Chances are, if you're an NBA fan, you've heard about LeBron James' new team.
James' move to the 76ers was the headliner of a busy NBA offseason, with the league's all-time leading scorer departing the Lakers on a veteran's minimum contract to form an elite starting five in Philadelphia.
But even outside of James, it's been a long summer full of moves — since the Knicks were crowned champions in June, a collection of stars have changed teams, new coaches were hired, and major changes were announced for multiple franchises.
Here are 14 signings, trades, hires, and more you may have forgotten about from the past NBA offseason.
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14 things you forgot happened in the NBA offseason
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Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to Heat
It may feel like Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a member of the Heat for a while, considering all of the news that has unfolded since then. But in early June, Antetokounmpo talks were dragging out more than ever.
After months-worth of speculation about whether or not the Bucks would move on, once they made real indications that they'd be trading their franchise star, two teams emerged as the favorite to land Antetokounmpo: the Celtics and Heat.
Boston was reportedly dangling Jaylen Brown in Antetokounmpo talks, but ultimately, Miami won the bidding war by sending Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparash Jakcionis, the No. 13 pick, a 2030 first-round pick swap, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and a 2033 second-round pick to Milwaukee.
In the deal first reported on June 22, Antetokounmpo changed teams for the first time in his NBA career, and he now forms an elite big man duo with Bam Adebayo in South Beach.
MORE: Grading the Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks-Heat blockbuster
Big-name rookies find new homes
There was a lot of hype surrounding the 2026 NBA rookie class thanks to a "Big Four" of sorts.
AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson have all been viewed as potential future All-Stars, capable of becoming some of the best players in the league someday. Tanking has been one of the main issues in the NBA for a reason — a lot of teams were eyeing the young talent in this draft class.
Ultimately, the Wizards won the No. 1 pick at the draft lottery, followed by the Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls.
Washington went with Dybantsa, who will pair up with Trae Young and Anthony Davis as a rookie, while Peterson joined an intriguing core in Utah, Boozer became the centerpiece of Memphis' rebuild and Wilson became the Bulls' next rising athletic star.
It's expected to be a thrilling race for the Rookie of the Year award this NBA season.
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Victor Wembanyama lands lucrative extension
Part of the reason the Spurs were able to build a Finals-caliber roster around Victor Wembanyama so easily in recent years is that he's been playing on his rookie contract. The time came this summer, however, to finally pay him like one of the NBA's best players.
Wembanyama inked a five-year, $252 million rookie extension to remain in San Antonio for years to come — and he even passed on a potentially larger contract. Had he pushed for higher escalators, he could have made around $50 million more over the full extension, but Wembanyama instead took the 25% maximum over the 30% supermax escalators to $303 million.
The Spurs still had to pay a hefty price to retain the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but they'll have some added flexibility to build around Wembanyama thanks to his decision.
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Jaylen Brown traded to 76ers
Once the Celtics struck out on Antetokounmpo, it became the worst-kept secret in the league that they were ready to move on from Brown. But between his significant contract, some bad analytics numbers and their lack of leverage in talks, it also became clear that the asking price dropped more significantly than one would expect for a recent Finals MVP.
Despite rumors connecting him to the Trail Blazers and others, Brown was shockingly traded to Boston's longtime rival and the team it had just blown a 3-1 series lead to: the 76ers. On July 1, the teams agreed to swap Brown and Paul George, with Philadelphia also sending two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round selections (2028, 2030).
It marked a surprising end to a successful era for the Celtics led by Brown and Jayson Tatum, and also represented one of the more out-of-the-blue trades between rivals in sports history.
Ultimately, the Brown trade also allowed the 76ers to convince the free-agent market's big fish, James, to join the team on a minimum deal a few weeks later, completing one of the best offseasons in NBA history.
