Spotrac’s Free Agent by Position Series

Point Guards   |   Shooting Guards   |   Small Forwards   |   Power Forwards   |   Centers

2025 NBA free agency is right around the corner. This year’s class is considered a fairly weak one in terms of top-end talent. However, there are still several impact players available. In these rankings, we took a similar approach to the one many teams use when it comes to ranking available players. Each position was broken down into tiers. The tiers are:

  • All-Star: These aren’t all necessarily All-Stars, but they have the ability to be an All-Star
  • Starters: These players are either starters or they produce at a starter-level of impact
  • Rotation: These are solid players that should be in a team’s regular season rotation
  • Fringe: These are players at the end of the bench or Two-Way players playing mostly in the G League

Players were then ranked within their tiers. All potential free agents have been ranked, including those with pending options.

ALL-STAR TIER

  1. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    James remains a dominant force, even at his advanced age. We’re seeing him do things no one else has ever come close to at even a similar point in their career. While self-admitting that the end is closing in, James still has at least one more season left in him. He’ll be back with the Lakers, either by picking up his option or on another 1+1 deal.

  2. Julius Randle – Minnesota Timberwolves (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    It took Randle a little bit to find his footing in Minnesota. Once he did, Randle played like an All-Star. His play went up a level in the playoffs too. He’s far from a perfect player, but Randle is still a really good on-ball, playmaking four. The big question: Will he opt in? Or will Randle opt out and sign a long-term deal that brings his salary number down some for the upcoming season?

STARTER TIER

  1. John Collins – Utah Jazz (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    In a couple of messy years for the Jazz, Collins bounced back in a big way. He found his jumper again over the last couple of seasons. Collins remains a strong finisher in the paint, even if more shots are coming from floater range vs right at the rim. He’s also a good rebounder too. Collins will likely opt in, but then he’ll become a trade target for teams that need frontcourt help.

  2. Jonathan Kuminga – Golden State Warriors (RFA)
    Kuminga’s restricted free agency is kind of hard to figure out, much like where he’s at in his career. Unless the Brooklyn Nets want to get frisky with an offer sheet, Kuminga will have to work out a new deal with the Warriors or a sign-and-trade to a new team. He can really score, but the rest of Kuminga’s game hasn’t developed much. Scoring still has value though, so expect there to be sign-and-trade interest for the 22-year-old combo forward.

  3. Dorian Finney-Smith – Los Angeles Lakers (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Finney-Smith will likely stick with the Lakers. There are two paths here. First is simple, by picking up his $15.4 million player option. That would keep Finney-Smith’s options open moving forward. He could also opt out and sign a long-term deal with Los Angeles. In that case, expect the Lakers to try to bring Finney-Smith’s salary down a bit for the upcoming season. That would increase their flexibility under the tax aprons.

  4. Bobby Portis – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    If Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in Milwaukee, Portis will either opt in (and then possible extend) or opt out and sign a new long-term deal with the Bucks. If Antetokounmpo is leaving town, Portis could follow. Deals for the full non-taxpayer MLE might be on the table for Portis from a team that needs frontcourt depth.

  5. Guerschon Yabusele – Philadelphia 76ers (UFA)
    Yabusele’s return to the NBA went better than anyone could have expected. He was really good in a season where almost everything else went wrong for the Sixers. The challenge for Philadelphia is that Yabusele is coming off a veteran minimum deal and the team only has Non-Bird rights for him. That’s going to make giving him any kind of bump in a pay a potential challenge. That could open the door for another team to snag Yabusele in free agency.

ROTATION TIER

  1. Jake LaRavia – Sacramento Kings (UFA)
    The Grizzlies blew it by declining the fourth-year rookie scale option for LaRavia. That issue has now been passed onto the Kings, who can only sign LaRavia to a deal that starts at $5.2 million. That could see LaRavia move elsewhere. He’s a good shooter, has some on-ball creation ability, and LaRavia rebounds better than most realize. He’s a sneaky candidate to get a chunk of the MLE from a smart team looking for a combo forward.

