Spurs
The Spurs were the big movers at Monday’s NBA draft lottery, jumping from No. 8 to the No. 2 overall pick — and, with it, vaulting into a position of major influence ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
League consensus, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, has Rutgers guard Dylan Harper pegged as the clear-cut No. 2 prospect behind Cooper Flagg. Many executives around the league believe the Spurs will stand pat and select Harper.
On the surface, it makes sense. Harper is a crafty, physical guard with elite vision and a scorer’s mentality. But San Antonio already has Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle and February trade acquisition De’Aaron Fox — two high-usage ball-handlers who do their best work with the rock in their hands. Add Harper to the mix, and you’ve got three lead guards — and only one basketball.
Harper recently said he’d be confident playing alongside Fox and Castle, but even internally, the Spurs have to be weighing more than just fit. They now have a premium draft pick, a young core, and flexibility — a combination that could position them for something far bigger.
Enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo question.
Multiple front office sources believe that should Antetokounmpo become available — still a major “if” — the Spurs would be among the few teams with both the assets and long-term structure to make a legitimate run. The No. 2 pick, with Harper on a four-year rookie-scale deal, could be the centerpiece of a blockbuster.
“If the Spurs paired Giannis and Wemby, they’d be the favorite to win the title next year,” one Eastern Conference executive told The Athletic. “They’d have two guys who might be top-five players in the league on the same team. Plus, they fit. They’d have a dominant defense no one could score against inside, and they’d be able to play five-out in a more devastating way than the Bucks ever did.”
It’s a tantalizing hypothetical, but not out of character for a Spurs franchise that swung big in the lottery a year ago and now might be positioned to do it again, only louder.
Suns
With their head coaching search ongoing, the Suns may not wait long to reshape their roster once a new voice is in place. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, Phoenix is expected to explore the trade market for Kevin Durant this offseason.
While Smith notes that a full reset remains unlikely, a strategic retool centered on Devin Booker seems more plausible. If Phoenix does move Durant, the goal would be to acquire multiple rotation players on smaller deals along with assets to replenish a depleted asset chest.
A smaller, but still notable, decision involves the $8.1 million team option for guard Vasilije Micic. Picking it up would give the Suns another mid-sized salary to include in trades. Declining it would create notable tax relief.
It’s a delicate summer for Phoenix. Big-name stars, big-money decisions, and potentially, big changes.
Lakers
With LeBron James expected to opt into the final year of his contract, the Lakers are entering an offseason of familiar urgency and potentially big moves.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Los Angeles is expected to prioritize adding size and athleticism around James and Luka Doncic. The front office may also explore trade options using a collection of expiring deals, especially if Dorian Finney-Smith picks up his $15.4 million player option.
If so, the Lakers would have four mid-to-large expiring salaries — Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura ($18.3M), Maxi Kleber ($11M), and Gabe Vincent ($11.5M) — to use as trade chips in a market hungry for flexibility.
The overarching theme? Surround the stars with physicality and versatility, and keep one eye on what the future may hold beyond LeBron’s next deal.
- Related | 2025 NBA mock draft: Both rounds
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Haven’t seen much on hoopswire about Giannis to Cavs, but it is not possible money wise as Cavs can’t trade more than 1 player at a time since over the 2nd tax apron.