With June upon us, a look at every NFL team’s top Dead Cap hit for the upcoming 2025 season, led by Deebo Samuel’s $34M+ hit in San Francisco per his trade to Washington, and Russell Wilson’s final $32M dent to the Broncos’ cap stemming from his 2024 release.

The calendar flipping to June is an important moment in the NFL financial timeline. From here forward, dead cap figures spawning from contract releases or trades will split across the 2025 & 2026 seasons.

Prior to June, all dead cap was forcibly accelerated into the 2025 season, with the exception of 13 players who were designated a Post June 1st release back in March. With June 2nd now here, the following salary cap updates have been made respectively.

RELATED: Team Salary Cap Tracker

Salary Cap Team Savings
Jets: $13.5M
Browns: $9.85M
Texans: $9.4M
Eagles: $6.4M
Ravens: $6.3M
49ers: $5.6M
Vikings: $5.25M
Jaguars: $800k

DT Maliek Collins, 49ers

The Niners carried a $4.762M cap figure into June, and now take on dead hits of:
2025: $1.358M ($3.4M savings)
2026: $4.074M

The 30-year-old signed a 2 year, $20 million free agent contract with Cleveland that includes $10M fully guaranteed through 2025. He earned $25.9M of a $36M contract in San Francisco.

DT Javon Hargrave, 49ers

The Niners carried an $8.943M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $6.71M ($2.23M savings)
2026: $16.15M

The 32-year-old signed a 2 year, $30M free agent contract with Minnesota that includes $19M fully guaranteed (2025 + $4M of 2026). He earned $40M of an $84M contract in San Francisco.

DT Dalvin Tomlinson, Browns

The Browns carried an $11.5M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $5M ($6.45M savings)
2026: $12.1M

The 31-year-old signed a 2 year, $29M free agent contract with Arizona that includes $13.5M fully guaranteed through 2025. He earned $28M of this $57M contract in Cleveland.

S, Juan Thornhill, Browns

The Browns carried a $5.68M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $2.284M ($3.4M savings)
2026: $5.6M

The 29–year-old signed a 1 year, $3M free agent contract with Pittsburgh that includes $1.83M fully guaranteed. He earned $14.1M of a $21M contract in Cleveland.

G Zack Martin, Cowboys

The Cowboys carried a $10.05M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $8.8M ($1.2M saved) 2026: $16.4M


The 34-year-old retired earlier this offseason, having earned $112M through 11 NFL seasons - all in Dallas.

CB Darius Slay, Eagles

The Eagles carried a $13.7M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $9.44M ($4.324M savings)
2026: $13.26M ($270k savings)

The 34-year-old signed a 1 year, $10M free agent contract with Pittsburgh that includes $8.7M fully guaranteed. He earned $23.1M of a $42M contract and $66.2M total across 5 seasons in Philly.

CB James Bradberry, Eagles

The Eagles carried a $4.85M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $2.75M ($2.1M savings)
2026: $7.74M

The 31-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $17.85M of a $38M contract, and $25.1M total across three seasons in Philly.

WR Gabriel Davis, Jaguars

The Jaguars carried a $6.5M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $5.7M ($800k savings)
2026: $14.6M ($2.6M savings)

The 26-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $24.7M on this 3 year, $39M contract (9 games played).

QB Aaron Rodgers, Jets

The Jets carried a $23.5M cap figure into June, and now take on dead hits of:
2025: $14M ($9.5M savings)
2026: $35M (-$14M savings)

The 41-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $75.05M of a $112.5M contract in New York.

LB C.J. Mosley, Jets

The Jets carried a $12.784M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $8.78M ($4M savings)
2026: $7.65M

The 32-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $13.25M of this $17.25M contract, and $81.4M total across 6 seasons in New York.

S Marcus Williams, Ravens

The Ravens carried an $8.1M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $6.02M ($2.1M savings)
2026: $6.02M

The 28-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $45.6M of this $70M contract in Baltimore.

K Justin Tucker, Ravens

The Ravens carried a $7M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $2.87M ($4.2M savings)
2026: $4.64M

The 35-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $17.5M of this $31.1M contract, and $51.1M across 13 seasons in Baltimore.

G Shaq Mason, Texans

The Texans carried a $14.6M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $5.158M ($9.4M savings)
2026: $7.324M ($7.7M savings)

The 31-year-old remains unsigned at the time of this piece. He earned $23M of a $36M in Houston.

C Garrett Bradbury, Vikings

The Vikings carried a $6M cap figure into June, and now take dead hits of:
2025: $814k ($5.25M savings)
2026: $1.63M

The 29-year-old signed a 2 year, $9.5M free agent contract with New England that includes $3.8M fully guaranteed through 2025. He earned $10.1M of this $15.75M contract.


RELATED: Team Salary Cap Tracker

Scottie Scheffler wins the Memorial Tournament. Scheffler earns $4 million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $14.5 million and his career earnings to $151.3 million.

the Memorial Tournament Top 10 Payouts

The 2025 NBA Finals are unique for a few reasons. Both the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are small market teams. Since the Thunder do not claim the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics championship as their own, both teams are looking for their first NBA title. However, this matchup will make history for financial reasons as well.

Both the Pacers and Thunder are non-taxpayers. This is the first time the NBA Finals has featured a matchup where neither team paid the luxury tax to get there.

The NBA instituted the luxury tax system for the 2001-02 season. However, that first season and the 2005-05 season did not meet sufficient BRI requirements to trigger the luxury tax.

In each of the other 21 NBA Finals, either the winning or losing team was a taxpayer in that season. Of those 21 NBA Finals, 16 of the winning teams were taxpayers. Somewhat surprisingly, only five NBA Finals featured matchups where both teams were taxpayers.

In a league where a common mantra is "You have to spend to win", both the Pacers and Thunder are set to challenge that. Well, for this season, at least. Indiana is likely to be a taxpayer next season, while the Thunder may follow in the 2026-27 season.

Offseason Approach

Retool the roster to get back into contention

Actual Cap Space

-$36.1 million

Practical Cap Space

-$36.1 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$52.0 million

Under Contract (12)

Desmond Bane
Brandon Clarke
Zach Edey
Jay Huff
G.G. Jackson
Jaren Jackson Jr.
John Konchar
Ja Morant
Scotty Pippen Jr.
Zyon Pullin (two-way)
Jaylen Wells
Vince Williams Jr.

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (6)

Santi Aldama (restricted)
Marvin Bagley III (unrestricted)
Yuki Kawamura (restricted – two-way)
Luke Kennard (unrestricted)
Cam Spencer (restricted – two-way)
Lamar Stevens (unrestricted)

View Free Agents

Dead Cap (1)

Mamadi Diakite ($464,050)

Projected Signing Exceptions

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

Notable Trade Exceptions

Marcus Smart ($7.7 million)
Ziaire Williams ($6.1 million)

First Round Draft Picks

None

Notable Extension Candidates

Brandon Clarke (veteran extension – as of 10/1)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (veteran extension – renegotiation-and-extension eligible)
John Konchar (veteran extension)
Ja Morant (veteran extension)

Analysis

Despite the disappointing finish to the season, the Memphis Grizzlies had a nice bounce-back season. A year after everything went off the rails due to a historic number of injuries, Memphis was near the top of the Western Conference until a late season slide. That was followed by a non-competitive first-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That leaves the Grizzlies asking the following question: Is this core group good enough to contend?

The Grizzlies core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane have had five years together now. That’s a pretty long window in the NBA. Memphis has made four playoff appearances in that five-year stretch. That’s pretty good. On the flip side, the team has won one playoff series. That’s not as good.

