{"id":2087501,"date":"2026-08-11T09:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T06:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2087501"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T06:30:06","slug":"2026-nba-offseason-concern-o-meter-steph-curry-aspiration-blazers-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2087501","title":{"rendered":"2026 NBA offseason concern-o-meter: Steph Curry, Aspiration, Blazers\u2019 future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>Hope! That\u2019s what the offseason is supposed to bring NBA fans when their team drafts a future star or signs a free agent who fills a clear need. And yet, sometimes we end up seeing a lot more concern than anything. Sometimes it\u2019s the moves that didn\u2019t happen that leave a franchise wondering, \u201cWhere do we go from here?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The 2026 summer saw so much change across the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to Miami. LaMelo Ball was traded to Minnesota. Jaylen Brown was traded to Philadelphia. Maybe Kawhi Leonard will be traded to Toronto? And then, of course, LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in what could be the final chapter of his now 24-season (and counting) career.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s review 10 scenarios in the NBA and grade them on our offseason concern-o-meter. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6530198\/2025\/08\/11\/nba-offseason-2025-lakers-lebron-james-bucks-giannis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We did this last year,<\/a> and it was a big hit. (I didn\u2019t read the comments.)<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sect-0\">Steph Curry\u2019s end with Warriors<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Golden State Warriors never really got into the Antetokounmpo mix, even though they were rumored to be interested for years. Kevin Durant said no thanks to a reunion with them at the trade deadline a couple of seasons ago. Jimmy Butler did go there, but he tore his ACL. And now James has declined teaming up with Curry and company. So \u2026 what does the end of Curry\u2019s career look like?<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t presume to know if he might want to leave and go somewhere else, even though the internet has wondered if he\u2019d eventually play a season or more in Charlotte, where he grew up. However, the Warriors should try to bring in more to help Curry go for a fifth championship ring.<\/p>\n<p>Is the best option hoping that Curry and Butler both take massive pay cuts in the summer of 2027 and give the Warriors the flexibility to bring in a big-time, disgruntled star via trade? Curry and Butler will make roughly $120 million this coming season. Butler will come back at some point in the second half of the season, but the 36-year-old coming off an ACL injury can\u2019t be expected to perform at his previous level. Curry will turn 39 in March. As we saw last season, a knee (or any other) injury can derail his time on the court dramatically.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"ntTsexi3XtIR83l\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Why Steph Curry&#8217;s Workouts Are INSANE<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/ntTsexi3XtIR83l\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/ntTsexi3XtIR83l\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Why Steph Curry&#8217;s Workouts Are INSANE&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Steph Curry&#8217;s &#8220;game-speed&#8221; workouts are legendary. Dell Curry describes the daily grind of his son&#8217;s routines and why seeing the fruits of his labor on the court is so special.&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-03-14T19:06:21.927Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT1M3S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/ntTsexi3XtIR83l\/eKjmtiqqsAsH.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/ntTsexi3XtIR83l\/eKjmtiqqsAsH\/eKjmtiqqsAsH.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic Staff&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Warriors, as constructed, aren\u2019t good enough to compete with the elite of the Western Conference. They have to take another big swing at bringing in star help to give Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr another shot at a title. This team is currently Play-In Tournament caliber. And I\u2019m not sure how optimistic you can be, even when Butler comes back. They have a few first-round picks they can move. They <em>should<\/em> be willing to part with Brandin Podziemski or some of these younger players on the roster to facilitate a deal. They should do something.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sect-1\">The post-LeBron Lakers<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 4\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been higher on the Lakers\u2019 offseason than most, but I still have concerns. Giving Austin Reaves more than $40 million per season affects how the team is built around Luka Don\u010di\u0107. Committing that much of the salary cap to two non-defenders will present challenges. The Lakers are hoping the offense greatly outweighs the other end of the floor.<\/p>\n<p>The key for the Lakers\u2019 offseason was how they addressed the middle. While Don\u010di\u0107 and LeBron found ways to make things look less dire on the court at times, having Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes as the big men of record was detrimental to playing real basketball that can threaten in the playoffs. Walker Kessler isn\u2019t a household name yet, but he is an impactful defensive presence. He\u2019s a strong rebounder. He\u2019s a useful scorer around the rim. You don\u2019t have to worry about whether or not he\u2019s going to be focused or competent on any given night. The floor for expectations has risen dramatically.<\/p>\n<p>As for the rest of the signings, there\u2019s a lot of potential value in Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney joining the roster. Will they make up for LeBron leaving? No. But the franchise needed to move forward and truly begin an era centered on Don\u010di\u0107. The Lakers aren\u2019t any closer to winning the West than they were last year, but they can start building toward that. They should be fine \u2026 for now.