Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker.

That still seems crazy to read, but here we are.

In the immediate, the Lakers will be figuring out how to incorporate Doncic alongside LeBron James, while trying to add complementary talent around the two stars. But this move was more about the future in Los Angeles than it was about the present.

That future involves Luka Doncic’s next contract. But before we get there, let’s look at what Doncic was in line for with the Dallas Mavericks.

To set the stage, here’s what’s left on Doncic’s current deal:

• 2024-25: $43,031,940
• 2025-26: $45,999,167
• 2026-27: $48,967,380 (player option)

Doncic becomes extension-eligible this summer. The expectation has long been that he’d opt out of his current deal and start a new one in 2026-27. That was expected to be a Designated Veteran Player Extension (DVPE) with the Mavericks. That deal projected to look like this:

• 2026-27: $59,539,200
• 2027-28: $64,302,336
• 2028-29: $69,065,472
• 2029-30: $73,828,608
• 2030-31: $78,591,744
• Total: five years, $345,327,360

That’s a 35% of the cap max with 8% raises. It’s very likely the final season would have included a player option, as someone of Doncic’s status always commands a player option.

Unfortunately, that’s no longer on the table. In order to qualify for the DVPE, a player has to meet awards requirements (All-NBA, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year). No issue for Doncic, as he’s an All-NBA guy without any worry.

However, a player can only get a DVPE in a deal from the team that drafted them, or acquired them while they were still on their rookie scale deal. Having been traded to the Lakers, that’s now out the window for Doncic.

So, where does that leave Doncic and the Lakers? Let’s dive in!

The Veteran Extension

Doncic is eligible to sign a standard Veteran Extension with the Lakers. Let’s assume that he’s still going to opt out for 2026-27, so we’ll start there. Doncic is eligible this summer (after six months have passed from the trade to the Los Angeles) to sign an extension that can start at 140% of his previous salary in the final year of his current contract. That would take him over his max salary. So, he’ll start that deal at the max he’s eligible for. The Veteran Extension for Doncic projects to look like this:

• 2026-27: $51,033,600
• 2027-28: $55,116,288
• 2028-29: $59,198,976
• 2029-30: $63,281,664
• Total: four years, $228,630,528

That’s a 30% of the cap max with 8% raises. Doncic would be limited to signing for just four years, because a Veteran Extension plus what’s remaining on the contract can run for no longer than five total seasons. Like with any deal Doncic is going to sign, he’ll likely have a player option on the final season.

If we do a four-year-to-four-year comparison, Doncic would lose roughly $46 million in this structure vs the DVPE from the Mavericks.

That’s a pretty big chunk of change. But there’s a way Doncic can recoup some of that lost salary, while still locking in security long-term. Let’s go there next.

The “Donovan Mitchell” Extension

When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell, they hoped he’d be happy enough with the team that he’d extend. Like Luka Doncic, Mitchell also lost ability to sign a DVPE when he was traded from the Utah Jazz. However, Mitchell and the Cavs got creative, kind of split the difference and made the best of their now mutual situation.

Instead of locking in for every year and dollar he could on a Veteran Extension, Mitchell signed a shorter-term extension. That deal gives Mitchell the ability to opt out when he has achieved 10 Years of Service. Then, he’s eligible to sign a new deal starting at 35% of the cap.

Here’s what that would look like for Doncic on a shorter-term Veteran Extension with the Lakers. This assumes the same strategy of opting out for the 2026-27 season as the Veteran Extension did:

• 2026-27: $51,033,600
• 2027-28: $55,116,288
• 2028-29: $59,198,976 (player option)
• Total: three years, $165,348,864

Now, here you can see we included the player option on the final season. That’s because that’s the only way this works. For Doncic, after the 2027-28 season completes, he’ll have 10 Years of Service. He could then opt out and sign a five-year deal that would start at 35% of the cap.

It’s a little wonky to look that far out, because we don’t have a great handle on how the cap will continue to grow. But that new deal in 2028-29 projects to look like this:

• 2028-29: $72,042,250
• 2029-30: $77,805,630
• 2030-31: $83,569,010
• 2031-32: $89,332,390
• 2032-33: $95,095,770
• Total: five years, $417,845,050

That’s 35% of the cap max with 8% raises. And, sure, Doncic will probably get a player option and have one more chance to cash in when he’s 33 years old in 2032.

Let’s pause here to say: We have no idea what the cap growth will be by the time we get to 2028-29. That’s the final season of the current CBA, barring something very unexpected. But this is still in the range of what Doncic could sign for, if he did the shorter-term extension like Mitchell.

Re-signing with the Lakers as a free agent

Let’s say Luka Doncic decides to play out his current contract and then to re-sign on a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. As unlikely as that path is, here’s what that contract could look like:

• 2026-27: $51,033,600
• 2027-28: $55,116,288
• 2028-29: $59,198,976
• 2029-30: $63,281,664
• 2020-31: $67,364,352
• Total: five years, $295,994,880

This is the same 30% of the cap first-year salary as Doncic could get by signing a Veteran Extension. It also includes 8% raises. The only difference is the addition of a fifth year, which Doncic can only get by re-signing as a free agent with the Lakers. And, say it with me, that final season would likely be a player option.

Signing with another team as a free agent

Let’s say things go completely sideways for Luka Doncic in Los Angeles and he’s on the first plane out of town in 2026. This is probably the second-least likely scenario behind simply re-signing as a free agent with the Lakers, because Doncic is far more likely to extend. But for comparison’s sake, here’s what he could sign for with another team as a free agent:

• 2026-27: $51,033,600
• 2027-28: $53,585,280
• 2028-29: $56,136,960
• 2029-30: $58,688,640
• Total: four years, $219,444,480

The starting salary is the same as extending or re-signing at 30% of the cap. But this deal has only 5% raises and can run for only four seasons. And, you guessed it, the final season would likely be a player option.

Summary

Luka Doncic is going to get paid and paid handsomely on his next contract. It won’t be the so-called supermax, as he’s no longer eligible. But Doncic is still going to sign one of the biggest contracts in NBA history.

We rank the likelihood of each potential deal this way:

1. The “Donovan Mitchell” Extension
2. The Veteran Extension
3. Signing with another team as a free agent
4. Re-signing with the Lakers as a free agent

If we run the 2026-27 through 2029-30 four-year-to-four-year comparisons for each scenario we get:

• The “Donovan Mitchell” Extension: $237,391,114
• The Veteran Extension: $228,630,528
• Signing with another team as a free agent: $219,444,480
• Re-signing with the Lakers as a free agent: $228,630,528

As you can see: The “Donovan Mitchell” Extension is the most lucrative option. In addition, that comes with the added benefit of running through 2033 at a projected final-season salary of over $95 million. A truly mind-bending, yet forthcoming, single-season salary figure.

Doncic can’t really get more money by signing a Veteran Extension with the Lakers, as opposed to re-signing with the Lakers a free agent. This is especially true, when you factor in that he’s likely to opt out of the final year of any deal anyway. By extending, Doncic locks in that security a year early, which is always something players look to do. So, why wait to re-sign vs extending?

And, of course, if Doncic wanted to leave town, he’d be leaving a decent chunk of money on the table. That’s only happening if things really go wrong for him in Los Angeles. At that point, losing some money won’t be all that big of a concern.

Signing a shorter-term “Donovan Mitchell” Extension is what makes the most sense for Luka Doncic. Given that the Los Angeles Lakers have never balked at paying one of their own star players, that’s the best bet on how Doncic and the Lakers move forward. If we get to early-August, when Doncic will be eligible to extend, and we hear that he’s signed a three-year extension worth a projected $165 million, then things are set up for Doncic to really cash in with a five-year 35% of the cap max starting in 2028-29.

Another day, another blockbuster deal in the NBA! The rumored deal of De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs came to fruition, but with a twist that involved the Sacramento Kings getting Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls.

Here are the particulars:

San Antonio Spurs acquire: De’Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin

Sacramento Kings acquire: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, 2025 Hornets top-14 protected first-round pick (via Spurs), 2027 Spurs first-round pick, 2031 Timberwolves first-round pick (via Spurs), 2025 Bulls second-round pick (via Spurs), 2028 Nuggets top-33 protected second-round pick (via Spurs), 2028 Kings second-round pick (via Bulls)

Chicago Bulls acquire: Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, 2025 Bulls first-round pick (via Spurs)

Let’s dive in!

