{"id":611246,"date":"2026-04-16T18:28:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/611246\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:28:20","slug":"will-giannis-rumors-overshadow-the-nba-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/611246\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Giannis Rumors Overshadow the NBA Playoffs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The best time of the year is finally here. Let\u2019s hope Giannis doesn\u2019t get in the way.<\/p>\n

Congrats, everyone! We made it. We survived the 82-game slog of the 2025-26 regular season. And man, what a slog it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The shameless tanking!<\/a> The endless discourse<\/a> about<\/a> the shameless tanking!<\/a> Games filled<\/a> with random G Leaguers<\/a> (hello, Daeqwon Plowden \u2026 and goodbye)! A gambling scandal!<\/a> A cap-circumvention scandal!<\/a> And so much hand-wringing over awards eligibility<\/a>\u2014thanks to the 65-game rule<\/a>\u2014that we\u2019ll need a 50-gallon vat of Aveeno to treat the chafing.<\/p>\n

But it is, at last, over. The NBA play-in got underway on Tuesday (with two absolute bangers), and we\u2019ll soon be reveling in first-round playoff games. We can finally bid a not-so-fond farewell to the weirdo Wizards and the blundering Bulls, the royally inept Kings and that grisly mess in Memphis. We can stop wondering (for now) when or if or where Giannis Antetokounmpo will play, whether the Pelicans will find any chemistry (nope), whether the Bulls will find a cure to their perpetual mediocrity (nope), and whether the Warriors will find the fountain of youth (nope).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time for the games that truly matter, with the best players on earth playing their best ball, for the highest stakes. This postseason should be particularly invigorating.<\/p>\n

With any luck, we\u2019ll get seven games of Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic in the second round\u2014followed by a best-of-seven showdown featuring one of those two giants trying to take down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champs.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll finally see just how (say it with me) \u201cwide open\u201d the East truly is. Are Cade Cunningham and the Pistons as dominant as their 60-win season suggests? Or are the whole-again, definitely-not-doing-a-gap-year Celtics still the class of the conference? Could the Knicks knock out one or both and make the Finals? Will the Cavaliers\u2019 bet on James Harden pay immediate dividends, leading to their first conference title since LeBron James left town? And, speaking of which \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is this LeBron\u2019s last run with the Lakers? Kawhi Leonard\u2019s last stand with the Clippers? Steve Kerr\u2019s last dance with the Warriors?<\/p>\n

Speaking of lasts, the basketball gods\u2014clearly a sentimental bunch\u2014have blessed us with one more chapter in the LeBron\u2013Kevin Durant rivalry, the fourth (and perhaps final) postseason clash between the aging legends, who first dueled in the 2012 Finals.<\/p>\n

The Hawks are in the playoffs for the first time since 2023, as are the Raptors for the first time since 2022. The Trail Blazers, after winning Tuesday night, are back for the first time since 2021, and the Hornets (who also prevailed Tuesday) could be back for the first time since [gasp] 2016.<\/p>\n

So many plotlines! So much intrigue! The 2026 playoffs will be like a juice cleanse for our basketball souls, a much-needed detox from a particularly noxious regular season, which is now firmly behind us. Well, mostly. Or, well, perhaps not at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because this is the NBA, the off-court drama never really stops\u2014it just momentarily recedes, like the sea before a tsunami hits. So brace yourselves, everyone. The playoffs are taking center stage now, but they will almost assuredly be overshadowed in the coming months by a dozen nagging subplots, starting with the simmering mess in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

\"\"Getty ImagesThe Greek Tragedy<\/p>\n

Yeah, we gotta start here. Because whatever Giannis and the Bucks decide, it will have ramifications for the entire league. And this story will most definitely\u2014repeatedly\u2014bleed into the playoff picture.<\/p>\n