  2. Nicolas Batum – LA Clippers (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Batum is very likely to opt in. He’s in year-to-year mode, but was still really productive for the Clippers as a backup big man. Expect at least one more year of giving LA solid minutes off the bench.

  3. Chris Boucher – Toronto Raptors (UFA)
    Boucher was shut down late in the season by the Raptors, which actually seems to indicate that he’ll be back in Toronto. They like his combination of energy and shooting off the bench. Unless a rival team offers the full Non-Taxpayer MLE, expect Boucher to return to the Raptors.

  4. Trey Lyles – Sacramento Kings (UFA)
    After a couple of good seasons as the Kings primary backup big man, Lyles fell off this year. Now, his future in Sacramento is a lot more uncertain. He holds up fairly well defensively and on the boards. If Lyles can get back to being a solid shooter, he’s a nice stretch option as a backup big.

  5. Larry Nance Jr. – Atlanta Hawks (UFA)
    Nance didn’t play much for Atlanta early, after being a throw-in to make an offseason trade work salary-wise. Then he started getting minutes and played really well. Unfortunately, that was followed by a season-ending injury for the 10-year forward/center. Nance should be a target for teams that need affordable big man depth. He can be a third big in the rotation for a playoff team.

  1. Precious Achiuwa – New York Knicks (UFA)
    Achiuwa still brings great energy to the floor when he plays. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot else here. The shot never developed to make him more of an offensive threat. But the energy, rebounding and defense is enough to make Achiuwa worth signing as a bench big.

  1. Bol Bol – Phoenix Suns (UFA)
    Bol remains somewhat of an enigma. He’ll have moments where he looks like a rotation player, followed by long stretches where he barely looks like an NBA player. Bol is still often lost on defense, which makes it hard for a coach to trust him to play rotation minutes.

  2. Trendon Watford – Brooklyn Nets (UFA)
    Like a lot of Nets, Watford’s efficiency suffered because he had to self-create a lot of shots. But we have a big enough sample size to know that Watford can do lot of good things. He’s a decent shooter, better-than-you-think passer and solid on the boards. Watford is good enough to be a rotation big on a playoff team.

  3. Gui Santos – Golden State Warriors (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    For a lot of the year, Santos looked like he was on the Warriors more for cap/tax reasons than basketball ones. Then he started getting some run and Santos showed he can play. He plays with great energy and has a high basketball IQ. If the shot was more consistent, he’d be higher on this list. As it is, expect him to be back with Golden State for at least one more year.

  4. Marvin Bagley – Memphis Grizzlies (UFA)
    We’re seven years in now and still trying to figure out Bagley. He has stretches of games where he looks like a passable rotation big man. Then there are times where you can see why Bagley has played for four teams already. He won’t get anything near the $12.5 million he made last year, but someone will give Bagley another deal and a shot at cracking their rotation.

  5. Dominick Barlow – Atlanta Hawks (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    This one is all about potential. Barlow only just turned 22, despite having three years of NBA experience under his belt. He’s athletic and strong around the rim. The shot is still very much a work in progress. But there’s a ton of potential here. The Hawks should bring Barlow back for another year.

  6. Dario Saric – Denver Nuggets (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    This might be the biggest lock of all option decisions. Unless Saric really doesn’t want to spend another year at the end of the Nuggets bench, he should pick up his $5.4 million option. From there, Saric’s primary value to Denver is as salary-matching in a trade.

  7. Vlatko Cancar – Denver Nuggets (UFA)
    This one is kind of a bummer. In the summer of 2023, Cancar looked like he was becoming a rotation forward. After tearing his ACL, he missed a year, then spent last season working his way back. It’s not really clear where Cancar is at now. If he can find his form from a few years ago, someone should bring Cancar in for a rotation shot. If not, he’s probably best to head overseas to continue his career.