MORE: What's next for the Celtics? Evaluating Boston with Paul George
Klay Thompson signs with Heat
He's not the player he once was, but Klay Thompson is undoubtedly still a marksman. And after his Mavericks tenure didn't go as planned, with his numbers declining on a non-contender, he was able to reach a buyout agreement with Dallas.
Needing as much shooting as possible around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, the Heat landed Thompson immediately, signing him to a two-year, $11.5 million contract.
A 36-year-old Thompson may not be the same all-around offensive threat he used to be, but he should get plenty of open looks from deep in Miami this season.
Ben Simmons returns to NBA before Achilles tear
For a while, it appeared Ben Simmons had played his last NBA game. With lingering back injuries and his struggles as a shooter, he fell out of favor in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Los Angeles, becoming a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season and never signing with a new team.
Simmons even began a professional fishing career, becoming the controlling operator of the South Florida Sails professional angling club — another sign that he was leaving basketball in the past.
But in early September, he made his official return to the league after a year off, signing with the Kings for $3.5 million. Simmons will likely never play a game this season, though.
In an unfortunate turn of events for the former All-Star, he is believed to have sustained a torn Achilles tendon at a practice just before the start of Sacramento's 2026-27 season, per Shams Charania. It will take yet another comeback for Simmons to get back on an NBA court.
MORE: What's known about Ben Simmons' devastating preseason injury
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Dusty May leaves Michigan to coach Mavericks
After leading Michigan to the national title in March and April, in a stunning turn of events, Wolverines head coach Dusty May decided to leave the program to become the Mavericks' replacement for Jason Kidd in June.
He became the first college coach to take an NBA job since 2019, deciding to take on the responsibility of coaching Cooper Flagg and a young core. May's Mavericks, not long after, drafted one of his former Michigan players in the first round: Morez Johnson Jr.
In May's absence, Mike Boynton Jr. was named interim head coach at Michigan.
NBA PROJECTED WIN TOTALS: Eastern Conference | Western Conference
Ja Morant traded to Trail Blazers
One of many trades involving a former All-Star this offseason saw Grizzlies star Ja Morant sent to a rather interesting destination, joining a loaded Trail Blazers guard rotation now coached by Micah Nori.
At his peak, Morant was a high-flying guard in Memphis who led the franchise to playoff contention early in his NBA career. But over recent years, his relationship with the team appeared to have soured, including plenty of off-the-court issues.
The price to land the former All-Star was low — Portland flipped Jerami Grant and Kris Murray for Morant. Now, he'll begin a fresh start with the Trail Blazers, coming off a season in which he played just 20 games due to injuries.
If he can stay healthy, Morant will be one of the more interesting players to follow in 2026-27.
LaMelo Ball traded to Timberwolves
Tim Connelley has continually proven willing to make blockbuster moves to surround Anthony Edwards with premiere talent in Minnesota, from the Karl-Anthony Towns-Julius Randle trade to Rudy Gobert. This offseason, he did it again — but with a more out-of-line fit.
The Hornets decided to move on from LaMelo Ball after six seasons, trading him to Minnesota alongside Josh Green in exchange for Naz Reid and more. In the four-team deal, Ball formed a new-look backcourt with the Timberwolves, one that should, at the very least, be exciting on a nightly basis.
Ball's passing ability and 3-point shooting will add an element of shot creation next to Edwards he hasn't seen before. It appears to be a boom-or-bust move for Minnesota; if it works out, Ball and Edwards, paired with a strong defensive frontcourt, could lead one of the best teams in the West. But Ball has also dealt with inefficiency, decision-making and turnover issues often.
Nobody will blame the Timberwolves for not taking a chance, with some new energy behind them this season.
Walker Kessler traded to Lakers
After the Lakers decided to part ways with James, they went for somewhat of a depth approach, signing a collection of role players in free agency to fill out J.J. Redick's rotation and surround Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with defenders and shooters.
Quentin Grimes, Colin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle are all new faces in Laker Land, but their biggest swing of the offseason was for a center. They went all-in on a big man who, on paper, would pair well with Doncic's passing skills.