A Knicks stumble in the second round? Fire up the Giannis-to\u2013New York rumors! Lakers are out? Giannis to Hollywood! Or just wait for the rumor that he\u2019s purchased a mega-mansion in Isleworth, Florida \u2026 Giannis to Orlando!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: No team can be ruled out right now in the potential Giannis sweepstakes\u2014not even the Thunder, nor the Spurs, nor the Pistons, nor the Celtics. We have to see how the postseason plays out. For all of his passive-aggressive posturing (and all the injuries), Antetokounmpo is still a top-five talent and a perennial MVP candidate, and, at age 31, he\u2019s still firmly in his prime. Any team that falls short of the championship is a potential suitor.<\/p>\n

Logically, a Giannis blockbuster probably won\u2019t happen until after the June draft or after free agency opens on June 30. The trade market will be clearer then. But the Bucks don\u2019t necessarily have to wait. Under NBA rules, teams that are not in the playoffs can make trades with one another. (Remember, Durant was traded from Phoenix to Houston<\/a> just hours before Game 7 of the 2025 Finals.)<\/p>\n

So buckle up, kids. The Bucks\u2019 season might be over, but the Giannis saga\u2014with all its attendant backbiting, leaks, rumors, and recriminations\u2014is just beginning.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

AJ Dybantsa dunks over Tramon Mark<\/p>\n

Getty ImagesNever Tell Me the Odds<\/p>\n

Now that the tanking this season is over, we turn our attention to the reason a third of the league tanked: the right to select AJ Dybantsa, or Darryn Peterson, or Cameron Boozer\u2014the headliners in what scouts say is a historically spectacular draft class.<\/a><\/p>\n

The draft lottery (a.k.a. the most blessed day on the NBA calendar) will be held May 10, an event certain to overshadow whatever playoff games are being staged that night. And the results could hijack The Discourse for weeks or months thereafter.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot at stake\u2014and not just for the 14 teams that missed the playoffs.<\/p>\n

The playoff-bound Hawks will claim either the Pelicans\u2019 or the Bucks\u2019 pick (whichever is better) as a result of past trades, providing Atlanta with another blue-chip talent to play next to Jalen Johnson \u2026 or another trade chip to make a blockbuster deal (hello, Milwaukee). The defending champion Thunder own the rights to the Clippers\u2019 pick (currently slotted 12th). And the Clippers could end up with the Pacers\u2019 pick if it lands outside the top four.<\/p>\n

A lucky bounce could bring much-needed hope to the long-suffering Wizards, Nets, Jazz, or Kings. But it could also help the Pacers\u2014a Finals team in 2025<\/a>\u2014leap right back into title contention by allowing them the place another star next to Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. The Mavericks could land a long-term running mate for Cooper Flagg, the first pick in 2025. The Warriors could land Steph Curry\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n

What if the Bucks move up? Could a flashy rookie convince the Greek Freak to stay? Or would Giannis ask the Bucks to trade the pick for veteran help? Is this relationship so frayed that Giannis will demand a trade regardless? If so, the lottery might deliver Milwaukee his replacement.<\/p>\n

Or how about the most hilarious\/cruel\/tragic scenario? What if the Clippers indeed leap into the top four, delivering another potential star to Oklahoma City? Would Sam Presti keep the pick or trade it for 17 more draft picks? Is there room for another star on that payroll? Would the Thunder trade a core player or two to make room?<\/p>\n

Can we put a camera in Steve Ballmer\u2019s living room on May 10?<\/p>\n

\"\"Keith Birmingham\/MediaNews Group\/Pasadena Star-News via Getty ImagesL.A. Aspirational<\/p>\n

Speaking of potential Clippers tragedies: We\u2019re still waiting for the NBA\u2019s investigators to conclude their probe into Kawhi Leonard\u2019s, er, questionable endorsement deal with Aspiration and the allegations of salary-cap circumvention.<\/p>\n

It seems unlikely that the NBA will announce anything in the middle of the playoffs, especially if the Clippers happen to still be playing. More likely, the league will wait until the offseason, when the PR impact will be blunted.<\/p>\n