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"CrNqh2moX2PCa2g\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Have Lakers built Luka a contending roster?<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">Dan Woike and Jeshua Kidd<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/CrNqh2moX2PCa2g\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/CrNqh2moX2PCa2g\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Have Lakers built Luka a contending roster?&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;The Lakers have made a cluster of moves in free agency. Have they improved around Luka Doncic?&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-07-02T21:25:46.848Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT49S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/CrNqh2moX2PCa2g\/3h9k8dMpufNR.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/CrNqh2moX2PCa2g\/3h9k8dMpufNR\/3h9k8dMpufNR.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;The team I cover has changed and changed dramatically. This is a team that has now lost LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kinnard, and it&#8217;s a group that has now gained the A-list center that Luka Dacic has wanted, a point of attack defender in Quentin Grimes. It&#8217;s gained Sandro Mamakelashvili, a player it really, really likes. We Find out whether or not that plan is good. They have left themselves with very little flexibility, if any at all, but they&#8217;ve gone all in, and they&#8217;ve gone all in on a vision that they can make Luk Acic a championship level player by optimizing him. Whether they&#8217;ve done a good enough job at covering up his weaknesses, I, I think remains to be seen. But, but they have to be the best version of a Lukadic team. They&#8217;re not going to be the Spurs. They&#8217;re not going to be the Knicks. They have to be the Lukadic Lakers. They took a big step forward in that direction.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Dan Woike and Jeshua Kidd&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sect-2\">Heat building around Giannis, Adebayo<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure anybody is better at figuring out cap intricacies than Andy Elisburg, one of the Heat\u2019s top executives. If anybody can bring in cap-friendly and flexible deals around Bam Adebayo and Giannis, it\u2019s Miami\u2019s front office. But it won\u2019t be easy. The Heat appear boxed in for this season. Then they could see plenty of relief and flexibility toward adding a significant guard next summer.<\/p>\n<p>The clock is ticking. Miami has roughly $115 million per year locked up in Adebayo and Giannis, who is 32, and that\u2019s a hard 32 when it comes to his NBA mileage. He\u2019s had some knee trouble at times in the last few years. Miami doesn\u2019t really have draft capital or young prospects to move anymore. Are the Heat hoping to bring in someone like Zach LaVine or CJ McCollum or Dejounte Murray in free agency? Is that enough?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7492594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7492594 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/08\/04162152\/2025-04-06T010557Z_994614696_MT1USATODAY25858859_RTRMADP_3_NBA-MILWAUKEE-BUCKS-AT-MIAMI-HEAT-1024x683.jpg\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are going from foes to friends in Miami. (Jim Rassol \/ Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sect-3\">Celtics\u2019 retool<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 4\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For two straight summers, the Celtics have dismantled a championship-level roster and hoped Joe Mazzulla can devise a plan to make up for it with spare parts. At times last season, it looked like the Celtics were going to figure it out. They were tremendous during the regular season, only to choke away a 3-1 lead to Philadelphia in the first round, with Jayson Tatum missing Game 7. After a failed run at Giannis, the Celtics decided to move Jaylen Brown before a trade-rumor-fueled mercurial personality and a massive extension were hitting the team. It looks like the Celtics will have another \u201cgap year\u201d as they retool everything around a healthy Tatum.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s assume Paul George, acquired in the Brown deal, picks up his 2027-28 player option for $56 million. In the summer of 2028, the Celtics will have a ton of flexibility with him off the books, Derrick White having a player option and nobody else on the roster (as of now) making more than $17 million (although Payton Pritchard will be extension eligible in October). Tatum will be 30 that summer, and GM Brad Stevens likely won\u2019t be scared of the aprons by then. Boston should have at least one good run in the Tatum prime era. Maybe that starts with some moves before the 2027 trade deadline?<\/p>\n<div id=\"top-league-content-root\"><\/div>\n<p>    {&#8220;endpoint&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql&#8221;}<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sect-4\">Nikola Joki\u0107 winning another title<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some of this is about the state of the Denver Nuggets, and some of this is about the teams in front of Denver in the West. First, let\u2019s deal with the conference landscape.<\/p>\n<p>Denver\u2019s kryptonite since winning the title in 2023 has been the Minnesota Timberwolves. On top of that, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have become deep, elite teams that <i>should<\/i> be able to rule the West for at least the next few years. While Denver has looked very good in the regular season at times, injuries and subpar play have knocked it out of the playoffs for three straight years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p>As for the Nuggets, Joki\u0107 is still arguably the best player in the world, but what\u2019s surrounding him? Aaron Gordon has $103 million left on his deal over the next three years (including a player option), but has suffered a hamstring injury in the last two postseasons. Jamal Murray has more than $161 million owed to him over the next three years. He\u2019s shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from deep in 32 playoff games since winning the title. Christian Braun is starting a five-year, $125 million extension now, and we don\u2019t know if that\u2019ll cost them restricted free agent Peyton Watson at some point. This is a traditionally frugal ownership, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7473896\/2026\/07\/27\/nuggets-peyton-watson-offer-second-apron\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nuggets are currently the only team with a payroll exceeding the second apron.