The reality is that life comes at you very fast in the NBA. Yesterday’s up-and-coming fun, young team is today’s past-their-expiration, never-was team.

The Grizzlies aren’t quite to the bad side of that yet, but they aren’t the fun, young bunch anymore either. This offseason is going to go a long way to deciding if they can take the step from playoff team to contender.

The Grizzlies don’t have a first-round pick, so the draft will likely be less of an event for them. The team does have two later second-round picks. Those will probably be used to replenish two-way depth.

Free agency is where the real work will be done for Memphis. The team has a couple of options this summer. They can stay over the cap, and then focus on re-signing Santi Aldama in restricted free agency, while adding some depth. The Grizzlies should be about $52 million under the tax before making any moves. That’s more than enough room to re-sign Aldama, use the full Non-Taxpayer MLE to add an impact free agent, and then to fill out the rest of the roster.

The second path for Memphis is to renounce all of their free agents except for Aldama to create about $6.9 million in cap space. The team would then use that cap space to renegotiate-and-extend Jackson Jr., while having the $8.8 million Room Exception available to sign a free agent.

If the Grizzlies go down the cap space route to renegotiate-and-extend Jackson Jr., that would allow them to take care of him now, without hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026. A renegotiated contract for the upcoming season would bump Jackson Jr.’s salary from $23.4 million to about $30.3 million. From there, Memphis could extend Jackson Jr. off his new salary amount of $30.3 million. That would allow the Grizzlies to offer Jackson Jr. up to $42.4 million in first-year salary in an extension starting with the 2026-27 season. Off his current salary, the best Memphis can offer Jackson Jr. is a starting salary of $32.7 million. That nearly $10 million increase could be the difference between Jackson Jr. extending or hitting unrestricted free agency in a summer where there should be quite a bit of cap space available.

Ultimately, neither option takes Memphis out of the market to re-sign Aldama. They’d be able to keep his restricted free agent rights in either scenario. Something in the range of $60 million over four years feels about right for Aldama. That’s basically the Non-Taxpayer MLE, which is what Aldama would be looking at getting offered from rival teams as a restricted free agent this summer.

The real difference in staying over the cap or creating cap space to renegotiate-and-extend Jackson Jr. is between having the Non-Taxpayer MLE of $14.1 million vs the Room Exception of $8.8 million available to add a free agent.

Either way, the Grizzlies should be able to add a solid free agent. There’s not a lot of money available this summer, which should make the Room Exception more enticing for free agents than it might usually be. The other good new for Memphis? They’re really only looking to fill a couple of roster spots. This roster is pretty full, meaning they can make a targeted signing to fill a specific need.

Picking the cap space option, could cost the team Luke Kennard in free agency. Given Kennard’s role shrunk some last season, that’s probably not a big loss. The Grizzlies also have an in-house replacement in Cam Spencer, and he’ll cost less than Kennard will. Look for Memphis to bump Spencer up to a standard contract this summer, likely on a two-year deal with a team option. That will allow the Grizzlies to decline that second season, then re-sign Spencer long-term using Early Bird rights in 2026.

Whether the team is using the MLE or the Room Exception, they could use more wing depth. The frontcourt is pretty deep with Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and a likely re-signed Aldama. The backcourt has depth too with Morant, Bane, Scotty Pippen Jr. and John Konchar.

On the wing, Jaylen Wells was awesome as a rookie. He’s at least a rotation-level wing for years to come, and realistically a lot more. Behind Wells, there’s Vince Williams Jr., who showed promise during the injury-plagued 2023-24 season, but had kind of a lost year this past season. G.G. Jackson is still finding his way in the NBA, even if he’s got lots of potential.

Adding a veteran wing to the mix would be huge for Memphis. The options aren’t going to knock your socks off, but players like Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown, Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince, Tim Hardaway Jr., Amir Coffey or Jae’Sean Tate would all be solid pickups for Memphis. Some of those guys wouldn’t even cost the team the entire MLE or Room Exception. That would leave some left over to give Spencer a longer contract now, or to use later in the season, should the need arise.

And, of course, Memphis could make a big trade. The Grizzlies have been more open to cashing in and chasing veteran upgrades in the past year or so than in the past. They were linked to Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant and others at times in the last year. Butler is off the table now, but Durant is still available. Making a move like that would cost Memphis one of Jackson Jr., Bane or Morant, simply because the salary-matching gets too difficult otherwise.

If that’s too rich, there will be other players available this summer who should cost less than an aging star. The Grizzlies have the players and contracts to offer in deals. Outside of this upcoming draft, Memphis has their first-round pick (or a swapped pick) available in every draft moving forward. That’s enough to put together some really enticing trade packages if the right player becomes available.

And that’s exactly how the Grizzlies should be thinking about this offseason. There’s no reason to start breaking up this core yet. But Memphis also can’t be too precious with their own drafted-and-developed players. At some point, they have to go for it, or that window may never really open.

The pieces are place for a solid offseason for the Memphis Grizzlies, even without a blockbuster trade. Look for this team to retool their depth a bit, while locking in for the future with good players on good (and tradable!) contracts. From there, a trade for a star could come, or it might still be a bit away. Either way, Memphis should have enough in place to push deeper into the playoffs this coming season than they have in previous years.

There have been looks into the offseason intra-league trades, rookie signings, and extensions, now it’s time to take a look at the top external signings of the 2024-25 offseason. Here’s the seven most impactful external signings after 10 weeks of NWSL play (alphabetically):

Gia Corley (San Diego Wave, Defender)

Contract: Through 2026

Corley has started in all but one match for the Wave this season, racking up 638 minutes played. In that time she has created five chances, scored two goals, and earned an assist. The defender has an 80.4% passing accuracy, 21 possessions won, and is eighth in the NWSL in progressive carries (29). 

Oihane Hernández (Orlando Pride, Defender)

Contract: Through 2026 with a 2027 mutual option

Hernández has 381 minutes played thus far for the Pride, with five starts and seven matches played. She has five chances created and one assist. Defensively she has 10 interceptions, 11 clearances, and 18 possessions won as well as an 82.4% passing accuracy. She is also seventh in the league in crosses sent into the penalty area. 

Shinomi Koyama (NC Courage, Midfielder)

Contract: Through 2027

Koyama has played in all 10 matches for the Courage with four starts and 358 minutes played. She has attained an 83.7% passing accuracy, won possession 19 times, created 11 chances, and earned one assist. The midfielder is currently second in the league in xAG/90 (0.40), third in shot-creating actions/90 (5.28), and third in goal-creating actions/90 (0.75). 

Adriana Leon (San Diego Wave, Forward)

Contract: Through 2026 with a 2027 mutual option 

Leon has scored three goals and earned one assist across her 441 minutes with the Wave this season, where she has played in all ten of their matches and started in five. She currently is second in the NWSL in goals+assists/90 (0.82), and sixth in xG/90 (1.43)

Lorena (KC Current, Goalkeeper)

Contract: Through 2027 with a 2028 club option 

Lorena has played in every regular season minute thus far for the Current, starting in all 10 matches. Of all the goalkeepers in the league, Lorena has the smallest goals against/90 amount at 0.70, as well as being first in the league in clean sheets (5), and second in save percentage (78.8%).

2nd xG Plus/Minus (10.2).

Gift Monday (Washington Spirit, Forward)

Contract: Through 2027 with a 2028 club option

Monday has started five matches for the Spirit this season, and played in seven matches tallying 479 minutes on the pitch. In that time, she has six chances created, scored three goals, earned one assist, and won possession 24 times. The forward is also first in the NWSL in npxG/shot (0.28), second in xG/90 (0.69), and sixth in xA/90 (0.25). 

