The NBA summer already had one huge move with Giannis Antetokounmpo going to the Heat, but the league still feels open for more chaos.
That is the fun part. Some teams are trying to win now with old stars. Some teams are trying to get younger before the new CBA takes more flexibility away. Some teams are one bad playoff loss away from changing the whole direction of the roster. That is why the trade market feels so unstable.
The Celtics are still tied to Jaylen Brown rumors after their failed Giannis push. The Warriors need one more big swing around Stephen Curry. The Lakers need to decide if LeBron James is still part of the Luka Doncic timeline. The Hornets already moved LaMelo Ball, but they still need star power. The Clippers have Kawhi Leonard, but their window is strange after another play-in type season.
Not all of these trades are likely. That is not the point. These are the blockbuster trades that would make the summer more interesting and give each team a stronger direction. Some have direct reporting. Some are logical frameworks based on roster need, contracts, and team pressure.
Here are six major NBA trades we want to see this summer.
6. Kawhi Leonard To The Warriors
Golden State Warriors Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, 2031 first-round pick
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported the Warriors checked in on Kawhi Leonard before the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean the Clippers will move him in the summer, but it does show the idea has been inside league conversations, with Golden State expected to pick up the phone again in Kawhi talks.
Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season, while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from three. He played 65 games and looked like a true No. 1 scorer again. That changes the conversation. If the Warriors believe Curry has one more serious playoff run left, Leonard is one of the few names who can change their ceiling fast.
The money is big, but it lines up enough to make a framework possible. Leonard is on a expiring deal, with $50.3 million this season. Jimmy Butler will also expire with the Warriors next season, and his 2026-27 salary is $56.8 million. This is not a small swap. It is one expensive veteran for another expensive veteran, with a young guard and a first-round pick to push the Clippers.
For the Clippers, this would be about accepting the window is finished and it is time for a retool. They were 42-40 and finished ninth in the West. Leonard was great, but the team still had to fight through the play-in. Butler gives them a veteran name, Podziemski gives them a younger rotation piece, and the pick gives them some long-term value.
For the Warriors, this is a title-or-nothing move. Curry, Leonard, Draymond Green, and the rest of the group would be old, expensive, and risky. But it would also be dangerous in a playoff series. The Warriors don’t need a normal move. They need one last violent swing.
Kawhi Leonard is that swing.
5. LeBron James Gets His Final Cavaliers Chapter
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jarrett Allen
LeBron James back to the Cavaliers would be the perfect final chapter, and the ideas has been swirling around for almost half of last season.
Brian Windhorst discussed a possible LeBron sign-and-trade idea built around Jarrett Allen, and the Lakers would have a clear reason to listen if James wanted it. The Lakers need a real center next to Luka Doncic. Allen gives them that. The Cavaliers get LeBron back for one last run with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, James Harden, and a team that already won 52 games.
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this season, while shooting 51.5% from the field. At 41, that is still crazy production. He is not the same athlete, and he can’t carry every possession for six months, but he still controls tempo, punishes mismatches, and makes role players better.
The Cavaliers were 52-30 and finished fourth in the East. They already have a strong roster. The question is whether they have enough offensive IQ and late-game control to beat the best teams. James would solve a lot of that.
The Lakers would take a talent step down, but they would fix a roster problem. Allen averaged 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists for the Cavaliers. His three-year, $90.7 million extension starts around $28.0 million annually. That is expensive, but it is normal money for a high-level starting center.
The sign-and-trade structure would be hard. James would need to agree, the Cavaliers would need to manage apron problems, and the Lakers would need to accept moving on from the biggest name in the league. But if James wants to end his career with the Cavaliers, this is the framework that makes sense.
For the Lakers, Allen gives Doncic a screen-and-roll partner, a rim protector, and a center who doesn’t need touches. That is a better roster shape than asking James to keep covering every hole at his age.
For the Cavaliers, it is emotional and basketball-based at the same time. James back in that jersey, with a team that can actually win, would be one of the biggest stories in NBA history.
It probably takes James pushing it. But if he does, the league should want to see it.
4. The Hornets Replace LaMelo Ball With Ja Morant
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Coby White, Grant Williams, 2029 first-round pick
In terms of fit, Ja Morant to the Hornets is not the safest idea. It may still be the most interesting one given what they just lost.
The Hornets just moved LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves and entered a different era. They got Naz Reid, draft value, and flexibility, but they also lost their main star guard. Coby White is back on a three-year, $74.0 million deal, but he is not the same type of franchise engine as Morant.
Morant averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists this season, while shooting 41.0% from the field and 23.5% from three. The numbers are not his best. He also played only 20 games. That is why his market is complicated. At his peak, he is a top-tier rim pressure guard. Right now, he is a $197.2 million contract with real risk.
That is also why the Hornets should think about it. They were 44-38 and finished ninth in the East, but after trading Ball and Miles Bridges, now with the Suns, they need a new face of the backcourt. Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel give them wing scoring and youth. Naz Reid gives them frontcourt shooting and strength. Morant would give them a true downhill creator.
The Grizzlies are not in the same place anymore. They already moved Desmond Bane to the Magic, then moved Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz, and now they look much closer to a reset around Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, draft picks, and whatever they can still get for Morant.
Coby White gives the Grizzlies a cleaner guard contract and a more stable lead-guard option while they reset. Grant Williams is mostly salary ballast at $14.3 million, but he gives them a physical frontcourt piece if they keep him. The real value is that first-round pick.Â
For the Hornets, the fit is about speed and pressure. Morant still gets into the paint when healthy. He still bends defenses in a way few guards can. He would help Miller get easier shots and give the Hornets a reason to stay aggressive instead of dropping into another slow rebuild.
