The Kevin Durant trade to Houston sees seven teams involved in the record-setting deal
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The seven-team involvement in the Durant trade tops the previous record, a six-team transaction last summer that most notably sent Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks. Golden State — Thompson's former team — obviously was another part of that trade, as were Charlotte, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Denver on varying levels.
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'One of the greatest to ever play the game, we are grateful for the impact Kevin made on our organization and in our community,' Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory said of Durant. 'As a member of the Suns, he climbed the scoring charts to become just the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points, and we wish him the best as he continues his career in Houston.'
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There will be at least five second-round draft picks in the deal before all terms are satisfied, the potential for another second-round pick swap, and the Hawks and Timberwolves both had to receive some cash considerations to make all the math work. And some of those draft picks won't actually be made until 2032, which raises the serious possibility that some players who will go down in history as being part of the trade haven't reached high school yet.
Durant averaged 26.6 points last season, his 17th in the NBA — not counting one year missed because of injury. For his career, the 6-foot-11-inch forward is averaging 27.2 points and 7 rebounds per game.
The move brings Durant back to the state of Texas, where he played his only year of college basketball for the Longhorns and was the college player of the year before going as the No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft by Seattle.
Houston becomes his fifth franchise, joining the SuperSonics (who then became the Oklahoma City Thunder), Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. Durant won his two titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and last summer in Paris he became the highest-scoring player in US Olympic basketball history and the first men's player to be part of four gold-medal teams.
Durant is a four-time scoring champion, a two-time Finals MVP and one of eight players in NBA history with more than 30,000 career points.
'Having played against Kevin and coached him before, I know he's the type of competitor who fits with what we've been building here in Houston,' Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. 'His skill level, love of basketball, and dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected players of his generation, and my staff and I are excited to work with him.'
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Houston sent Green and Brooks to Phoenix, along with the rights to Khaman Maluach from last month's draft, a second-round pick in 2026 and another second-rounder in 2032. The Hawks got David Roddy, cash and a 2031 second-round pick swap from the Rockets. Brooklyn gets a 2026 second-round pick and another in 2030 from the Rockets, and the Warriors received the rights to Jahmai Mashack from last month's draft.
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"That shift happened probably a year or two ago and the goal of this group is to win basketball games — as competitive as we can be." Former players Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore were once part of what team officials deemed their "Core 6", the six first-round talents drafted since 2021. Houston's decision to move on from them (and swingman Dillon Brooks) to clear room for Durant, a 14-time All-Star, falls in line with the organizational symmetry between management, ownership and head coach Ime Udoka on doubling down on the urgency to win now. Stone also touched on Houston's other additions (Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela), as well as Jabari Smith Jr.'s extension. But Durant's presence is by far and large the biggest storyline of the summer. The Oklahoma City Thunder have set the standard this season, and teams like the Rockets are gearing up for a championship push with the future Hall of Fame scoring savant in tow. "Hopefully he makes us a better offensive team while at the same time being another long, capable wing defender," Stone added. "To be a champion you have to beat them. Oklahoma City had an amazing year and set an extremely high bar in the playoffs." Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn According to a league source, the list of teams Bradley Beal has thought about should he receive a buyout from the Phoenix Suns includes the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Because of a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement, Beal, who has $110.8 million and two years remaining on his contract, must give back at least $13.8 million for the Suns to be allowed to stretch him. If he did, Phoenix would then have a dead cap hit of $19.4 million on its books in every season through 2029-30. Beal, who turned 32 last month, averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 50/39/80 shooting splits last season. 