The NBA offseason has barely begun, but several blockbuster moves have already shifted the balance of power, including Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Austin Reaves signing a new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN. With the 2026 draft complete, ESPN’s NBA insiders break down the signings, trades and cost-cutting maneuvers each front office faces ahead of next week’s official start to free agency (Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET).
Oklahoma City’s priority is trimming the tax and creating roster room for its rookies without significantly weakening the team, ESPN writes. The Thunder added Michigan center Aday Mara, traded Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta and drafted Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, meaning at least one more player must be moved or a team option declined. ESPN says Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe appear vulnerable and that GM Sam Presti will be tasked with finding young, cost-controlled replacements. One concrete option ESPN offers: bring Isaiah Hartenstein back by exercising his $28.5 million team option or declining it and extending him at a lower starting number to reduce the tax hit. Hartenstein has been a major contributor the past two seasons and was relied on to guard elite bigs in the conference finals.
San Antonio should take a measured approach after an unexpectedly deep run with one of the league’s youngest rosters, ESPN contends. The Spurs bolstered frontcourt depth by drafting Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., but ESPN says they need a proven, versatile power forward to pair with Victor Wembanyama after wings were repeatedly outmatched in the Finals — notably by OG Anunoby. ESPN also recommends the Spurs offer Wembanyama a five-year maximum rookie extension that could eventually exceed $300 million, while noting Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will play on rookie-scale deals next season.
For the champion New York Knicks, ESPN emphasizes the delicate balance between retaining core pieces and avoiding the punitive second apron. Owner James Dolan’s public reluctance to go into that apron suggests backup center Mitchell Robinson could be moved, but ESPN says keeping Robinson would preserve offensive rebounding and interior presence. ESPN’s full breakdowns are organized by its post-Finals NBA Power Rankings and cover moves for all 30 teams as the league heads into free agency.