FRINGE TIER (UNRANKED AND PRESENTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

  1. Jae Crowder – Sacramento Kings (UFA)
    We’re probably closing in on the end for Crowder but 13 years is pretty damn good for a former second-round pick. The issue is that Crowder has to defend up now, and he doesn’t offer a consistent enough shot. Maybe another minimum deal comes his way, but we may be at the end of the line.

  2. Enrique Freeman – Indiana Pacers (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Freeman didn’t play much in the NBA, but was terrific in the G League. He flashed a better all-around game than we saw in college. Freeman also remained a good rebounder and interior defender. Another year of seasoning on a two-way deal is probably the way forward for Freeman and the Pacers.

  3. Jeff Green – Houston Rockets (UFA)
    Green says he wants to play at least a couple more years. He’s fully in stay ready/veteran locker room presence mode in his career now. That means Green shouldn’t see more than minimum offers, but for a veteran mentor, teams could do a lot worse.

  4. James Johnson – Indiana Pacers (UFA)
    See Jeff Green, but substitute Johnson in for the Pacers. It’s really down to if Johnson wants to play another year and if Indiana has a roster spot for him.

  5. Isaac Jones – Sacramento Kings (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Jones didn’t do a lot in the NBA, but was good enough in the G League to earn his callup to Sacramento on a standard deal. The Kings should bring Jones back, either by picking up his option or declining it to work out a long-term deal.

  6. Kai Jones – Dallas Mavericks (UFA)
    Jones is only 24 years old and he played his best NBA minutes in his 12-game stint with the Mavs. Someone should bring Jones in for frontcourt depth. There’s still untapped talent here.

  7. E.J. Liddell – Chicago Bulls (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Liddell showed improvement in the G League as a shooter and creator this past season. He needs another year on a two-way deal to continue to try to put it all together before a standard NBA deal.

  8. Doug McDermott – Sacramento Kings (UFA)
    The Kings really built a bench of wayward NBA vets last year. McDermott is still a good shooter. There’s just nothing else to his game. And, as he’s aged, McDermott has become more reliant on others to set him up for his shots. Still, playoff hopefuls who need designated shooting off the bench could bring in McDermott on a veteran minimum deal.

  9. Jack McVeigh – Houston Rockets (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    McVeigh was fine in the G League, but didn’t dominate. He’s also going to be 29 years old before next season. That makes another two-way deal less likely, as there’s not a lot of untapped potential here. McVeigh gave the NBA a run, but returning to Australia could be in the cards for next season.

  10. Markieff Morris – Los Angeles Lakers (UFA)
    Morris is in the same spot as Jeff Green and James Johnson. He’s a solid bench veteran to have around. If a team has a roster spot, a veteran minimum deal could come for Morris. Otherwise, a career in the media is looming for the vet big man.

  11. Drew Peterson – Boston Celtics (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Peterson can really shoot. He’s also a sneaky-good rebounder and pretty good passer. If Boston moves on from Sam Hauser, they could bring in Peterson to take his place, alongside second-year player Baylor Scheierman.

  12. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – New Orleans Pelicans (UFA)
    Robinson-Earl seems destined to start seasons at the end of the bench, before eventually becoming a part of the rotation. He’s a fairly rugged defender and rebounder. He’s improved as a ball-mover and screener too. If the shot was better, Robinson-Earl would have a clear rotation role on a bigger deal. As it is, he’s good as bench depth on a veteran minimum contract.

  13. J.T. Thor – Washington Wizards (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Thor flashed at times with the Charlotte Hornets earlier in his career. Then he had some moments for South Sudan at the Olympics. But it’s never quite come together for him. He’s out of two-way eligibility, but someone might bring Thor in for forward depth on a minimum deal.

  14. P.J. Tucker – New York Knicks (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Tucker landed with the Knicks late in the season. He didn’t play much. If New York picks up Tucker’s $3.5 million option for next season, it’s probably for salary-matching purposes in a trade. There’s just not much on-court production left for the long-time vet.