With limited cap space across the NBA and few impactful free agents available, teams with championship aspirations will likely turn to the trade market to reshape their rosters, especially as the salary cap is set to rise with new media rights deals.
“You have a log jam and so therefore you have some teams that are a little bit stuck,” Brian Windhorst said on The Ryen Russillo Podcast. “And so what you have is the perfect storm, the perfect recipe for a lot of movement.”
Free agency offers little this offseason, with only a handful of teams having cap space and few high-end players available.
“So it means the way that you alter your team is through trade,” Windhorst explained, pointing to an intriguing draft class and several top-five picks that could be in play.
“So you put all that together and it’s just a roiling pot bubbling,” he added. “I think the crazy week for transactions will be at the draft. I’m expecting there to be action… from the moment the Finals end, maybe even before.”
Teams like the Spurs (No. 4), 76ers (No. 3), and Rockets (No. 10) all hold high picks and valuable future assets, positioning them as key players in trade talks.
Windhorst expects a ripple effect, saying, “I think we’re going to see domino effects… just expect a lot of action.”
