Rumors: Where is the letter &KD going? The Pelicans team sold out? Rockets traded the No. 10 draw?

If the rumors about the deal are true, the 2025 NBA offseason will be unforgettable.

Multiple All-Star players seem to be traded. In that regard, it is clear that there is a team facing the same situation, which won 49 games and made the playoffs just one season ago. There is also an Eastern Conference strong team that has accumulated 163 victories over the past three seasons and is another candidate to reshape its roster completely. The offseason hasn't even officially started yet, but it looks like it's going to be very crazy. But can it deserve its name? In order to understand this answer more clearly, we are here to analyze the authenticity of the latest blockbuster transaction rumors in the basketball world.

Antetokounmpo and the Raptors are interested in each other?

Given that Giannis Antetokounmpo is "open" to environmental changes, is he likely considering going north (to Canada)?

Well, according to Toronto Star reporter Doug Smith, the two-time MVP winner is "interested" with the Toronto Raptors. In addition, the Raptors theoretically have enough assets to reach a big deal for Antetokounmpo and will not lose their assets as a result.

The Raptors could probably use Scotty Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Emanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett as the core of the deal (although Barnes is considered the most stable), and then package the offer with draft picks and potential rookies. The Raptors have all their first-round picks, and they can use up-and-coming players like Grady Dick, Jacobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo to increase their chips.

Make this idea even more credible, the Raptors sound ready to take positive action in the open Eastern Conference to improve their rankings. In addition, Antetokounmpo has a solid relationship with Raptors president Marseille Ujri.

So, will we soon see this "Greek Monster" become a "Wizard of Ontario"? This is certainly possible, although if you want to rank for the next player in Antetokounmpo, the Raptors won't be ranked first.

Believe it or not? Mildly disbelief. The Raptors can and are likely to be involved in the deal negotiations in Antetokounmpo, but teams with more assets will eventually dominate these discussions.

The Timberwolves intend to introduce Durant as the partner of "Ant-Man"?

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a lot to think about after losing the Western Conference Finals for the second time. And, this is not just about rotational main players Julius Randle (player option), Naz Reed (player option) and Nikil Alexander Walker (complete free agent) may soon be free agents. The Timberwolves also need to ask themselves whether they have provided enough support for the rapidly rising superstar Anthony Edwards to lead the team to the championship. Or rather, the Timberwolves may have to revisit the issue because they have tried to solve it several times.

Just before training camp began, the Timberwolves exchanged All-Star inside player Carl Anthony Towns for Randall and Dont Divenzenzo. The Timberwolves also tried to plan another major adjustment before the trade deadline. According to NBA insider Mark Stan, they showed "strong interest" in the 15th-time All-Star (and Edwards' basketball idol) Kevin Durant at the time.

Now, previous pursuits may not herald future actions, but the Timberwolves may once again be open to chasing the "big prey." Moreover, it sounds like Durant's days at Phoenix are indeed a handful.

Will the Timberwolves consider a candidate other than scoring forward to fill this vacancy after Randall and Towns failed to succeed as Edwards' partner? This is definitely possible. Given that Mike Conley's form has declined and Rob Dillingham hasn't really grown up yet, the idea of ​​bringing in an on-field commander is reasonable.

Having said that, putting a super scorer of Durant's level next to a star as dazzling as Edwards is a selling point in itself. Durant, 36 (will turn 37 in September), may no longer be at his peak, but he is not far from his peak.

In the past season, Durant averaged an extremely efficient 26.6 points per game with a shooting percentage of 52.7%, 43% of three-point shooting percentage and 83.9% of free throw percentage.

Believe it or not? Most of them don't believe it. We believe in the Timberwolves’ interest, but don’t think Durant is both their primary goal in the offseason and fits its trading budget.

There are only two non-selling products in the core four of the Cavaliers?

Last summer, they looked like potential teams that needed to reshape their roster, given the configuration issues brought by the Cleveland Cavaliers' short backcourt and lack of space inside.

The Cavaliers then achieved 64 victories (the second most in team history), thanks in large part to Darius Garland's regaining form and Evan Mobley's explosive performance that made him the best team.

However, none of the above has calmed down the trading rumors surrounding this core lineup. If anything, it is that rumors now may be more noisy than before.