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Clippers coach Tyronn Lue should be thrilled about the offensive possibilities and lineup optionality coming his way this autumn. On the flip side, lead assistant Jeff Van Gundy is going to be hard-pressed to keep the Clippers' defense in the top 5 again next season. One major concern I have for the Clippers' offense, though: This was already the team with the fewest 3-point attempts off the catch in back-to-back seasons, and their two best shooters were Norm Powell (traded) and Amir Coffey (free agent). It feels significant that the Clippers now have exactly enough room under the apron to use their remaining midlevel exception money to sign a certain shooting guard who may be bought out very soon by Phoenix. The Clippers-Jazz-Heat trade not only involves three different UCLA guys, it also sets up the Clippers to get something for Norm Powell and still be a cap room team in the summer of 2026. In the short term, John Collins adds another big forward who and shoot and finish, supplementing LA for the games Kawhi Leonard will inevitably miss and adding a smallball 5 option. The trade also leaves the Clippers $6 million below the first apron with at least one roster spot open. Although the Clippers already used most of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception on Brook Lopez, they still have the equivalent of the biannual exception ($5.1 million) remaining to use, and could also take advantage of Amir Coffey's Bird Rights via either a sign-and-trade or a one-year deal in the $6 million range. (The Clippers do not have the biannual exception itself because they used it last offseason on Nicolas Batum). For Miami, converting two fungible expiring contracts into a productive wing player like Powell improves their short-term possibilities without unduly sacrificing the long term. Powell is also extension-eligible ahead of his 2026 free agency, and a new deal with the Heat seemingly makes more sense than doing the same in LA The trade momentarily leaves Miami $1.3 million over the luxury tax line with 14 rosters spots filled, although the Heat could easily wriggle out with a trade or buyout of Terry Rozier or a small deal at the trade deadline. Adding Powell at a market-rate extension (he's eligible for up to $28.7 million in 2026-27 salary if the two sides wait until January) would still leave Miami roughly $20 million short of the 2026-27 tax threshold. Utah's additions of Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to an already-crowded frontcourt practically screams "buyout." Anderson's $9.2 million salary is non-guaranteed in 2026-27, which could make him a trade chip. But he also has more remaining value as a player than Love and could end up starting in Utah. Love makes $4.2 million and would seemingly be a target for any team looking for an end-of-bench vet. Utah will generate a trade exception worth at least $13 million with this deal; it could go as high as $26 million if they take Anderson and Love into their non taxpayer midlevel exception. Finally, there is a potential cap room angle here for the Jazz. They can create $18.1 million in room if they waive the non-guaranteed deals of K.J. Martin and Jaden Springer, or potentially more if they buy out Love and/or Anderson. While the rebuilding Jazz would be unlikely to make such a maneuver for a signing, it could open the door to a salary dump trade that nets Utah more draft picks. Page 2 Orlando continues to lock in its core, while Bradley Beal appears likely to exit Phoenix soon. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Bucks pulled Ryan Rolins' qualifying offer, but they never renounced their early Bird rights on him. Thus, they were able to keep him on their salary book for $2.5 million while they signed him to a new deal using those rights. The fact that they were able to do this is a strong indication that Vasilije Micić's impending buyout will be a very deep one, as he would have to agree to a haircut of at least $6 million on an $8.1 million deal for this year in order for the Bucks to fit their reported commitments under the salary cap, most notably a four-year, $107 million deal for Myles Turner. If Micić reduces his guaranteed money to $2.04 million or less, the Bucks can legally stretch both his contract and that of Damian Lillard; that seems to be the only way that Milwaukee's offseason commitments can work at the moment. GO FURTHER Bucks once again go big to win back Giannis — this time with a historic, daring gamble The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with Ryan Rollins, a league source confirmed to The Athletic . Rollins, 23, appeared in 56 games for the Bucks last season and started 19 games at the end of the season with Damian Lillard sidelined with a blood clot in his right calf. On the season, Rollins averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 14.6 minutes per game, but those numbers jumped up to 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24.4 minutes per game once Lillard went down. Bucks general manager Jon Horst made a bold decision to waive Lillard, a nine-time All-Star, and stretch the remaining two seasons of