NBA Swing: Five Names Who Could Be on the Move this Summer

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While several teams are deep in the playoffs, aiming to reach the 2026 NBA Finals, rumors are heating up for several teams and players looking at the 2026-27 season. For some, they have been in trade rumors for years, while for others, recent developments have put their futures into question. For the following five players, signs to point them potentially starting next season in a new jersey.

Kyrie Irving

With the Dallas Mavericks signing of Masai Ujiri as president, the future of the roster around young star Cooper Flagg is unknown. Ujiri has already moved on from his former head coach, Jason Kidd, and changes are expected to come to the roster given Ujiri’s history across the league. While multiple players could be on the move from Dallas this summer, the biggest name would be Kyrie Irving.

Irving would miss the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL in March 2025. In 50 games during the 2024-25 season, Irving would average 24.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.6 APG. He still has two years left on his three-year, $118 million contract, set to make $39 million next season and $42 million in 2028 when he’ll be 35 years old. Reports have already come out that teams are monitoring Irving’s status, with Minnesota and Houston being two places named on more than one occasion. For Irving, there is no telling how he’ll look coming back from an ACL injury at the age of 34, and for Dallas, they have the right person in charge to do what’s necessary to build around Cooper Flagg.

Tyler Herro

For years, no name has been in more trade talks than Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro. Despite the relationship likely souring from this, Herro has always been a productive player for Miami. He would only play 33 games this season due to several injuries, but Herro would average 20.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.1 APG on a career-high 48% from the field and 37% from three.

Over the last few years, Herro has been linked to several teams, including Chicago for a Zach LaVine trade, Milwaukee for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and, most recently, to Minnesota and Detroit. Herro would help with Detroit’s spacing issues and would give Cade Cunningham a dependable 20+ PPG option alongside him, but with the Miami guard making $33 million next season and set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027, teams may wait until next summer to avoid giving up assets for Herro.

Anthony Davis

The last couple of seasons have not been the best for Washington Wizards big man Anthony Davis. Since being a part of the Luka Doncic trade in February 2025, Anthony Davis has only played 29 games across the last season and a half. He would play 9 games with Dallas last season and would play 20 for Dallas this season before being traded to Washington, where he has not suited up yet. He would average 20.4 PPG and 11.1 RPG this season. Davis has made it clear he wants to play for a contender and wants another big-money deal as he’s set to make $58 million next season and $62 million the season after before becoming a free agent, despite his lack of availability.

When Davis has been able to play, he has proven to be an impact player on both ends of the court. Davis, however, is on the wrong side of 30 with a long history of injuries that has made him one of the least available stars in the league. A team may be willing to take a gamble on Davis, but it’s a gamble that could easily go the wrong way. While Washington is looking to turn around after years at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Davis is highly unlikely to be a part of the team’s future.

Kawhi Leonard

While the majority of the news this season focused on his alleged off-court cap circumvention scandal, Kawhi Leonard quietly had his best statistical season to date while remaining healthy. Leonard would average a career-high 27.9PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 3.6 APG, while nearly shooting 50-40-90. It is clear, though, that the Clippers are entering a quiet retooling, focusing on younger talent. With the trading of James Harden for Darius Garland in February, the Clippers have moved away from contention for now. They would make another trade in February, trading Ivicia Zubac, which would end up landing them the 5th overall pick in the 2026 draft.

Leonard is a player who would draw interest from numerous teams. In the last year of his three-year, $149 million contract, Leonard will make $50 million before becoming a free agent next summer. The Clippers are in a position to rebuild while not completely starting from the bottom of the league. Leonard’s career year could help the team land good assets back, while giving him another chance to contend for a championship. There have already been rumblings of interest from several teams across the league, as Leonard could be the missing piece for championship contention. If Leonard wants out of Los Angeles, though, the one year left on his deal helps give him more power over deciding where he lands, and if he’d re-sign there or go back to L.A. after.

Jaylen Brown

In what has become one of the most intriguing off-court stories of the NBA postseason, there are questions about Jaylen Brown’s future with the Boston Celtics. Brown would have an MVP-caliber year in Boston without the other half of Boston’s superstar duo for most of the season: Jayson Tatum. Brown would average a career-high 28.7 PPG (4th in the league), 6.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG. He would, without a doubt, be the number one option for the team, but changes could be seen upon Tatum’s return and Boston’s shocking first-round exit in the playoffs. The drama and rumors of issues in Boston would only get louder after the playoff exit.

On a Twitch stream, Brown would speak about this season being his favorite season, with many pointing out the assumption that it was because Tatum was out and he was the definitive number one option. Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady would speak on his podcast, saying Brown had frustrations with the Celtics following their early playoff exit. Brown would also get into an altercation across social media with sports personality Stephen A. Smith, which has only added more fuel to the fire.

Brown still has three seasons left on his five-year, $285 million deal. He will make $57 million next season, $61 million in 2028, and $64 million in 2029. One key decision this summer could determine Brown’s future. He will become eligible for a two-year extension this summer worth $141 million. He’ll more than likely be offered the extension, but if he chooses not to sign the extension, his time in Boston could be over. He’s previously been linked in potential trades for Giannis Antetokounmpo and was linked to the Jazz at one point due to his relationship with Danny Ainge. Brown’s situation will be one of the most-watched situations this summer, as leaving Boston could shake up the league as a whole.