But the drip-drip of new revelations (mostly thanks to Pablo Torre Finds Out<\/a>) could keep this story percolating throughout the postseason. Rival teams have been speculating for months about the possible penalties\u2014everything from the suspension of Ballmer and high-ranking Clippers executives to the potential voiding of Leonard\u2019s contract.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the latter possibility that has rivals the most intrigued. Leonard would immediately become this summer\u2019s top free agent and the prime target for every would-be contender. The Warriors are rumored to be a leading suitor.<\/p>\n

\"\"David Dow\/NBAE via Getty ImagesThis Time for Sure<\/p>\n

Back to tanking for a moment. The NBA\u2019s board of governors (a.k.a. the owners) plans to vote on YET ANOTHER lottery reform proposal, or perhaps multiple proposals, sometime in May.<\/p>\n

Whatever remedy the owners choose\u2014radical, modest, or somewhere in between\u2014it\u2019s guaranteed to reignite every debate we\u2019ve been having about the scourge of tanking and how best to eliminate it.<\/p>\n

The NBA has been through this cycle so many times, it\u2019s starting to feel like that old Bullwinkle routine where he keeps trying to pull a rabbit<\/a> out of his hat only to find various ferocious animals there instead. \u201cBut that trick never works!\u201d Rocky wails<\/a>, to which Bullwinkle declares, with foolish bravado: \u201cThis time for sure!\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe Adam Silver and Co. will find a magic cure for tanking this time. Or maybe they\u2019ll be mauled by a cougar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are only two certainties here: Whatever the NBA decides, (1) it will dominate the debate shows that week, and (2) half the league will hate it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And we\u2019ll be back debating all of this within a year.<\/p>\n

\"\"Getty ImagesMind the Game<\/p>\n

OK, we\u2019ve delayed this one as long as we can. It\u2019s time, once again, for LeBron Watch.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

To wit: He\u2019s 41. He\u2019s still elite, albeit slightly less durable. He wasn\u2019t offered an extension last summer. He may or may not fit the Lakers\u2019 future plans as they rebuild around Luka Doncic. He\u2019ll be a free agent on July 1.<\/p>\n

LeBron could theoretically return to the Lakers, probably for less than the $52.6 million he\u2019s making now. Assuming he takes a massive pay cut, he could join Curry in San Francisco or Jalen Brunson in New York, or he could go home once more to Cleveland to play with Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Or he could retire. It\u2019s LeBron, so literally anything is possible.<\/p>\n

Which means that as soon as the Lakers are eliminated from the playoffs\u2014or, hell, as soon as they\u2019re down in a series\u2014we\u2019ll all be sucked into the LeBron speculation vortex, where we will stay for the rest of our natural-born lives \u2026 or, well, until LeBron makes some sort of announcement about his intentions.<\/p>\n

James might not be the only one stealing headlines in Laker Land. The franchise has a new centerpiece (Luka), a new majority owner (Mark Walter), and a new president of business operations (longtime Magic Johnson consigliere Lon Rosen), which has sparked reasonable speculation over the future of general manager Rob Pelinka, who has held the post since 2017.<\/p>\n

No one does palace intrigue like the Lakers. But then, no league does offseason, off-court drama quite like the NBA. So enjoy the playoff battles and the grudge matches, the breakout stars and the aging legends, and the two-month chase for the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy \u2026 but brace yourself for the push alerts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Howard Beck<\/p>\n

<\/a>Howard Beck got his basketball education covering the Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers for the L.A. Daily News starting in 1997, and has been writing and reporting about the NBA ever since. He\u2019s also covered the league for The New York Times, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He\u2019s a co-host of \u2018The Real Ones.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The best time of the year is finally here. Let\u2019s hope Giannis doesn\u2019t get in the way. Congrats,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":611247,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-611246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=611246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/611247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=611246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=611246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=611246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}