The risk is obvious. Morant’s contract, health, shooting, and off-court history make this dangerous. But the Hornets already made the hard choice by moving Ball. Half-measures after that are not very useful.
If they want a new star, Morant is the swing.
3. The Spurs Turn De’Aaron Fox Into Kevin Durant
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith
Houston Rockets Receive: De’Aaron Fox
The Spurs just reached the NBA Finals, but they also saw the De’Aaron Fox question become louder. Fox averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 2025-26, which is strong, but not untouchable production for a guard starting a four-year, $221.8 million contract. With Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle already on the roster, the Spurs can at least think about turning Fox into a cleaner win-now frontcourt weapon.
Kevin Durant would be that. Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the Rockets, while shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.3% from three. He is 38, but the scoring is still elite. Next to Victor Wembanyama, that would be disgusting. Wembanyama already bends the floor as a rim threat and defender. Durant would give the Spurs a late-clock scorer who can punish every playoff coverage.
Dorian Finney-Smith also helps the framework. He makes the salary bigger, but he gives the Spurs another defensive forward and a rotation piece who can play around Wembanyama and Durant.
For the Rockets, this is about timeline. Durant is still better right now, but Fox is 28 and gives Houston a long-term guard next to Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. The Rockets went 52-30, but the Durant version didn’t look like a title lock. Fox would give them speed, downhill pressure, and a younger star contract.
This trade is cleaner than moving Durant for only depth and picks. The Spurs go harder for a title. The Rockets get younger without dropping out of the West race.
2. The Blazers Go All-In With A Blockbuster Move
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, 2029 first-round pick
The Pelicans were 26-56 and finished 11th in the West. That is not enough around Zion Williamson anymore. ESPN’s offseason preview also said the Pelicans should explore trade offers for Williamson and Trey Murphy III, which tells you where the league conversation is. At some point, the Pelicans need to decide if the Zion build still has enough upside.
Williamson averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this season, while shooting 60.0% from the field. The efficiency is still excellent. The problem is that the dominance does not always feel like it is shaping winning at the team level. Injuries, availability, defense, and roster fit have followed him for years.
The Blazers are the type of team that should take this risk. They finished 42-40 and were in the West play-in race. That is a good place to be, but it is also dangerous. A team can sit in that area for years without ever becoming important. Williamson gives them a different ceiling.
Jerami Grant is the salary piece. He is on a $160.0 million contract and makes $34.2 million in 2026-27. Scoot Henderson is the upside piece. The first-round pick is the value that gives the Pelicans a reason to listen.
For the Blazers, Williamson would be the top physical force on the roster right away. He would give them a half-court pressure point, a transition weapon, and someone who forces help every time he catches the ball near the paint. That is the kind of player they don’t have.
The risk is large. Williamson’s contract has been complicated by guarantee language, and his 2026-27 salary sits around $42.2 million. He has to stay in shape, play enough games, and defend better. If that doesn’t happen, the Blazers would be stuck with a huge contract and less draft capital.
But the Blazers have to chase something bigger. Grant is not part of the long-term answer. Henderson has not become the clear franchise guard. The pick is valuable, but picks are only useful if they become important players in the future.
For the Pelicans, this would be painful but logical. They reset the timeline, add Henderson, get two first-round picks, and move away from the endless Zion question.
This is exactly the type of trade that can look reckless in July and smart by April.
1. The Celtics Break Up The Jays For Jalen Duren
Boston Celtics Receive: Jalen Duren, 2029 first-round pick
Detroit Pistons Receive: Jaylen Brown
Jalen Duren to the Celtics for Jaylen Brown is the No. 1 trade because it has the strongest mix of rumor, need, and franchise-level change.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Pistons could explore a sign-and-trade framework that sends Duren to the Celtics for Brown. After missing out on the Antetokounmpo race, the a Celtics might have to use Brown’s value somewhere else.
The Celtics are in a strange place. They were 56-26 and finished as the No. 2 seed in the East, but they blew a 3-1 lead against the 76ers in the playoffs. They also already put Brown in Giannis talks, and Shams Charania reported they are still active in Brown trade discussions. That does not mean they are desperate to dump him. It means they are at least willing to see what kind of return changes the roster.
Duren averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists this season, while shooting 65.0% from the field. He is only 22. He gives Boston something this team does not have right now: a center with size, rim pressure, rebounding, and real offensive gravity.
That is why this trade is so interesting for the Celtics. They tried to build around wings, skill, and shooting. That worked for a long time. But the current roster doesn’t have a dominant center. Nikola Vucevic and Neemias Queta are useful in different ways, but neither changes the whole geometry of the floor like Duren can as a power roller and rebounder.
The contract would be massive. Duren can chase a max-level restricted free agency number near $240.0 million from the Pistons if they go all the way. A sign-and-trade to the Celtics would need a four-year structure closer to $178.0 million. Either way, this is not cheap center money.
For the Pistons, this is the star move. They went 60-22 and finished No. 1 in the East, but they still need another high-end wing next to Cade Cunningham if they want to control the conference for years. Brown gives them that. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, and he can defend playoff wings. That is a major fit.
The Pistons would lose their young center, and that is not small. Duren is already one of the best young big men in the league. But if they don’t want to pay his big number, and if Brown is actually available, this is the type of aggressive move that can make them more dangerous right now.
For the Celtics, the question is identity. Trading Brown means breaking up the Tatum-Brown era. That is a huge call. But Duren would let them rebuild the frontcourt without tanking, and the extra first-round pick would give them one more asset after losing a star.
This is the trade we want to see most because it is not just fantasy. There is reporting. There is contract pressure. There is a basketball fit on both sides. There is real risk.
That is what makes it a true blockbuster.
