Basketball Wiretap

The Washington Wizards are said to be giving "increased consideration" to drafting Darryn Peterson with the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. It was recently reported that Peterson is working out only for the Wizards ahead of the draft.

The choice at No. 1 seems to be down to the Kansas product Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa of BYU. Dybantsa had been the favorite for a while, but as the draft has drawn closer, Peterson's case as the first pick has picked up momentum.

If the Wizards select Peterson, the Utah Jazz are expected to be more than happy to snag Dybantsa with the No. 2 pick. The Jazz have a great relationship with Dybantsa through owner Ryan Smith's connection to BYU.

Despite speculation that Cameron Boozer could also be in line for the first overall pick, he seems more likely to land with the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3. That would then put the Chicago Bulls in position to select Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick.

The Boston Celtics remain engaged in trading for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Boston is unable to complete a deal for Antetokounmpo, the Celtics could pivot to trading for Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans. Murphy has drawn a lot of interest from teams around the league.

The Celtics have a large enough trade exception to fit Murphy's contract into, which would lessen the amount of salary the Pelicans would have to take back in a deal. Boston also has multiple first-round picks that they could offer in a deal.

Draft capital seems to be a holdup in a potential Celtics deal for Antetokounmpo. Boston reportedly feels that offering Jaylen Brown (whose salary nearly matches Antetokounmpo's on its own) for the superstar big man should be enough. The Celtics could offer first-round picks to push a deal across the line, but thus far haven't done so.

The Portland Trail Blazers have "serious interest" in acquiring Jaylen Brown if he is made available by the Boston Celtics, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. If the Celtics agree to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Blazers would be in a unique position to insert themselves into the trade and acquire Brown as they control Milwaukee's first round pick in 2028, 2029 and 2030 via the 2023 Damian Lillard trade. 

Brown would feel an obvious need for the Blazers as a two-way All-NBA player on the wing.

Brown is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but he is signed through the 2028-29 season and would give the Blazers some level of control over the situation.

Brown appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 34.4 minutes in what was his best individual season of his career.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been linked to several star-level players in trade rumors. For now, Minnesota's interest in trying to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo has cooled. The Wolves are looking to add another guard however. Minnesota reportedly has interest in Derrick White of the Boston Celtics.

White is set to make $30.3 million this season, with $67.4 million owed to him through the 2028-29 season. The final season is a player option for White.

There have been no indications that the Celtics are looking to move White. It's unclear what the Timberwolves would have to offer Boston in a trade. Minnesota is light on draft capital, and the matching salary would likely have to come in the form of Julius Randle. It's unclear if Randle would be of interest to the Celtics, so the Wolves may have to look for a third team to pull off a deal for White.

The Miami Heat are continuing to push for a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, should those trade talks break down, Miami is ready to move to Plan B options. Those options could include the previously reported Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers, or Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The challenge with Leonard is that there are several layers of uncertainty. It's unclear if the Clippers have any interest in moving the veteran wing. In addition, the investigation into the alleged salary cap circumvention between Leonard and the Clippers is still playing out. Some teams may be wary of dealing for Leonard without a resolution to that situation.

As for Morant, Miami has long had interest in the point guard. The Grizzlies are expected to work with Morant to find a fresh start. Some see the Heat as an ideal place to help former All-Star get his career back on track.

Isaiah Joe could be traded this offseason as the Oklahoma City Thunder navigate luxury tax and second apron concerns with the Detroit Pistons a team said to have interest. The Pistons are attempting to put more perimeter shooting around Cade Cunningham.

Joe appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.7 minutes while shooting 42.3 percent on three-pointers. In the playoffs, Joe only averaged 4.8 points in 11.0 minutes across 13 games as he played sparingly against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. 

Joe is on a declining four-year, $48 million contract with the Thunder and will make $11.3 million this coming season. The Thunder hold a team option on Joe's contract for the 2027-28 season at $11.3 million.

Joe is represented by Michael Conley, Sr. and turns 27 in July.

The Detroit Pistons are emerging as a potential third team to help facilitate a trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo moving to the Miami Heat, sources told Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

The Pistons would ultimately receive Tyler Herro in return.

The Pistons are looking to add shooting this offseason and have been rumored in deals for Kyrie Irving and Trey Murphy III.

The team is also reportedly interested in Zach LaVine, Coby White, and Isaiah Joe.

While White is expected to return to the Hornets, there is a growing sentiment that he could be gettable this summer. 

Last season, Herro averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 31.3 minutes across 33 games.

Herro is signed through the 2026-27 season and is represented by Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman.

The Dallas Mavericks have yet to fill their head coaching vacancy and one of the reasons is they have wanted to give Jon Scheyer ample time to consider leaving Duke for the chance to coach Cooper Flagg in the NBA.

While Scheyer may be intrigued by the opportunity, he has so far indicated he wants to stay with Duke as Mike Krzyzewski's successor.

Scheyer joined Duke as an assistant coach in 2014 at the end of his playing career and was elevated to head coach in 2022 upon the retirement of Krzyzewski.

Other known candidates include potential first-time NBA head coaches Houston Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey, Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori. Terry Stotts, who was an assistant coach most recently with the Golden State Warriors, is a former NBA head coach under consideration. 

The Mavericks also have former Duke players Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively on their roster.

Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine is expected to pick up his $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

"They are not leaving that money on the table, So, he's not opting out", Amick said about LaVine and his representation during a recent appearance on SacTown Sports.

Amick also reported that the Kings have given LaVine permission to look into sign-and-trade options. In that scenario, the veteran shooting guard would opt out, sign for a lower salary and would be traded. Sacramento would be happy to work with LaVine in that situation, but no sign-and-trade option has presented itself as of yet.

Trae Young's decision to opt out of his $48.97 million contract with the Washington Wizards to become a free agent has long been expected within the league. Young is expected to re-sign with the Wizards even though he may actually take meetings with rival teams.

The Wizards acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks, ending his tenure with the franchise he led to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

"When Trae Young was traded in January, it came with the understanding that he would opt out of his contract," Windhorst said. "It also came with the understanding that he wouldn't play for the rest of the season. ... He may take a meeting or two, just for appearances' sake. He's going to re-sign with the Wizards, likely on a three-year, very large contract."

Marc Stein reported this month that the expectation is that Young will re-sign for approximately $120 million over three years.

Young played in only five games with the Wizards following his trade, averaging 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 20.7 minutes.