his contract with $22.5 million of dead salary hitting their books in each of the next five seasons. To address that opening on their roster, the Bucks have opted to go in a younger direction by re-signing Rollins and 25-year-old Kevin Porter Jr. this offseason. Those two young guards handled the point guard position with Lillard out at the end of the season. The Guerschon Yabusele signing is official. He took a little less than the midlevel exception so that the Knicks now have room to sign two veteran players to minimum deals, as the New York Post reported yesterday. Here's the salary breakdown, per a league source: 2025-26: $5.5 million 2026-27: $5.8 million (player option) The Clippers have made the Brook Lopez signing official, which is worth noting not because Lopez heading to LA is a surprise but because of the type of transaction this will now become. Lopez inking his deal today means the Clippers are using a large portion of the $14.1 million midlevel exception to sign him, which would not leave them much money to sign Bradley Beal (if he works a buyout with the Suns) or another more expensive player. (There's optimism on both sides that Phoenix and Beal will eventually reach an agreement there, league sources tell The Athletic. ) If the Clippers wanted to wait out the Beal market, they could have waited to finalize Lopez's contract, then turned the transaction into a sign-and-trade, sending out someone like Bogdan Bogdanović, Norman Powell or Derrick Jones Jr. and retaining the ability to use the $million midlevel exception for Beal or someone else. KD is now officially a Rocket. I can confirm via a league source that the Grizzlies are trading center Jay Huff to the Pacers for a second-rounder and a second-round pick swap. Picks going to Memphis are a 2029 second and a 2031 swap, team sources tell our James Boyd. Huff's $2.3 million salary is small enough to fit into the microscopic trade exception made by Indiana's trade of James Wiseman at the 2025 trade deadline. He has an extremely team-friendly deal, making a non-guaranteed $2.6 million in 2026-27 and having a team option for $3 million in 2027-28. He is also a living, breathing, center, which is something the Pacers sort of need right now after losing Myles Turner, and his stretch game should fit well in Indiana's system. He is not, alas, a starter, or anything remotely close to one, so that part of the puzzle remains unsolved in Indy. Meanwhile, trading Huff moves Memphis closer to the point where it can execute Jaren Jackson Jr.'s renegotiate-and-extend without needing to stretch the money on Cole Anthony once he's bought out and also opens up a roster spot for the reported acquisition of Jock Landale. The Grizzlies can bridge the rest of that salary-dump distance by moving John Konchar, who has two years and $12.3 million remaining; his $6.1 million slot would temporarily be replaced by a $1.2 million cap hold. The Wizards get a much more cap-friendly, offense-first young wing on which to take a gamble in Cam Whitmore than the rumored Jonathan Kuminga (team officials pushed back strongly on the idea that Washington had increased interest in the Warriors' restricted free agent). Whitmore, a Baltimore area native like Wizards guard Bub Carrington, starred locally at Archbishop Spaulding High School in suburban D.C. before going to Villanova. He'll get every chance to earn minutes on the wing, but he'll have to show more consistent effort and focus at the defensive end to stay on the floor. The Wizards under GM Will Dawkins and President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger are emphasizing defensive switchability with their incoming players. Whitmore has yet to show that in his two years in the league with Houston. But he's a big, big offensive talent who'll turn 21 next week, and the Wizards need as much help at that end of the floor as they do the defensive side. The Wizards will stuff Cam Whitmore into the previous Pelicans trade so they don't have to use any of their exceptions to take in his salary. The outbound salaries of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey allow Washington to take back up to $47.7 million in salary. The combined inbound salaries of CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and Whitmore are ... $47.65 million. Nice work. Houston and New Orleans will also need to exchange some small bit of consideration to meet the "touching" requirements for a three-way trade. By moving Whitmore, the Rockets are now approximately $1.3 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped by the Dorian Finney-Smith acquisition. With their 14th roster spot, they can either retain the non-guaranteed Nate Williams or waive him and sign one more veteran to a minimum deal. The Rockets will also generate a $3.5 million trade exception, which is likely worthless but you never know. Kirby Lee / Imagn Images I can confirm via a league source that the Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Wizards in exchange for two second-round picks. A team source tells our David Aldridge that the transaction will be an expansion of an earlier-agreed-to deal between Washington and New Orleans. Over the past two seasons, the Rockets attempted to