Walker Kessler went from Utah to Los Angeles in exchange for two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, proceeding to sign a 4-year, $130 million contract as well. It was a pretty penny for the Lakers to pay — especially considering Kessler played just five games last season due to injuries — but he's also been one of the league's best rim-runners at his best.
In 2024-25, Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He should blossom even more alongside Doncic's playmaking, now locked in as part of the Lakers' core.
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Clippers hit with franchise-changing punishment for cap circumvention scandal, Kawhi Leonard traded
After almost a year, the NBA finally came to a conclusion in its investigation into the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration scandal first unveiled by Pablo Torre prior to the 2025-26 season. And if you happened to miss it, it wasn't a good result for the Clippers.
In what was a historic penalty imposed on an NBA team, the Clippers were docked five consecutive first-round picks (2029-33) and fined $30 million, with owner Steve Ballmer, president of business operations Gillian Zucker and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank all receiving varying suspensions. Leonard was fined $700,000, and his uncle and representative, Dennis Robertson, was banned for five years from conducting business with the NBA.
Initially, Ballmer indicated he would fight the penalties, but he and the Clippers backed down from that stance. Instead, they'll face significant challenges in building their team for years to come.
Another wrinkle of the punishment was that early in the offseason, the Clippers agreed to trade Leonard back to the Raptors, where he spent one season and won a championship in 2018-19 before signing with L.A. That deal was put on pause by the league until the results of the investigation.
Eventually, after the fallout of the scandal was official, Leonard was traded to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and five draft picks. For Toronto, it was an opportunity to add one someone who remains one of the NBA's best two-way players at age 35. For the Clippers, they added some talent and draft picks to begin a full-on rebuild with limited assets.
Leonard seemed to escape to greener pastures at the perfect time, re-united with the Raptors and forming an elite duo with Scottie Barnes. The Clippers, meanwhile, look like one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference, facing a far more uncertain future after the Aspiration scandal.
Mark Walter sells Lakers
Just as the NBA was announcing the results of the Clippers scandal, the other Los Angeles team made significant news. Lakers owner Mark Walter agreed to sell the team to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record valuation of $12.5 billion — just over a year after he purchased the franchise.
At the time of the sale, Walter was under federal investigation for alleged tax fraud, leading to some questions over any potential connections between the two, though there have not been any reports indicating that so far.
Walter also sold some of his other sports franchises, including Chelsea FC. He made around $2.5 billion in profit from the sale, originally purchasing the Lakers for $10 billion.
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Jalen Duren ends stalemate with Pistons on $200 million deal
For a moment, Jalen Duren's restricted free agency appeared heading for a rough ending, unable to come to terms on a deal with the Pistons. Duren reportedly had concerns over a weight clause being added to the proposed extension, along with other issues throughout negotiations.
The Pistons center, named an All-Star for the first time last season, seemed to be considering picking up his qualifying option to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Eventually, though, he and Detroit put their differences in the past.
Duren inked a five-year, $200 million extension that will make him one of the highest-paid centers in the NBA, locked in with the Pistons for years to come after the team showed reluctance to pay him as the No. 2 to Cade Cunningham.
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Stephen Curry extends with Warriors
There was never much doubt that Stephen Curry would be a Warrior for life, but with the team struggling to build around him over the last few years, there was always at least fan speculation that he could spend the final years of his career elsewhere. It doesn't appear that will be happening.
Curry, currently 38 years old, signed a two-year extension with Golden State worth $116 million, keeping him with the franchise through the 2028-29 season if he picks up his player option in 2028.
Not only will Curry remain one of the NBA's highest-paid players — he'll remain the focal point of the Warriors' roster through his age-40 season, at minimum. Any dreams from other fanbases of Curry firing away 3-pointers in another uniform appear to be dead, and Golden State will look to build one last title contender around Curry before he retires.
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