Nuria Rábano (Utah Royals, Defender)

Contract: Through 2027 with a 2028 mutual option 

Rábano has 462 minutes under her belt with the Royals including seven starts and eight total matches played. She has had an 80.2% passing accuracy, 11 interceptions, 22 clearances, and 21 possessions won. Additionally the defender is third in the league in dribblers tackled (18). 

With the big waves of free agency, draft, and undrafted signing periods now firmly in the rearview mirror, Spotrac takes a thorough dive into the financial statuses for each team’s quarterback room, highlighting the stability of the projected starter, and guarantees for all current backups.

Related
Active QB Contracts
2025 QB Cash Rankings

Arizona Cardinals

QB1 Stability: 3 year guarantee; tradable after 2025

Projected QB1
Kyler Murray has 4 years, $157.8M remaining on his contract, including $69.7M fully guaranteed through 2026. The deal has early vesting guarantees through 2027, making this a 3 year, $111.5M contract for practical purposes.

Backups
Jacoby Brissett signed a 2 year, $13.5M free agent contract this March that included $6.5M fully guaranteed (all in 2025). 2023 5th Round pick Clayton Tune enters Year 3 of his rookie deal, with a non-guaranteed 2 years, $2.1M remaining.

Atlanta Falcons

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years remaining

Projected QB1
Michael Penix Jr. enters Year 2 of his rookie deal, with 3 years, $8.6M guaranteed remaining (plus a 5th-Year Option available for 2028). He won’t be extension eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Kirk Cousins is fully guaranteed through 2025 at $27.5M, and $10M of his 2026 compensation is also locked in. Releasing Cousins at any point this offseason would leave behind a $75M dead cap hit to Atlanta, making a trade out of town the only option. Cousins holds a full no trade clause to further complicate that move. Easton Stick signed a 1 year, $1.3M veteran minimum contract that includes $567,500 fully guaranteed. Emory Jones signed a minimum reserve/future contract this winter.

Baltimore Ravens

QB1 Stability: Market/Cap Correction Extension Candidate

Projected QB1
Lamar Jackson’s blockbuster deal holds 3 years, $147.5M remaining, including $43.5M guaranteed this year, and another $29M for 2026. The dwindling guarantees plus a further progressing top of the market have many thinking a re negotiation for Jackson is already in the works. The 28-year-old projects toward an eye-popping 5 year, $340M ($68M/year) contract in our system.

Backups
Cooper Rush signed a 2 year, $6.2M free agent contract this March that includes $4M fully guaranteed (all in 2025). Devin Leary & Malik Cunningham signed minimum reserve/future contracts this past winter.

Buffalo Bills

QB1 Stability: 4 years rock solid

Projected QB1
Josh Allen signed a renegotiated 6 year, $330M contract this offseason that includes $232.5M of early vesting guarantees through 2029. Despite the somewhat discounted APY ($55M), Allen receives historic cashflow structure over the next 3-4 seasons on this contract, and should be ready to cash in again after his age- 32 2028 season

Backups
Mitchell Trubisky enters Year 2 of his free agent contract, set to earn $2.5M for the upcoming season. Mike White carries a non-guaranteed $1.195M this year, while Shane Buechele was added at a minimum this past winter.

Carolina Panthers

QB1 Stability: 2 + option rookie years; fringe 2026 extension candidate

Projected QB1
Bryce Young enters an all-important Year 3 of his rookie contract that includes 2 years, $10.1M fully guaranteed remaining (plus a 5th-Year option for 2027). Young took significant steps forward down the stretch in 2024, and will become extension-eligible for the first time after the upcoming season.

Backups
Andy Dalton signed a 2 year, $8 million extension to remain in Carolina, including $5.9M fully guaranteed (2025 + $2M of 2026). 2024 UDFA Jack Plummer & 2025 UDFA Ethan Garbers round out the room on minimum salaries.

Chicago Bears

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years; 2027 extension candidate

Projected QB1
Caleb Williams enters Year 2 of his rookie contract that holds 3 years, $13.1M fully guaranteed remaining plus a 5th-Year option for 2028. The 23-year-old won’t become extension-eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Tyson Bagent enters the final year of his UDFA contract, set to earn a minimum, non-guaranteed $1.03M in 2025. Case Keenum signed a 1 year, $2.25M free agent contract this past March that is fully guaranteed and includes $750,000 of possible incentives. 2024 UDFA Austin Reed signed a minimum reserve/future contract this winter.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB1 Stability: 3-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Joe Burrow enters Year 3 of a 7 year, $310M contract in Cincinnati that is fully guaranteed through 2026, with early triggers available through 2027. For all intents and purposes, this is a 3 year, $107.75M contract for practical purposes after which Burrow and the Bengals are likely to start the process over again.

Backups
Jake Browning is eligible for restricted free agency after a $1.03M minimum salary in 2025, Logan Woodside signed a $1.1M veteran minimum contract this past March, and UDFA Payton Thorne was added this May to join the fray.

Cleveland Browns

QB1 Stability: None.

Projected QB1
Still a toss-up, but Joe Flacco likely holds a small edge thanks to $3M guaranteed on his 1 year, $4M free agent contract. The 40-year-old can add another $8M+ based on playing time, team wins, and playoff success.

Backups
Kenny Pickett, acquired from Philly this past March, holds a 1 year, $2.6M fully guaranteed contract through 2025. Rookies Dillon Gabriel  ($1.1M guaranteed) & Shedeur Sanders ($447k guaranteed) joined the mix this past April, while Deshaun Watson isn’t currently expected to return to the active roster, despite 2 years, $92M fully guaranteed remaining on his contract through 2026.

Dallas Cowboys

QB1 Stability: 3-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Dak Prescott enters Year 2 of his 5 year, $274M contract in Dallas, set to earn nearly $48M for the upcoming season. $150M of the $188M remaining on the contract contains an early vesting guarantee trigger, making Dak’s deal one of the strongest in all of football.

Backups
Joe Milton III was acquired from New England this past April with 3 years, $3.2M non-guaranteed remaining on his rookie contract. Will Grier signed a veteran minimum $1.1M reserve/future contract to remain in the mix.

Denver Broncos

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years; 2027 extension candidate

Projected QB1
Bo Nix enters Year 2 of a rookie contract that now has 3 years, $7.5M fully guaranteed remaining, plus a 5th-Year option for 2028. One of the breakout players in 2024, Nix won’t become extension-eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Jarrett Stidham returns to Denver on a 2 year, $12M contract that includes $6.99M guaranteed (2025 + $2M of 2026). His deal holds $1M of annual playing time incentives if he’s called upon with any regularity. Former Colts 6th-rounder Sam Ehlinger joins the fold on a veteran minimum 1 year contract that includes $467,500 guaranteed.

Detroit Lions

QB1 Stability: 3-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Jared Goff enters Year 2 of his 5 year, $240M+ contract in Detroit, set to earn $18M in 2025. $91M of the $160M remaining on the contract includes early vesting guarantee triggers, securing Goff through the 2027 season.

Backups
2023 3rd-rounder Hendon Hooker enters Year 3 of his rookie contract, with 2 years, $2.8M non-guaranteed remaining through 2026. Kyle Allen joins from Pittsburgh on a 1 year, veteran minimum contract that includes $100,000 guaranteed.

Green Bay Packers

QB1 Stability: 2 ½ year guarantee

Projected QB1
Jordan Love enters Year 2 of his 5 year, $231M contract extension, set to earn $13M for the upcoming season. $82.9M of the $152M remaining on the contract contains an early vesting guarantee trigger, mostly securing the 26-year-old through 2027 (though 2026 + a $20M buyout is still on the table).