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Joki\u0107 is delaying his extension and will eventually be eligible to re-sign for a projected $350 million-plus over five years. People don\u2019t seem to fear him leaving, but putting proper supporting players around him who can stay healthy is a concern. Denver got its title in 2023, but there\u2019s no clear pathway to getting another one any time soon \u2026 if at all.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sect-5\">OKC retaining its young core<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Speaking of OKC, the Thunder are facing their own financial crunch.<\/p>\n<p>GM Sam Presti is unquestionably the best at simultaneously building a roster and maximizing the accumulation of assets. We always note how many future first-round picks they have and how much they can pivot even by losing key players. Even this summer, they\u2019ve had to say goodbye to Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in trades. That was to get under the second apron. The issue is not going anywhere.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid4\" data-position=\"mid4\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Just with the contracts of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, OKC has roughly $143 million committed this coming season, $149.5 million in 2027-28, $161 million in 2028-29, $172.5 million in 2029-30 and $184 million in 2030-31. The good news is they have three incredible players locked up for five years (SGA has a player option in that last season). The bad news is this isn\u2019t a three-on-three league.<\/p>\n<p>Cason Wallace is extension eligible and has made comments about wanting to get paid. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are on team-friendly deals for the next couple of seasons but might become second-apron casualties. Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Jared McCain are extension eligible in a year. The second apron is rearing its ugly head with OKC in real time and will continue to do so as long as the Thunder keep that big three together. They might have to make a big-time decision soon. If Holmgren continues to struggle against Victor Wembanyama when it matters most, then maybe that decision becomes easier.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sect-6\">Clippers, Raptors and Aspiration<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 6\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I originally had this at an 8\/10 because the Kawhi Leonard trade back to Toronto is on hold during the Aspiration investigation. That seems to at least raise a red flag at half-mast if you\u2019re hopeful for a Kawhi reunion in Toronto. However, there was recent news about the Raptors and Clippers playing a preseason game in Vancouver in October, which now makes me feel less stressed about everything going through. It can\u2019t be a coincidence these teams are involved in the NBA Canada Games, right? It has to be a sign that this trade will go through, right?<\/p>\n<p>Or maybe it\u2019s not! This whole thing has felt so disjointed over the last 11 months. Many of us keep assuming this is a lot closer to being done and a lot more streamlined than it appears to be. The league might drop the hammer on Kawhi and the Clippers. The NBA might not even know what it\u2019s going to do. The investigation and arbitration process might not even be done before next season. Is the deal going to still be on if it gets decided in October and the trade is fine to execute? What if it goes to November? What if it doesn\u2019t get figured out until 2033?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7492600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7492600 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/08\/04162339\/2024-01-27T043246Z_43237547_MT1USATODAY22382032_RTRMADP_3_NBA-LOS-ANGELES-CLIPPERS-AT-TORONTO-RAPTORS-1024x684.jpg\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"428\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes will be teammates in Toronto \u2026 we think. (Dan Hamilton \/ USA Today Sports)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sect-7\">Keeping Anthony Edwards in town<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 3\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As soon as one disgruntled superstar gets traded, we start looking for the next one to get moved. Or if that superstar is currently happy with where they are, then we start wondering when and how they might become disgruntled.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as Antetokounmpo was moved to Miami and Brown was subsequently sent to Philadelphia, that search was on, with a lot of eyes going toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7388539\/2026\/06\/24\/anthony-edwards-timberwolves-nba-trade-rumors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>. Why? Uh \u2026 I\u2019m not totally sure. Maybe there\u2019s a feeling that they\u2019ve hit their ceiling in the West and he\u2019s going to want to head to greener pastures to compete for a title?<\/p>\n<p>There don\u2019t seem to be any signs that Edwards would actually look to leave Minnesota. The Wolves just traded for LaMelo Ball to get Edwards some backcourt help, and he appears to be really excited about that. However, there are plenty of questions about how long lead executive Tim Connelly, who is in the final year of his deal, will remain with the organization. If he leaves, could this thing crumble into a situation that Edwards wants to leave, too? The concern should be pretty low right now, but it\u2019s not zero.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid5\" data-position=\"mid5\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sect-8\">Trail Blazers staying in Portland<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 10\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean the Portland Trail Blazers will be ripped out of Rip City, but the concern is on the highest of alerts right now.