In fact, Cleveland.com reporter Chris Fedor revealed in the podcast Wine and Gold Talk that the Cavaliers may be “more willing to approach and even consider the possibility of trading Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland” than in the past. Fedor added that Mobri and Donovan Mitchell are the only "two non-sale products" on the team's roster.

It makes sense to list Mobri and Mitchell as non-sales. The former is a 23-year-old player who just spent his leap season, was elected Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as the second team of the NBA All-Squad. The latter is the most dazzling star in the Cavaliers. He has just been selected for the sixth consecutive All-Star and was selected for the first NBA All-Squad for the first time.

But would it be wise to give up Garland or Allen? Garland is both a good scoring player and a core of the organization, but concerns about his height and insufficient defense when he and Mitchell were in the backcourt are indeed there. And while Allen is excellent in what he is good at, the center position he occupies may be Mobley's best position in the long run.

However, the Cavaliers just won those 64 games after all, and if they were lucky with injuries, they might be able to go further in the playoffs. It seems like a strange time to make a change unless the Cavaliers receive a quote that surprises them.

Believe or not: don't believe. The Cavaliers can answer calls to test the market and find more suitable players, but they won't find a quote that will make them stronger.

The Pelicans are trading on all of their players' trades?

The New Orleans Pelicans were supposed to explode this past season. They just won 49 games the previous season, with many up-and-coming stars in the rotation, and in order to introduce Dejunta Murray, who can achieve immediate results, they gave up many long-term assets.

But the Pelicans' continued injury problems continued to repeat like a curse, with the number of losses soaring to 61 games (the second highest in team history), Brandon Ingram was sent off on the trade deadline, and former management designer David Griffin left at the end of the season.

Theoretically, the Pelicans can at least try to play in their existing roster again, and hope that good luck will eventually come. However, the Pelicans did not lock themselves in that strategy. According to Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin O'Connor, "The Pelicans have no non-sales products," they are "evaluating market conditions for every player on the roster."

peddling the entire lineup sounds extreme, but it makes sense to a large extent.

Zion Williamson's ongoing unstable attendance rate always involves him in trading rumors. CJ McCollum may be the best fit for the sixth man to play the role of the spark plug, but he is used as a starter (and with the starter’s salary). Trey Murphy III may be the closest cornerstone of the Pelicans, but the cap on the upcoming 25-year-old may be just a high-end auxiliary player, not a non-selling star.

O'Connor reminded that the Pelicans "will be very likely to retain their core players in the end." So this mentality may end up being just a few conversations with competitors. That being said, the level of disappointment this season coupled with changes in management suggests that this team can and should be open to any possibility.

Believe or not: believe. The Pelicans may not make a clearance sale, but they realize that a squad that is determined to win in the present but only wins 21 games may require a completely different strategy, which is right.

The Rockets will trade the 10th pick? The Houston Rockets just finished a season that won 52 games, which allowed them to earn the second seed position in the strong Western Conference. The Rockets also hold the 10th pick, thanks to a previous deal with the Suns, which had a very disappointing performance.

Although adding another potential rookie to this young core lineup is a bit of a talent surplus, the team management may also think it is a superfluous. You know, Reed Shepard, a Tanhua show last summer, has not yet entered the regular rotation lineup. The same was true for Cameron Whitmore, the No. 20th show the summer before yesterday.

This draft pick has been seen as a logical bargaining chip since the draft draw, and that has not changed so far. According to Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin O'Connor, the Rockets are expected to "study the possibility of trading this draft pick, whether it's upward trade to get a higher pick, trade for a star player, or trade for a batch of future draft picks."

All of this lengthy statements suggest that any rookie who is selected with the 10th pick in the upcoming draft may not help the Rockets next season. Of course, its role cannot be compared with an already famous elite player, and it is not even as helpful as a higher-rated NBA rookie.

If the Rockets cannot find a suitable trading plan or open up a path to obtaining a higher pick, then using this pick for future draft assets may be a feasible way. This will at least give the Rockets additional flexibility and time, allowing them to plan the size, scope and timeline of the deals they need.

Believe it or not? Believe easily. The Rockets are the most obvious trade candidates in the lottery zone, and they look very likely to trade the 10th pick in exchange for a well-known star player or some future draft pick combination.

Author: Zach Buckley

Translator: GWayNe