10 Predictions from Latest NBA Offseason Rumors and Buzz (2024)

The NBA Finals haven't even started yet, but the rumor mill is already flying.

As the league's teams brace for the full implementation of a new, more restrictive collective bargaining agreement, this offseason could bring plenty of player movement. Recent rumors and buzz reflect that.

So, as we wait for the conclusion of an action-packed 2023-24 campaign, it's time to dig into the forecast for a potentially action-packed summer.

Below, you'll find 10 predictions based on recent buzz.

Thanks to the coaching of Ime Udoka, a borderline All-Star-level campaign from Alperen Şengün and a late-season breakout from Jalen Green, it's safe to say the Houston Rockets are ahead of schedule.

They could easily justify running it back, leaning on development from Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, and still probably compete for the playoffs (or at least a play-in spot).

Houston is also in a unique spot to speed up the timeline, especially after landing the No. 3 pick in the lottery, an asset that could be on the move this summer.

According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, "The No. 3 pick—one of five potential first-round picks the Rockets can trade this offseason in a package to land a star player—will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night..."

If Houston could hang onto at least two or three of the most important members of the young core while adding a difference-making veteran, it would certainly be tempting to do so.

But this draft has been described as historically bad, so that third pick may not get the Rockets too far. And this roster has a chance to organically develop into something special.

Barring some kind of assurance that a huge name like Donovan Mitchell would sign a long-term extension in Houston, count on the Rockets keeping and making this pick.

The Miami Heat have made two Finals appearances since Jimmy Butler arrived, but there are real reasons to think about letting the Butler era end.

He turns 35 in September. He's averaged fewer than 60 appearances per season for the last seven years, and he just missed the Heat's most recent playoff run with an injury. His 2023-24 box plus/minus plummeted to its lowest level since 2018-19.

As he ages into his mid- to late-30s, it's hard to imagine him suddenly becoming more explosive or durable. It's more likely he's on the downward slope of his career arc.

And for a team with as much interesting young talent as Miami (which boasts Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, Nikola Jović and soon-to-be-27-year-old Bam Adebayo), committing a max salary to Butler, at this point in his career, seems borderline irresponsible.

But that's exactly what he wants.

"Jimmy Butler wants a max extension this offseason, preferably from the Heat," the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang wrote. "But whether it's from the Heat or another team, he wants a max extension."

At this point, Miami should either trade Butler and let that other team step up, or play out this final guaranteed season of his contract and see what happens.

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of those teams that could give Butler the deal he's after, but they reportedly have their eyes on another wing first.

"It's no secret that the 76ers are closely monitoring Jimmy Butler's contract situation with the Miami Heat," Keith Pompey wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "The Sixers view him as a fallback option if they are unable to sign Paul George in free agency. And, according to sources, the Sixers are prepared to give Butler a maximum-salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami."

Whether it's Butler, George or some other free agent (or disgruntled trade target), someone will sign up for the opportunity to play with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who will likely return in restricted free agency.

Even with those two stars on the books, Philadelphia will have the cap space necessary to add a max salary, especially since it can sequence the signings to use Maxey's Bird rights later in free agency.

And though Embiid comes with his own durability concerns, he is an MVP-level talent when healthy. Any trio with him, Maxey and a third high-end veteran should have Philadelphia in contention for the 2025 title.

Earlier this offseason, Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said the team is ready to go "big-game hunting."

More recently, Scotto reported the No. 10 pick could be in play during that hunt.

"Utah is expected to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick," he wrote for HoopsHype. "There's a belief from some around the league that Utah's owner, Ryan Smith, would like to add more star talent to the Jazz, and Ainge has aggressively monitored the trade market."

But considering the talent level in the 2025 draft, which includes Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey, it's kind of hard to see why Utah would push the envelope right now.

Barring some play like the one Ainge made in 2007, when he added two stars—Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett—to the Boston Celtics, staying the course and hunting for at least a decent shot at that top pick is the more prudent approach.

Even if Utah could land one big-name player to go with Lauri Markkanen, would that be enough to put it on the same level as other Western Conference powerhouses like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks?

The Jazz have to be careful about when they expend some of the assets they've collected over the years, and right now isn't the time.

The San Antonio Spurs are another team that should be intrigued by the 2025 draft class. A Flagg-Victor Wembanyama duo could dominate the league for much of the next decade.

However, there's also an argument for San Antonio to be aggressive this summer. Wemby is ready to win now, and a solid point guard would help him do that.

The Spurs could try to take a shortcut and target someone like Trae Young (though that reportedly doesn't interest them) or be more cautious and use one of this year's firsts on a playmaker.

"There's a strong belief around the league that San Antonio will look to upgrade at point guard this summer," Scotto wrote. "And the Spurs will have plenty of potential options with the fourth pick."