San Antonio Spurs

Incoming salary: $36.9 million in 2024-25

• De’Aaron Fox (PG, two years, $71.9 million),
• Jordan McLaughlin (PG, one year, $2.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $27.7 million in 2024-25

• Zach Collins (C, two years, $34.8 million),
• Tre Jones (PG, one year, $9.1 million),
• Sidy Cissoko (SF/PF, two years, $4.1 million (final season fully non-guaranteed))

The San Antonio Spurs have been looking for a running mate for Victor Wembanyama since they drafted him. They have that guy now in De’Aaron Fox.

Fox reportedly really wanted to get to San Antonio, so this should be a match made in happiness for both the Spurs and Fox. The veteran point guard gives the team a floor leader who should be in place for years to come. Fox is likely to extend, possibly as soon as this summer. The supermax extension is no longer a possibility, but that was never overly likely to happen anyway. Fox will still get a 30% of the cap max, but the Spurs cap sheet can easily handle that.

In Fox, San Antonio has a guard who will push the pace. That should help the Spurs to take advantage of Wembanyama’s hyper-athletic game. You can already imagine the Fox-Wembanyama duo running the floor, with either one putting pressure on the rim in transition, as others space the floor around them.

There are questions remaining for the Spurs to answer. Will one or more from their large group of young players emerge to fill out the rotation around the two stars? If not, will San Antonio be able to trade them for a veteran who will? Can the front office manage the cap sheet to leave enough flexibility to build a strong roster around Wembanyama and Fox?

Those are all fair and important questions. They’re also more of a long-term thing. In the immediate, San Antonio could get involved in other deals, but that doesn’t seem likely. Yes, they now have both Fox and Chris Paul at point guard. That’s not something the Spurs see as an issue. They love what Paul has brought to their young roster. It’s unlikely he’s going anywhere, despite the overlap with Fox at the lead guard spot. There’s no urgency to make moves with the rest of the roster either. Getting Fox was the big move and it’s now complete. The next big moves will come in the offseason.

As for the price paid to get Fox, the Spurs did well there. By roping in the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio didn’t have to deliver all of the value to the Kings themselves. The Spurs moved on from Tre Jones (who had no place on the roster with Fox in the fold) and Zach Collins (who was carrying an undesirable contract). That means all of the kids (especially Stephon Castle) and the vets (especially Devin Vassell) with real value are still in pace for the rest of this season and into the summer.

Even the draft picks traded by San Antonio are a bit misleading. That 2025 Charlotte Hornets lottery-protected first-round pick? That’s going to be two second-rounders. The 2027 Spurs first should be in the mid- to late-20s, if things go as the should. The 2031 Minnesota Timberwolves first-rounder could be a good one, as we have no idea what they’ll be by then. Somewhat remarkably, the Spurs were able to complete this trade without even giving up their 2031 swap rights with the Kings. That’s potentially huge, given Sacramento’s history of being underwhelming.

Overall, this is a homerun trade for the Spurs. They landed their guy in Fox. Even if he’s a tier below superstar status, he’s still a great fit alongside Wembanyama for the next several seasons. Getting him without giving up all that much is a no-brainer for San Antonio.

Sacramento Kings

Incoming salary: $44.9 million in 2024-25

• Zach LaVine (SG, three years, $137.9 million (player option for final season),
• Sidy Cissoko (SF/PF, two years, $4.1 million (final season fully non-guaranteed))

Outgoing salary: $53.7 million in 2024-25

• De’Aaron Fox (PG, two years, $71.9 million),
• Kevin Huerter (SG/SF, two years, 34.8 million),
• Jordan McLaughlin (PG, one year, $2.1 million)

When you trade away your franchise player, it’s hard to get commensurate value in return. Either you get a package of picks and young players that resembles a mystery box. Or you get a bunch of middling salary and veterans in return. The Kings managed to land a really good player and some future assets for De’Aaron Fox, who was one of the team’s franchise players. That’s a win in what is regularly a no-win situation.

Zach LaVine is good. Actually, make that really, really good. He’s fully healthy again, with no signs of any lingering issues from his previous injuries. This has been LaVine’s best season. He’s putting up career-best numbers and has done well in the Chicago Bulls new up-tempo system.

Sacramento did well to land LaVine as the centerpiece in the return for Fox. The veteran scoring guard is a killer in the DHO/screen game with a big who can pass, and he’ll be paired with one of the best in Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is also a good passer himself, so you can run the offense with him as your primary creator.

The lack of a traditional point guard may look a bit weird for the Kings. However, LaVine, Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk are all guys you can run the offense through. This also clears a runway for rookie point guard Devin Carter, who has impressed since getting healthy, to see enough minutes.

On the cap sheet, LaVine is another max guy, which gives Sacramento two $40 million-plus players with him and Sabonis. But that’s a workable number. DeRozan has one year left at a fair salary, and Monk’s contract is a great value for the Kings. Given Fox was likely to command a max deal, having LaVine in that salary slot is just fine for the Kings.

Sacramento added some additional draft capital in this deal too. The 2025 Charlotte Hornets first-round pick isn’t going to convey, so write that in as two second-round picks. But adding two first-round picks and five second-round picks, plus LaVine, for a guy who didn’t want to be there is good work. And that 2031 Minnesota Timberwolves pick could be really juicy. The Wolves could be into a rebuild by then, even with Anthony Edwards in place as a young star.

Sidy Cissoko was also an interesting get for Sacramento. He’s still only 20 years old. Cissoko’s NBA experience is limited, but his G League profile is interesting. He’s a worthy flyer, as the Kings can stash him in Stockton and let him develop more in the G League.

Again, it’s hard to get a value return when trading a franchise player. This wasn’t quite a haul for Sacramento, but they did well. LaVine is a lot better than he gets credit for. And the Kings have a lot of optionality immediately and moving forward with how they build out their roster. That’s good work, considering they had to move on from Fox sooner, rather than later.

Chicago Bulls

Incoming salary: $42.7 million in 2024-25

• Zach Collins (C, two years, $34.8 million)
• Kevin Huerter (SG/SF, two years, 34.8 million)
• Tre Jones (PG, one year, $9.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $43.0 million in 2024-25

• Zach LaVine (SG, three years, $137.9 million (player option for final season)
• Note: The Bulls also waived Torrey Craig ($2.8 million) and Chris Duarte ($5.9 million) to complete this trade

The Chicago Bulls have picked a direction…we think. At least, we hope!

By trading Zach LaVine for a collection of somewhat undesirable salaries, the Bulls should be leaning towards rebuilding. They seem to be headed that way, as every veteran on the roster is available in trade talks. That’s a good thing.

Unfortunately, that still doesn’t mean this was enough of a return for LaVine. Essentially, the Bulls provided a large chunk of the value to the Kings so that the Spurs didn’t have to. For a return of your own 2025 first-round pick unencumbered, that’s not enough.

Let’s talk about that pick for a moment…On face value, Chicago getting that pick back without the protected component, seems great. But here’s the thing: the Bulls should have been able to be bad enough to keep that pick anyway. There never really should have been all that much worry of losing it. For that to the primary return in trading away LaVine simply isn’t good enough.

Yes, Chicago got off considerable salary in this deal by moving LaVine. But Collins and Huerter combined are at over $36 million for next season. That’s not great. If either can find their game again in Chicago, then at least having them as individual movable salary has some value.

On the court, it’s hard to really evaluate much here. Kevin Huerter is theoretically a nice fit in the pace-and-space system that Billy Donovan is employing. He gives the Bulls a shooter with size that they don’t really have right now. Most of the Bulls best shooters are guard-sized players.

Zach Collins is a nice backup center. Assuming Nikola Vucevic is moved before the deadline, Collins can team with Jalen Smith to give Chicago 48 minutes of decent play at the five.

Tre Jones is a good backup point guard. The issue there is that Chicago already has so many point guards that Jones is just another body in the mix for right now. A trade moving out some of that depth is a must for the Bulls this week.

