We’re only a few days into NBA free agency, but there is much to break down. Our writers weigh in on the best and worst deals so far, plus the moves they’d still like to see this offseason.
What’s the best free agent move so far?
Tom Haberstroh: I’ll go with Memphis signing Ty Jerome for three years and $28 million. That’s an absolute steal. Advanced metrics suggest that last season he was the best shooter in the league based on shot quality, in the same realm as guys like Nikola Jokić and Kevin Durant. I love his game. No doubt he struggled in the Indiana series, but Jerome is a certified bucket and will be beloved in Memphis.
Morten Stig Jensen: It’s tough to ignore the Ty Jerome signing. Less than $10 million per year for a guy who was discussed as a future $20 million player last season? That’s a solid bit of business there for Memphis. And let’s stick with the Grizzlies, because Santi Aldama getting $17.5 million annually is also a rock solid deal. He might not be starting, but he’s a starting caliber player, and getting any type of talent to return to your team at that price is a win.
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Dan Devine: The Rockets recognizing the leverage they held with the team option on the final year of Fred VanVleet’s contract and using it to turn a one-year, $44.9 million deal into a two-year, $50 million pact. That dropped Houston’s 2025-26 payroll by enough to sign Dorian Finney-Smith — a quality 3-and-D veteran to round out what, after the Kevin Durant blockbuster, looks like a rotation capable of making a serious run at Oklahoma City atop the West. In exchange, VanVleet still got paid — this time with a player option for 2026-27, if he wants to test the market next summer — and gets to stay on the ball with a shot at a second NBA championship. Pretty decent stuff all around.
Vincent Goodwill: The Rockets, again, signing Jabari Smith Jr. to a long-term deal. Perhaps it’s subtle or maybe not, but they didn’t mess around with this kid and risk getting into his head with a critical season coming. He fills so many areas of need and development for the Rockets even with Durant coming in. The continuity, the opening of the wallet without any consternation or delay, signals a franchise that is serious about winning even beyond the bigger moves. I’m in.
What’s the worst free agent move so far?
Jensen: It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m already penciling in the Josh Giddey deal here, when that’s announced. Until then, I didn’t love the Spurs spending $41 million on Luke Kornet, but in particular I disliked the four years he got. It doesn’t align with any extension that Victor Wembanyama is likely to sign. And do they really have a major need at backup center, to the point where they had to spend that much? Seemed a bit desperate, and I say that as someone who actually likes Kornet quite a bit.
Haberstroh: Dennis Schröder to the Kings for three years, $45 million. They moved off of De’Aaron Fox so they could pay Schröder. That’s the big plan? Honestly, I’d rather give the keys to Malik Monk and Keon Ellis than Schröder. But the new regime in Sacramento evidently loved what they saw from Schroder in … checks notes … Detroit, Golden State, Brooklyn, Toronto, LA Lakers, Houston and Boston since 2021-22. That’s a lot of teams that bailed quickly on Schröder.
Goodwill: The Golden State Warriors not freeing Jonathan Kuminga from their clutches. It clearly hasn’t worked, he doesn’t fit there, they aren’t enamored with him (for good reason sometimes), but the hope is that someone steps up with an offer that gets both sides a clean slate. Maybe it’s the whopping seven-team deal that, according to my sources, isn’t out of the question.
Devine: I don’t think I hate any of them? I guess I’d say that, in the fullness of history, Sacramento going from having De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton to paying Schröder $45 million through his age-35 season doesn’t feel awesome. The Kings did need a point guard, there weren’t a ton available, and the reporting suggests they’ll absorb Schröder into an existing trade exception to keep their full non-taxpayer midlevel exception available, so it’s not like it jams them up horrendously. But flipping Jonas Valančiūnas (a legit good backup center!) for Dario Šarić (not that!) to create the financial flexibility to do it, then signing Drew Eubanks (also not really that!) to back-fill the roster hole, lends it all to a real “rearranging deck chairs” feeling.
What’s the most intriguing free agent move so far?
Goodwill: Minnesota deciding to not just bring back Naz Reid but also Julius Randle. We all thought it would be one or the other, but the Wolves are banking on continuity and putting big money where their intentions are. Reid at $25 million off the bench? Who cares! Randle not having a sterling conference finals after a stellar two rounds? Pay him because we believe in him. Believing in your system and your players in a league that no longer values continuity warms a cold heart.
Devine: Let’s go with “The Whole Myles Turner Thing.” I think Milwaukee deciding to pull the biggest waive-and-stretch in NBA history to move on from Damian Lillard so they could sign Turner to replace Brook Lopez’s floor spacing and rim protection next to Giannis Antetokounmpo is fascinating. I think the Bucks heading into next season betting that $115 million worth of Giannis, Turner, Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma up front is enough to offset a pretty dire backcourt and keep them competitive in a ravaged East is fascinating. I think the multiple post-mortem reports that Indiana’s offer to retain Turner topped out at around three years and $60 million-$70 million are fascinating.
Haberstroh: I’ll go with Houston trading for KD and signing Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, while going long with Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams. Did they forget they have an All-Star center in Alperen Şengün? Individually, I really like every move Houston did. But collectively, I’m a little nervous. Intrigued is the right word.