Backups
Malik Willis likely remains the QB2 in Green Bay through 2025, on a non-guaranteed 1 year, $1.4M contract. Sean Clifford remains on a minimum $960k, while 2025 UDFA Taylor Elgersma joins with a $3k guarantee as well.

Houston Texans

QB1 Stability: 2 +  option rookie years; 2026 extension candidate

Projected QB1
C.J. Stroud enters an all-important Year 3 of his rookie contract, with 2 years, $9.75M fully guaranteed remaining plus a 5th-Year option in 2027. Stroud becomes extension-eligible for the first time after 2025.

Backups
$2.3M of Davis Mills’ 2025 salary is fully guaranteed, all but locking in the 26-year-old as the QB2 this season, the final year of his contract. 6th-round pick Graham Mertz ($228k guarantee) and 2024 UDFA Kedon Slovis round out the room this summer.

Indianapolis Colts

QB1 Stability: None

Projected QB1
Despite the 2024 benching, Anthony Richardson enters the summer with as good a chance as any to secure the Week 1 starting gig in Indy. He enters Year 3 of his rookie contract with a fully guaranteed 2 years, $9.2M remaining, plus a 5th-year option in 2027.

Backups
Daniel Jones had a number of suitors this offseason, both chose a 1 year, $14M contract in Indy that includes another $2.95M in incentives. He’ll be competing for the QB1 job all summer. 2025 6th round pick Riley Leonard ($235k guaranteed) & 2024 UDFA Jason Bean round out the room.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB1 Stability: Cloudy 4-year guarantee

Projected QB1
25-year-old Trevor Lawrence enters Year 2 of a 7 year, $306M contract in Jacksonville, set to earn $37.5M in 2025. $161M of the $267M remaining on the contract contains an early vesting guarantee trigger, setting him up for 4 years, $163M of practical gain from it through 2028

Backups
Nick Mullens left Minnesota on a 2 year, $4.5M contract this March, including $3M fully guaranteed (2025 + $800k of 2026). He’ll lead a backup group that includes John Wolford ($1.1M non-guaranteed), & 2025 UDFA Seth Henigan ($254k guaranteed).

Kansas City Chiefs

QB1 Stability: 3 years then blockbuster

Projected QB1
A 2023 renegotiation front-loaded considerable cash into the 2023-2027 seasons for Patrick Mahomes, who can now earn $159.65M over the next 3 seasons in KC. In total, Mahomes has 7 years, $315M+ remaining, but there’s a very thick line of demarcation after 2027 here.

Backups
Released by Las Vegas after just one season, Gardner Minshew joins the Chiefs on a non-guaranteed veteran minimum $1.1M. With $3.16M guaranteed on his Raiders’ contract, Minshew stands to net around $2M in total when it’s all said and done. Elsewhere, Bailey Zappe signed a non-guaranteed $1.1M contract, while Chris Oladokun was kept on a minimum salary this past winter.

Las Vegas Raiders

QB1 Stability: 1 ½ year guarantee

Projected QB1
Acquired from Seattle this past April, Geno Smith and the Raiders agreed to a 2 year, $75M extension through the 2027 season that includes $58.5M fully guaranteed at signing. While there’s a world where Vegas makes this a 1 year, $58.5M then done scenario, the more likely outcome is 2 years, $66.5M, then we’ll see.

Backups
2023 4th-rounder Aidan O'Connell assumes the backup role going forward, with 2 years, $2.1M, non-guaranteed, remaining on his rookie deal. 2025 6th-rounder Cam Miller ($174k guaranteed, & 2024 UDFA Carter Bradley round out the room.

Los Angeles Chargers

QB1 Stability: Cloudy 4-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Justin Herbert enters Year 3 of a 7 year, $296M contract in LA, set to earn a league high $60M for the upcoming season. Of the $222.5M remaining on the deal, $145M contains an early vesting guarantee trigger, setting up another 4 years, $172M of practical gain.

Backups
Taylor Heinicke re-signed in LA on a 1 year, $2.5M contract that can max out at $3.5M with incentives. Trey Lance joined the fray on a 1 year, $2M contract ($1.5M guaranteed), while the Chargers also added DJ Uiagalelei on a UDFA contract ($3k guaranteed).

Los Angeles Rams

QB1 Stability: 1-year guarantee; 2026 option

Projected QB1
Matthew Stafford signed a renegotiated contract that scored him a $17M pay raise for 2025 (now $44M) but still gives the Rams a veritable option decision on his $40M owed in 2026. LAR will need to decide by the 5th league day of 2026 whether to continue on with this contract.

Backups
Jimmy Garoppolo signed a 1 year, $3M fully guaranteed extension to remain Stafford’s backup through 2025. 2023 4th-rounder Stetson Bennett enters Year 3 of his rookie contract, with 2 years, $2.1M non-guaranteed remaining.

Miami Dolphins

QB1 Stability: 3rd League Day of 2027

Projected QB1
Tua Tagovailoa enters Year 2 of a 5 year, $235.5M contract, set to earn $51M in 2025. $108M of the $192.4M remaining on this contract comes with an early vesting guarantee trigger, but there’s a very realistic “out” for the Dolphins after the 2026 season.

Backups
Zach Wilson joins from Denver on a 1 year, $6M fully guaranteed contract. The deal includes $4M of incentives that can max his earnings out at $10M this season. 7th-rounder Quinn Ewers ($131k guaranteed) and UDFA Brett Gabbert round out the room this summer.

Minnesota Vikings

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years

Projected QB1
J.J. McCarthy enters Year 2 of a rookie contract that includes 3 years, $8.3M fully guaranteed remaining, plus a 5th-year option for 2028. He won’t become extension eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Acquired from Seattle during the draft, Sam Howell has a non-guaranteed 1 year, $1.1M remaining on his rookie contract. Brett Rypien returns on a non-guaranteed $1.195M salary, while Max Brosmer ($246k guaranteed) joins the fray as well.

New England Patriots

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years; 2027 extension candidate

Projected QB1
Drake Maye enters Year 2 of a rookie contract that includes 3 years, $12.3M fully guaranteed remaining, plus a 5th-year option for 2028. He won’t become extension eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Joshua Dobbs leaves San Francisco on a 2 year, $8M free agent contract that includes $3.8M guaranteed (all in 2025). The deal includes $2M of annual incentives based on playing time. UDFA Ben Wooldridge ($15k guaranteed) is also in the mix this summer.

New Orleans Saints

QB1 Stability: None

Projected QB1
With Derek Carr’s retirement soon to become official, #40 overall pick Tyler Shough projects to be the Week 1 starter in New Orleans. The 25-year-old should secure a guarantee around $6.8M when he signs his 4-year rookie contract.

Backups
2024 5th-rounder Spencer Rattler (3 yrs, $3.2M non-guaranteed) & 2023 4th-rounder Jake Haener (2 yrs, $2.1M non-guaranteed) will compete for the QB2 role, while 2025 UDFA Hunter Dekkers joins the mix as well.

New York Giants

QB1 Stability: 1-year guarantees + Dart

Projected QB1
Russell Wilson leaves Pittsburgh on a 1 year, $10.5M fully guaranteed contract that can be doubled based on a plethora of incentives.

Backups
#25 overall pick Jaxson Dart is due a fully guaranteed 4 year, $17M contract (plus a 5th-year option). He’ll compete for snaps with Jameis Winston, who signed a 2 year, $8M free agent contract that includes $5.25M guaranteed (2025 + $1.3M of 2026). 2023 UDFA Tommy DeVito remains in the fold on a minimum $1.03M salary.