It feels like the start of something for the Bulls here. But if they don’t push this forward by moving a handful of other veterans, this will become the worst, directionless roster in the NBA. Chicago has to fully commit now to bottoming out.

They’ve already won too much this year to get in the Cooper Flagg derby, but they can still improve their pick a good amount. Mostly, this about picking a direction and going fully down Rebuild Road. You can’t drive halfway down there, change your mind and decide that’s good enough. But until they actually do it, there’s no way anyone will believe the Bulls will do anything more than going halfway, grabbing a burger for the road and heading back home to the middle.

Super Bowl 59 will feature two familiar foes, as the Kansas City Chiefs & Philadelphia Eagles will meet in New Orleans. The matchup highlights two Top 10 cash spending teams from 2024, with the Eagles ranking 3rd, and the Chiefs 9th this past season. When combining the average salaries of their 53-man rosters, the Eagles stand atop the league, with over $350M allocated. KC drops down to 19th in this regard, thanks to a defense loaded with rookie contracts (for a minute).

Notable Notes

• 4 Kansas City Chiefs players carried the highest average salary at their position in 2024: TE Travis Kelce ($17.1M), C Creed Humphrey ($18M), DT Chris Jones ($31.75M), K Harrison Butker ($6.4M)
• Only 1 Eagles player carried a Top APY in 2024: G Landon Dickerson ($21M)
• Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, & Dallas Goedert combined for $71.6M cash this season. Every single RB, WR, & TE for the Chiefs earned just over $57M combined.
• Both starting QBs have a contract escalator based on the outcome of the Super Bowl
• Both of these teams are Top 3 spenders toward Special Teams, while the Eagles are the most expensive offense in football
• 6 Eagles were named All-Pro in 2024, but only 1 (pending free agent Zack Baun) will be in need of a contract.
• 4 Chiefs were named All-Pro in 2024. Two of them (Joe Thuney, Trent McDuffie) are headed toward contract extensions.

Offense/Defense Cash Ranks

Positional Spending Breakdowns
Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback Futures

Patrick Mahomes has 7 years $315.7M remaining on his massive contract in KC, but, thanks to a recent modification/salary advance, only the next three years ($160M) are really worth considering. The 29-year-old carries a massive $66.2M cap hit in 2025, but a full cap conversion on his salary/roster bonus can lower that down to $28M as needed. Mahomes can add $1.25M to his 2025 salary with a Super Bowl win.

Jalen Hurts has 4 years, $195M remaining on his sophomore extension, but a Super Bowl win will escalate all of his remaining salaries by $500,000. A 6-bonus structure on his contract keeps salary cap hits tempered, including a team-friendly $21.7M for 2025.

The Running Back Comparison

Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, & Samaje Perine have combined to be integral pieces to the KC puzzle this year at just a $3.5M price tag. The last time the Chiefs paid a RB more than $5M cash was in 2020, Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s signing bonus season. Before that? Jamaal Charles in 2016. This value isn’t an accident - it’s a plan. Pacheco is on the books at just $1.1M in 2025, the final season of his rookie contract.

After years of paying this position extremely close to the vest (2015 DeMarco Murray was the last $5M+ running back), Philly made one of the bigger offseason splashes in adding Saquon Barkley to the mix. A Super Bowl victory will mean a $15M payout for Barkley in 2024, 3rd most among running backs last season. The almost 28-year-old is fully guaranteed through 2025 at $11M.

The Wide Receiver Comparison

Xavier Worthy’s $7.6M was the biggest payout the Chiefs made to a WR in 2024, which aligned with his WR-team-high 98 targets. KC handed out a little over $26M to its 9 wideouts this past season, despite many of them missing significant time (Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown). Rice remains in his rookie deal through 2026, Worthy won’t be extension eligible until after the 2026 season, while Brown & DeAndre Hopkins are headed for free agency this March.

Philly paid out over $47M to its 6 wideouts this past season, including $42.6M to A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith alone. 5 of these receivers are under contract in 2025, with Brown guaranteed $62.75M and Smith guaranteed $48.5M through 2027.

2024 Positional Cash Rankings

Where the Chiefs/Eagles ranked in terms of cash spending at each respective position group this past season

Notable Extension Candidates

Chiefs
G Trey Smith
The 6th round pick out of Tennessee has seen his stock explode in recent months. He’ll be considered one of the top available free agents this March if allowed to get there, with a 4 year, $80M projection attached to him in our system.

OL Joe Thuney
The starting left guard for the better of 4 seasons in KC has been filling in admirably at left tackle a bit down the stretch as well. He’s as valuable an offensive lineman as the league currently has, and despite being 32-years-old, should be considered an extension candidate this winter (especially as it will lower his current $27M cap figure). A 2 year, $40M tack-on could be in the cards here.

CB Trent McDuffie
The #21 overall pick back in 2022 is now extension-eligible for the first time, joining a growing list of young defensive backs that should easily reset this market. McDuffie enters 2025 with a 3 year, $66M valuation attached to him.

Eagles
EDGE Josh Sweat
The 27-year-old signed a 1 year, $10M renegotiated contract to remain in Philly, responding with 8 sacks and 41 tackles. He may have priced himself out of the Eagles constraints this time around, projecting toward a 3 year, $45M contract in our system.

LB Zack Baun
The 28-year-old signed a 1 year, $1.6M contract to join Philly last March, and is now a 1st-Team All-Pro linebacker. He’s a near $10M per year player in our system this time around.

C Cam Jurgens
No longer just “Jason Kelce’s replacement”, Jurgens shined in his first season as Jalen Hurts’ center (including a Pro Bowl nod). He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, projecting toward a 3 year, $25 million extension in our system.

Notable Free Agents

Chiefs
Trey Smith is largely considered the most prominent free agent on the open market and could be in line to test Landon Dickerson's $21M per year figure. 

• G Trey Smith
• WR DeAndre Hopkins
• S Justin Reid
• LB Nick Bolton
• WR Marquise Brown
• VIEW ALL

Eagles
Zack Baun turned a 1 year, $3.5M contract into 1st-Team All-Pro. Josh Sweat should be seeking a multi-year guarantee this time around as well after a 1 year, $10M deal in Philly.

• LB Zack Baun
• DE Josh Sweat
• G Mekhi Becton
• VIEW ALL

Rory McIlroy wins AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. McIlroy earns $3.6 million million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $3.6 million and his career on-course earnings to $274.2 million. 

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2025 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

Wow…

Just wow.

In a stunning blockbuster, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swapped superstars, while the Utah Jazz stepped in as a facilitator.

Here are the particulars:

Los Angeles Lakers acquire: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris

Dallas Mavericks acquire: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers first-round pick

Utah Jazz acquire: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 TBD second-round pick (via Mavericks), 2025 Clippers second-round pick (via Lakers)

Let’s dive in!

Los Angeles Lakers

Incoming salary: $56.1 million in 2024-25

• Luka Doncic (PG, three years, $137.9 million (player option for final season)),
• Maxi Kleber (PF/C, two years, $22 million),
• Markieff Morris (PF/C, one year, $2.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $54.2 million in 2024-25

• Anthony Davis (PF/C, four years, $218.6 million (player option for final season),
• Max Christie (SG/SF, four years, $32 million (player option for final season),
• Jalen Hood-Schifino (PG, one year, $3.9 million)

The Los Angeles Lakers have their post-LeBron James superstar in place. That’s what this trade was about.

James and Doncic are a bit of an odd pairing on the floor. Both are high-usage big ballhandlers. Neither is an elite off-ball player. But that’s something for JJ Redick to sort out over the coming weeks and months.

The defense will take a major hit for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis is still a one-man wrecking crew around the rim. Max Christie was the team’s best perimeter defender.

None of that really matters.

The Lakers got Luka Doncic.

Has Doncic been somewhat injury-prone recently? Are there conditioning issues with Doncic? Is he still immature in his relationships with officials?

Yes. Yes. And, yes.

Doncic is also a perennial MVP candidate. He also only turns 26 years old at the end of February. He’s an established global superstar.

