Which teams are the protagonists this summer? Teams such as the Huo Yong Lake Tornado are looking forward to strengthening the Celtic Army formation disintegrated

If this year's offseason returns to the grand occasion of the trading deadline, it will be exciting at that time. The week before this year's trading deadline, All-Star players Doncic, Butler, Lavender and Fox changed their goals one after another. Now the spotlight turns to Bucks big Antetokounmpo, Suns forward Durant, and many stars with uncertain futures. Both the Bucks and the Suns are on the list of ten teams worth paying attention to this summer, including last year's championship Celtics, which may completely change the offseason pattern.

Boston Celtics "The labor-management agreement has been well known for many years, and we know that we will face penalties when reaching a specific salary tier. This requires weighing and evaluating the current situation of the team, considering all factors, and finally making decisions." - Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations at Celtics, May 2025, Stevens knows that the total spending of the Celtics is expected to reach $500 million and will trigger the restriction clause of the second rich line. But unlike when he won the championship last year, the Celtics failed in the second round of the playoffs this year, during which the star Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon, making this luxurious lineup unsustainable. The Celtics' current total salary exceeds the second richest line by $23 million. Unless the Nets are willing to take over the expiration contract of center Porzingis' $30.7 million, the problem cannot be directly solved through a single transaction. The Celtics may need to gradually reduce salary pressure through multiple operations.

Given that Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derek White's contracts extend to at least 2028-29, the Celtics must seek a balance between cost cutting and championship goals. If the total salary still exceeds the second rich line, the Celtics will face the following lineup restrictions: prohibiting the packaging of player contracts in transactions, the matching ratio of the transaction special case shall not exceed 100%, prohibiting the delivery of cash compensation, prohibiting the use of existing transaction special cases, and prohibiting the signing of buyout players with an annual salary of more than US$14.1 million. If the total salary of next season still exceeds the second richest line, the Celtics' first round pick in 2033 will be frozen (its first round pick in 2032 has been frozen).

Brooklyn Nets

"If you choose to pursue a top-salary star, you must ensure that this move can completely change the fate of the team. You must not repeat the same mistakes and sign a star but lock yourself in the No. 6 and 7 seed position. When we attack with all our strength, the goal must be the highest level of competition and championship competition." - Nets General Manager Sean Max, April 2025

The Nets hold two unique advantages of the league this summer: 4 first-round picks in the June draft, and more than $40 million in salary space. But unlike when Durant and Irving joined as free agents in 2019, even if players of the best lineup are introduced, the current lineup still does not have the ability to compete for the championship. Therefore, the Nets may adopt the following strategies: offer a premium contract to sign free agents (similar to the Pacers sign Bruce Brown in 2023), grab a contract in exchange for draft picks, and provide quotation contracts to restricted free agents. It should be noted that the Nets must use up most of the salary space before the regular season starts. According to regulations, the team must reach the 90% poor line of the salary cap on the first day of the regular season. The Nets' salary for the four first-round picks is $79 million, and they need to spend another $60 million.

Denver Nuggets

"We must find ways to improve the depth of the lineup. Teams with longer rotations and thicker benches are winning, just look at the Pacers, Thunder and Timberwolves." - Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP's remarks in May 2025 did not surprise Nuggets president Josh Kroenke. He said last month: "I clearly heard Jokic's demands. To be honest, I had the same considerations before he spoke." Jokic's contract has three years left, and the Nuggets' sense of urgency to improve the strength of the lineup (especially the bench) is becoming increasingly strong. According to ESPN's research data, the Nuggets' starting five Tigers averaged 94.4 points per game in the regular season, setting a league record since the 1986-87 season.

The Nuggets can strengthen the lineup depth through three ways:

Internal training: train former draft players Jaylen Pickett, Payton Watson, Julian Strauser, Hunter Tyson and Daron Holmes II into stable rotation players.

Trading Operation: The Nuggets have only one tradable first-round pick left (2031 or 2032), and Michael Porter Jr. becomes the only tangible asset. The forward averaged 18.2 points per game this season, with a salary of 38.3 million and 40.8 million respectively in the next two seasons. In addition, the Nuggets can also package a contract of $13.5 million for Zeke Najib (12.9 million) and Salic (1.6 million), but due to the expected triggering of the first tycoon line, the Nuggets cannot receive higher salaries in the transaction.

Free player market: This path is less feasible, with the four-person salary of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon accounting for 82% of the team's total salary. In addition, the first year of Murray's contract renewal will once again make the team surpass the top tycoon line. Unless the salary is cleared through transactions, the Nuggets will only have the special case of veteran basic salary.

