Trades, buyouts and signings reshape playoff and offseason outlooks
NBA Teams Reshape Their Cores
Across the league, contenders and hopefuls are maneuvering through buyouts, late roster tweaks, and early free agency planning. The Kings, Nuggets, and other playoff teams are linked to major buyout names like Russell Westbrook and Khris Middleton, while the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Lakers, and Warriors fine-tune rotations with moves involving Kyle Anderson, Deandre Ayton, Gui Santos and surprise cuts. A fresh rundown of trade deadline winners and losers frames this activity, as front offices already eye 2026 free agency power forwards and rumored Bulls targets. Together, these stories show how front offices are aggressively managing cap space and role fits to maximize both current playoff runs and future flexibility.