You put up with all the questionable stuff because Doncic is that good. And he has been since he got to the NBA. Don’t overthink this. It’s Luka Doncic.

Moving forward, the Lakers now have the certainty of having a star in place when James eventually moves on. That’s true if James retires or decides he’d like to play elsewhere. (More on that last part in a bit.)

The other sneaky, but enormously important thing to note here: Los Angeles will get Doncic on a relative discount long-term too.

Doncic is no longer eligible to sign a Designated Veteran extension (the so-called supermax) for 35% of the cap. Players can only sign that kind of deal with the team that drafted them, or if they were acquired while still on their rookie scale deal.

That means when it’s time for the Lakers to extend or re-sign Doncic, they’ll get him for 30% of the cap. That’s a projected difference of roughly $8.5 million in first-year salary in 2026-27. That’s huge for Los Angeles, as they’ll be retooling the roster around Doncic at that time.

Speaking of retooling…Rob Pelinka still has work to do this season for the Lakers.

By trading Davis and Christie, the Lakers are severely lacking in defense now. Davis leaves a major hole at center. The only healthy non-two-way center on the roster now is Jaxson Hayes. He’s been fine as a backup, but he’s underwhelming as a starter.

Could Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris help there? Eh, probably not. Kleber is out with a broken foot and will be down for several more weeks. He’s also not really a center, as much as he is a pure four. At this point, Morris’ biggest contributions come in the locker room and in practice.

That means the Lakers need to get a center. The good news? They have the ammo to make that happen, and they can be flexible in the type of five they chase now.

Interior defense and rebounding are definitely concerns. Someone like Clint Capela, Nic Claxton, Robert Williams III, Jakob Poeltl or, yes, Walker Kessler can fill those needs. All are on acquirable contracts, which is key because the Lakers are still working around some tight margins with the aprons.

If the team’s read is that no center that they can acquire is fixing what looks like a leaky perimeter defense, they could go all-in on offense. That would open up the market for guys like Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunas or Deandre Ayton.

The player who can fill both the offensive and defensive needs best is Myles Turner, but there’s no sense the Pacers would move him for anything but a real haul.

Which brings us to the next question: What do the Lakers still have that they can offer? Picks-wise, Pelinka still has his 2031 first-round pick to offer up in deal. For players, the Lakers can send out Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, who are a combined $28 million in potential salary-matching, even with each carrying one extra season beyond this one.

The Lakers should also be more open to moving Austin Reaves too. Doncic and Reaves are a terrific offensive combination, but that’s pretty rough duo defensively. It’s asking a lot of everyone else to cover for those two’s flaws on defense.

If Los Angeles is open to moving Reaves, that could up their return considerably. He’s a good player, despite the defensive issues, and Reaves would be another $12.9 million in outgoing salary.

To keep it simple: The Lakers don’t seem done rebuilding this roster. There is work to be done, both for the short- and long-term. It might be bumpy for a bit, because the Doncic-James fit isn’t exactly seamless, plus Los Angeles will likely be incorporating other new players too. But once they find their footing, the Lakers should be fine.

Now, let’s get to the elephant in the room: How does LeBron James feel about all of this?

James only public comments so far, in the immediate hours following the trade, were to dispute a report that he had grown weary of playing with Davis. James shot that down emphatically on social media.

But that shouldn’t be taken as more than anything but James not wanting others to put words in his mouth. There’s been nothing reported yet that he’s happy or upset about this deal. In the past, the Lakers superstar has spoken glowingly of Doncic. James also recruited Davis and won a title with him.

The reality is that the Lakers made this deal to prepare themselves for a post-LeBron James future. Could that come as soon as this week, before the trade deadline? That seems crazy, but this whole thing is crazy already. The Lakers and Golden State Warriors had at least some level of discussion on a trade that would have sent James to northern California a year ago. Could those be rekindled?

It’s important to note here that James has a full no-trade clause. If he’s dealt this week, or at any point, it’ll happen with his approval.

It’s also worth asking what James is going to do after this season. He’s in Year 22. James has talked openly about how the end is near. But only he knows how near it is. James has a player option for 2025-26. Could he opt out and go elsewhere? Could he simply retire and walk away?

The Los Angeles Lakers know their time with LeBron James is short, no matter if they don’t know just how short it is. They weren’t going to go without a superstar after James moves on. Now, with Luka Doncic in the fold, the Lakers have their next star already in the fold.

Dallas Mavericks

Incoming salary: $50.4 million in 2024-25

• Anthony Davis (PF/C, four years, $218.6 million (player option for final season)
• Max Christie (SG/SF, four years, $32 million (player option for final season)

Outgoing salary: $54.2 million in 2024-25

• Luka Doncic (PG, three years, $137.9 million (player option for final season))
• Maxi Kleber (PF/C, two years, $22 million)
• Markieff Morris (PF/C, one year, $2.1 million)

The Mavericks are resetting on the fly. This isn’t a rebuilding trade, nor is it a panic trade. It’s a major gamble, but one that seems to align with their organizational belief on how you build a winner.

Dallas GM Nico Harrison said post-trade reports that he believes you win championships with defense.

Enter Anthony Davis.

Yes, Davis is roughly six years older than Luka Doncic. Yes, Davis is injury prone.

But he’s still an All-NBA level of talent and a one-man defensive system. Davis still has plenty left in tank, and he’s signed long-term.

In the immediate, Davis is a major upgrade for the Mavericks. Doncic hasn’t played for most of the season and Dallas is thin up front at the moment due to injuries. Davis will help them tremendously right away.

Expect the Mavs to fulfill Davis’ long-held desire to play power forward. In the short-term, Davis will likely start next to Daniel Gafford, with P.J. Washington becoming a high-minutes super sub behind them in the frontcourt rotation. When Dereck Lively II is healthy again, he and Davis will team up as the long-term frontcourt pairing in Dallas.

Davis is a fairly plug-and-play guy. He’s awesome defensively and he’s an offensive weapon, without being someone you need to tailor your entire system around. Davis and holdover Mavericks star Kyrie Irving have long talked about playing together. Now, they’ll get to do so in Dallas, of all places.

Cap-wise, acquiring Davis beings some surety to things for the Mavericks. Instead of paying Doncic a supermax (and Doncic would have gotten the supermax or things would have gotten very ugly in Dallas), now the team has Davis locked in for what is less than they were planning for in extending Doncic. It’s not a massive amount, but it’s locked in long-term security with some additional flexibility.

That’s important because Irving can be a free agent this summer. Assuming Irving is happy about the deal (as of this writing, nothing has been reported about how Irving feels), the Mavs can move forward with locking up Irving and Davis as their star duo. There’s a chance that pairing fits just as well as the Irving-Doncic duo did.

It’s worth noting that Davis is waiving his trade bonus to be a part of this deal. That’s important for two reasons: First, it gives the Mavs some much-needed flexibility, both now and moving forward. Second, it’s an indication that Davis is ok with the deal. If he wasn’t, he could have caused issues by insisting upon getting his bonus in full.

Dallas also acquired a 2029 first-round pick in this deal. It’s impossible to know what the Lakers will be four years from now. Even with Doncic in the fold, Los Angeles will be navigating a post-LeBron James world at that point. That range of outcomes for that pick is anywhere in the first round.

Stepping back into the present, the Mavericks had made it known they wanted to upgrade their perimeter defense ahead of the deadline. Max Christie is a major get in that respect. Christie is a solid defender on the wing. He’s also become a fairly consistent shooter too. No one is going to celebrate wildly about Christie being in this deal, but he’s on a terrific value contract and shouldn’t be overlooked. Dallas did well to add him.

All that being said…the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic.

Ouch.

Doncic is a full-blown superstar. Super-duper-star, even. With Doncic, you write him into your roster and game plans in pen, then you figure out the rest. Doncic is a yearly MVP candidate and he’s only turning 26 later this month.

Doncic was also the post-Dirk Nowtizki star in Dallas. He’s a global superstar who made the Mavericks relevant around the world. All of that is hard to move on from.

There’s a lot of spin coming out Dallas right now about Doncic. Concerns over his conditioning, commitment and a tendency to pick up injuries. Those reports also say Dallas was hesitant to give Doncic a supermax deal.

