NBA insiders predict 2026: Why LeBron, trade sagas, expansion news could rock the league

NBA insiders predict 2026: Why LeBron, trade sagas, expansion news could rock the league

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst survey the league on the stars, sagas and storylines that will dominate 2026.

NBA exec drops truth bomb on Giannis situation going into 2026

While Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the subject of trade rumors in the 2025-26 season, it’s possible that he won’t ask out until he has more leverage in the offseason — if he decides to ask out at all. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps reported thoughts from people around the league about what will happen with the two-time league MVP as the saga enters 2026. “The rubber is going to finally hit the road,” a Wester…

NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, trade deadline, tanking talk

Imagn Around the league, there’s a growing belief that 2026 is when the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation in Milwaukee finally reaches a crossroads. Several executives who spoke with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps told Bontemps they expect the Bucks’ long-running balancing act to hit an inflection point next year. “The rubber is going to finally hit the road, one way or the other,” one Western Conference executive said. That said, most of…

Windhorst/Bontemps' Latest: Giannis, Trade Deadline, LeBron, More

A number of league insiders who spoke to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps about what will happen in the NBA in 2026 believe that this will be the year the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga in Milwaukee reaches an inflection point, according to Bontemps. “The rubber is going to finally hit the road, one way or the other,” one Western Conference executive said. However, several of those sources believe the situation will carry over into the offsea…