Jensen: This is between Tyus Jones (to Orlando) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (to Atlanta) to me. Jones flies under the radar, but he’s good. He practically never turns the ball over, he’s become a frighteningly good shooter, and he just knows how to run an offense. He fills a huge need for the Magic. As for Alexander-Walker, he too provides the Hawks with something they have a need of: quality two-way play at the wing position. He isn’t shot-hungry, so he can easily adapt within an offensive scheme that’s tailored around Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. He takes open 3-pointers, and generally plays within his own limitations, while giving his all defensively. He’s the type of guy who can play a vital role in leveling up the Hawks.
What move would you still like to see happen?
Haberstroh: LeBron going back East. Something’s up in LakerLand and I suppose there will be fallout in the coming days (weeks?). Given that Cleveland and New York were capped out, it makes some sense that LeBron would opt-in and pressure the Lakers to trade him to his destination of choice with his no-trade clause in hand. The fact that the Knicks hired his former coach Mike Brown, who is reportedly pursuing his longtime associate Phil Handy, simply can’t be ignored. Whether it’s Cleveland, New York or some other team (Dallas!?), I think LeBron beginning a new chapter elsewhere would be fascinating.
Goodwill: Chris Paul to Milwaukee. Exorcise those Giannis demons from the 2021 NBA Finals! Reunite with Doc Rivers one more time to help this franchise keep its head above water and exceed expectations! Doesn’t it feel like we’re in store for an overachieving season from Rivers? Of course Chris Paul wants to play close to home, so this particular exercise is fantasy. If you really wanna get nuts, send Russell Westbrook and all of his madness to Milwaukee with Giannis!
Devine: Let’s get Chris Paul back to Phoenix. The vibes in the Valley, it’s fair to say, have seen better days. Three combo guards does not one point god make; Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Jalen Green could all use somebody to get them easier shots. So, for that matter, could a remade frontcourt rotation of Mark Williams, rookie Khaman Maluach and rising sophomores Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn. Who better to teach them how to screen-and-roll their way into a handful of easy buckets a night than the dude who’s been spoon-feeding big men of all stripes for literally two decades?
Jensen: Can we get Jonathan Kuminga to a place where he’ll have the green light? I just want to see it at this point. He fancies himself a future All-Star, and perhaps he’s right. We genuinely have no idea how he’ll do in another system. He could be a 25-point scorer on elite efficiency, or he could be pretty much the same player he is now. But in order to find out, we need to see him elsewhere, and preferably on a team that gives him the starting power forward position and tells him to go nuts.
Who’s winning the offseason so far?
Devine: Gimme Atlanta. The Hawks took advantage of the Celtics’ misfortune to land Kristaps Porziņġis, then leveraged the Timberwolves’ need to pay Naz Reid and Julius Randle to pry away Nickeil Alexander-Walker — adding two huge, high-quality defensive players who can shoot.
Atlanta will now enter next season with Porziņġis joining Onyeka Okongwu up front, Alexander-Walker joining Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher on the wing, Luke Kennard as an ace marksman/complementary playmaker in the second unit, and first-round pick Asa Newell and Mouhamed Gueye as athleticism-and-energy bigs off the bench. That’s an awful lot of size, length, shooting and defensive talent surrounding Trae Young — a group that feels like it could (should?) turn in the first above-average defense of Trae’s tenure in Atlanta. The last time the Hawks even approached league-average on that end, they came within two wins of the Finals.
Oh, and they also turned the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA draft into an unprotected 2026 first-rounder from either the Pelicans or Bucks — whichever lands higher! — in a transaction that sounds like it beggars belief. Not bad for just-promoted general manager Onsi Saleh’s first crack at running a team.
Haberstroh: Houston. There may be some questions about on-court fit, but the Rockets are big winners from a big-picture standpoint. They added all this talent and still sit in pole position in case the Giannis Antetokounmpo derby begins for real. They have a tantalizing mix of young players, star vets and golden assets. I can’t believe they got KD without giving up any of the Phoenix picks they own or Reed Sheppard, my favorite player of the 2024 draft. Brilliant work by Rafael Stone.
Jensen: The Hawks and Magic are up there for sure, and the Clippers are also doing pretty well, by keeping everyone together, and even adding Brook Lopez. The Rockets need a mention here, with Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela joining the program, although I wonder if they’ll consider one more major consolidation move before the season. The Lakers are making some noise with Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia as well, but they could use one more piece before I throw them up there.
However, this is Denver’s offseason so far. They give up their 2032 pick, yes, but look at their options! Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr, and enough future flexibility to extend Christian Braun. This team finally looks deep again.
Goodwill: Atlanta looks like a serious outfit, for the first time in decades if not ever. But let’s also go with Denver here. Getting off Michael Porter Jr.’s max deal and getting Cam Johnson for almost $20 million less, is a steal and win for the new front office brass. Coming in as a new management group and getting the OK to make a move like that, then bringing back Bruce Brown, trading for Jonas Valančiūnas and signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to the vet minimum? That’s making fire out of paper towel, to give Nikola Jokić a chance, a reasonable one, to get back to the Finals while still in his prime.
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