Consider this write-up a bet on the latter path. San Antonio will keep the No. 4 pick and use it one someone like Nikola Topić. And then 2024-25 could be another season packed with experimentation.

It may not be quite as dramatic as attempting to transform Jeremy Sochan into a lead playmaker, but the Spurs can play plenty of young guys, stack up losses for one more year and hope for luck in the 2025 lottery.

When the Indiana Pacers sent Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr. and multiple first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors for Pascal Siakam, they had to have some idea they'd be able to hang onto him for more than a few months.

And that idea persists to this day. Following Indiana's elimination from the playoffs, general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters that there's a "hope that this is something long-term for both sides."

The 30-year-old forward will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. And after helping the Pacers surge to a conference finals appearance, there should be decent demand for his abilities around the league.

But Indiana holds his Bird rights (which gives it the ability to go beyond the salary cap to re-sign him), and Siakam should be intrigued by the prospect of spending more time alongside one of the game's best playmakers in Tyrese Haliburton.

Together, they took the Pacers farther than anyone expected this spring, and that was just the beginning of their partnership.

A full-scale reboot is long overdue for the Chicago Bulls, and that includes moving or losing Nikola Vučević and DeMar DeRozan.

The latter, despite turning 35 in August and having a career 29.6 three-point percentage, could have some interest around the league as a second or third option, or more ideally, a heat-check scorer off the bench.

In fact, there might even be a contender in the mix for him.

According to Scotto, "one team worth monitoring as a potential suitor for DeRozan via sign-and-trade is the Los Angeles Clippers, should the franchise fail to re-sign Paul George in free agency..."

Functionally replacing George with DeRozan could cramp up the Clippers' offense, but he'd get better looks in L.A., playing off of Kawhi Leonard and (presumably) James Harden.

And if Chicago can get any value for DeRozan in a sign-and-trade rather than losing him in free agency for nothing, it should jump at the chance.

For months, we've been hearing about the potential breakup of the Atlanta Hawks' backcourt.

Trae Young and Dejounte Murray simply do not fit together, and conventional wisdom suggests the former would command the bigger return.

But thanks in part to his contract, Murray might actually have more value right now.

"Following the combine and pro day events for several agencies, there remains a belief around the league that Atlanta will break up the backcourt pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray," Scotto wrote. "Several executives who spoke with HoopsHype say they value Murray over Young due to his contract length and average annual salary."

There's plenty of logic to that idea, but this is also prime disinformation and manipulation season. If those quotes are coming from executives outside Atlanta, this could merely be an effort to bend Young's value in the trade market.

And while Murray is bigger and more versatile defensively, it's hard to imagine him getting the Hawks more than Young would.

Young has been a lightning rod for criticism for years, particularly because of his defense, but he is still one of the game's most dynamic offensive engines and pick-and-roll playmakers.

Even if the 25-year-old can't command the four or five first-round picks and/or pick swaps that other stars have in recent years, Atlanta should still be able to get a good return.

And the resulting core that would include Jalen Johnson, this year's No. 1 pick and whatever comes back in exchange for Young will be the start of a solid foundation for the future.

Weak draft classes have a tendency to bring surprises. Way back in 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly brought one when they chose Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick.

So, while most mock drafts around the internet currently have big man Alexandre Sarr's name being called first, consider this a bet that anyone else from the field receives that honor on draft night.

That feels especially safe when considering the Hawks have the top pick. Veteran Clint Capela certainly isn't the kind of young talent who should prevent a team from taking a big, but 23-year-old Onyeka Okongwu might be.

Weak classes also make it easier for teams to draft for need. If there isn't a sure-fire, can't-miss prospect at the top of the board, you might as well take the talent who best fits the rotation. And again, that's especially true with Atlanta, which was competitive last season and had to jump nine spots to get the top pick.

If the Hawks have either of Murray or Young, Okongwu, Bogdan Bogdanović and Johnson, another wing—such as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman's top prospect, Zaccharie Risacher—makes more sense.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the deadline for prospects to remove their names from the draft had passed, and that Bronny James remained in the mix.

He'll officially be in this class, which suggests someone with a pick has given him and his agent some assurance that he'll be picked. It certainly doesn't guarantee that, though.

James and his camp may simply be out on the college basketball process, after he played in a more limited role than he may have expected at USC and averaged just 4.8 points as a freshman.

There's always a chance his name isn't called, and that could mean an undrafted free agent deal.

That chance feels pretty slim, though. Most second-rounders are flyers. Really, every pick in every draft is, at least to some degree, and that's even truer in 2024.

At some point, likely in the second round, someone will roll the dice on a guard with good athletic and anthropometric measurements, some defensive upside and the genetics James brings to this draft.