Golden State Warriors

"We never take the price to pay. The key is whether it can bring qualitative improvements. The only risk of overdrafting in the future is that you don't want to see all the chips bet on, and you will suffer devastating injuries in the first ten games of the season, which will lead to a desperate situation in the next four or five years." - Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. May 2025

Warriors General Manager Dunleavy Jr. holds sufficient draft assets and can give it your best. Since this year's draft night, the Warriors can trade up to four first-round picks: 2026, 2028, 2030 (if the top 20 picks) and 2032. If the first round pick in 2030 falls in the top 20 pick, the Warriors can still trade the first round swap rights in the next seven years.

But the core question is: if the Warriors can raise enough salary to match the deal without the transaction, if it does not involve the transaction, Green or Butler. Curry, Butler and Zhu Meng Green have already made up 85% of the team's total salary, and the remaining 6 players with contracts have a total salary of only $30 million next season. The salary restrictions make Kumingga a key pawn for the Warriors during the offseason. The Warriors are expected to offer a $7.9 million year-on-year qualification offer for Kuminjia, making him a restricted free agent. Given that the Nets are the only team that can provide a starting salary of more than $20 million (the Warriors have the right to match), the best solution may be to sign first and then exchange.

Such transactions face two major difficulties: First, Kumingga must sign a contract that is at least three years and fully guaranteed for the first year; second, only 50% of the salary in the transaction is included in the gift part (for example, the salary of $30 million in the first year, and only 15 million is included in the Warriors' gift salary, but the recipient is still calculated at 30 million). In addition, the Warriors' current salary is lower than the No. 1 Rich Line. If they do not join other salary contracts, they will not be able to trade players whose annual salary exceeds this amount in the coming year.

Houston Rockets "Maintaining continuity for continuity is not our goal. It is important to keep the lineup stable, but the ultimate goal is to build a championship team. If we believe that certain operations can increase the probability of winning the championship, we will break the continuity without hesitation." - Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone (quoted from the Houston Chronicle)

If this Rockets General Manager is really willing to give up the continuity of the lineup to introduce the best-ranked star, then they will surely show aggressiveness this offseason. The Rockets have three core elements required to introduce superstars:

Draft Assets: Have 5 Trading First Round Picks in the next seven years, including the 2027 unprotected first-round picks (from the Suns) and the 2029 unprotected first-round picks (from the Suns or the Mavericks), as well as the Rockets' own 2028, 2030 and 2032 first-round picks. In addition, this year's No. 10 sign can also be used for transactions.

Quality Rookie Contracts: Jabbarri Smith Jr., Tari Ethan, Reed Shepard, Cameron Whitmore and Amen Thompson are all within the rookie contract period.

Large contract: Shin Kyung and Jaylen Green signed a rookie contract extension last October, and the relevant "poison clause" restrictions will be lifted on July 1 (both of them will have a salary of $33 million next season). Dillon Brooks also has two years left in contract (22.1 million and $20.9 million).

The Rockets must also decide whether to implement Van Vreet's $44.9 million team option before June 29. This decision will directly affect the financial flexibility of the team's trading operations and whether free agent Adams can be retained. When playing against the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, Adams and Shin Kyung's double tower combination was the best. During the two were on the court at the same time, the Rockets' net winning score of +30.7 per 100 rounds (+30 in the regular season). If Van Vreet and Aaron Holiday's team options and Jock Landale's unsecured contract, the Rockets' current salary just hits the first tycoon line.

Los Angeles Lakers

"When you exchange the starting center for a point guard at the trade deadline, it will inevitably lead to an imbalance in the lineup structure. We have witnessed some of the consequences. The primary goal of this year's offseason is to strengthen the center position." - Lakers General Manager Robert Pelinka, May 2025, Lakers General Manager Pelinka tried to trade Hornets center Mark Williams before the deadline, aiming to provide Doncic with an empty contact threat and fill the vacancy for Davis to leave the team, but ultimately failed due to physical examination issues. Although the Lakers do not have the salary space to directly sign free agents such as Turner, they can hold first-round picks in 2031 or 2032, first-round swap rights in five years, first-round picks in last year, and expiring contracts totaling more than $70 million (Reeves, Finney Smith, Hachimura, Kleber and Vincent) for trading. The Lakers will continue to balance "competition around James" and "building a future lineup with Doncic as the core", and Doncic can sign a four-year, $229 million early contract renewal on August 2.

Milwaukee Bucks "If you cannot win the second career championship, even if the outside world evaluates the 'legendary career and the first pick in the Hall of Fame', it will still not achieve my goal for me." - Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, April 2025

The Bucks will become the focus of the league this summer for two reasons: ESPN reporter Shams reported in mid-May that Antetokounmpo is evaluating which option is more beneficial to stay in the team for a long time or to switch to his team. The 30-year-old two-time MVP has three years left in the existing contract (2027-28 season is the player option) and can sign a four-year, $293.4 million max renewal contract in the 2026 offseason, whether it stays behind the Bucks or joins a new team.

