NBA landing spot predictions: Where will LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and others end up? Experts make picks
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- Draymond Green declined his $27 million player option Monday, which experts read as Step 1 of a reported Golden State plan to add LeBron James and Anthony Davis alongside Stephen Curry — a super-team made feasible by all three sharing the same agency
- LeBron James is a free agent linked to the Warriors in Yahoo Sports reporting, though ESPN says 'happiness, not money' is his priority, and experts are split between a Lakers return and a Bay Area move as LeBron turns 42 in December
- The Clippers and Raptors are 'seriously engaged' in Kawhi Leonard trade talks, per ESPN's Monday report, with Leonard reportedly willing to extend only in Toronto after winning a championship there in 2019
- Kawhi Leonard is described as having 'limited his market' by signaling Toronto as his only extension destination, with experts suggesting the Clippers' championship window is 'closed and boarded up' and a deal centered on Brandon Ingram is the framework
- The Celtics are trying to resolve their Jaylen Brown situation after Boston dangled him in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who ultimately landed in Miami, with experts floating Detroit (Jalen Duren), Denver, Charlotte, Houston, and Portland as potential trade partners
- The Warriors' reported plan would unite a 42-year-old LeBron with Stephen Curry (turning 38 in March) and Draymond Green, prompting one expert to call it a 'last postseason run' for aging superstars seeking the alliance 'we've long waited to see'
Why it matters: Draymond Green's $27M opt-out is read as Step 1 of a Warriors plan to pair LeBron (42 in December) with Curry (38 in March). The Clippers and Raptors are 'seriously engaged' on a Kawhi return, per ESPN, and with Boston having dangled Jaylen Brown in their failed Giannis trade, his status is the next major variable in an Eastern Conference now anchored by the Knicks.
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