NBA free agency: Teams that could make big offseason moves

The future of LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers and how the Philadelphia 76ers build their roster around 2023 MVP Joel Embiid will dominate the headlines around the NBA this offseason.

The Lakers and 76ers, however, are not the only teams to watch.

Ahead of NBA free agency opening June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, we’ve identified five intriguing teams going under the radar. These are the franchise that aren’t being talked about as much but could still change the landscape of the summer around the league. For each team, we noted its roster outlook, how it could make moves — either in free agency or the draft — and proposed a potential trade:

Chicago Bulls

“I’ve said numerous times today: This group, something doesn’t work. I have to find ways to find a group that’s going to make improvements. We’ve done it for a couple years now and it hasn’t worked. Everything is on the table.” — Arturas Karnisovas, April 2024

Reaching the play-in tournament and then losing a second consecutive time is not good enough in Chicago. That was the message president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas delivered in his season-ending address to the media.

Karnisovas’ thinking is correct, but how does Chicago go about changing its roster without taking two steps back as the Bulls’ most productive player, DeMar DeRozan, is a free agent and their highest-paid player, Zach LaVine, had season-ending right foot surgery in February?

Trading away the three years and $138 million owed to LaVine is the logical decision even if it means the return value does not equal that of the two-time All-Star.

The market for LaVine’s services is unpredictable, and finding a team to take on his $43 million salary in 2024-25 could present a challenge. The new apron rules restrict teams from taking back more money in a trade if the incoming salary would put them over either the first or second apron. Teams in the second apron are also not allowed to aggregate contracts sent out. The Bulls, however, could benefit if teams with salary cap space such as the Detroit Pistons miss out in free agency.

A salary dump to the Pistons gives Chicago financial flexibility by avoiding the luxury tax to re-sign DeRozan and restricted free agent Patrick Williams, while also having access to the $12.9 million non-tax mid-level exception.

But do these changes represent the status quo Karnisovas vowed to change? Since the LaVine injury in February, Chicago went 14-16 and ranked 27th in defensive efficiency.

Trade we would like to see: LaVine to the Utah Jazz for John Collins and Jordan Clarkson

Starters under contract: Coby White, Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic and LaVine

Reserves under contract: Jevon Carter, Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips, Onuralp Bitim and Dalen Terry

Free agents: DeRozan, Williams, Andre Drummond, Torrey Craig (player option) and Javonte Green

Incoming first-round picks (8):

• The No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft

• Six out of their own seven, starting in 2025

• 2025 top-14-protected first from Portland. The pick is lottery protected through 2028.

Outgoing first-round picks (1):

• 2025 top-10 protected to San Antonio (top-8 protected in 2026 and 2027)

New Orleans Pelicans

“Whereas in the past we’ve always erred on the side of continuity, and our takeaway has been, ‘Let’s see this group healthy,’ I think we’ve seen it enough. I want to be really, really clear: This is not going to be a summer of complacency. It’s time to get better.” — David Griffin, May 2024

Do not expect Griffin, the Pelicans’ president of basketball operations, to be content winning 49 games — the second most in franchise history.

The Pelicans are at a crossroads with their roster: Starting center Jonas Valanciunas is an unrestricted free agent, reserve Trey Murphy III is eligible to sign a rookie extension and, more importantly, there is the uncertain future for 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram.

Ingram is set to enter the last year of his contract and is eligible to sign a four-year, $208.5 million extension starting in July. Griffin will need to navigate how the roster can improve in the future without Ingram if an agreement can’t be made with him.

One scenario the Pelicans could look into is the availability of Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. He would fill an immediate need at center and allow New Orleans to move sixth man Murphy into the starting lineup to replace Ingram.

Outside of trading Ingram for a center, New Orleans has the draft capital to upgrade the center position without signing Valanciunas. The Pelicans have their own first-round pick in the next seven drafts along with a 2025 unprotected Lakers first and a 2027 unprotected Milwaukee Bucks first. They also have the right to swap a first with the Bucks in 2027.

Trade we would like to see: Ingram to Cleveland for Allen and Max Strus

Starters under contract: CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson and Ingram

Reserves under contract: Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins, E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Matt Ryan and Murphy

Free agents: Valanciunas, Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado (team option), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (team option) and Cody Zeller

Incoming first-round picks (11):

• The No. 21 pick in the 2024 draft

• All seven of their own, starting in 2025

• Unprotected from the Lakers (2025)

• Unprotected from the Bucks (2027)

• Swap rights: Bucks (2026)

Note: The Pelicans also have the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick, but only if it lands 1-4; otherwise it goes to the New York Knicks

Portland Trail Blazers

“We’re heavily invested in a lot of our young guys, so development will continue to be our focus. We’re not going to win at an extremely high level until some of those guys are ready. At the same time, we have to put those guys in the best environment.” — Joe Cronin, April 2024

The post-Damian Lillard era has put the Trail Blazers’ general manager in a unique position.

