MLB saw its first big blockbuster move of 2025 when the Boston Red Sox agreed to a trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.

Trade Details

San Franciso Giants Acquire
3B Rafael Devers

Boston Red Sox Acquire
SP Kyle Harrison
RP Jordan Hicks
OF James Tibbs III (#4)
RP Jose Bello

Remaining Financials

Rafael Devers will bring over 8 1/2 years, $254M remaining on his current contract. The Giants will be on the hook for $13.3M in 2025 ($11.3M + a $2M trade assignment bonus), then another $230M through 2033 (though $60M of that is deferred). Boston frees up significant cash & tax in the short and long term, and now project to be under the tax threshold for the 2025 season (though that could very much change in the coming weeks).

New Boston SP Kyle Harrison is team-controlled through 2029, with minimal pre-arbitration salaries through this and next season. RP Jordan Hicks is currently on the IL with a toe injury, with 2.5 years, $31M remaining on his contract through 2027. OF James Tibbs was SF's #4 overall prospect is in High-A ball, currently projecting to fill a corner outfield spot when he reaches the MLB level. RP Jose Bello is still just 20 years old, but he's showing all of the stuff to secure a middle relief/setup role at the MLB level.

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Jeff Weltman promised that the Orlando Magic would be aggressive in trying to upgrade the roster this offseason. By making a major deal, with a lot of moving parts, with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Magic took a homerun swing.

Here are the particulars:

Orlando Magic acquire: Desmond Bane

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, 2025 16th overall pick, 2026 first-round pick (likely to be from Phoenix Suns), 2028 unprotected Orlando first-round pick, 2029 top-two protected first-round pick swap, 2030 unprotected Orlando first-round pick

Let’s dive in!

(Note: We’re assuming this trade is being completed as a part of the 2024-25 league year, thus all salary amounts will reflect that.)

Orlando Magic

Incoming salary: $34.0 million in 2024-25

• Desmond Bane (SG, four years, $163.2 million)

Outgoing salary: $35.7 million in 2024-25

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG, two years, $43.2 million (player option for final season)), Cole Anthony (PG, two years, $26.2 million (team option for final season))

After his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said the Magic would be aggressive in upgrading the roster this summer. With one transaction, Weltman has backed up those words in a major way.

Over the last two seasons, especially in the playoffs, Orlando has desperately needed more shooting and scoring. Desmond Bane solves those issues and then some.

Over the course of his five-year career, Bane has put up 47/41/88 shooting splits, while attempting 6.3 three-pointers per game. Overall, Bane is a 17.8 points per game scorer. If you take out his rookie season, when he had a lesser role as a bench player, Bane has averaged 20.2 points per game.

The sixth-year guard has proven that he can scale his offensive role up and down as necessary. Bane can handle being the primary scorer when called upon, but he’s also terrific playing off others. That’s huge for a Magic team that will have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner running the offense a lot. Bane is also a very good passer, which will help when teams key on Banchero and Wagner and someone else needs to create offense.

On the defensive end, the Magic lose a bit, because Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is still a very good defensive player. Caldwell-Pope is showing some signs of slipping, but those showed up far more on the offensive end. That said, Bane is a pretty rugged defender himself. He’s better against bigger, stronger wings than quick, speedy guards but those are the guys that Jalen Suggs will defend. Overall, Orlando isn’t going to see any kind of big drop-off on defense with Bane in place of Caldwell-Pope.

Losing Cole Anthony eats away at Orlando’s guard depth some, but it opens an even clearer path to minutes for third-year guard Anthony Black. Anthony was out of the rotation for large chunks of last season. Now, Black will fully take on the backup role behind Suggs, in a pretty good three-guard rotation with Bane.

On the cap sheet, things are starting to get pretty pricey for the Magic. This season, they’re likely to be a tax team, and possibly pushing up against the first apron. That shouldn’t be an issue, as Orlando doesn’t have a lot of open roster spots. They’ll likely re-sign Moe Wagner and one other veteran minimum deal, barring any other trades.

It’s starting with the 2026-27 season when Orlando will become very expensive. Paolo Banchero will be on at least a 25% max salary starting that season, and possibly a 30% max salary if he makes All-NBA next year. That means in 2026-27, the Magic will have at least $196 million on the books for eight players. If they keep Jonathan Isaac and Jett Howard in the fold, that figure climbs to nearly $218 million. That’ll see Orlando over the first apron and approaching second-apron territory. If Banchero qualifies for the 30% of the cap max, add about $9.5 million to those figures, which pushes the Magic well past the second apron.

On one hand, having a core of Banchero, Wagner, Suggs and now Bane locked in through at least the 2028-29 season sounds great. But that core has to produce at a high level, including playoff success. Otherwise, at least one of that core group will have to be traded to reset around the ones who remain.

As for the future draft capital, Orlando should be ok. They’ve had extra draft picks in several years recently, which meant that roster spots were becoming an issue. They should also feel confident about being good enough that surrendering unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 and a very lightly-protected swap in 2029 won’t hurt them too much.

Everything is in place for the Magic to make a deeper playoff run next year. And important to note: that’s without making any other moves. Orlando still has the salaries to swing another deal or two, to continue retooling the roster. The Eastern Conference looks pretty wide open, and the Magic have now put themselves in the mix to be contenders for the foreseeable future.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $35.7 million in 2024-25

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG, two years, $43.2 million (player option for final season)), Cole Anthony (PG, two years, $26.2 million (team option for final season))

Outgoing salary: $34.0 million in 2024-25

• Desmond Bane (SG, four years, $163.2 million)

The Memphis Grizzlies gave the core group of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane four years. Those four years returned one playoff series win. It felt like making a change was coming and here it is.

On the court, this move weakens the Memphis offense by a large amount. Bane was their second-best offensive creator behind Morant. Bane’s shooting was a key to opening up the floor for Morant’s whirling dervish drives. Now, the Grizzlies have to figure that out, as well as solving for an additional creator alongside Morant and Jackson.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a decent replacement for Bane. He’s still a very good defensive player, but his offensive production fell off a cliff last season. Maybe it was the Magic curse, where no one shoots well for Orlando. If not, the Grizzlies might be in some trouble on offense. If Caldwell-Pope can get back to his former levels as a shooter, Memphis lost shot creation, but should be ok with spacing.

Adding Cole Anthony could also help juice the offense, but he’s not big enough to play with Morant, and Scotty Pippen Jr. has already proven to be a pretty good backup point guard. Don’t be surprised if Anthony is moved in a subsequent deal, as his fit with the Grizzlies doesn’t seem very clean right now.

Mostly, this deal gave Memphis some long-term salary flexibility, while adding a ton of draft capital for the future. The Grizzlies took on a little money for the upcoming season because of adding the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (more on that in a bit!), but shed significant long-term salary. At most, Caldwell-Pope and Anthony are on the books for about $7 million less than Bane was alone. At best, Memphis could decline the team option they now hold for Anthony for 2026-27 and Caldwell-Pope could opt out for the same season. And that’s before factoring in the $87 million Bane is owed through the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.

However, in order to make that flexibility worth it, the Grizzlies have to do something with it. Before this trade, Memphis could have created about $7 million in cap space this summer. The idea there was to add to that Jackson’s $23.4 million salary for the upcoming season in a renegotiation-and-extension deal. Memphis then could have extended Jackson off his new $30 million salary.

Now, the Grizzlies can create about $4.5 million in cap space. Bumping Jackson up to about $28 million could still be enough to get a renegotiation-and-extension done, but it’s not nearly as lucrative. However, Jackson and Memphis could have an understanding that they’ll take care of things in the 2026 offseason. If that’s the case, then Memphis can bump Jackson’s salary up even higher and the team should still have a lot of flexibility.

As for this offseason, the Grizzlies can still re-sign Santi Aldama and use the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. They’ve got more than enough clearance under the first apron to do whatever they need to with signings and further trades.

The volume of draft picks Memphis acquired in this deal can’t be overlooked. They got a mid-round first this year, which should help them towards replacing Bane. They’ll have an extra pick in 2026, 2028 and 2030, as well as a potentially nice swap in 2029. That’s huge for the future. Even if the Grizzlies don’t use all those picks themselves, they’ll have a nice chunk of additional draft capital to offer in trades moving forward.

It’s felt like Memphis was going to make a big change since they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Now, the Grizzlies have made that big change. They have considerably more flexibility moving forward, but undoubtedly gave up the best player in this deal. How Memphis replaces Bane, and what they do with all the flexibility cap- and draft-wise moving forward, will determine how they did in this deal. For a Grizzlies team that’s had a pretty stable future locked in for years, things are now a lot less certain.

Offseason Approach

Continuing growing while waiting for right all-in deal

Actual Cap Space

-$101.4 million

Practical Cap Space

-$101.4 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$40.3 million

Under Contract (11)

Dillon Brooks
Tari Eason
Jalen Green
Jock Landale (non-guaranteed)
David Roddy (two-way)
Alperen Sengun
Reed Sheppard
Jabari Smith Jr.
Amen Thompson
Cam Whitmore
Nate Williams Jr. (non-guaranteed)

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (7)

Steven Adams (unrestricted)
N’Faly Dante (restricted – two-way)
Jeff Green (unrestricted)
Aaron Holiday (unrestricted – team option)
Jack McVeigh (restricted – two-way)
Jae’Sean Tate (unrestricted)
Fred VanVleet (unrestricted – team option)

View Free Agents

Dead Cap (0)

None

Projected Signing Exceptions

Non-Taxpayer MLE ($14.1 million)
(The Bi-Annual Exception is unavailable after being used to sign Aaron Holiday in 2024-25)

Notable Trade Exceptions

None

First Round Draft Pick

#10

Notable Extension Candidates

Dillon Brooks (veteran extension)
Tari Eason (rookie scale extension)
Jock Landale (veteran extension)
Jabari Smith Jr. (rookie scale extension)
Fred VanVleet (veteran extension – if team option is exercised)

Analysis 

The Houston Rockets arrived last season in a louder way than was expected. After knocking on the door of the postseason in 2024, Houston kicked the door in and snatched the second seed in the Western Conference.

Yes, the upstart Rockets lost in seven games to the seasoned Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. But don’t miss the forest for the trees. The Rockets are here now and they aren’t going anywhere soon.

This is a big offseason for Houston. The front office, led by Rafael Stone, has preached patience. Stone has repeatedly said that the plan is to let the young core continue to develop together, while mindfully adding veterans to support that development.

However, there is a sense that after having a very good regular season and a solid showing in the playoffs, that Houston now can see what they need to push things forward and into contention for the NBA Finals. That mindset could lead to the Rockets making a big move or two this summer.

In many ways, things with Houston’s offseason start with Fred VanVleet. The team and VanVleet mutually agreed to push back the Rockets deadline for picking up VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option to June 29. That gives Houston the opportunity to get a better sense of what the offseason landscape looks like, and their best path forward with VanVleet.