If true, then the Mavericks were right to move on. If you can’t commit to your superstar, you owe it to him and yourselves to make a trade.

But the question then becomes: Why not stage a bidding war?

Let’s start out by saying, this trade isn’t bad for Dallas. In a rush to declare winners and losers, we often turn it into good and bad. The Mavericks did fine here. Davis is a star in his own right. Christie is a nice role player on a great contract. And Dallas picked up a potentially valuable first-round pick.

But could they have gotten more?

How many picks would the Spurs have given up to pair Doncic with Victor Wembanyama? Could the Nets have given their entire haul to bring Doncic to Brooklyn? Would the Rockets have given up picks and young talent? What about the Jazz? Could the Thunder have shocked the world by emptying their draft pick treasure chest, while also adding in some young talent too?

We’ll never know. And that’s unfortunate, because players of Luka Doncic’s caliber, at his age, are rarely ever actually available.

Instead, the Mavericks worked in silence and to make a win-now play. Again, it’s not bad, per se. It’s just not the kind of overwhelming return we expect in a move like this.

But that’s kind of the thing. There’s no real playbook to work off of here. A super-duper-star getting moved when he’s still in his pre-prime (at worst early-prime) years is unheard of. It’s truly incredible.

Utah Jazz

Incoming salary: $3.9 million in 2024-25

• Jalen Hood-Schifino (PG, one year, $3.9 million)

Outgoing salary: None

• Note: The Jazz will have to waive a player to complete this trade. That player is TBD.

The Jazz have jumped in yet another trade to siphon off some value by acting as a facilitator. This trade doesn’t work without Hood-Schifino going somewhere, so Utah is lending a helping hand, while getting paid two second-round picks to do so.

Hood-Schifino is a decent flyer for Utah to take. He was a former mid-first-round pick. His impact in the NBA has been almost non-existent. Last season, Hood-Schifino played well in the G League in a limited number of games. There’s talent there, even if Hood-Schifino hasn’t figured it out yet.

Basically, Utah will get a look at the young guard when he’s healthy enough to play. The Jazz already have several other young ballhandlers, so Hood-Schifino is really just a flyer. But why not? Might as well take a look, considering that’s where the Jazz are at in the rebuilding process.

Utah will acquire Hood-Schifino using a part of their Room Exception. That’s fine, as the Jazz were never going to sign anyone of note using that exception anyway.

One last note on Hood-Schifino: Let’s say he pops and really plays well for Utah. The Jazz will be limited in what they can re-sign him for. Because the Lakers declined their 2025-26 team option for Hood-Schifino, the Jazz are limited to offering him the amount of that declined option in first-year salary. That’s just over $4 million, so that shouldn’t be any kind of major impediment, should Utah want to re-sign Hood-Schifino as a free agent this summer.

The LA Clippers have been searching for a way to add some frontcourt depth. The Clippers have also been looking for a way to drop under the luxury tax. In one move, LA took care of both of those desires.

Here are the particulars:

LA Clippers acquire: Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills

Utah Jazz acquire: Mo Bamba, P.J. Tucker, future second-round pick

Let’s dive in!

LA Clippers

Incoming salary: $7.1 million in 2024-25

• Drew Eubanks (C, two years, $9.8 million (2025-26 is non-guaranteed)), Patty Mills (PG, one year, $2.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $13.6 million in 2024-25

• Mo Bamba (C, one year, $2.1 million), P.J. Tucker (PF, one-year, $11.5 million)

The Clippers have been trying to find a way to add to their frontcourt. They did that with Drew Eubanks. He’s a different player from Mo Bamba, but Eubanks is a better fit for what LA needs.

Eubanks plays solely around the rim on offense. He’s a play-finisher, in addition to being a solid screener. Eubanks should fit in well with James Harden in the pick-and-roll game when he’s in the game backing up Ivica Zubac.

On defense, Eubanks is more rugged than Bamba. He’s physical on the interior, a good rebounder and a solid rim protector. Eubanks also stays engaged all the way through the possession, while Bamba still has tendency to wander.

On the cap sheet, Eubanks’ deal is non-guaranteed at $4.75 million for 2025-26. If he’s not working out, the Clippers can move on with relative ease. That’s some nice flexibility.

The second upgrade for LA is getting out of the luxury tax. The Clippers will drop about $4.1 million under the tax and over $11 million under their first-apron hard cap. That gives the front office more than enough wiggle room to make an additional move. It also relieves any of the burdens that come with being a tax team, as far as salary-matching goes in trades.

Keep an eye on another frontcourt addition, possibly with Terance Mann (who has lost a lot of minutes as LA has gotten healthier on the wing) as the outgoing salary. Bones Hyland is very available in trades, as well. The Clippers are going to stay active in trade talks right up to the deadline.

Patty Mills’ fate in LA probably won’t be known until after the deadline. The Clippers would like to free up a roster spot to convert Jordan Miller from his two-way contract. In addition, LA wouldn’t mind having a spot to convert Kai Jones too. If the Clippers need a roster spot, Mills (and Hyland if he’s not traded) could be the roster casualty.

The Clippers only had a couple of second-round picks to trade, so this should bring them down to just one second rounder left. More importantly in the immediate, as they’ve now dipped under the tax and well under the apron, LA has no restrictions on the buyout market. The Clippers have $3.3 million left of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, which is a nice chunk to offer a player to sign on for the stretch run.

Finally, LA created a potentially handy $6.5 million traded player exception in this one. That’s big enough to be useful, either at the deadline or in the offseason.

Utah Jazz

Incoming salary: $13.6 million in 2024-25

• Mo Bamba (C, one year, $2.1 million), P.J. Tucker (PF, one-year, $11.5 million)

Outgoing salary: $7.1 million in 2024-25

• Drew Eubanks (C, two years, $9.8 million (2025-26 is non-guaranteed)), Patty Mills (PG, one year, $2.1 million)

The Jazz are miles under the luxury tax line, so this is about using that flexibility to add another asset, while taking a rest-of-season flyer on Mo Bamba. Essentially, Utah bought a future second-round pick for taking on the difference between Drew Eubanks’ and P.J. Tucker’s in salary.

On-court, Bamba should play for the Jazz. They’ve been cycling through frontcourt players all season long. Utah can take a look at Bamba and see what they have over the final 30-plus games. Eubanks was playing a lot, but he wasn’t likely a big part of the future in Utah. The Jazz were going to evaluate Eubanks and his $4.75 million non-guaranteed contract for 2025-26 against the need for a roster spot in the offseason.

P.J. Tucker likely won’t even be required to report to Utah. He’s a contract only for the Jazz. Look for Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik to keep Tucker on the roster through the deadline. If they can re-trade his contract in a deal, they will. If not, Tucker will be waived to open up a roster spot.

That open roster spot could be used to take a look at different players on 10 Day contracts. The Jazz may also look to convert Micah Potter to a standard deal. He’s played well in his opportunities this season and Utah might want to lock him up on a team-friendly deal. Elijah Harkless is another potential conversion candidate for the Jazz too.

This is Utah continuing their process of eating contracts in exchange for draft capital. They’ve facilitated several of these deals over the last couple of seasons, including eating Russell Westbrook’s contract on two different occasions. It’s solid work, given the team is so far under the tax line.

The Jazz probably aren’t done dealing. John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are all very available in the right moves. Utah won’t give any of them away, but if they find the right trades, any of those veterans could be a part of the continued roster shuffling.

NEW FACES & NEW TEAMS

NOAH GRAGSON (#4, FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS)

Stewart-Haas Racing folded. Noah Gragson finds a full-time ride with Front Row Motorsports to drive the #4 car.

JUSTIN HALEY (#7, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

After locking in a multi-year contract to drive for Rick Ware Racing in 2024, Justin Haley now finds himself driving the #7 car for Spire Motorsports.

TY DILLON (#10, KAULIG RACING)

After being part-time in Cup in 2023, he finds himself with a full-time ride in the #10 car with Kauling Racing.

AJ ALLMENDINGER (#16, KAULIG RACING)

Allmendinger drove full-time in the Xfinity series last season after being full-time in Cup in 2023. He comes back to full-time cup with Kauling Racing and typically is the guy to watch on the road courses. But will his success be mitigated by Shave van Gisbergen driving full-time in Cup as well as other drivers continuing to excel in road courses?

CHASE BRISCOE (#19, JOE GIBBS RACING)

Stewart-Haas Racing folded. Martin Truex Jr retired. Chase Briscoe was giving the nod by Joe Gibbs Racing to slide into the #19 car. The question will be…how fast can Briscoe adapt to a new team, new manufacturer and will be he able to excel in with superior ownership?

JOSH BERRY (#21, WOOD BROTHERS)

Stewart-Haas Racing folded. Harrison Burton out. Josh Berry in as the new #21 driver for Wood Brothers in their 75th anniversary season.

TODD GILLILAND (#34, FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS)

With the exit of Michael McDowell to Spire Motorsports, Todd Gilliland slides into the #34 car for Front Row Motorsports.

RILEY HERBST (#35, 23XI)

23XI has acquired a third chartered car from Stewart-Haas Racing. Riley Herbst received the nod to join Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, and will drive the #35 car (a mashup of 23 and 45 numbers).

ZANE SMITH (#38, FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS)

With Todd Gilliland sliding into the #34 car after McDowell exited, Zane Smith joined Front Row Motorsports to drive the #38 car.

COLE CUSTER (#41, HAAS FACTORY TEAM)

Stewart-Haas Racing folded. Haas Factory Team was created. Cole Custer returns to a full-time position to drive the #41 car.

RYAN PREECE (#60, RFK RACING)

RFK is running a third full-time car for the first time. Ryan Preece will drive the #60 car for RFK along side Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher. 

MICHAEL MCDOWELL (#71, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

Michael McDowell made the biggest splash of silly season by moving from Front Row Motorsports to Spire Motorsports to drive the #71 car.

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (#88, TRACKHOUSE RACING)

Trackhouse Racing brings Shane van Gisbergen full-time after getting experience full-time in Xfinitiy last season. We know he’s a road course ringer, but the big question is how well will he keep up on the ovals with the veteran drivers.

2025 SCHEDULE & PAYOUTS

While NASCAR does not directly disclose race payouts, Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports disclosed the purses for each race week for the 2024 season, so we are able to gain an estimate of what each race’s purse is likely to be in 2025. Pockrass starts every post with a disclaimer that results in the following: “Includes all payouts, all positions, including charter per-race payout and payouts based on previous three year history of charter, contribution to season-ending points fund, etc.”

While it’s no surprise that the Dayton 500 tips the scales as far as payouts are concerned, you can quickly see where the emphasis is on highest purse payouts during a season: COTA, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Phoenix (Championship). 

 Side note: The All-Star race winner receives $1 million. 

2025 NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS

Joe Logano’s odds to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Championship were +1200. The remaining final four drivers had odds of Ryan Blaney (+550), William Byron (+550) and Tyler Reddick (+1400)

The following are the 2025 NASCAR Championship odds courtesy of FanDuel.

BEST VALUE CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Ford has won the last three Championships. I think this season will see a swing back to a Toyota or Chevrolet winning the championship in 2025. 

You can never count out Kyle Larson or Ryan Blaney. Logano made the playoffs in an even-year last year, so if trends continue he’ll miss it this year. 

Christopher Bell, William Byron and Denny Hamlin are looking for their first championship, but unless you are dead-set on one of them winning the championship the odds are just okay with them being in the top-5 odds.

Tyler Reddick at +950 aren’t bad odds if you think he can repeat his 2024 performance and return to the final four with a chance to win the championship. 

The last two NASCAR Champions were +1000 and +1200 in the odds. By that logic, Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe could be in play if the trend continues. Chase Briscoe could potentially win multiple races in 2025 with the new team, new manufacture; the talent is there for sure, but time will tell how that will play out. Chase Elliott had the best average finish in 2024 after having a messy 2023 season and I think he’s starting to figure out this nextgen car to a point where I think he’ll be the car to beat in 2025. 

My pick: Chase Elliott 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

There are two Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2025 season: Riley Herbst and Shane van Gisbergen

RILEY HERBST (#35, 23XI)

Riley Herbst ended up 7th in points and had an average finish of 14.8 in the Xfinity series last season. He had an average finish of 32.3 through 4 races in the Cup series in 2024. 

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (#88, TRACKHOUSE RACING)

Shane van Gisbergen ended up 12th in points and an average finish of 16.5 in the Xfinity series last season and is likely to win one or more of the road courses during the Cup season. Van Gisbergen ended up with an average finish of 22.8 through 12 races in the Cup series in 2024. 

Herbst is an up-and-coming driver and well deserved of the Cup ride, but I believe with the racing experience van Gisbergen has overall, including his twelve Cup races last season and his road course expertise will allow him to finish the season with a better average finish.

My pick: Shane van Gisbergen

DARK HORSE OF THE YEAR

CARSON HOCEVAR (#77, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

Last season my dark horse pick was Ty Gibbs. While Gibbs did not win any races in 2024, he made the playoffs, had 8 top-5s and 12 top-10 and had an average finish of 17.4. I do believe Gibbs will take another step forward in 2025, but to not be redundant from last season I’m going with Carson Hocevar as a Dark Horse of the year. While I do not think Carson will vie for the championship and will likely not make the playoffs I do believe he’ll make strides in 2025. He will have Michael McDowell and Justin Haley as teammates. Hocevar ended up in 21st for points and had an average finish of 18.3, right behind the likes of Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace. If Hocevar can continue to chip away at that average finish he may find himself just outside of the playoff bubble with an opportunity to make the playoffs if a couple dominoes fall his way. 

Today FIFA published its breakdown of the 2024 women’s soccer global transfer report. 2024 showed another year of record growth with $15.6 million spent on international transfers—more than double the $6.1 million spent in 2023. 2024 also saw a 20.8% increase in the total number of international transfers going from 1,890 in 2023 to 2,284. There was also an increase in the number of transfers with fees up to 8.7%. 

Image 1: Spending on transfer fees and number of clubs with fees, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

The Summer transfer window, which overlaps with the traditional european schedule offseason and the NWSL’s midseason window saw almost 60% of all transfers and spending with a peak in April as the NWSL’s primary window was coming to a close. 

Image 2: Distribution of number of transfers and spending on transfer fees across the year in 2024, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

The majority of transfers (84.6%) were for players who were out of contract–free agents–and almost all of the international transfer money was spent on players making permanent transfers 

Image 3: Distribution of number of transfers and value of transfer fees by transfer type, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

The number of transfers which included a sell-on fee increased in 2024, with 92 of the transfers including such a clause. Although it increased almost 70% compared to 2023, at 30.8% it is still well below the levels in men’s football, which are close to reaching 50%. 

Although the FIFA report does report the top five transfer fees of the year across the globe, there is no transparency into official numbers past what writers are able to report. 

Image 4: Top five transfers by size of transfer fee (2024), 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

The average length of international transfers was 14.9 months for 2024, with most contracts lasting between six and 12 months. Only 2.3% of contracts were over three years. In a similar trend to the men’s professional landscape, younger players were the most likely to receive the longest contracts with players under 18 averaging contracts of 29.1 months, and then a solid dropoff in the 18-23 bracket with average contracts around 16.2 months. 

Image 5: Distribution of contract duration in international transfers, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

With 131 different nationalities involved, the United States had the most players transferred internationally (246 transfers), with Brazil (121), United Kingdom (104), Colombia (98), and Nigeria (77) rounding out the top five. 

Image 6: Player nationality by number of international transfers in 2024, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

At $1.9 million, Brazilian players accounted for the highest spending on transfers fees in 2024, followed by Zambia ($1.6 million), Sweden ($1.3 million), France ($900k), and Spain ($700k). Forty-Five of the 131 nationalities involved in a transfer had at least one player transferred for a fee. 

Looking at all of the transfers in 2024, a little over 60% were between clubs in the same confederation with almost 43% occurring between two clubs in UEFA (European Federation). Players moving from Europe to Concacaf (USA, Mexico, Canada, etc) were the second-largest with 156 transfers. 

