5 ‘Crazy’ Moves That Could Happen This NBA Offseason

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show that he believes this NBA offseason “might be the craziest ever.”

Charania is considered one of, if not the most reliable NBA reporter with sources in all 30 teams, so this statement will have caught the attention of NBA fans across the country as the offseason approaches.

In past NBA offseasons, we have seen transactions that nobody foresaw, from Kevin Durant’s move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016 to the Utah Jazz trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in a two-month span in 2022, among many other examples.

In Charania’s eyes, the 2025 offseason has potential to be even more dramatic than those league-altering moves.  

Let’s discuss the top-five “craziest” moves that could happen this summer around the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded

Giannis Antetokounmpo moving away from the Milwaukee Bucks, the only team he’s ever suited up for in his 12 professional seasons, would surely cause a seismic shift in the NBA landscape.

And it’s one that many expect to happen this summer, too.

After Milwaukee was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for a third-straight year, Charania reported that Giannis is “open-minded” to exploring a trade. The 2x MVP is under contract with the Bucks through 2026/27, with a player option the following year.

Giannis has long voiced his loyalty to the Bucks, who he led to a first NBA title in 50 years in 2021, but those remarks may have reached their expiry date after another disappointing postseason.

Antetokounmpo will only go to a team that can afford to trade for him and feels adding the 9x All-Star will make them a championship contender. Perhaps the San Antonio Spurs, who could form an almost unfair tandem with Giannis and Victor Wembanyama? Or the Houston Rockets, a team with valuable young assets and a bright future after finishing 2nd in the West?

If the Oklahoma City Thunder fall short of the NBA title, who’s to say they won’t dole out their many draft picks and proven assets to land the Greek Freak?

Wherever Giannis lands, even if back in Milwaukee, it will be a major, major development that shapes the immediate future of the NBA.

Celtics blow up their roster

Another bit of foreshadowing by Charania came when he reported the Boston Celtics will be “exploring trade options” this offseason for star players that played a key role in their 2024 NBA championship.

This seems inevitable, as the Celtics are set to pay out more than $227 million in player contracts in 2025/26, more than $20 million over the second apron of the NBA salary cap. Boston must try and get underneath this financial threshold to avoid penalties ranging from the inability to trade for players, sign free agents, trade future draft picks and more.

In short, the Celtics gave out lucrative contracts to essentially their entire team, minus Al Horford and Luke Kornet, either in the leadup to or following their 18th NBA championship triumph in 2024 – an achievement well worth spending a few extra dollars, but one they knew would come back to bite a few years down the road.

Many believe two of Jrue Holiday ($32.4 million salary in 25/26), Derrick White ($28.1M) and Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7M) – all starters on the championship roster – will be traded in summer 2025. It is also possible that Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP who regressed in the 2025 playoffs, is moved to clear up more than $53 million.

While nobody is guaranteed to stay, it is expected that Jayson Tatum, who will miss most of the 2025/26 season with a torn Achilles suffered in the 2025 playoff series loss against the New York Knicks, will remain a Celtic this summer.

Kevin Durant returns East

Kevin Durant could be on the move to his fifth NBA team this offseason, with the Phoenix Suns in desperate need of shaving their 2025/26 payroll. The 15x All-Star is due to make $54.7 million in his final year under contract with Phoenix, and with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal expected to stay put, KD is the one that appears most likely to be moved.

The Suns are one of three teams (Celtics, Cavaliers) set to come in over the second apron in 2025/26, so moving Durant is the most logical way to get under that threshold.

If Durant is traded, it is up to the Suns brass to decide where he goes. Three teams that can afford to take on Durant’s salary include the Brooklyn Nets, where Durant played two and a half seasons from 2020 to 2023, the Detroit Pistons, and Chicago Bulls.

At 36, Durant doesn’t have many years left, so his next team will likely be his last shot to win a third NBA title.

Detroit won its first playoff game since 2008 this year, and the future of the franchise looks bright with star point guard Cade Cunningham leading the way. The Pistons saw success mixing Cunningham and other youngsters like Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren with experienced vets, so adding an all-time great scorer in Durant is a sensible move.

Trae Young and LaMelo Ball are traded

Two All-NBA caliber point guards could be on the move this offseason, as things haven’t quite worked out with their current franchises.

Young, a 4x All-Star and career 25.3 PPG scorer, could be on his way out of Atlanta after the Hawks missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Young is under contract for one more season and has a player option in 2026/27, so the Hawks could get ahead of things and deal their franchise point guard this offseason to maximize their return.

It was rumored that the Hawks shopped Young last offseason, but dealt backcourt mate Dejounte Murray instead.

Ball, who is entering his sixth NBA season in 2025/26, is less likely to move given his 5-year, $203 million contact is only through one season. But some scuttlebutt in the media, including from his brother and Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, indicate a move is possible.

Ball’s big brother predicted the Los Angeles Clippers will trade for the 23-year-old livewire, who when healthy, is one of the more exciting talents in the NBA. But the Hornets guard has had issues staying on the court, with injuries limiting the 2021 Rookie of the Year to 105 of 246 possible regular season games over the past three seasons.

While there are downsides to both players, Young and Ball add a dynamic playmaking element few NBA guards possess when they are on the court.

Lakers re-tool roster around LeBron and Luka

After bowing out in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs just three months after acquiring Luka Doncic in an all-time shocker of a trade, the Los Angeles Lakers are destined to make serious roster moves this offseason to compete for an NBA title while LeBron James is still around.

That means nobody outside of Doncic and James is safe.

A glaring hole in LA’s roster during their five-game series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was at the center position. J.J. Redick’s team was already behind the 8-ball when a deadline day deal for Mark Williams fell through due to a failed physical, and it showed in bunches in the playoffs. This offseason would be the time to correct that.

If the Lakers are to acquire a difference maker at center, such as Onyeka Okongwu, Myles Turner, or even Jaren Jackson Jr., it will require a medium to massive haul. And we know general manager Rob Pelinka isn’t scared to send half his roster in exchange for a player he feels could bring a record-tying 18th NBA title to Los Angeles.

Don’t be shocked if Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and several more are no longer in purple and gold come tip-off in fall 2025.