<\/p>\n<p>New owner Tom Dundon and the franchise are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7481873\/2026\/07\/30\/trail-blazers-city-portland-meeting-arena-lease\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">playing hardball with the city and state<\/a> to get arena updates and renovations without putting in a single Dundon dollar. Commissioner Adam Silver is disappointed in where things stand in the negotiations, which can be interpreted as code for \u201cwe really want Dundon to win this battle because we have to root for the NBA owners in these situations.\u201d But many people around the NBA and the Blazers\u2019 situation do not think the Blazers (Dundon specifically) are acting in good faith.<\/p>\n<p>Dundon has made comments about the Portland market and the taxes, and his public comments have felt like he\u2019d be doing charity by keeping the Blazers there. And while I think the league couldn\u2019t possibly be ignorant enough to allow the Blazers to leave and completely abandon the Pacific Northwest (for now), we\u2019ve seen great franchises in great basketball cities move over arena issues in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Is Dundon tanking these negotiations with the city? Maybe. Is it all just about winning within the construct of capitalism in a billion-dollar industry like the NBA? Maybe. If Dundon wins \u2014 either by moving the team or getting everything he demands in Oregon \u2014 he probably doesn\u2019t care at all about poisoning the well. We\u2019re definitely at a point where you can\u2019t just assume the Blazers will stay and the league will figure it out.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sect-9\">LeBron finishing career in Philly<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Concern-o-meter: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is supposed to be it, right? Following the announcement that he\u2019s joining the Philadelphia 76ers, James said on social media that this is his final decision. And yet \u2026 I\u2019m not so sure that will end up being true.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"gLpx52U1zV8t7oM\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Why Philly will be LeBron&#8217;s hardest test<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">David Aldridge and Johnny Sweet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/gLpx52U1zV8t7oM\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/gLpx52U1zV8t7oM\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Why Philly will be LeBron&#8217;s hardest test&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;David Aldridge explains why playing in Philadelphia will be the hardest test of LeBron&#8217;s career&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-07-24T21:07:34.498Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT1M43S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/gLpx52U1zV8t7oM\/eIRVbbSAryTs.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/gLpx52U1zV8t7oM\/eIRVbbSAryTs\/eIRVbbSAryTs.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;Give LeBron James some credit. The easy thing would have been to go back to Cleveland and finish his career with the Cavaliers, where it started and where he won the championship in 2016. That will define his legacy. Blocked by James. Cleveland is a city of champions once again. That would have been easy and understandable, and everyone would have supported it. It would have been a little harder to go back to Miami, but not impossible. The Heat still have Erik Spoelstra, and now they have Giannis Edenakopo. The cupboard is not bare on South Beach. But Philly is hard. The Sixers did not play worth a jack yesterday at all. They got whitewashed in their own building. Philly has a 43 year wait pending from its fan base. Philly has a media contingency that all due respect to Los Angeles, is a little harder on the local teams than the LA. Writers and broadcasters are out there. With the Knicks fans taking over the building is a direct response to what the Sixers fans have been put through for the last 25 years. Philly has a talented roster whose superstar, Joel Embiid hasn&#8217;t been able to stay healthy when the playoffs come throughout his career. Philly has New York, the defending NBA champions to now go through in the Eastern Conference. It&#8217;s not easy, but With Tyrese Maxey, with Jalen Brown, with VJ Edgecombe, the seventy-Sixers are formidable, and now with LeBron James, they have somebody that can fill in all the cracks that have bedeviled them for so many years.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;David Aldridge and Johnny Sweet&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Sixers, but the second year is a player option. That gives him some flexibility. It allows him to not opt in for the 2027-28 season, become a free agent and sign for more money to remain with the Sixers. It also allows him to leave if this isn\u2019t the one he\u2019s hoping for.<\/p>\n<p>What if Joel Embiid is too injured to factor in positively? What if Brown decides he needs to showcase his abilities as a top player in this league and it detracts from the team concept? What if LeBron just hates Philly or doesn\u2019t like Nick Nurse\u2019s system or decides he misses his family and wants to be closer? What if he regrets not going somewhere else? Having the player option is smart, and it feels like we\u2019re going to get another decision, almost by default (or by design) in June\/July 2027. Will that one take three and a half weeks to get decided? Unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>I just don\u2019t know how you can be certain that LeBron will finish in Philly. People change their minds all the time. We\u2019re still waiting for LeBron to do that dunk contest he promised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hope! That\u2019s what the offseason is supposed to bring NBA fans when their team drafts a future star or signs a free agent who fills a clear need. And yet, sometimes we end up seeing a lot more concern than anything. Sometimes it\u2019s the moves that didn\u2019t happen that leave a franchise wondering, \u201cWhere do [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2087501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2087501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087501\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2087501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2087501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2087501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}