The buzzer sounding in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night in San Antonio meant two things: 1. The New York Knicks were NBA champions for the first time in 53 years. 2. The NBA offseason had arrived.
The Knicks will celebrate their title with a parade on Thursday. The other 29 teams, meanwhile, are looking at their rosters and figuring out what they’re going to be doing over the next few weeks in trades, the NBA Draft and free agency.
The NBA offseason tends to be full of big moves and surprises. So, with that in mind, our CBS Sports experts are making their boldest proclamations about what we’ll see over the next month or two. Here are our bold NBA offseason predictions:
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Sam Quinn
The Spurs trade De’Aaron Fox
It’s been a little over a year since the Spurs traded for Fox, bringing him in as the veteran presence the team needed to level up sooner rather than later. Fox made his second All-Star team this season, and the Spurs went to their first NBA Finals since 2014. That sounds like a happy outcome all the way around. Except Fox was dreadful against the Knicks, shooting 34.3% from the floor and 25% from 3. He also made two massive mistakes late in Game 4 — first trying to beat OG Anunoby to the basket after a turnover, then leaving him unguarded on the final shot to charge down the lane for the winning tip-in.
Those mistakes contributed mightily to the Knicks dispatching the Spurs in five games and holding their first parade in 53 years. While Fox was faceplanting, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper stepped up. They’re already more valuable than Fox in nearly every way. They’re younger, bigger, more athletic, more physical, more useful on the defensive end, and, crucially, cheaper, too. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Fox’s new deal is about to kick in. They owe him $221 million over the next four years. That’s a steep price to pay for your third-best guard. It would be unlike the Spurs to make a panic move, but this is more about being realistic. Castle and Harper need to start, and the Spurs need more oomph off the bench. It’s hard to imagine Fox being a backup — or the Spurs wanting to pay a sixth man so much coin. The pragmatic plan here is to reroute him. If Giannis doesn’t land in Miami, might the Heat be interested in a 28-year-old consolation prize? Whatever the destination, the Spurs need to find a new home for Fox. After a season and a half in San Antonio, it’s time for him to move on. — John Gonzalez
LeBron joins the Warriors
This is simply a matter of timelines. The Lakers are built around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, both in their mid-20s. They’d surely love to have LeBron James back, but doing so at the expense of younger acquisitions who could play alongside their two stars for years to come would be irresponsible. The Warriors are built around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who are near the end of their legendary careers. They also have Jimmy Butler recovering from a torn ACL, who they could bring back midseason or trade for another, likely older star on a similarly sized contract. The Warriors are just better-positioned to prioritize the window that matters to James, and he has spoken openly about his interest in playing with Curry before it’s all said and done. With the Lakers emphasizing their long-term plans, I’m betting on Golden State to finally unite the two best players of their generation for one last shot at shared glory. — Sam Quinn
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Sam Quinn
The Wolves add a big-name point guard
I agree with Sam and John. I think LeBron is going to sign with the Warriors, and I think De’Aaron Fox gets traded (Houston has to be on the phone about this). But to avoid duplicating answers here, I’ll say the Timberwolves add a big-name point guard to put next to Anthony Edwards. It could be Fox. It could be Kyrie Irving. It could be Ja Morant. The Wolves need to make their move to keep up with the Spurs and Thunder or Edwards is going to start getting … antsy. — Brad Botkin
Jaylen Brown is done in Boston
Maybe it’s part of a three-team Giannis deal (because what would the Bucks want with Brown?), maybe it’s something else, but my gut is telling me Brown is done in Boston. There’s just too much smoke with the Giannis rumors and Brown’s ongoing, whiny homage to Rodney Dangerfield’s “I get no respect” bit to not think a change is needed. He is a great player. Someone will want him, and I think the Celtics are ready to give him up. — Botkin
Minnesota wins the Giannis sweepstakes
Let’s dive into a different hypothetical Wolves blockbuster. The Giannis trade cycle has dominated the NBA rumor mill for months. We will (finally?) get some resolution in the coming days and weeks. If the Bucks were smart, dealing Giannis before the NBA Draft would be the right play. This year’s class is one of the deepest in the modern era. A chance to add another pick — or use some of the draft capital/players acquired in a trade to move up or around the board — is enticing.
The Heat and Celtics have been viewed as two likely trade destinations if/when Giannis is traded, but the Wolves are a wild card. It would give Anthony Edwards a long-term running mate and would form one of the best duos in the league. What a package would look like could be complicated and involve another team if the Bucks want more picks this year. Minnesota would almost certainly have to part ways with Jaden McDaniels, who is its most valuable trade asset outside of Edwards. It’s not the most conventional trade destination for many reasons, but expect the unexpected. — Cameron Salerno
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Sam Quinn
The Wizards make a surprise at No. 1
The current favorite to go No. 1 to the Wizards in the 2026 NBA Draft is AJ Dybantsa, who departed BYU as the top scorer in college basketball. There is a lot to like about Dybantsa’s game, and he might have the highest upside of anyone in the class. However, this draft could play out like in 2022, when almost everyone had Jabari Smith Jr. going No. 1 until the day of the draft, when the Magic instead selected Paolo Banchero. For what it’s worth, Darryn Peterson is the No. 1 player on my personal board. He has All-NBA potential and will also be impactful on the defensive end in the NBA. If Peterson goes No. 1 to Washington, Dybantsa would almost certainly be off the board next because of his ties to the state of Utah. Dybantsa remains the consensus favorite to go No. 1, but with very little separation at the top of the class, we could see another draft night shocker. — Salerno
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Adam Finkelstein
The Pistons trade for Trey Murphy III
The Pistons decided against making any big moves last season, which, in retrospect, looks like a mistake. They were the No. 1 seed in the East, but needed to complete a 3-1 comeback to get past the Orlando Magic in the first round, then blew a 2-0 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers and lost Game 7 of that series at home. They are almost certainly going to shake things up this offseason, so suggesting a Pistons trade is admittedly not a bold prediction, but I’ll try to predict the exact target: Trey Murphy III.
Adding more shooting and scoring to take some of the offensive burden off Cade Cunningham’s shoulders should be the Pistons’ top priority, and Murphy averaged 21.5 points while shooting 37.9% on 8.6 3-point attempts last season. He’s a big wing who can space the floor as an elite catch-and-shoot threat (42.6% on such attempts last season) but can also create some of his own offense. Plus, Pelicans general manager Troy Weaver had that same role in Detroit from 2020-24 and knows a number of the players on the Pistons’ roster, which could help facilitate a deal. — Jack Maloney