If there is a big trade to be made for the Rockets, there’s a good chance VanVleet and his hefty, expiring salary will be a part of it. Houston could pick up the option and immediately put the veteran guard into a trade. Given the Rockets have enough clearance under the first apron, even with VanVleet’s $44.9 million on the books, they could even take on some money in a trade.

The next most likely path is to decline VanVleet’s option, while working out an agreement to sign him to a new contract. That deal would likely see VanVleet’s salary for the upcoming season come down by a good amount, but additional money would be added on in future years. Something like $75 million over three seasons, with $60 million guaranteed, makes sense for both sides.

The third option is to simply pick up the $44.9 million for VanVleet, then keep him on the roster into next season. That would give Houston a large chunk of salary-matching for in-season trades, and their cap sheet can support the big number.

Last, and least likely, would be to decline VanVleet’s option and let him walk in free agency. This doesn’t make sense for the Rockets or the veteran guard. He wouldn’t see more than the MLE in free agency, and Houston would lose VanVleet for nothing in return.

(Just to be clear, since this was proposed earlier this offseason: The Rockets cannot trade VanVleet now, using 2024-25 salaries, and the acquiring team declines the team option for savings purposes. In order for Houston to trade VanVleet now, using his 2024-25 salary, they’d have to pick up his option for next year first. Pending free agents, even those with options, are not eligible to be traded.)

We’ll come back to the team’s other free agents in a moment, as there are some key players hitting the market this summer. But we need to talk about the Rockets all-in, mega-trade options now.

Is it time for Houston to make such a deal? It probably depends on who we’re talking about the team acquiring. If Giannis Antetokounmpo were available, that’s an easy yes. He’d be an amazing fit, and he’s still got enough very productive years left to make it worth giving up considerable assets in a deal. However, it doesn’t seem like Antetokounmpo is going to be available this offseason.

If somehow Houston could pry Devin Booker from Phoenix, by offering the Suns back some of their own draft picks, plus matching salary, that’s also a pretty easy yes. However again, like Antetokounmpo, Booker isn’t likely to be available this offseason.

That takes us to Kevin Durant. Is Kevin Durant kind of a perfect fit for what Houston’s first-round playoff loss to Golden State showed they need? He sure is. The Rockets need someone who can efficiently create his own offense when everything else goes sideways. Also, Durant is known to be available and is expected to be traded this offseason. Should Houston go for him? Sure…if the price is right.

It doesn’t make sense for the Rockets to send the Suns back all of their own picks, young core players, plus matching salary (which would come in the form of rotation players from Houston) for a 37-year-old on an expiring deal, who has a long injury history. If the price comes down enough, then Stone should jump on it. Let’s say Houston had to give up a couple of veteran rotation guys and one Suns pick for Durant, and they had a good feeling he’d re-sign, then a deal makes sense.

We won’t go further down this speculative path, except to say that these are the real scenarios that Stone and his front office are playing out right now. Houston is very good. They might even be one player away from making a real run at the NBA Finals. But giving up everything they’ve collected has to be the right move, or they’ll sink things before they even start.

As for the team’s non-VanVleet free agents, Steven Adams has become the top priority to re-sign. He was an excellent backup for Alperen Sengun, and Ime Udoka even found ways to play the two big men together in effective lineups. Re-signing Adams won’t break the bank either. Something in the range of two-years, $20 million feels about right, given his role, age and injury history.

It feels like Jae’Sean Tate’s time has run its course in Houston. He’s become a solid role player on the perimeter, but the Rockets rotation is overstuffed with forward options. Tate will likely go elsewhere for more playing time.

Picking up their team option for Aaron Holiday is probably dependent on how the Rockets see the rest of the summer going. He was effective as the team’s de facto backup point guard, but Houston is going to put Reed Sheppard into that role next season. If Holiday’s $4.9 million option is likely to cause tax or apron challenges, Houston will probably decline it. Holiday could then return on a veteran minimum deal.

We’ll lump Jeff Green and Jock Landale into the same boat, even if Green is a free agent, while Landale is under a non-guaranteed contract. Bringing back both players seems unlikely, given Houston is adding another first-round pick, wants to re-sign Adams and is starting to push up against the luxury tax. Saving an end-of-bench roster spot for either veteran big man may happen, but don’t expect both to return.

At the draft, Houston has the 10th overall pick. They should be in best-player-available mode, but would do well to add some additional shooting to the roster. There are a lot of options for that around where the Rockets are picking, so they should come away with a future rotation player in the first round.

Extensions this summer are mostly about rookie scale extensions for Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Dillon Brooks, and possibly Fred VanVleet, are extension-eligible, but it’s unlikely either veteran will get an extension.

Smith hasn’t shown out like fellow top picks in his class Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren have. They’re probably getting maximum extension offers as soon as they are eligible. Smith is still more of a mystery box three seasons in. He’s a good player, solid on defense and on the boards. Smith’s offense took a step back last season, as he struggled to adjust to a smaller role.

There’s a good chance that Houston and Smith can’t come to common ground on an extension. For the Rockets to feel good, the deal would need to be relatively team friendly. In that scenario, Smith is probably better off betting on himself and taking this into restricted free agency in 2026. If he has a breakout season, there should be more teams with cap space who could entertain an offer sheet next summer.

