Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[F Gump]

1 The Atlanta firsts are a bunch of crazy swaps that I don't think will be that impacted by Atlanta's record.

2 So if you are keeping AD are you paying his extension?

1 The swaps look enticing at first glance until you think through them. They are about pick 20 or maybe a tad better.

This season - it's the better of CLE or MINN, who should both be about top 5 in their conference.
Next season 2027  - it's the WORSE pick between NO and MIL, and MIL should be a playoff team (which puts the pick around 18-20, depending on how they tweak their roster around Giannis)
Following season 2028 - it's the MIDDLE value between ATL, CLE, UT and once ATL is good, that's likely around 18-20

2 Yes I would be willing to keep AD. He makes C Flagg better imo, and that matters. No I would not extend him in the summer. He still has TWO seasons left after this one, already on the books, so that's a question for way down the road (even though R Paul will be pushing for a max extension at the soonest possible moment, of course). There's a lot of games between now and summer 2028 to assess how to navigate what comes next. And (even though you didn't ask) no, I don't think he automatically gets a max extension from anyone when the time comes, including DAL.