The same as the previous annual offseason, the Bucks faced a countdown to create a championship lineup for the MVP-level star. But it will be extremely difficult to strengthen the top-heavy lineup this summer: the Bucks cannot package and trade multiple first-round picks, and currently only the first-round picks in 2031 or 2032 can be traded. Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will have a total salary of US$130 million next season, accounting for 79% of the team's total salary of 164 million.

Lillard, who is in the recovery period of Achilles tendon tear, will turn 35 in July, and his total salary will reach 113 million in the next two seasons. Llopeby Portion Prince of the Big Big and Kevin Poly Trent may both become free agents today (Porty Kevin S and Porter hold the player selection,). But the positive factor is that the Bucks have escaped from the hell of salary, can be strengthened through the free market or trading of players, and are in the open competition, and are currently not currently in the current season.

Orlando Magic

"We are ready to end the stage to open a new chapter from the perspective of the current situation. "——Jeff Weltman, President of Magic Basketball Operations, April 2025, although he is unwilling to call Weltman a conservative, the Magic Basketball Operations president has always sought a delicate balance between cultivating, retaining the core and striking the top six in the Eastern Conference in recent years. Since 2021, the Magic have been building a lineup through drafts, with the most nine self-selected players in the league, only Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris obtained through a trade. This strategy takes effect in the short term: The Magic entered the first round of the playoffs for two consecutive years, but failed to go further. With the first annual salary of Wagner and Suggs' contract renewal soon, the Magic are expected to be over the luxury tax line and reach the first rich line.

The Magic's path to advance depends on President Weltman's lineup adjustment ability when all members are healthy, and whether the team can reach the top four in the Eastern Conference. This season During the regular season, the four scorers, Bankairo, Sages, Wagner Jr. and Wagner Jr., each missed at least 20 games. The core trio of Bankairo, Sages and Wagner Jr., only played 6 games together, and their playing time accounted for 3% of the team's total rounds. If external reinforcement is required, the Magic have enough draft assets and contract chips to show aggressiveness this summer. The Magic have become the first team to hit the bottom of the league since the Thunder in 2016-17 this year but have reached the last three-point shooting percentage in the league but have reached the playoffs. Not only will they hold two first-round picks this year, they can trade up to four first-round picks in the next seven years, and the first-round swap rights can be traded every year.

Phoenix Suns

"I only care whether I can end my career as I wish. Too many people don't have such opportunities, so I must continue to work hard to take the initiative. "—Suns star Kevin Durant

If Antetokounmpo is the preferred option on the wish list of teams this summer, Durant is the target that follows. Durant, 37, averaged 26.6 points per game this season, and averaged less than 25 points per game in his career only. After two costly but disappointing seasons, the Suns may reorganize their lineup from trading the All-Star. Durant is in the last year of his contract. If a contract renewal or deal cannot be reached, the Suns will face the risk of losing both people and money in the offseason next year.

The three key factors affecting the Suns' Durant's trading returns: whether the Suns can pass Cody Martin ( 8.7 million), abandoning Misic's 8.1 million team option, buying out Bill's contract and other methods, reducing salary to below the second rich line (currently exceeding 25 million) to activate the authority to package contracts in the transaction? Or lowering it to the first rich line to use more than 100% of the transaction exception? Is Durant willing to sign a two-year, 112 million early contract renewal with his new owner? Does the team that got the transaction still have the strength to compete for the championship?

San Antonio Spurs

"This clearly conveys the management's determination to refuse to waste time. We are moving towards a new stage as planned, which is an important step for future construction. "—Victor Vinbanyama, February 2025, similar to the Rockets, the Spurs have three major elements of trading: draft assets, young players, large contracts and an on-the-fighting lineup, which is enough to introduce a third star outside Vinbanyama and Fox. The Spurs not only have two lottery draws this year (including the second draw), but also hold the first round swap rights of the Hawks in 2026, the unprotected first round picks of the Hawks in 2027 and multiple other first round swap rights. In addition, the Spurs can also trade in 2029 With the 2031 (or 2030 and 2032), plus 17 tradeable second round picks. The financial flexibility of the Spurs also constitutes a unique advantage, they can package contracts and receive more salaries, currently below the 1st and 2nd tyrant lines, $32 million and $44 million respectively. In addition to Fox and Vinban Yama, 10 players in the roster have annual salaries ranging from $3 million to $27 million.

Original text: Bobby Marks

compiled by: Li Taibai