Eason is in a different spot. We kind of know what he is: a ball of energy, who excels on defense and on the glass. A deal in the range of $18 to $20 million AAV makes sense for Eason. He should want a shorter, four-year version, while the Rockets should push for full team control over five years. $20 million could seem like a lot for a reserve forward, but Eason still has untapped upside as an offensive player. If he develops more on offense, Eason will make this look like a steal within a couple of seasons.

As we said before, this is an important offseason for the Houston Rockets. The toughest thing a general manager has to decide on is when it’s time to go for it. If he goes too early, his team might not be ready and may never get there. If he waits too long, maybe that window never really opens before the team gets too expensive to keep together. Rafael Stone has to thread that needle now, because his Rockets are really good already and Stone can’t mistime the launch window.

Offseason Approach

Bring back key free agents and find frontcourt depth

Actual Cap Space

-$52.2 million

Practical Cap Space

-$46.7 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$53.4 million

Under Contract (12)

Patrick Baldwin Jr. (two-way)
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Kobe Brown
Cam Christie
Kris Dunn
Drew Eubanks (non-guaranteed)
Derrick Jones Jr.
Kawhi Leonard
Seth Lundy (two-way)
Jordan Miller (non-guaranteed)
Norman Powell
Ivica Zubac

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (6)

Nicolas Batum (unrestricted – player option)
Amir Coffey (unrestricted)
Trentyn Flowers (restricted – two-way)
James Harden (unrestricted – player option)
Patty Mills (unrestricted)
Ben Simmons (unrestricted)

View Free Agents

Dead Cap (0)

None

Projected Signing Exceptions

Non-Taxpayer MLE ($14.1 million)
(The Bi-Annual Exception is unavailable after being used to sign Nicolas Batum in 2024-25)

Notable Trade Exceptions

P.J. Tucker ($6.5 million)
Bones Hyland ($4.2 million)

First Round Draft Pick

#30

Notable Extension Candidates

Amir Coffey (veteran extension – through June 30)
Norman Powell (veteran extension)

Analysis

The LA Clippers pushed the Denver Nuggets to the brink in the first round. While losing that early in the playoffs certainly stings, it shows that the Clippers are still a dangerous group when they’re healthy.

This summer, LA needs to bring back some of their key guys, while adding depth. That seems simple, but it’s far easier said than done.

James Harden is atop the priority list for the team’s free agents. Most expect Harden to opt out of his $36.3 million deal, but to remain with the Clippers. The idea behind opting out would be to add years to his deal, it not necessarily dollars. Look for Harden to sign a two-year deal that falls somewhere between $70 and $80 million. That would align his contract with the two years that Kawhi Leonard has remaining on his deal. The $35 to $40 million AAV would also allow the team flexibility to work under the first apron to add depth.

Nicolas Batum is the team’s next most important free agent. He’s likely to opt in for one more year at $4.9 million. That’s big for LA, as Batum is an important part of the team’s frontcourt rotation. He’s still a savvy defender and can hit a spot-up jumper.

Amir Coffey is in an interesting spot. He put together a really nice season as a 3&D wing. However, as the Clippers got healthy late in the season and the playoffs, Coffey’s role was reduced. LA would probably like him back, but he’d be rejoining a pretty crowded wing group. That could see Coffey move elsewhere for a bigger role.

Ben Simmons didn’t have a huge impact for the Clippers, but seemed to find himself some after arriving late following a buyout from the Nets. LA used him like a rim-rolling, small-ball, playmaking big. That’s probably Simmons’ ideal role. He could be back for another run, likely on a minimum deal.

LA is reportedly going to move on from Drew Eubanks, by waiving him before his contract guarantees. Patty Mills will probably stay in touch, but it’s unclear if he’ll play for a 17th NBA season or not. Trentyn Flowers should be brought back on another two-way deal to continue his development.

If the Clippers lose Coffey, they’ve got enough wing depth to cover, especially if Cam Christie or Jordan Miller is ready for a bigger role next season. Losing Eubanks isn’t a massive loss, but it would further weaken a light frontcourt.

After re-signing Harden and bringing back Batum, LA has to add frontcourt depth. Ivica Zubac has become one of the better starting centers in the NBA, but there’s nothing behind him. The good news? Center is the one position with some depth in free agency.

Pending how much Harden re-signs for, the Clippers should have enough room under the first apron to fit in a signing for the full Non-Taxpayer MLE. That should give LA significant spending power to add frontcourt depth. Free agents who could fit in for some or all of the MLE include Bobby Portis, Clint Capela, Luke Kornet, Steven Adams, Trey Lyles, Larry Nance Jr., Guerschon Yabusele or Al Horford (if he chooses to keep playing and leaves Boston).

At the draft, the Clips have the 30th pick in the first round. That’s a spot where they could select a center. There are several prospects who could step in and play as a backup as a rookie. Players who fit that mold include Thomas Sorber, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Maxime Raynaud and Johni Broome. All would be really solid backups behind Zubac right away.

Of course, there are always trades to fill holes on the roster. The Clippers have already been linked to Kevin Durant. They become an intriguing trade partner for the Suns, because LA can deliver Phoenix a package of good players on expiring and short-term contracts. That allows the Suns to stay competitive, while also cleaning up their salary sheet considerably moving forward.

The real question: Should LA trade significant depth to build a team around Durant, Leonard and Harden. That trio looks good on paper, but age, injuries and fit are real concerns.

More attainable targets could include Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis. Boston is in a similar situation to Phoenix, as far as shedding salary to get under the second apron. The Celtics also don’t seem likely to rebuild, so getting established players back makes sense for them.

