An NBA trade kicker, formally called a trade bonus, is a clause that pays a player extra money the moment he gets traded. It sounds simple, but the mechanics behind it decide whether a rumored trade actually works under the salary cap, and it comes up constantly in offseason and deadline reporting without always being explained. Here is what an NBA trade kicker actually is and how it works.
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The Complete List of NBA Champions: Every Winner From 1947 to the Knicks’ 2026 Title
The New York Knicks are the latest NBA champions. New York beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the 2026 NBA Finals, ending a 53-year title drought and giving the franchise its third championship.
NBA champions by year
The table below lists every BAA and NBA champion from 1947 through 2026. The BAA seasons from 1947 to 1949 are included in the NBA’s recognized historical record.
Boston Celtics 2026-27: Betting a Season on a Full Year of Jayson Tatum
Boston’s entire offseason case rests on a single variable nobody can fully control. ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill projected the Celtics at 48-34 and fifth in the Eastern Conference for 2026-27, a notably modest forecast for a franchise that has posted 50 or more wins in five of the last six seasons. His reasoning, laid out on Aug. 25, comes down to one name: “Boston is banking on a full season from Jayson Tatum,” Goodwill wrote, “and hoping Paul George can stay upright and healthy.” A sub-50-win season would be the Celtics’ first since 2020-21, when they went 36-36. That is the gap between where this roster has lived recently and where the league’s own projections now put it.
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons’ Continuity Bet
Detroit’s offseason has to answer for one specific collapse. The Pistons won 60 games last season, their first 60-win season in 20 years and their first No. 1 seed in the East since 2006-07, then lost Game 7 of the conference semifinals 125-94 at home to Cleveland on May 17, a blowout in which Cade Cunningham scored just 13 points and went scoreless for most of the second half before getting pulled once the game was decided. That gap, between the best regular season the franchise has produced in two decades and a home elimination that lopsided, is the entire premise behind what Detroit did this summer, and whether it did enough is now a live, public question.
Cleveland Cavaliers 2026-27 Season Preview: A Retooled Contender Aims Past the Knicks Sweep
This Cleveland Cavaliers 2026-27 season preview starts in Spain. The Cavaliers will hold training camp at the Embassy, a basketball facility in Fuengirola co-designed by former Cavs guard Jose Calderon, running from roughly Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 after a Sept. 28 media day, according to the team’s own camp announcement. It is an unusual way to open a season for a team with unfinished business: Cleveland was swept out of the Eastern Conference finals by the New York Knicks last spring, and everything the front office did this offseason was built around not letting that happen again.
What We Know About the Federal Clippers Inquiry
Federal prosecutors have reportedly opened a criminal inquiry into allegations surrounding sponsorship arrangements involving the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. The NBA has completed its separate salary-cap investigation, but reporting about the federal matter does not establish that anyone will be charged or that prosecutors have reached a conclusion.
Devin Carter Signs With Celtics on Exhibit 10 Deal
Devin Carter signs with Celtics on an Exhibit 10 training-camp contract, Boston announced Sept. 14, 2026, giving the 2024 lottery pick a fresh shot at a roster spot just three days after the Atlanta Hawks waived him.
Kawhi Leonard Raptors Trade Is Officially Complete
The Kawhi Leonard Raptors trade is officially complete. The two teams submitted the necessary paperwork to the league office on Sept. 14, 2026, and the Raptors made it official the next morning with a team statement confirming the deal.
Cavaliers Officially Re-Sign James Harden to Three-Year, $97 Million Deal
The Cleveland Cavaliers made it official on Tuesday, confirming they have re-signed James Harden to a new three-year contract worth roughly $97 million.
“The Beard is back in The Land. We have officially resigned James Harden to a multi-year contract,” the team wrote in its announcement.
Phil Jackson Statue: Lakers to Honor Coach at Star Plaza
The Phil Jackson statue is headed for Star Plaza. The Lakers announced on Sept. 8, 2026, that their former coach will receive a statue in the space outside Crypto.com Arena where the franchise honors its most decorated figures. It is scheduled to be unveiled April 9, 2027, before the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2026-27 NBA season.