New York Jets

QB1 Stability: 1-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Justin Fields leaves Pittsburgh on a 2 year, $40M contract that includes $30M fully guaranteed ($20M in 2025, $10M in 2026). In a worst-case-scenario, this becomes a 1 year, $30M contract for the Jets.

Backups
Tyrod Taylor remains in his QB2 role for 2025 as $2.5M of his $6M salary is already fully guaranteed. His deal includes $3M of annual incentives based on production/playing time. 2023 UDFA Adrian Martinez returns on a minimum salary, while 2025 UDFA Brady Cook ($30k guaranteed) joins as well.

Philadelphia Eagles

QB1 Stability: 3-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Jalen Hurts enters Year 3 of a 6 year, $261M contract, set to earn $42.5M in 2025. $116M of the $197M remaining on the deal contains an early vesting guarantee trigger, setting up Hurts to remain in this contract through the 2027 season (3 years, $145.5M).

Backups
2023 6th-rounder Tanner McKee currently projects to slot in as QB2 this season, holding a non-guaranteed $2.1M through 2026. 2025 6th-rounder Kyle McCord ($261k guaranteed) and newly acquired Dorian Thompson-Robinson (2 years, $2.1M non-guaranteed) will be in competition as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB1 Stability: Less than None

Projected QB1
Mason Rudolph was brought back on a 2 year, $7.5M free agent contract this past March, and is currently the leader in the clubhouse to start Week 1, though his $3M guarantee still screams backup going forward.

Backups
2025 6th-rounder Will Howard ($248k guaranteed) & Skylar Thompson ($1.1M non-guaranteed) are in line to compete for the QB2 role.

San Francisco 49ers

QB1 Stability: 3-year guarantee; 2 with an emergency

Projected QB1
Brock Purdy locked in a 5 year, $265M extension this May that includes $41.1M in 2025, & $115M+ practically guaranteed through 2026. The Niners will have a $55M decision to make before April 1, 2027.

Backups
Mac Jones signed a 2 year, $8.4M free agent deal to backup Purdy this March. The deal includes $4.75M guaranteed (2025 + $1M of 2026). 2026 7th-rounder Kurtis Rourke ($134k guaranteed) & 2024 UDFA Tanner Mordecai are also in the mix.

Seattle Seahawks

QB1 Stability: 1-year guarantee

Projected QB1
Sam Darnold signed a 3 year, $100.5M free agent contract to take over the QB1 reins this season at a fully guaranteed $37.5M. Seattle can move off of the deal prior to the 5th day following the Super Bowl with no future salary owed.

Backups
Seattle welcomes back Drew Lock on a 2 year, $5 million contract that includes $2.25M guaranteed (all in 2025). 2025 3rd-rounder Jalen Milroe ($1.1M guarantee) could also factor into this conversation sooner rather than later.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB1 Stability: Surging Extension Candidate

Projected QB1
Baker Mayfield enters Year 2 of a 3 year, $100M contract in Tampa, set to earn $30M for the upcoming season. His deal includes $5M of annual incentives and a non-guaranteed $40M salary for 2026.

Backups
Kyle Trask returns on a 1 year, $2.7M contract that includes $1.3M fully guaranteed. He’ll be joined this summer by Michael Pratt ($250k guaranteed) & 2025 UDFA Connor Bazelak ($10k guaranteed).

Tennessee Titans

QB1 Stability: 4 + option rookie years

Projected QB1
#1 overall pick Cameron Ward is expected to take the reins immediately on a fully guaranteed 4 year, $48.8M contract. His nearly $33M of cash earnings for 2025 currently ranks 15th among all signed QBs.

Backups
2023 2nd-rounder Will Levis now slides back to a QB2 role, with $2.85M of his remaining $3.6M fully guaranteed. Free agent Brandon Allen gets a $1M guarantee to join the ranks, while journeyman Tim Boyle will compete on a non-guaranteed minimum salary.

Washington Commanders

QB1 Stability: 3 + option rookie years; 2027 extension candidate

Projected QB1
Jayden Daniels enters Year 2 of his $37M rookie deal, with 3 years, $12.7M remaining (plus a 5th-year option for 2028). The 24-year-old won’t become extension-eligible until after the 2026 season.

Backups
Marcus Mariota returns on a 1 year, $8M contract ($7.4M guaranteed) that includes $4M more available by way of incentives. Elite journeyman Josh Johnson joins the mix on a 1 year, $1.4M contract ($40k guaranteed), while 2024 UDFA Sam Hartman returns on a minimum salary.

Offseason Approach

Draft Cooper Flagg, Re-sign Kyrie Irving, find depth and roster balance

Actual Cap Space

-$85.2 million

Practical Cap Space

-$81.7 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$25.5 million

Under Contract (11)

Max Christie
Anthony Davis
Daniel Gafford
Jaden Hardy
Dereck Lively II
Naji Marshall
Caleb Martin
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Klay Thompson
P.J. Washington
Brandon Williams (non-guaranteed)

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (6)

Spencer Dinwiddie (unrestricted)
Kessler Edwards (restricted – two-way)
Dante Exum (unrestricted)
Kyrie Irving (unrestricted – player option)
Kai Jones (unrestricted – two-way)
Dwight Powell (unrestricted – player option)

View Free Agents

Dead Cap (1)

JaVale McGee ($2.2 million)

Projected Signing Exceptions

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

Notable Trade Exceptions

Maxi Kleber ($11 million)
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($7 million)
Quentin Grimes ($4.3 million)

First Round Draft Picks

#1

Notable Extension Candidates

Daniel Gafford (veteran extension)
Kyrie Irving (veteran extension – if player option exercised)
Dwight Powell (veteran extension – if player option exercised)
P.J. Washington

Analysis 

Everything changed for the Dallas Mavericks when they traded Luka Doncic ahead of last season’s trade deadline. Then everything changed again, this time in a good way, when the lottery balls bounced their way and brought them Cooper Flagg.

And, yes, the Mavericks will be drafting Cooper Flagg. No disrespect meant to any other player in the 2025 NBA Draft, but Flagg is the clear best prospect in this class. It’s not even really close.

It’s there that everything will orbit around for Dallas to start the offseason. Flagg will likely slot in as the team’s starting small forward, alongside Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II in a big, athletic, defensive-minded frontcourt. If that was all the Mavs did this summer, that would be pretty solid. Fortunately for Dallas fan, there’s a lot more coming too.

In free agency, priority #1 is re-signing Kyrie Irving. Irving is coming off a torn ACL, but all reports have been that he plans to be back around the All-Star break, if not earlier. That might be a tad optimistic, but Irving is motivated to prove he can be the guy to lead this team forward.

And that guy he was with Doncic injured early and then traded to the Lakers. Irving turned in a terrific all-around season before getting hurt himself. The question now becomes: How much can you pay a 33-year-old point guard coming off a major injury? The bet here is that Dallas and Irving work out something like a three-year, $120 million deal. That gets him paid, but keeps the Mavericks out of max territory. And that could give the team some necessary flexibility to build out the roster around Irving, Davis and Flagg over the next few years.

Of the team’s other free agents, expect Dwight Powell to pick up his $4 million player option. Neither Kessler Edwards nor Kai Jones are eligible for two-way contracts any longer, so they’ll probably be moving on, unless a standard roster spot opens up.