harness Whitmore's talent on multiple occasions — sending the Villanova product down to the G League to aid his development and meeting with him periodically over his role — but the 20-year-old's frustration with a lack of playing time never waned. Head coach Ime Udoka, who had challenged Whitmore publicly and privately to adopt a more team-first approach on both ends of the ball, simply couldn't justify his place in the rotation ahead of other players. Still, Whitmore's combination of youth, athleticism and offensive talent are impossible to ignore and should serve him well on a younger team in the early stages of a rebuild like Washington. At his best, Whitmore is a powerful scoring force who has the potential to play a meaningful role on a Wizards team in asset-accumulation mode. Getting the third-year wing to buy into the team concept, having been traded while still on a rookie deal as a first-round pick, should be an easier task now. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images I've seen lots of outside speculation about the possibility of the Lakers receiving something for Dorian Finney-Smith in a hypothetical sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for LA, there doesn't seem to be any traction on that — and I don't anticipate this reality changing. The Rockets are in the process of turning the Kevin Durant trade into a seven-team deal, a move that seems increasingly likely to happen, league sources tell The Athletic . And the reason that deal would go down is, in part, so they could acquire Finney-Smith with a straight signing. Houston has only the midlevel exception to sign a player, which meant they had to turn either the Finney-Smith or Clint Capela agreement into a sign-and-trade. That's what they're doing in this seven-team deal, which is not yet complete and which would include Capela heading from Atlanta to Houston. Because Capela will come to Houston in a sign-and-trade and thus isn't going into the midlevel exception, the Rockets can use the MLE to sign Finney-Smith straight up. And why would they choose to send a player or draft pick to the Lakers when they don't have to? As of now, Finney-Smith is not a part of this seven-team deal. The only players who were in the NBA last season who are part of it today are Capela, Durant, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Daeqwon Plowden and David Roddy, league sources say. Stephen Lew / Imagn Something struck me as I walked through the Minnesota Timberwolves team store at Target Center before a game last season. The wall of jerseys included all of the usual suspects: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid. Then one jersey caught my eye. On the bottom row of the wall was an entire rack of No. 9 jerseys with 'ALEXANDER-WALKER' arched over the number in the same way Nickeil Alexander-Walker would contort his spine to navigate around a screen at the top of the 3-point arc. There must have been a dozen of them there waiting for purchase. And I wondered how many team stores around the NBA felt compelled to stock the eighth man's jersey? How many teams got enough requests for a player averaging 9.4 points and 25 minutes per night that they stopped filling them on an order-by-order basis and just started making them in bulk? It is the perfect way to describe what Alexander-Walker meant to this organization and this fan base in 2 1/2 seasons in Minnesota. Like the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker experienced many a dark day in the early portion of his career. Like Timberwolves fans, he was looked over and discounted when he first arrived here, considered a throw-in in the trade that brought Mike Conley to the Wolves. Like the City of Hoops, which is nestled in the State of Hockey, Alexander-Walker just put his head down and kept working amid all the sneers and dismissals, emerging as an inspirational symbol for basketball's renaissance in Minnesota. That is why a somber tone followed the excitement of last weekend, when the Timberwolves locked up two critical components of last season's run to the Western Conference finals by signing Julius Randle and Reid to long-term contracts totaling $225 million. As happy as Wolves fans were, especially for the folk hero that is Naz Reid, they knew that the moves came with a price. They knew that Alexander-Walker was going to have to go. For someone who spent a relatively small amount of time with the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker leaves a lasting legacy. Read more here. GO FURTHER Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a true Timberwolves success story Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Having prepped for recruiting dog-and-pony shows while working in an NBA front office, good riddance. But I think there's another key reason we aren't seeing as much of that game anymore: Players of that caliber just don't become unrestricted free agents, or if they do, it's a set piece that they'll rejoin their current team. One of the consequences of the more generous extension terms in the collective bargaining agreement is that it's in the interests of both players and teams to continue extending the contracts of most star and near-star players. As