has some leverage on where to go and Cleveland may not be his preferred destination (although, if winning is his top priority, staying in the East is a much easier path and the Cavs are stacked). Finally, even after July 1, when Mobley's supermax extension kicks in, these two can't be traded straight up, and Cleveland will have to put another young player and some picks in the deal to make it something the Bucks would even consider.
It's highly unlikely, but maybe the idea isn't as ridiculous as it first sounded.
76ers likely to keep Paul George
When a team can't make a trade even if it wanted to, a great fallback PR position is "we never wanted to trade him."
Meet the Philadelphia 76ers. There has been a lot of speculation about Philly trying to package Paul George and the No. 3 pick in the draft this year to get a star (Antetokounmpo among others gets mentioned). That was never based in reality. George, 35 and coming off an injury-filled season that limited him to 41 games, has one of the most unmovable contracts in the NBA: Three years and $162 million remaining. The Sixers can't trade him, so they will spin it as if they never wanted to trade him anyway. Here is what Jake Fischer reported at The Stein Line.
"Recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George's trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread. There have been no indications that they are looking to package George with the No. 3 pick or try to move him on his own."
Fischer did have one far more interesting note: Philadelphia is likelier to trade down than out of the draft. If a rebuilding team disappointed in the NBA Draft Lottery results (hello, Utah and Washington) wanted to move up, the 76ers would be happy to talk. It's a long shot, but it's easy to see how those conversations would at least start.
Holiday trade may cost Celtics pick
As has been reported here and elsewhere, the Celtics are expected to trade one of their key rotational guards this summer in an effort to get below the second tax apron. In the wake of the Jayson Tatum ruptured Achilles, the guard expected to be on the move is Jrue Holiday, who is age 35 next season and has three years, $104 million remaining on his contract.
The Celtics will likely have to attach draft compensation to Holiday to get a team to take up that much money, something Jake Fischer discussed at The Stein Line. If we're talking first-round pick, the Celtics would have to move this year's pick (No. 28), or the 2026 or 2027 picks, because beyond that they are tied up (they could trade a 2030 pick swap). Considering the potential impacts of the Tatum injury on next season, no way they should trade the 2026 pick.
Lakers called Hawks about Okongwu
Los Angeles needs a rim-protecting, vertical spacing center this summer. One name linked to them is Clint Capela, the Atlanta Hawks big man who is a free agent this summer and would be a solid, if uninspiring, addition. Atlanta is willing to let him walk because they have a better, younger center behind him in Onyeka Okongwu. At the trade deadline, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka called the Hawks and tried to kick the tires on an Okongwu trade, something ESPN's Dave McMenamin discussed on the “Straight Fire” with Jason McIntyre podcast (hat tip Lakers Nation).
"I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu. I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though. Clint Capela of' 17-'18 might have been a perfect fit but we're in' 25-'26 now."
Also of note, McMenamin is of the mind the Lakers will try to get a player with the taxpayer midlevel exception — $5.7 million — rather than trade for someone like Nic Claxton, who would be the better player but has three years and $69 million remaining on his contract and would cost their lone first-round pick in a trade.
Warriors “very interested” in re-signing Kuminga
The expectation in league circles is the Warriors are going to look for a sign-and-trade to get Jonathan Kuminga out of Steve Kerr's doghouse and into a better spot, and to bring back better-fitting win-now talent to help Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Golden State contend next season.
Except, that's not what Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said at his end-of-season press conference (via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
"As far as bringing him back next season, I think it's something we're very interested in doing because, when I look at the things JK does well, in terms of getting to the rim, finishing, getting fouled, these are things we greatly need. We know he can bring those to the table. It's not hypothetical."
As a GM, if you're looking to trade someone, you want to gain leverage by pumping up their trade value. That is part of what is going on here. Dunleavy has to make it seem like he might keep Kuminga, or he has no leverage.
It's also possible the Warriors do keep Kuminga. It's not an ideal fit with him, Butler and Draymond Green overlapping with where they want to be on the court, but if Kuminga returns Kerr said he would play him a lot to start the season to see if he can make this work (or, at least, to hopefully drive up Kuminga's trade value heading toward next February's trade deadline).
A sign-and-trade this summer is still the most likely outcome.
Suns seek center this summer
Phoenix had DeAndre Ayton, then they moved on to Jusuf Nurkic, then at the deadline traded him to Charlotte for Nick Richards to be their new center.
Now comes a report that the Suns are in the market for a starting-caliber center this offseason.
First, Phoenix has bigger things to deal with, such as Kevin Durant's and Bradley Beal's futures, plus getting under the second tax apron. While there are centers available — a free agent such as Clint Capela, or players who could be gotten via trade such as Nic Claxton or Daniel Gafford — how the Suns make that work with everything else going on is a high-wire circus act.
Just don't be shocked if the Suns go after a big this summer.