Spencer Dinwiddie and Dante Exum are more interesting situations. Dinwiddie was underwhelming last season and is probably better off as deep bench depth now. Exum was pretty solid, when healthy. He’s been an improved shooter since coming back to the NBA, and he can play either guard spot on offense while defending 1-3 on defense. If the bidding doesn’t get ridiculous, Exum could be back.

In free agency, because of Irving’s injury, the Mavs will be looking for a veteran point guard. The idea is to sign someone who can start while Irving is out, then either play beside him later or become a high-end backup. The good news is that there are a lot of options that could be affordable for Dallas this summer.

Players like Chris Paul, Malcolm Brogdon, D’Angelo Russell, Tyus Jones or Tre Jones could all be great fits for the Mavs. The real issue is how much Dallas will have to offer a free agent point guard.

Because they moved up from the 11th pick to the first overall pick, the Mavericks took on about $8.1 million in additional salary. That means that re-signing Irving to something close to $40 million will likely put the Mavericks in second-apron territory. They might be able to squeeze in a signing with the Taxpayer MLE, but that would hard-cap Dallas at the second apron. Being hard-capped was clearly a challenge for the team last season.

The other issue is that offering the $5.7 million Taxpayer MLE or a veteran minimum deal, might not be enough for some of the options we mentioned above. Which brings us to the trade market.

We don’t generally spend a lot of times on possible trades in this space, because they are hard to predict. That said, Dallas is ripe for a rebalancing trade.

As mentioned, the Mavs have a lot of frontcourt depth now with Davis, Flagg and Lively as the starters, and Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Olivier Maxence-Prosper coming off the bench. It’s within this group that Dallas can get something done to bring in backcourt help.

Gafford and Washington are both on very tradable, expiring contracts. Look for at least one of them to be moved in a deal that brings in a guard. Targets for the Mavericks could include Jrue Holiday, Coby White, Anfernee Simons, Grayson Allen, Kris Dunn, Marcus Smart and Cole Anthony. All may be available via trade this offseason, and all could start until Irving is back and then slide into a complementary role alongside him.

Fortune smiled upon the Dallas Mavericks at the lottery. They get a second chance with a generational type of prospect with Cooper Flagg. If Kyrie Irving is re-signed and able to return at something near his previous level, and the team adds guard help, everything is in place for the Mavs to make another deep playoff run. That’s a lot brighter picture than where things were in the immediate wake of the Luka Doncic trade.

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. Malik Beasley – Detroit Pistons (UFA)
   Beasley is coming off one of his best seasons. He proved to be a perfect fit with the Pistons. The challenge for Detroit? They only have Non-Bird rights to re-sign Beasley with. That means creating cap space or using the MLE to match or beat offers from other teams.

2. Quentin Grimes – Philadelphia 76ers (RFA)
   Grimes broke out after his midseason trade to the Sixers. He’s still a quality defender and good shooter, but Grimes showed he can do more on-ball in his 28-game run with Philadelphia. Would the Nets throw a big offer sheet his way and see if they can get the 76ers to blink? Or will Philly not even mess around and get Grimes to ink a deal early in free agency?

3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Minnesota Timberwolves (UFA)
   Alexander-Walker has graduated to 3&D-plus status. He can capably defend anyone 1-3, while also adding a bit of playmaking into the mix. The shooting has stabilized in a great place over the last three years. The real question: Will Alexander-Walker get priced out on an increasingly expensive Wolves roster?

4. Bruce Brown – New Orleans Pelicans (UFA)
   Brown had a weird season. He was injured for most of the first half of the year, then the Raptors weren’t exactly trying to win when he came back. With the Pelicans, Brown was up and down. He shot ok from deep, but struggled to finish inside. Stil, he’s a good defender, solid playmaker and can fill a number of roles. That’s good for contenders who need perimeter help off their bench.

5. Cameron Thomas – Brooklyn Nets (RFA)
   Thomas would rank higher on this list, but he couldn’t stay healthy last season. At this point we can say he’s one of the better scorers in the league. Thomas is always ready to let it fly. The playmaking for others took a jump last season too. The Nets are lucky that Thomas is a restricted free agent and that they are the only ones with cap space. That should allow them to make things work towards bringing him back to Brooklyn.

6. Keon Ellis – Sacramento Kings (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
   Ellis proved he can be a starter in the NBA. He’s an excellent defender and his shooting held up over the course of the entire season. Ellis is also a better-than-you-think playmaker too. Being a restricted free agent works against Ellis, while working in the Kings favor. Look for Sacramento to decline their team option, then to work out a long-term deal to keep Ellis around.

7. Caris LeVert – Atlanta Hawks (UFA)
   LeVert is a solid bench scorer at this point in his career. He can hold up as a spot starter, but as a regular starter his lack of a consistent jumper and his defense start to work against him. Still, LeVert’s size and playmaking allow him to play 1-3 and that sort of versatility has value.

8. Duncan Robinson – Miami Heat (UFA – EARLY TERMINATION OPTION)
   Robinson remains one of the best shooters in the NBA. He’s also got terrific size as a shooter, which allows him to fit in a lot of different lineup constructions. If he opts out, which is no guarantee, Robinson will have several offers coming out of the Non-Taxpayer MLE from shooting-needy teams.

9. Gary Trent Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA)
   Trent outplayed the veteran minimum contract he signed with Milwaukee last year. The issue is if anything more will be waiting for him this summer. Trent can shoot and he’s still an above-average defender. But 3&D guys who can’t do much on-ball are starting to get pigeon-holed in as vet minimum players now.

ROTATION TIER

10. Luke Kennard – Memphis Grizzlies (UFA)
    Even after somewhat of a down season, Kennard remains one of the best shooters in the NBA. He’s also a solid ball-mover. The defense is an issue, but for a bench guard, you can do a lot worse than Kennard.

11. Tim Hardaway Jr. – Detroit Pistons (UFA)
    Hardaway remains a good scorer, if streaky shooter. He also started in 77 games for a pretty good Pistons team. Detroit would like to have him back, if the price is right. But Hardaway could be had for a team looking for rotation help on the wing, especially if the Pistons have to use resources to re-sign other players.

12. Dante Exum – Dallas Mavericks (UFA)
    Exum looked like he was on his way towards another good season before getting injured. His shot really does seem to have stabilized while he was out of the NBA for a couple of seasons. He’s a really solid rotation option, because Exum can play both guard spots and can defend 1-3.

13. Ajay Mitchell – Oklahoma City Thunder (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Mitchell was underrated as a prospect coming into last year’s draft. He outplayed his two-way deal pretty quickly as a rookie too. He’s going to get caught up a bit in the Thunder’s overall guard depth, but don’t think OKC will just let him get away. Mitchell will either have his option picked up, or he’ll sign a long-term deal.

14. Eric Gordon – Philadelphia 76ers (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Gordon will turn 37 this season, but he can still shoot and he can still score. He’ll probably pick up his option, unless he knows there are more minutes awaiting him with another team.

15. Gary Harris – Orlando Magic (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Harris can still defend and he can still shoot. His days as a sneaky-good starter are behind him, but Harris can fill a rotation spot. Because the Magic roster is getting full, and a tax bill is looming, Orlando will likely decline this option. From there, Harris may be off to a new team that needs backcourt depth.

16. De’Anthony Melton – Brooklyn Nets (UFA)
    Melton is coming off a torn ACL, but should be ready to play near the start of the season. He’ll be a solid combo guard off the bench for a contender. This time around though, the MLE probably won’t be there for Melton. He may be looking at a veteran minimum “prove it” deal.

17. Gary Payton II – Golden State Warriors (UFA)
    This is a situation where Payton probably has more value to the Warriors than any other team. They love his defense and energy, despite his lack of shooting and playmaking. There’s also a world where the Warriors re-sign Payton to create some tradable salary down the line.

18. Sam Merrill – Cleveland Cavaliers (UFA)
    Merrill is a shooting specialist, but a good one. He’s not at the level of some of the others in this class, which means he’s probably going to get another vet minimum deal. But Merrill can help a contender that needs some shooting off the bench.

19. Kevin Porter Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    There might not be a more frustrating player than Porter in the NBA. The talent is there, but the production doesn’t always match it. With the Clippers, Porter was pretty rough. With the Bucks, Porter was pretty good. He’ll probably decline this option in hopes of a bigger deal, but it’s unclear if that will come or not.

20. Alec Burks – Miami Heat (UFA)
    We’re now a few years into the whole “Oh yeah! Alec Burks!” experience. He languishes at the end of the bench for months, then gets some consistent minutes and produces. That’ll continue on a minimum deal somewhere next season.

21. Pat Connaughton – Milwaukee Bucks (UFA – PLAYER OPTION)
    Connaughton is coming off a few years in a row of declining production. He’s very likely to pick up his $9.4 million option, because he won’t get anywhere near that kind of money in free agency. From there, look for the Bucks to possibly use Connaughton as salary-matching in a trade.

22. Dalano Banton – Portland Trail Blazers (UFA)
    Banton has great size for a ballhandler, but the playmaking never really developed, nor has his jumper. That leaves him a solid, but inefficient scorer. Someone will give Banton another minimum deal, but unless he can improve the jumper, that’s all he’ll get.

23. Brandon Boston Jr. – New Orleans Pelicans (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Boston did a really nice job for the Pelicans last season before getting hurt. He showed improved patience and more craft in his scoring game. He’s also starting to improve as a passer too. Look for New Orleans to pick up this option to continue to develop Boston.

24. Keon Johnson – Brooklyn Nets (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Johnson is finally finding his way in the NBA. He did a nice job as a regular starter for the Nets. The lack of a consistent jumper is holding Johnson back, but his defense and overall court game has improved a lot. Brooklyn might decline this option for cap space reasons, but don’t rule out Johnson returning next season.

25. Tyrese Martin – Brooklyn Nets (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Martin used the ample opportunities he got with the Nets to play himself off his two-way deal. Martin can do a little bit of everything, which is good, given he has great size for his position. Like other Nets with team options, Martin’s situation will be tied to what the team’s plans are for their cap space this offseason.

26. Cam Spencer – Memphis Grizzlies (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Spencer flashed in the NBA last season, while dominating in the G League. He’s good enough to be on a standard NBA deal. The Grizzlies will keep free agent control with a qualifying offer this summer. From there, look for Spencer to try to work out a long-term deal on the main roster for next season.

27. Garrison Mathews – Atlanta Hawks (UFA)
    Mathews is right on the edge of rotation and fringe. He can really shoot, but there’s nothing else here. And it’s tough for Mathews, because he’s not a good enough defender to earn minutes for his shooting to really shine. Someone that needs a designated shooter will snag Mathews on a minimum deal.

28. Landry Shamet – New York Knicks (UFA)
    It was kind of a weird season for Shamet. He looked terrific in the preseason, but got hurt. After recovering, Shamet gave the Knicks some solid minutes, but was squeezed out of Tom Thibodeau’s tight rotation. At worst, Shamet is a good bench shooter with some remaining upside to make a Ty Jerome-like jump.

29. Lonnie Walker IV – Philadelphia 76ers (UFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Walker made it back to the NBA after starting last year overseas. He was able to flash his scoring ability, but Walker remains an inconsistent shooter. Philadelphia has pretty good depth at the off-guard spot too. That could mean Walker’s option is declined and he’s back to trying to catch on as a depth guard elsewhere.

FRINGE TIER (UNRANKED AND PRESENTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

30. Trey Alexander – Denver Nuggets (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Alexander might be the NBA equivalent of a 4A player: too good for the minors, but not quite good enough for the majors. Alexander was dominant in the G League, but didn’t really get a chance in the NBA. Look for another two-way deal, with hopefully more NBA minutes next season.

31. Taran Armstrong – Golden State Warriors (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Armstrong is a fun prospect to monitor. He’s got good size for a playmaking guard and he’s outstanding passer. Armstrong shot it better than expected too. Look for him to be back on another two-way deal with the Warriors.

32. MarJon Beauchamp – New York Knicks (UFA — TWO WAY)
    Beauchamp never quite put it together to earn a rotation role with the Bucks. The Knicks picked him up on a two-way, but he didn’t play much. There’s still a ton of potential here, but Beauchamp is probably looking at working his back through the G League.

33. Josh Christopher – Miami Heat (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    After flashing in his first two seasons with the Rockets, Christopher kind of fell off the radar. He had a nice season in the G League on a two-way deal with Miami, but didn’t shoot it consistently. That’s going to hold Christopher back from landing a standard NBA spot.

34. Seth Curry – Charlotte Hornets (UFA)
    Curry can still really shoot the ball. That’s all he does though. If a team needs a designated shooter, Curry could catch on at the end of a bench. But his lack of size and lack of playmaking ability will keep him in a depth role.

35. Alex Ducas – Oklahoma City Thunder (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Ducas didn’t play much in the NBA or the G League last season. That’s kept him a bit of a mystery. Don’t be surprised if Ducas is back with the Thunder on another two-way deal.

36. David Duke Jr. – San Antonio Spurs (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Duke’s lack of a consistent jumper will keep him from making an NBA team. He’s got good size as a combo guard, but that only goes so far if he can’t shoot. Heading overseas or a straight G League contract is probably in Duke’s future.

37. Adam Flagler – Oklahoma City Thunder (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Flagler is a good shooter, but his lack of size limits him. If he was a better on-ball guy, Flagler could challenge for a standard roster spot. As it is, Flagler is a candidate for another two-way deal.

38. Javonte Green – Cleveland Cavaliers (UFA)
    Green remains a good athlete and competitive perimeter defender. Unfortunately, Green doesn’t shoot it well enough to be a rotation player. But as a good locker room and practice guy, Green might snag an end-of-bench spot somewhere.

39. Jalen Hood-Schifino – Philadelphia 76ers (UFA — TWO-WAY)
    Hood-Schifino never made an NBA impact with the Lakers or Sixers. He has been pretty good in limited G League appearances. With his size as an on-ball player, and still being fairly young, someone will give Hood-Schifino another opportunity, likely through a two-way contract.

40. Talen Horton-Tucker – Chicago Bulls (UFA)
    As always: Horton-Tucker can score, but doesn’t do a lot else. He’s not a good enough shooter to play off-ball, and not a good enough playmaker to play on-ball. But because he works hard and is well-liked, Horton-Tucker will continue to compete for depth spots in the NBA.

41. Mason Jones – Sacramento Kings (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Jones has outplayed his G League status, but hasn’t found his way in the NBA. He’s a terrific shooter and a better-than-you-think passer. This situation screams better money and opportunity overseas, unless Jones wants to continue to chase the NBA through a G League spot.

42. Damion Lee – Phoenix Suns (UFA)
    Lee looked like an up-and-coming bench shooter, but a knee injury may have wrecked his career. A year of recovery, followed by a year of barely playing, didn’t do Lee any favors. He’ll likely get a camp spot to prove he can help a team, but nothing more than a minimum deal is coming his way.

43. Kevin McCullar – New York Knicks (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    McCullar spent the early part of the season recovering from injury. In the G League, he flashed enough all-around skill to earn himself another two-way deal. The Knicks may want to keep McCullar around as a developmental guy.