a result, both the market of unrestricted free agents and the number of teams with the salary-cap space to pursue them have rapidly diminished. All the action has moved to the trade market, and the hot part of the trade market isn't in summer; it's the deadline in February. In the last three years, that's when talent such as Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, De'Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges all changed teams, as well as countless starter-caliber players a rung or two below on the hierarchy. Once upon a time, teams made all their moves in June and July and then played out the season; the trade deadline was reserved for smaller tweaks. Occasionally, it works out that way, but much less often. Now, we're seeing a new phenomenon where some teams spend the summer prepping their rosters so they can wheel and deal the first week in February: by adding middle-class contracts or giving short balloon contracts to fringe players just so there is tradeable salary on the books come winter, or by lining up future draft picks so the Stepien rule doesn't torpedo a blockbuster trade, or by managing the tax aprons so their midseason trade flexibility isn't compromised. Sadly, we must conclude that it's a February league now, and when I decided to write a column on the biggest winners and losers of free agency so far, it wasn't hard to pick out the biggest loser. July. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days One of the biggest takeaways from Houston's early playoff exit — aside from the lack of experience — was that its season-long half-court spacing (and subsequent 3-point shooting) issues had reached their apex. And it had become so entwined in their identity that the ineffectiveness took shape right from the opening tip in the most important game of their season. Houston shot just 5-of-17 from 3 in an elimination game, scoring a poor 78.0 points per 100 half-court plays. Charlotte, which ranked last in the league in the same category during the regular season, averaged 90.0 points per 100 plays. It was clear internally that the organization, which already had a talented defense, needed its offense to drastically improve outside of bullying teams on the offensive glass. In any trade that involved the now-departed Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, Houston would need to bring in floor spacers. Those two comprised a large chunk of the Rockets' 3-point department, finishing first and third, respectively, in attempted 3s per game, and were among the top six in conversion rate. With Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith now in Houston, the Rockets can become one of the league's most efficient half-court offenses and deadliest outside shooting units. Read on here to see how, and watch my video on Durant's overall impact here. GO FURTHER How additions of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith can fix Rockets' spacing woes Maddie Meyer / Getty Images We knew the Celtics would be taking a step back this year, but yikes. Jrue Holiday, Porziņģis and Luke Kornet are gone, Al Horford seems like he might be next, and the Celtics still are looking at deals to trim salary further. Boston knew this day was coming; the Celtics were openly talking about it even as they were smashing Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals. The repeater penalty in the 2023 CBA basically demands that Boston finish 2025-26 below the luxury-tax line, and they still have to whittle down $20 million in salary to get there. That said, the Celtics have taken the scalpel about as painlessly as possible so far. Dumping Holiday and receiving two seconds was a minor miracle, and Boston can likely take back significant draft capital if deals emerge for mainstays like Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. Everything is on the table in a 'gap' year while Jayson Tatum rehabs a torn Achilles. Newcomers Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang shouldn't get too comfortable, and what would it take for you to drive off the lot with a lightly used Baylor Scheierman? The real challenge, perhaps, comes next summer. Having torn so much down, how can the Celtics quickly build it back up so they can thrive again with a healthy Tatum? For more, read my free agency winners and losers column. GO FURTHER Celtics depth chart: More changes coming, but where does the roster stand? Joshua Gateley / Getty Images This is an excerpt from The Bounce, The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Let's run through some current tiers in the West. Tier 1: Championship contenders — Thunder 🏆, Nuggets The Nuggets took OKC to seven games despite not really being very good. Now they have reliable depth. Plus, Aaron Gordon's hamstring should be fine. Two true titans now. Tier 2: Worthy challengers — Rockets, Timberwolves Minnesota has made the conference finals two straight years. Losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker is tough, but they have some young players to fill the rotation. Continuity matters. Houston acquiring Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela has the Rockets on the verge of jumping into contender status. Tier 3: I can see the vision, if all breaks well — Warriors, Clippers Both of these teams have to be really lucky with extended injuries. Enduring a long season is tough, but being healthy in the postseason would make them a nightmare opponent. Tier 4: You're good but missing something — Lakers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Spurs The Lakers losing Finney-Smith hurts their defense quite a bit. Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving to start the season, and we don't know how he'll return from the ACL injury this year. I like what Memphis has done, but they have a very young core. The Spurs probably need a year of jelling. Tier 5: Let's hope for the best — Suns, Kings, Pelicans, Blazers, Jazz Portland is kind of here by default, but I like the way they're building. The rest of these teams? They're either falling apart or putting players together haphazardly. Jason Miller / Getty Images By Mike Vorkunov, Jon Krawczynski and James L. Edwards III Lawsuits and liens have trailed free agent guard Malik Beasley since he entered the league in 2016, and he has drawn concerns from at least one team about his off-court life. Now, he faces even more scrutiny. Beasley, 28, is a person of interest in a gambling investigation out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, his attorney, Steve Haney, confirmed to The Athletic over the weekend. No charges or formal allegations have been filed against him. 'This is simply an investigation,' Haney said. 'At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing. Hopefully, everyone will afford him that same presumption of innocence that everyone else deserves.' The investigation into Beasley came at what should have been a moment of triumph for him. After playing for five teams over his last four seasons, he was set to cash in this month following a strong campaign with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 16.3 points per game and made a career-high 41.6 percent of his 3s. The Pistons had been in talks with Beasley and his agent leading up to June 30's official start of free agency, and were prepared to offer him a three-year, $42 million contract that included a team option for the last year, according to two sources briefed on the negotiations. But the NBA reached out to the club several days before free agency began and let it know about the federal investigation involving Beasley. The Pistons quickly pivoted away and are now unlikely to sign him. The league has not said whether it has also investigated Beasley. The NBA has previously said it is cooperating with the federal investigation. The contract would have been a windfall, although Beasley has already made nearly $60 million over his nine seasons in the NBA, including $6 million with Detroit this past season. But he has a line of creditors who have taken to courts to try to recoup the money they believe they were owed. He has been sued at least five times over the last eight years, according to available public records, and has more than a dozen different liens filed against him. Read more here. GO FURTHER Malik Beasley facing complaint from former agency amid gambling investigation Page 3
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Lakers, Bradley Beal Report Surfaces After Buyout News
Lakers, Bradley Beal Report Surfaces After Buyout News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It appears Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns are on the outs. After the Suns acquired him from the Washington Wizards in 2023, they were swept in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs and then missed the playoffs altogether in 2025. Advertisement Beal is not solely to blame for their failures, but he has played a role in how underwhelming they've been for the past two seasons. This past season, he averaged 17 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting almost 50% from the field and 38.6% from three. Beal has two years left on his five-year, $251 million contract. He also has a no-trade clause, meaning he would have complete control over who his next team would be if he were traded. Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images That's not the route the Suns are going with Beal, as their plan is to get rid of him. After PHNX Sports' Gerald Bourguet reported that a buyout is imminent between the two sides, ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported who Beal's top suitors will be if and when he clears waivers. The Los Angeles Lakers were among them. Advertisement "Beal held a full no-trade clause in his contract, and the Suns couldn't generate a market for him," Siegel wrote. "Upon the completion of the buyout, Beal will be an unrestricted free agent. Miami is Beal's top suitor. The Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Bucks will all hold interest." If the Lakers were to add Beal, he would be part of a team already featuring LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves, who are all highly skilled at scoring and playmaking. Related: Lakers Fans Are Saying the Same Thing About Bronny James and Dalton Knecht Related: LeBron James Reacts to Bronny James' Dunk in Lakers Summer League Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