Image 7: Number of transfers between and within confederations, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

UEFA clubs account for over half of all spending on transfer fees, with over $8 million spent in 2024, Concacaf clubs spent the second highest amount, with almost $7 million spent. Most of the transfer fees went to clubs in UEFA – 73%, equalling $11.2 million. 

The United States had the most incoming transfers with 184, with the top five rounded out by Spain (120), England (117), Sweden (92), and Germany (79). England was the country with the most outgoing transfers with 123, followed by Spain (119), United States (107), Sweden (86), and Turkey (85). In 2024, 87 associations had at least one incoming transfer and 129 had at least one outgoing transfer. 

As far as spending goes, clubs from the United States were the biggest spenders ($5.8 million), with England ($4.5 million), Spain ($1.4 million), Mexico ($1.1 million), and Italy ($0.6 million) following behind. In terms of receiving, Spain let the way with $2.6 million coming into its clubs. England had the second most at $1.9 million, followed by Sweden ($1.5 million), Brazil ($1.4 million), and France ($1.4 million). 

Image 8:Top three transfer streams by number of transfers and spending on transfer fees, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

There were 695 clubs involved in international transfers, the top twenty spending clubs in 2024 included eight of the 14 NWSL clubs, with Bay FC top across the globe. Orlando was fourth, followed by Houston in fifth. Utah, Portland, and North Carolina were eight, tenth, and eleventh respectively. Seattle (thirteenth) and Washington (fifteenth), round of the NWSL’s positions in the table. 

Image 9: Top 20 clubs by spending on transfer fees, 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report

All 14 NWSL teams have officially started their preseasons and have submitted their initial rosters to the league — requiring 40-player compliant rosters. With all teams at their maximum roster compliance of 26 signed active players, there are 364 positions to be filled in the NWSL. Currently, there are 353 players under contract for the 2025 season—including 2024 SEI’s, but not players currently out on loan. 

There are 54 non-rostered invitees (NRIs) who have joined squads in the preseason looking to earn one of the remaining coveted positions. The league is averaging almost 4 NRI’s per team, even taking into account San Diego, Washington, and Gotham not having any NRI’s with them. 

Team Breakdowns

Note: All roster breakdowns do not include players who are under contract but currently out on loan, but they do include the 2024 SEI players. 

Angel City FC

2024 Finish: 12th

With the league low of 21 players under contract (19 active, two 2024 SEIs) and only three offseason additions so far, Angel City has room for their current NRI’s to potentially find a home as well as some space for further signings until the primary transfer window closes toward the end of March. 

Bay FC

2024 Finish: 7th

Heading into their second season, Bay has 24 players under contract (23 active, one 2024 SEI), and 22 of those returning from the inaugural season. Their one NRI right now is forward Catherine Paulson who played with the squad as a national team replacement player in 2024. 

Chicago Stars

2024 Finish: 8th

Chicago has 26 players under contract (24 active, two 2024 SEI). The five defenders do look a bit scary, especially when you consider that one of those is Sam Staab, who has yet to come off the 2024 SEI list. Chicago has the fewest number of defenders signed of any team, it will be interesting to see who–if any of the midfielders potentially slot back into the defense to add much needed depth. 

Houston Dash

2024 Finish: 14th

After a very rough 2024 season, the Houston Dash had a busy (and successful) offseason targeting NWSL players who have proven themselves to be impactful in the league. The real question will be whether newly appointed head coach Fabrice Gautrat will be able to instill a cohesive identity in the squad. Reminder: From 2021 to 2023, the team who finished the regular season last ended up making the playoffs in the following year. 

Kansas City Current

2024 Finish: 4th

Kansas City is the only team to not have any players returning in a single position, with a complete turnover in their goalkeeper union. The Current have 26 players under contract for the upcoming season (23 active, three 2024 SEI). After the on-field cohesion the team showed throughout the season, it isn't surprising how much of the core field players they returned from 2024. 

Gotham FC

2024 Finish: 3rd

Gotham surprisingly has had the most active offseason of any NWSL team, with 10 new additions joining the squad in 2025 and 24 players signed for the upcoming season (24 active, no SEI). Additionally, there has been reporting that defender Jenna Nighswonger will be heading to the WSL—the window for this move is quickly closing but Nighswonger was disclosed as Not Yet Reported—which would leave Gotham with only six defenders. With their remaining roster positions, Gotham needs to look for further depth in their midfield and defense.

North Carolina Courage

2024 Finish: 5th

The Courage top out the high end with 29 players under contract for the upcoming season (28 active, one 2024 SEI). They’ll need to send players out on loans/transfers or release players ahead of the season opener in March. The stacked roster does mean that the NRI’s who have joined the team for preseason do have a higher hurdle to try to earn a spot than potentially on other teams. 

Orlando Pride

2024 Finish: 1st, NWSL Championship

The Pride are the team with the fewest offseason acquisitions at only two, but when you got something that’s working, why mess with it? The reigning NWSL Shield winners and NWSL Champions have 24 players returning from their 2024 squad, and 26 players under contract (21 active, five 2024 SEI). 

Portland Thorns

2024 Finish: 6th

After a tumultuous 2024 that truly had downs and ups and downs and ups, the Thorns saw three major retirements in players that defined the squad’s culture in Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg. Their offseason acquisitions were focused on adding depth in the defense and up top. Portland only has 23 players under contract (22 active, one 2024 SEI), and two open international spots to potentially target additional players ahead of the start of the season. 

Racing Louisville

2024 Finish: 9th

Racing is looking to end their unfortunate run of four 9th place finishes in a row in the upcoming season and focused on shoring up their defense in the offseason moves, while adding a little depth up top. Louisville has 25 players under contract (24 active, one 2024 SEI). It wouldn’t be surprising if they added another forward with the remaining spot(s). Fun fact: their NRI’s include midfielder Meg Boade (sister of Bay FC midfielder Tess Boade), and Makayla DeMelo (sister of Racing midfielder Savannah DeMelo)

San Diego Wave

2024 Finish: 10th

The Wave only have 24 players signed for the upcoming season (all active), and have had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the league with nine new players joining the ranks for 2025 (and available spots for two more). During the offseason the team hired Jonas Eidevall to lead the squad in their fourth season, who has chosen to not have any NRI’s—likely to focus as much as possible on the teambuilding in the preseason ramp up.  

Seattle Reign

2024 Finish: 13th

The Reign joined the preseason with 25 players under contract (24 active, one 2024 SEI). It’s head coach Laura Harvey’s fifth year at the helm (this go-around), and after a rough start to the 2024 season, the Reign made a lot of moves during the secondary window but were never really able to hit their stride. This offseason will be important to finally have the downtime to figure out their new identity and fold in the new additions. 

Utah Royals

2024 Finish: 11th

The Royals did not have the best start to their (re)inaugural season in 2024, but after the summer break, it looked like the team had finally found their rhythm. They start the preseason with 24 players under contract (20 active, four 2024 SEIs), and have had seven additions this offseason which hopefully will mesh seamlessly with their end-of-season momentum. 

Washington Spirit

2024 Finish: 2nd

No NRIs for head coach Jonatan Giráldez’s first full offseason—he joined the Spirit in July of 2024 full-time. After losing the NWSL Championship to the Orlando Pride 1–0, the Spirit were fairly active in the offseason with seven new additions, all fairly spread out across the pitch. The Spirit started the preseason with 27 players under contract (22 active, five 2024 SEI). 

We’re just over a week out from the NBA trade deadline on February 6. Like the past couple of seasons, NBA teams are falling into defined tiers this year. However, those tiers are a little different from the traditional ones of title contender, playoff team and tanking team.

What the Play-In Tournament has done is create a handful of different races. There are a handful of teams in each conference that are still competing for the top seed. But from there, we have a couple of other races to watch. Teams compete for homecourt advantage, but are also competing to simply be in the top-six in their conference to snag one of the assured playoff spots.

After the contenders, several teams are fighting for positioning, or even just spots, in the Play-In Tournament in each conference. (This season, this is truer of the Western Conference than the Eastern Conference.) And then, of course, you have teams that are prioritizing ping-pong balls, if we put it kindly.

