NBA rumors: Heat, Giannis, Trae Young, Wizards, Knicks

Heat

The Heat continue to be viewed as one of the teams to watch if Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo ultimately becomes available.

According to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, a successful pursuit of Antetokounmpo could have ripple effects throughout Miami’s offseason plans.

One player impacted could be veteran wing Norman Powell, who is headed toward free agency. If the Heat strike out on Giannis, they are expected to maintain flexibility for the summer of 2027 and may be reluctant to offer Powell anything beyond a short-term deal.

If Antetokounmpo lands in Miami, however, that thinking could change.

Powell’s shooting and scoring ability would make him a logical fit alongside a star whose game is built around attacking the rim.

The same could apply to young wing Pelle Larsson. Miami may be more willing to invest in Larsson long-term if it lands Antetokounmpo, though Larsson could also be a player Milwaukee targets in any potential trade package.

In other words, Giannis isn’t the only domino that could fall.

Wizards

Trae Young‘s future in Washington appears to be coming into focus.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, league executives continue to project that Young and the Wizards could eventually agree to a new contract worth roughly three years and $120 million.

Young is expected to decide on his $49 million player option by June 23.

The four-time All-Star has several options available, including declining the option and negotiating a longer-term agreement, though most around the league continue to expect him to remain in Washington.

The Wizards are trying to accelerate their rebuild after acquiring both Young and Anthony Davis during the season.

Neither player made an impact on the court following their arrivals, but Washington enters next season expecting to add the No. 1 overall pick to a core that also includes Davis, Young and promising big man Alex Sarr.

Knicks

The Knicks may have a Karl-Anthony Towns problem. Not because Towns has struggled overall. Quite the opposite.

The issue is that one of New York’s best players has gone silent when it matters most.

Towns has yet to score a point in the fourth quarter during the NBA Finals against the Spurs, a trend that has become impossible to ignore.

Coach Mike Brown acknowledged as much following New York’s Game 3 loss.

“It’s extremely important that he’s getting touches, that he’s involved,” Brown said, via ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill. “I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved.”

Former NBA guard Danny Green also noted that Towns hasn’t consistently attacked mismatches the way he did earlier in the postseason, often settling on the perimeter rather than punishing smaller defenders inside.