A trade with the Mavericks to acquire P.J. Washington or Daniel Gafford could also make sense for the Clippers. In that kind of deal, LA could send Norman Powell to help balance out their roster, while getting the Mavs some additional guard depth. Portland is another possible trade partner, as the Trail Blazers have several veterans in their frontcourt that could move this offseason.

As far as potential extensions go, Norman Powell is the eligible player to watch here. He’s been terrific for LA since they acquired him a few years ago. If Powell was open to signing a shorter-term extension, it could make sense for him and the Clippers to line his deal up with that of Zubac’s. That allows the team flexibility moving forward. If Powell wants a major raise, or to lock in long-term, LA is best to let this one play out. They’d have the ability to extend Powell through June 30 of 2026, so there’s no real rush here either.

Expect the LA Clippers to be active in free agency or in trade talks. They might not swing a blockbuster deal, but LA doesn’t really need to either. The Clippers are close, if they make the right moves and add depth. And the cap sheet is remarkably clean moving forward, considering where this team was just a couple of seasons ago. Expect keeping long-term flexibility, while strengthening the team over the next two seasons to be the guideposts for the Clippers this offseason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally, officially, completed the inevitable, signing QB Aaron Rodgers to 1 year contract that can max out at $19.5M. Here are the full details:

Rodgers secures a $10M signing bonus, representing the full guarantee on the new contract. Add in a $3.65M base salary, and $500k of likely to be earned incentive, and the 41-year-old stands to carry a $14.15M cap hit for the Steelers in 2025.

Here's how the $5.85M of incentives break down:

• Playoff Berth: $500,000 (likely)
• Wild Card Win or Bye: $600,000
• Divisional Round Win: $750,000
• Conference Championship Win: $1M
• Super Bowl Win: $1.5M
• League MVP: $1.5M

Assuming just the base $13.65M value of this contract, Rodgers has now increased his total career earnings on the field to over $394M, second only to Matthew Stafford (who will surpass the $400M mark in 2025).

Offseason Approach

Re-sign key free agents and keep pushing forward

Actual Cap Space

-$33.6 million

Practical Cap Space

-$33.6 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$52.7 million

Under Contract (12)

Cade Cunningham
Jalen Duren
Simone Fontecchio
Ron Harper Jr. (to-way)
Tobias Harris
Ron Holland II
Jaden Ivey
Bobi Klintman
Marcus Sasser
Tolu Smith (two-way)
Isaiah Stewart II
Ausar Thompson

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (6)

Malik Beasley (unrestricted)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (unrestricted)
Daniss Jenkins (restricted – two-way)
Paul Reed (unrestricted)
Dennis Schroder (unrestricted)
Lindy Waters III (unrestricted)

View Free Agents

Dead Cap (0)

None

Projected Signing Exceptions

Non-Taxpayer MLE ($14.1 million)
Bi-Annual Exception ($5.1 million)

Notable Trade Exceptions

None

First Round Draft Picks

None

Notable Extension Candidates

Jalen Duren (rookie scale extension)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (veteran extension – through June 30)
Jaden Ivey (rookie scale extension)

Analysis

The Detroit Pistons took a major step forward last season. A year after setting records for futility, Detroit made the playoffs and pushed the New York Knicks in the first round.

This summer, the Pistons have options. One of those options includes creating cap space, but in a change from recent offseason, Detroit won’t just be in the market to take on bad contracts for draft capital.

How quickly things can change in just one year!

The major items for Detroit this summer are to re-sign Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder, or to find suitable replacements for either veteran guard. Tim Hardaway Jr. is probably rung lower on the importance list, but far too many are dismissing a player who started 77 games as an afterthought.

How Trajan Langdon goes about re-signing his guys will have an impact on the rest of the summer for Detroit. This isn’t as straightforward as simply re-signing players, because the Pistons don’t have full Bird rights for either Beasley or Schroder.

The first path, and the more preferable one, is for Detroit to stay over the cap. They can then offer Beasley most, if not all, of the Non-Taxpayer MLE. That would be a starting salary of $14.1 million for next season, with a full value of $60.6 million over four years.

Given that Beasley took just $6 million next year, then nearly won Sixth Man of the Year, he’s going to get a hefty raise. The MLE should be enough, considering only the Brooklyn Nets could offer more in terms of a straight signing. And that’s not a direction the Nets are likely heading in.

If the Pistons stay over the cap and commit the MLE to Beasley, they could then use Schroder’s Early Bird rights to give him a new deal. They can start him around the $13 million he played for last season, or give him a slight raise. Because he’s a bit older, something around $42 million over three seasons feels about right for Schroder.

From there, Hardaway could be re-signed using his Bird rights. He’s not going to get the $16.2 million he played for a year ago, but $30 million over three seasons makes sense. And it would be even better if Hardaway would agree to have that deal frontloaded some too. That would help ease things in the out years, when Detroit will be carrying more salary for other players.

Paul Reed and Lindy Waters III could both be brought back as depth players on veteran minimum deals. That’s true if the Pistons have to use cap space too. Let’s go there next.

Let’s say Beasley wants more than the Non-Taxpayer MLE. That would require the Pistons renouncing their free agents to create up to about $16.9 million in cap space. (This figure went down by about $8 million when Cade Cunningham was named All-NBA and earned a 30% of the cap max.) In this scenario, Detroit would also have the $8.8 million Room Exception to work with too.

Let’s assume that Beasley would need all of the available cap space. That’d work out to a max of $72.7 million over four seasons. Certainly, more than the MLE, but not by a massive amount.

We’ll project from there, that the Room Exception would be used to re-sign Dennis Schroder for a deal worth up to $27.6 million over three years. That’s a decent drop from what we proposed the Pistons would re-sign Schroder for using his Early Bird rights.

Because Detroit would have renounced Hardaway to create cap space, they wouldn’t be able to offer him more than a veteran minimum deal. That probably means he’d head elsewhere for more money.

Ultimately, this will come down to how much money Beasley wants in free agency. If he’s open to taking less, but still over-doubling his salary from last season, staying over the cap and using the MLE should be the play. Otherwise, things get a bit more complicated with trying to also re-sign Schroder and Hardaway.

Of course, Detroit could create additional cap space by moving off a contract or two. They’ve been mentioned as potential players for free agent centers like Myles Turner, Naz Reid or Santi Aldama. The easily-created $16.9 million won’t probably be enough for any of Turner, Reid or Aldama. But if the Pistons were to move off another contract or two, they could get into a pretty competitive range for one of that trio.

As exciting as that may be, it would very likely mean losing all of Beasley, Schroder and Hardaway. Is adding a veteran center, when the Pistons already have Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart II, really that big of a priority?

All of that said, don’t fully rule out sign-and-trade possibilities for Reid or Aldama. Both could end up casualties of cost-cutting efforts by their current teams. If so, Detroit could be positioned to pick up either player via a sign-and-trade deal. It’s pretty unlikely that the Pacers would help a division rival in a sign-and-trade for Turner, unless Indiana was being heavily compensated to do so.

If the Pistons more or less run it back, they don’t have a lot of holes on the roster. Another forward would be nice, simply to give Tobias Harris a stronger backup. Detroit is very high on Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, so don’t expect the team to bring in a wing that would take away much playing time from either player. In the backcourt, Jaden Ivey will be full-go at the start of the season, which will only add to the team’s guard depth.

Speaking of Ivey, he and Jalen Duren are both eligible for rookie scale extensions. Both are players that Detroit would like to retain on long-term deals.

Ivey was having his best all-around season before he broke his leg on January 1. While much was made of Cade Cunningham playing with better spacing around him, Ivey was an equal beneficiary of that spacing too. With more room to work, Ivey put up career-bests nearly across the board, including 46/41/73 shooting splits.

Ivey being able to defend either guard position, plus his ability to work on- or off-ball on offense makes him a perfect backcourt partner for Cunningham. An extension in the range of $25 to $30 million AAV makes sense. For Detroit, they should look to lock Ivey up on something around $135 million over five years. That’d be an AAV of $27 million per season. The high range should be $150 million and an AAV of $30 million per season.

For Duren, he took major steps forward this past season as a defender and showed real improvement on offense. To put it simply, it looked like things clicked for Duren on both ends of the floor. He’s never going to be an all-defense candidate, but Duren was out of position a lot less last season. He remains an elite rebounder.

On offense, Duren made better passing reads, especially on the short roll. He was also far more effective at finishing in the paint. Having Cunningham’s playmaking around for a full season, combined with better overall spacing, kept Duren closer to the rim than ever. Trading contested flip shots from floater range for layups and dunks resulted in a far more efficient offensive player.

Centers still get paid in the NBA. As more teams move back to two-big lineups, that’s going to be even more true. A contract in the same ranges as we laid out for Ivey should be in play for Duren.

Both Duren and Ivey are important players for the Pistons. Next summer, there should be more teams with cap space. That could lead to some offer sheets in restricted free agency. That’s not a game Detroit wants to play. They’re best off locking up both of their young players themselves this offseason.

The Detroit Pistons had their best season in well over a decade last year. Everything is in place for a repeat performance. It’s a big summer for Trajan Langdon to retain talent, while finding small upgrades where he can around the edges of the rotation. It’s not time for an all-in move yet in Detroit. But another year of winning and another playoff appearance puts the Pistons in place to make the big move as soon as a year from now.

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

None

STARTER TIER

1. Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers (UFA)
   Turner is expected to re-sign with the only NBA team he’s ever known. That’s quite the turn after nearly a decade of trade rumors, but it speaks to Turner’s value for the Pacers. A few other teams could make a run, but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to entice Turner away from Indiana.

2. Naz Reid – Minnesota Timberwolves (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
   There are a lot of options for Reid. He could pick up his option for $15 million. From there, the options are to play out the year and hit free agency in 2026, when more teams are expected to have cap space. Or Reid could extend off that figure at a pretty fair value. He could also opt out and sign a new deal with Minnesota. Or sign-and-trades are very possible too. It’s all on the table for Reid, because of how good he's become, his option and how expensive the Wolves are.

3. Brook Lopez – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA)
   Lopez can still play. He’s lost a step defensively, but remains a good rim protector in a drop style of scheme. Lopez also remains a good shooting big man too. That has value. Whether he returns to Milwaukee is probably tied to Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Bucks star returns, Lopez is a decent bet to re-sign. If Antetokounmpo moves on, Lopez probably will too.

4. Santi Aldama – Memphis Grizzlies (RFA)
   Aldama is likely to return to Memphis, simply because of his restricted status. If he was an unrestricted free agent, opposing teams would line up offers worth at least the Non-Taxpayer MLE. As it is, that’s probably where his value lies. The big question is: Just how many years will Aldama sign for?