The focus continues to be on the development of the franchise’s former draft picks (Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Jabari Walker) and the two firsts in the lottery this year, but there is a realization that Portland is an expensive rebuilding team comprised of veterans.

The Trail Blazers enter the offseason in the luxury tax and $1.3 million over the first apron, but there are some positives to Portland’s bleak financial outlook.

Veterans Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton — all of whom could be a strong second option to teams that miss in free agency — have value if the Trail Blazers choose to make each available.

Ayton averaged 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds after the All-Star break. Brogdon is a former Sixth Man of the Year who will be on an expiring $22.5 million contract. Williams has a team-friendly contract ($12.4 million and $13.2 million over the next two years respectively) and is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate when healthy (he missed all but six games in 2023-24). Grant averaged 21 points, his most since 2020-21, and has four years and $133 million left on his contract. Simons averaged a career-high 22.6 points and has two years left on his current deal.

Trade we would like to see: Simons to Orlando for Cole Anthony, 2025 Denver first (top-5 protected) and 2025 Orlando first (top-14 protected)

Starters under contract: Henderson, Sharpe, Simons, Grant and Ayton

Reserves under contract: Brogdon, Thybulle, Williams, Camara, Duop Reath, Rayan Rupert, Murray and Walker

Free agents: Dalano Banton (team option) and Moses Brown

Incoming first-round picks (10):

• The No. 7 and No. 14 first in the 2024 draft

• Six out of their own seven firsts starting in 2025

• 2029 unprotected first from Boston

• 2029 unprotected first from Milwaukee

• Swap rights: Milwaukee (2028 and 2030)

Outgoing first-round pick (1):

• 2025 top-14-protected first to Chicago. The pick is lottery protected through 2028.

San Antonio Spurs

“I don’t pretend to know what we’re going to do. We have a lot of possibilities ahead of us, whether it’s [having] money in the bank or draft picks or being creative tradewise. All those things are on the table. But aren’t they for every team? I don’t know why we’re any different. We’re just younger.” — coach Gregg Popovich, March 2024

Reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama puts the Spurs in a different category than most of the teams on this list.

Year 2 of the Wembanyama era begins in San Antonio with a heightened awareness that winning 22 games and finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference is not acceptable with a player of his caliber on the roster.

How the roster improves will come down to whether management is willing to accelerate the rebuild this offseason and not next summer, when the Spurs could have up to four first-round picks and $50 million in cap space.

One scenario in which San Antonio could improve now but not strip its flexibility is to sign veteran point guard Tyus Jones and then look to trade for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

A starting five of Jones, Devin Vassell, Ingram, Jeremy Sochan and Wembanyama, along with two first-round picks in the top eight (if both are kept), is a strong foundation to build on.

Trade we would like to see: Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, 2025 Chicago first (top-8 protected), 2027 Atlanta first (top-5 protected) to New Orleans for Ingram

Starters under contract: Jones, Vassell, Sochan, Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson

Reserves under contract: Collins, Malaki Branham, Devonte’ Graham, Julian Champagnie, Blake Wesley, Sidy Cissoko and Charles Bassey

Free agents: Cedi Osman, Dominick Barlow and Sandro Mamukelashvili

Incoming first-round picks (13):

• The No. 4 and No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft

• All seven of their own, starting in 2025

• Two unprotected from the Atlanta Hawks (2025 and 2027)

• 2025 top-14 protected from the Charlotte Hornets 2025

• Top-10 protected from Chicago (top-8 protected in 2026 and 2027)

Swap rights: Atlanta (2026), Boston Celtics (2028, top-1 protected) and Dallas Mavericks (2030)

Utah Jazz

“I think that our objective is to find a player or two and we’re ready to roll. We’re ready to go big-game hunting, and that hasn’t happened in the last two years.” — Danny Ainge, April 2024

It should be clear that “big-game hunting” will not come at the cost of short-term gratification for a Jazz team that won 31 games and failed to make the postseason this year.

“We don’t want to get from the 23rd-best team to the 18th-best by giving up a bunch of things, either,” Utah CEO Ainge said later.

Since tearing down the roster during the 2022 offseason, the Jazz are positioned to acquire their next All-Star if a player of that caliber were to become available.

Utah has a league-high 15 first-round picks available over the next seven years, including two first-round picks in the upcoming 2024 draft. It also has up to $30 million in cap space to absorb salary.

The Jazz inquired about then-Portland point guard Jrue Holiday last October, a league source confirmed to ESPN, but were not open to trading for the two-time All-Star unless he was willing to commit long-term.

The same aggressive approach should apply this offseason, despite Utah’s 5-25 post-trade deadline record.

Trade we would like to see: 2024 own first (No. 10) and 2025 Minnesota first (top-14 protected) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey.

Starters under contract: Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler