The Spurs are taking a measured approach in free agency, and the cap math is driving it. According to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line, San Antonio is not believed to be willing to go beyond two years for any forward target it pursues with its $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
That short-term stance fits the bigger picture. Fischer and Stein note that once Victor Wembanyama’s next contract lands on the books in 2027/28, Stephon Castle will be due for his second deal in 2028/29. With that in mind, the Spurs appear intent on keeping the books as clean as possible before making what should be a major commitment to Castle.
Among the veteran forwards on San Antonio’s radar are Rui Hachimura, Tobias Harris, and John Collins. Hachimura, Fischer and Stein add, is also drawing interest from the Nets and Pistons.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are lining up their own next moves. Fischer and Stein say Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili are widely expected to sign with Los Angeles, and those deals could land around $10MM per year. If the Lakers use their room exception on one of them, they’d still be left with roughly $40MM in cap room to chase Jazz restricted free agent Walker Kessler.
Kessler is viewed as the Lakers’ top center target over Pistons RFA Jalen Duren, though both players have drawn interest from Los Angeles and both are expected to be tough to pry loose from their current teams.
LeBron James continues to loom over the market, too. Fischer and Stein say the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat are the teams most often mentioned by rival front offices as likely landing spots. Golden State, they report, may already have moves lined up to open up more cap flexibility in case James wants to head to the Bay Area.
There is at least one wrinkle there. Restricted free agent big man Quinten Post is getting interest from multiple teams, and Fischer and Stein report that another club could sign him to an offer sheet and add pressure to a Warriors team that may already be working with limited cap space.
Houston is juggling its own priorities. The Rockets are trying to move forward Dorian Finney-Smith so they can re-sign restricted free agent Tari Eason and free up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for a three-year offer to Marcus Smart in the range of $7MM annually, per The Stein Line. If Finney-Smith can’t be moved, Smart’s offer would need to shrink to two years and use the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth up to about $6.2MM per year.
And in Detroit, Marcus Sasser could be on the move. Fischer and Stein report the Mavericks are a possible destination for the Pistons guard, who is a trade candidate. Moving Sasser’s $5.2MM expiring contract would give the Pistons more flexibility to spend in free agency.
In Other News...
Jaylen Brown Trade Just Raised The Stakes For Houston's Star Debate
Jaylen Browns name has a way of pulling Houston back into the bigger star conversation, especially now that the Rockets are trying to chart their next move with real ambition. Around the league, the latest deal involving Brown has only sharpened the question of what a compelling package would have looked like from Houstons side, and it naturally turns the spotlight onto the kinds of players and assets the Rockets could have put together if they chose to chase that level of talent.
The hypothetical starts with the sort of mix Houston can actually talk itself into: Alperen Sengun at the center of the offer, Tari Eason in a sign-and-trade, Fred VanVleets expiring contract, and draft capital to sweeten the deal. It is the kind of structure that invites a hard comparison with the package that ultimately got done, and it leaves Houston in the familiar place of wondering whether its path to a true difference-maker is still open, or whether the market has already moved past what the Rockets can realistically assemble. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Cannot Afford This Star Chasing Mistake Right Now
The Rockets have spent so much time building around youth and upside that any star-chasing detour has to be measured against what they have already assembled. That is why the latest round of trade speculation has landed with some unease, even before Houston starts weighing the cost of adding a veteran name who comes with a long injury history and a shrinking runway.
Anthony Davis has still been productive when available, but availability is the whole issue here. He played just 20 games last season and has averaged 46.5 games over his last six years, which is exactly the sort of profile that should make Houston hesitate before putting core pieces on the table. For a team trying to protect its future, the risk is not just giving up too much, but giving up too much for a player whose timeline may not match theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Face One Backcourt Question That Could Define Their Season
The Rockets are heading into next season with a much deeper look in the backcourt, and the point guard rotation could end up being one of the quiet drivers of how far they go. Fred VanVleet is back in the mix, Marcus Smart was added in free agency to give the group more stability and toughness, and Reed Sheppard gives Houston another option if the staff needs to shuffle the guard spots around.
What makes it interesting is that this is not just a numbers game, it is a fit question. VanVleet, Smart and Sheppard each bring something different, but the Rockets will have to sort out who handles the offense, who plays alongside it and how much flexibility they want to preserve for matchups once the season starts to get real. [Read more 🡒]