5. Al Horford – Boston Celtics (UFA)
   Horford is still going strong. He’s not going to play 30-plus minutes per game or 70-plus games. But Boston spotted him well over the last couple of years, which allowed Horford to remain very effective. He’s still a terrific defender and good floor-spacer from deep. Horford says he still wants to play. With the Celtics resetting a bit this offseason, Horford’s free agency will be interesting to monitor.

6. Clint Capela – Atlanta Hawks (UFA)
   Capela moved to the bench midway through the season this year, but he’s still a starting level center. He’s not the beast around the rim that he once was, but Capela is still effective in the paint. He remains a good rebounder, solid defender and finisher on offense. That will have value to a team that needs a starting center.

ROTATION TIER

7. Luke Kornet – Boston Celtics (UFA)
   Kornet is on the verge of joining the above group. Is his good play a product of the Celtics system and all the talent in Boston? Maybe. But Kornet has become a good interior player. He’s got great timing as a shot blocker, and Kornet finishes really well at the rim. Kornet has earned an upgrade from the minimum deals he’s played on for several years.

8. Steven Adams – Houston Rockets (UFA)
   Adams remains a rugged, throwback center. He’s a screen-setting, rebounding machine. Adams is also one of the most beloved teammates in the league. The Rockets want him back, and even found ways to play him alongside Alperen Sengun. That only increases Adams’ value to them, and possibly other teams.

9. Moritz Wagner – Orlando Magic (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
   Wagner was on his way towards pushing for Sixth Man of the Year before a torn ACL. He’s expected to be ready around the start of next season. The Magic love his energy and overall feistiness off the bench. He won’t be back for the $11 million his option calls for, but expect Orlando to re-sign Wagner to a new deal this offseason.

10. Day’Ron Sharpe – Brooklyn Nets (RFA)
    Sharpe is coming along nicely for the Nets. He’s a good rebounder and an improved defender. He’s also got nice touch on his shot, and really went up several levels as a passer. His restricted status means Brooklyn should be able to get him back on a relatively team-friendly contract.

11. Jaylin Williams – Oklahoma City Thunder (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Williams would probably stand out more on another team. He’s had moments for OKC, but gets lost a bit with the team’s other big man options. Williams can shoot, he’s a good ball-mover and he’s improved as a screener. Ultimately, the Thunder would like to have him back, but roster spots are at a premium. That could see Williams move on to another team.

12. Andre Drummond – Philadelphia 76ers (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Drummond is expected to pick up his $5 million option to return to Philadelphia next year. That’s probably the best outcome for both him and the Sixers. As his athleticism has waned, Drummond has slipped some as a finisher, but he remains an elite rebounder.

13. Quinten Post – Golden State Warriors (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Post had an interesting rookie season. He started out in the G League, but eventually earned a standard deal from the Warriors. Then, he became a rotation regular for Golden State. Post is a good shooter from deep and held up ok defensively. The Warriors might pick this option up to keep Post on a relatively cheap contract. The other path would be to decline the option, then re-sign Post on a new long-term deal.

14. Jaxson Hayes – Los Angeles Lakers (UFA)
    As a starting center, Hayes is overmatched. He doesn’t have enough in his offensive game, nor does he hold up well defensively, against starting lineups. As a backup, Hayes is pretty solid. He plays with good energy, which allows him to impact games when he gets in. Teams will target him for backup roles moving forward.

15. Mason Plumlee – Phoenix Suns (UFA)
    Plumlee is the same guy he’s been for most of his career. He’s a pretty good finisher around the rim. Plumlee is a good passer and keeps the ball moving. He’s also a better rebounder than he gets credit for. If he was better defensively, Plumlee could start. As it is, he’s a fine backup center on a good team.

16. Kevon Looney – Golden State Warriors (UFA)
    Looney is still solid as a backup big man. He’s a good screener, decent rebounder and a fairly rugged defender. We’re closing in on the end of the line, but Looney still has a few more years in him as a backup big on a playoff team.

17. Sandro Mamukelashvili – San Antonio Spurs (UFA)
    There’s some projecting still happening here. Mamukelashvili is a pretty good offensive player. He’s got good touch, can score on the move or as a spot-up shooter. Mamukelashvili isn’t a great defender or athlete, but there’s a place for him in a rotation as a backup big who can score.

18. Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers (RFA)
    Jackson is coming off a lost season due to a torn Achilles tendon. If he can make it back, he’s a really good energy big off the bench. Jackson plays with a feisty edge too. His recovery will dictate where things go from here.

19. Bismack Biyombo – San Antonio Spurs (UFA)
    Biyombo seems destined to start the year out of the league, then to catch on when a team has injuries up front. There’s nothing spectacular here. Solid defense and rebounding, with the occasional score on the other end. Knowing his role, and being a great teammate, keeps Biyombo in the league.

20. DeAndre Jordan – Denver Nuggets (UFA)
    It’s really up to Jordan for how much longer he wants to keep things going. He’s become a beloved locker room vet. And he does fine in a stay-ready role now too. Jordan can go weeks without playing, then rattle off a string of solid appearances. If he wants to play, there will be a spot for him on a minimum deal somewhere, probably in Denver.

FRINGE TIER (UNRANKED AND PRESENTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

21. Charles Bassey – San Antonio Spurs (UFA)
    Injuries might have sunk Bassey’s career before it ever really got going. There was real potential here too. It’s possible Bassey gets healthy and figures things out as a late-bloomer. A year or two overseas could help him get on track too.

22. Tony Bradley – Indiana Pacers (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Due to injuries up front, the Pacers called Bradley up from the G League. He’s perfectly fine as a third center. Don’t be surprised if Indiana picks up this option and bring him back for depth purposes.

23. Thomas Bryant – Indiana Pacers (UFA)
    Bryant was acquired by the Pacers for the same reasons at Bradley. He’s had more of an impact, which has probably earned him another deal. Whether that’s with Indiana or not will depend on how the rest of the Pacers roster shakes out.

24. Branden Carlson – Oklahoma City Thunder (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Carlson flashed potential in the NBA, but really excelled in the G League. Don’t be surprised if the Thunder bring him back on another two-way deal. That would allow him to stick around, without impacting one of the team’s few available standard roster spots.

25. N’Faly Dante – Houston Rockets (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Dante had almost no NBA impact, but he was very good in the G League. There’s enough talent here that the Rockets should bring Dante back on another two-way deal to continue his development.

26. Jesse Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Edwards didn’t play much in the NBA, due to the Wolves deep frontcourt. But he was fairly solid in the G League. Because he’s already 25, there might not be much upside left. Still, the Wolves could do worse than bringing him back on another two-way contract.

27. Luka Garza – Minnesota Timberwolves (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Garza is well liked because he works hard and stays ready when his number is called. If he shot it better, Garza would have real potential as a stretch big. As it is, he’s fine as a third or fourth center.

28. Taj Gibson – Charlotte Hornets (UFA)
    We’re still plugging away after 16 years with Gibson. He’s become a popular veteran to have around young big men. Gibson pushes them in practice, while acting as a mentor in the locker room. If he wants to keep playing, someone will have an end-of-bench spot for Gibson.

29. P.J. Hall – Denver Nuggets (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Despite barley playing in the NBA, Hall made an impression with his play in the G League. He did a terrific job on the boards and was pretty solid defensively too. Hall should be back on another two-way deal. If his shot develops, a standard callup could come eventually too.

30. Ariel Hukporti – New York Knicks (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Hukporti got caught up in the Knicks roster machinations, as they worked on filling out their bench under their hard cap. But that shouldn’t mask that Hukporti has a ton of potential. New York will bring him back, probably by picking up their option. That will keep things cheaper for a team dealing with apron issues again.

31. Christian Koloko – Los Angeles Lakers (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    It was great to see Koloko make it back to playing again after a blood-clotting issue. He didn’t look quite as good as his rookie run with the Raptors, but Koloko’s play in the G League was pretty good. If he’s open to doing another two-way, the Lakers should bring him back to keep working on getting him back up to speed.

32. Alex Len – Los Angeles Lakers (UFA)
    Len’s signing with the Lakers didn’t really work out. He never brought the team much impact. At this point of his career, Len is a third center on a minimum deal. But he’s solid enough in that role, that he should be able to catch on somewhere.

33. Micah Potter – Utah Jazz (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Potter has flashed some potential over the last few years. The challenge now is that he’s out of two-way eligibility. Still, another team may see Potter as worth bringing in as a depth big on a minimum contract. Otherwise, a nice deal overseas should be coming Potter’s way.

34. Dwight Powell – Dallas Mavericks (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Powell is very likely to pick up his $4 million option. He wouldn’t get more than a minimum deal on the open market. The real question is if he sticks around in Dallas or if the Mavericks put him into a trade to upgrade elsewhere on the roster.

35. Paul Reed – Detroit Pistons (UFA)
    If Reed’s shot had developed, he’d be a rotation big. As it is, he’s an undersized five who can’t space the floor. That’s capped his upside as a depth big on a minimum deal.

36. Jericho Sims – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA)
    Sims has good size and flashes decent athleticism at times. He’s somewhat like Paul Reed in that there just hasn’t been enough development for a team to offer more than a minimum deal as a third center for Sims.

37. Tristan Thompson – Cleveland Cavaliers (UFA)
    Thompson has hit the veteran mentor phase of his career. He does a good job of pushing the Cavs bigs in practice, and Thompson is ready when he gets some rare minutes. If he’s content to come back in that same role, Cleveland would love to have him.

38. Drew Timme – Brooklyn Nets (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Timme put together a really strong G League season. That carried over in his late-season callup with the Nets. Brooklyn may initially decline this option for cap space reasons. But don’t be surprised if Timme is back with the Nets, as he’s a nice developmental big man on a rebuilding team.

39. Oscar Tshiebwe – Utah Jazz (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    If he could play consistent NBA minutes, Tshiebwe might lead the NBA in rebounding. He’s an absolute monster on the glass. There just isn’t a lot else to his game. Tshiebwe is only ok at finishing around the rim and his defense is ok too. Another year on a two-way deal is likely coming.

40. Tristan Vukcevic – Washington Wizards (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Vukcevic continues to flash his potential in the NBA. He was also really good in limited G League minutes this season. The Wizards should bring Vukcevic back, either on a two-way deal or on a standard contract for the minimum. There’s still a lot of untapped upside here.

Ryan Fox wins the RBC Canadian Open. Fox earns $1.76 million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $3.3 million and his career earnings to $3.3 million.

RBC Canadian Open Top 10 Payouts

Joaquin Niemann wins the eighth LIV Golf event of 2025 at Virginia and earns $4 million. 

Virginia Top 10

The #Packers are releasing CB Jaire Alexander, who had 2 years, $37M remaining on his contract. The 28-year-old earned over $72M in 7 seasons with Green Bay, leaving behind dead cap hits of:

2025: $7.5M ($17.1M saved)
2026: $9.5M ($17.5M saved)