That makes each team’s approach to the trade deadline endlessly more fascinating. Today, we’ll cover where each team seems to stand as far as being a buyer or seller, or either or neither, at the deadline. We’ll also give some thoughts on where we think each team should be at.

You can find the Eastern Conference teams here.

Dallas Mavericks

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Mavericks are looking for perimeter defensive help. In addition, with recent frontcourt injuries, Dallas would like to add a big. The challenge is that Nico Harrison isn’t sitting on a whole lot of tradable salary, and the Mavs are working under tight margins against a first-apron hard cap.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Dallas should look for upgrades, but they need to be careful. If you can do a get-by move or two, by all means do so. But investing real assets - when these might be short-term fixes - isn’t the play.

Denver Nuggets

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Denver is looking for rotation help. They like their top six-to-eight rotation. Beyond that, Calvin Booth is seeing what he can get. It doesn’t seem like a major move for a guy like Zach LaVine will be an in-season thing. That means shopping Zeke Nnaji and Dario Saric for a rotation upgrade.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

It makes sense for the Nuggets to be looking for upgrades. Another big would be nice. Relying on DeAndre Jordan this much behind Nikola Jokic is a little worrisome. Maybe one more guard to put in the mix would be helpful too. If they’re willing to move a draft pick, that Nnaji/Saric combo could get them a nice upgrade.

Golden State Warriors

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

This was very close to being a “Neither”. The Warriors are open to making moves, but they are insistent that they don’t want to move a lot of future assets, be it players or draft picks. That’s going to limit what they can do.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Warriors should be buying. Yes, this team has issues. There’s no ignoring that. But they still have a chance with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. They don’t need to get silly, but they could make upgrades without giving up everything. They should be pursuing them.

Houston Rockets

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Houston seems to be honest in their commitment to seeing this season through. It’s not the worst idea. They’ve been really good. If the right deal was there (De’Aaron Fox?) maybe their minds will be changed. But Rafael Stone has held firm thus far that the big moves are coming this summer and beyond.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Rockets are really good. Maybe even a player (and some postseason luck) away from making a real playoff run. The future is never guaranteed. Houston doesn’t need to be reckless and trade away guys from the young core. But they could make moves without doing that. It’s worth considering bolstering this team for now and tomorrow.

LA Clippers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Clippers are looking for rotation upgrades. They aren’t likely to get involved in any blockbuster deals, but they’ve got plenty of tradable salary to add to their group. The primary focus is on adding frontcourt help.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

If there is a deal to send Tucker somewhere and bring back a ready-to-play 4/5, the Clippers should do it. (Yes, that was a copy-paste from last year!) Terance Mann has also been on the fringes of the rotation. He could be available too.

Los Angeles Lakers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Los Angeles already made one move to add Dorian Finney-Smith, but they’re still looking. Another ballhandler and perimeter scoring is on the list. Anthony Davis wants another big, and the Lakers are looking at those options too.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

When you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing this well, you owe it to them and yourselves to make your roster better. (Hey! Another copy-paste!) The Lakers are doing so. They’re going to keep searching. However, unless Rob Pelinka is suddenly willing to trade both of the future picks they can move, it won’t be the superstar deal many fans are looking for.

Memphis Grizzlies

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Memphis is trying to find some upgrades for their rotation. They’d like to add another shooter to their mix, ideally one with some size and versatility. That’s why they were in on Dorian Finney-Smith and have been in on Cam Johnson.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Thankfully, the Grizzlies have been less precious with their own drafted and developed players in the last year or so. That puts them in position to do something. This team is really, really close to title contention. Hitting on the right guy could put them over the top for the next few years.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Approach at the deadline: Neither

As a second-apron team, Minnesota doesn’t have the flexibility to do a whole lot. Unless they are moving Julius Randle, there’s just not much here. Expect the Wolves to poke around for vets who can be acquired using the Minimum Exception, but they can’t do much else.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

This one is one the Timberwolves probably need to wait until the offseason to reset. The challenges of working around the second apron are simply too restrictive. If they can find a deal for Julius Randle that rebalances and upgrades the rotation, that’s worth considering. But that doesn’t seem very likely.

New Orleans Pelicans

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Pelicans are looking for deals for Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum. They seem to open to listening to offers for Zion Williamson, but don’t really want to move him. And if a team wants Javonte Green or Daniel Theis, all they need to do is call. Everyone else is sticking around.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

At the very least, New Orleans is going to get out of the tax by shedding Javonte Green or Daniel Theis, or both. The Pels might move Ingram. They’re still trying. C.J. McCollum might need to wait until the offseason, but teams do get desperate for guard help at the deadline. Zion Williamson? Nah. Let’s see what the rest of the season looks like and cross that bridge this summer, if necessary.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Thunder are looking. There’s nothing huge coming though. They tried that last year with Gordon Hayward and it failed. That hasn’t scared OKC off trying to do anything else, but they don’t need a whole lot. Adding another perimeter on-ball playmaker seems to be the goal.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Oklahoma City has what they need to win the Finals. They’ve been the best team in the league this season. But that doesn’t mean they can’t bolster their rotation with a move. And, we all know they have the draft-pick capital to do whatever they want.

Phoenix Suns

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Outside of Jimmy Butler, the Suns are looking to see what they can do. They’re actively shopping Jusuf Nurkic for perimeter help. The Suns made the draft pick swap with the Jazz to have some assets to move right now.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Without getting deep into it, a Butler deal has to involve finding Bradley Beal an acceptable home. If that can’t happen, Phoenix should try to turn Jusuf Nurkic’s contract into a couple of helpful players, even if that means moving one or two the recently acquired first-round picks.

Portland Trail Blazers

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

Portland is listening on a number of veterans. They’re open to moving Robert Williams III, Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle. Williams and Thybulle seem to be drawing the most interest, but offers are reflecting their susceptibility for injury.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Trail Blazers should be moving their vets. It’s not quite “Everything must go!” time, but we’re not too far off that. The veteran players the Blazers have aren’t likely to see their trade value increase as time goes along. Now is the time to move some of these guys while Portland can still get a positive return.

Sacramento Kings

Approach at the deadline: Either

The De’Aaron Fox trade availability/desires threw a monkey wrench to the entire NBA. A whole new star is now available. The big question, beyond where Fox is going, is: What is the plan in Sacramento? Are they tearing things down? Are the Kings flipping Fox for win-now players? That will get answered in coming days.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Either

Sacramento needs to be honest with themselves here, and through the offseason. This group broke the playoff drought and has stagnated since. Are shuffling pieces enough to reset things and keep the Kings in playoff contention? Or is it time to rebuild? The first is hard to pull off, and rare to see succeed. The latter could set up Sacramento with assets for years to come. It’s worth at least listening to offers for the stars beyond De’Aaron Fox to see what the returns could be.

San Antonio Spurs

Approach at the deadline: Neither*

We put in the “*” because the Spurs could jump on a De’Aaron Fox trade before the deadline. He seems to want that, and it makes sense for San Antonio too. If it’s not a Fox addition, then the Spurs will probably just sit things out. They’re progressing along just fine. No reason to get crazy for minor upgrades now.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers*

Yeah, another “*”. This one is because the Spurs should go get De’Aaron Fox if the asking price is reasonable. San Antonio has some extra draft picks that look promising. They have young players, and some vet role players, they can send to Sacramento. Pairing Fox and Victor Wembanyama makes a lot of sense. It’s worth exploring, before Fox lands somewhere else and the Spurs are still looking for the point guard of the future.

Utah Jazz

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

This is the most obvious seller situation outside of maybe Portland. If you’ve been in the league longer than a few years and you aren’t Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz are open to moving you. John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Drew Eubanks are all available. Walker Kessler is “available”, but only if you make a monster offer. So, good luck there.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

It makes no sense to hang onto John Collins and Jordan Clarkson for Utah. The Jazz don’t have to make a bad deal, and they won’t, but both of those vets should get moved. Collin Sexton is a nice fit, and on a pretty good deal, so keeping him as the team rebuilds would be fine. But if the right offer comes, Sexton could move too. If someone gets silly with an offer for Walker Kessler, that’s worth exploring too. The Jazz are going to be active and will probably make at least a couple of moves by the deadline.