44. Bryce McGowens – Portland Trail Blazers (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    In the G League, McGowens is able to use his size and strength to overpower opposing defenders. In the NBA, his lack of shooting holds him back. That’s seen McGowens get kind of stuck. He could be ticketed for better money and opportunity overseas.

45. Tristen Newton – Minnesota Timberwolves (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    Newton did very little in the NBA as a rookie. In the G League, he showed all the same skills that made him successful in college. He’s got good size for an on-ball playmaker, and Newton holds up fairly well on defense. If he could shoot it better, he’d be on an NBA deal. As it is, look for another two-way deal for Newton to keep working on the jumper in the G League.

46. Trevelin Queen – Orlando Magic (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    This is another “too good for the minors, not good enough for the majors” situation. Queen can score and do enough other stuff in the G League, but it hasn’t translated to the NBA. He’s another guy who could head overseas for more money and a chance to play a bigger role.

47. Rayan Rupert – Portland Trail Blazers (RFA – TEAM OPTION)
    Rupert hasn’t shown much in the NBA, and he’s been underwhelming in the G League too. But he’s still really young (only turning 21 at the end of May), so he could be back for another NBA run. Given that Portland can make Rupert a restricted free agent in 2026 too, they may just pick up their option and see if things click in Year 3 for the young guard.

48. Garrett Temple – Toronto Raptors (UFA)
    Temple has become the guard version of Taj Gibson or James Johnson. He’s beloved in the locker room as a leader, but there’s no real on-court impact here. If Temple returns, it’ll be on a minimum deal to provide leadership.

49. Stanley Umude – Milwaukee Bucks (RFA – TWO-WAY)
    After showing some potential with Detroit, things sort of stagnated for Umude last season with Milwaukee. He was ok in the G League, but didn’t dominate the way you hope a third-year player might. That could mean one more two-way deal is in Umude’s future.

50. Lindy Waters III – Detroit Pistons (UFA)
    For a couple of seasons now, Waters has felt like a player who can do more. He’s a pretty good shooter with good size. There just isn’t a whole lot else there at the NBA level. Another vet minimum deal for a team that needs shooting with size is probably in the cards for Waters.

Offseason Approach

Keep things moving forward with retooled core

Actual Cap Space

-$91.6 million

Practical Cap Space

-$91.3 million

Projected Luxury Tax Space

$32.4 million

Under Contract (11)

Kobe Bufkin
Dyson Daniels
Mouhamed Gueye (non-guaranteed)
Jalen Johnson
Vit Krejci ($1.5 million guaranteed)
Terance Mann
Georges Niang
Onyeka Okongwu
Daeqwon Plowden (two-way)
Zaccharie Risacher
Trae Young

View Roster

Potential Free Agents (7)

Dominick Barlow (restricted – team option)
Clint Capela (unrestricted)
Caris LeVert (unrestricted)
Garrison Mathews (unrestricted)
Larry Nance Jr. (unrestricted)
Jacob Toppin (restricted – two-way)
Keaton Wallace (restricted – two-way)

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

Dejounte Murray ($25.3 million)
Bogdan Bogdanovic ($13.1 million)
A.J. Griffin ($3.7 million)
Cody Zeller ($3.5 million)

First Round Draft Picks

#13
#22

Notable Extension Candidates

Clint Capela (veteran extension – through June 30)
Dyson Daniels (rookie scale extension)
Mouhamed Gueye (veteran extension)
Garrison Mathews (veteran extension – through June 30)
Georges Niang (veteran extension)
Trae Young (veteran extension)

Analysis

The Atlanta Hawks season was just about as average as one could get. Atlanta was pretty good with controlling the ball and playing with pace. The Hawks were also an above-average rebounding team. Beyond that, they were in the middle pack in just about everything, minus opponent field goal percentage, where the Hawks were well below average.

Ultimately, it added up to a team that was around .500 all season long before falling in the Play-In Tournament.

To be fair, there were reasons the Hawks struggled to find traction. Jalen Johnson missed more than half of the season. Clint Capela missed considerable time. Rookie wing Zaccharie Risacher played a big role, which ultimately paid off after some predictable early-season rockiness.

If Johnson and Capela play the whole season, and Risacher is the player he was in the second half of the year, Atlanta probably pushes Detroit for a top-six spot. As it was, everything was just kind of meh for a fourth consecutive season.

How do the Hawks break the cycle of lackluster results? 

Atlanta has a chance to round out their depth a bit more at the draft. The Hawks have a late lottery pick and then another selection in the early 20s. Look for them to target backcourt depth and center depth.

Trae Young and Dyson Daniels are a solid starting guard combo, but there’s not much behind them. Kobe Bufkin still hasn’t found his footing in the NBA. Up front, the Hawks have a couple of free agents, which leaves Onyeka Okongwu as the only returning center on the roster.

With two first round picks, the Hawks should be able to bring in at least one rotation player, plus another player who is a bit more of a project. That would be a solid start to the offseason.

In free agency, the Hawks will at least look at what it would take to re-sign Capela, Caris LeVert and Larry Nance Jr. Pending cost, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of the veteran trio return, provided all understand they are filling backup roles and will be paid accordingly.

Capela may look to leave for a bigger role elsewhere, as he’s still good enough to start for a handful of teams in need of a veteran center. That won’t be Atlanta, as Capela is now firmly behind Okongwu in the center rotation.

LeVert played well for Atlanta after being acquire at the trade deadline. The Hawks used him as much as an on-ball playmaker as anyone when Young wasn’t on the floor. That role is still open, and being a third guard in a rotation with Young and Daniels is a good spot for LeVert. He’ll probably need to take a slight discount off the $16.6 million he made last year. A deal in the range of $12 million AAV over two or three years makes sense both LeVert and the Hawks.

Nance is kind of a wild-card. He could be back at Atlanta to provide depth at both center and power forward. This one really comes down to cost. If things go much past $8 to $10 million, the Hawks will probably let Nance walk. A two-year contract worth $20 million is a really good deal for both Nance and Atlanta.

Further down the depth chart, Dominick Barlow and two-way players Jacob Toppin and Keaton Wallace have all shown enough potential to come back. The should pick up their option for Barlow, while Toppin and Wallace could be back on two-way deals.

For outside help, the Hawks should have enough room under the tax to offer the full Non-Taxpayer MLE to free agents. The center market is deep in veterans, especially with those fit for backup roles. Atlanta could also snag a true backup point guard. Either would allow a draft pick to develop without the pressure of filling a rotation spot right away.

To be clear: The above path is likely only open to the Hawks if they don’t re-sign two of their own free agents. Re-signing two of Capela, LeVert or Nance would likely bring the team close enough to the luxury tax that using the MLE would come off the table.

Several Hawks are eligible for extensions this offseason. Don’t expect one for Clint Capela before he hits free agency. It would need to be too team friendly for Capela to forgo seeing what’s out there for him in free agency. Georges Niang, Mouhamed Gueye and Garrison Mathews aren’t extension candidates either, at least not at the moment.

That leaves Trae Young and Dyson Daniels. And those are really interesting extension situations.

Could Atlanta trade Young before extending him? It’s certainly possible. But Hawks ownership hasn’t given any sense that’s something they really want to do. Young also hasn’t agitated for a trade either. But does an extension make sense?

This summer, Young could decline his player option for the 2026-27 season and add four years onto his current deal. That would very likely have to be at a maximum salary, which would end up being $228.6 million over four years. That’s a lot of money to lock into for a player who is an All-Star most years, but has made only one All-NBA team.

If Atlanta is hesitant on giving Young another max deal, they can put things off for a year and see where things are toward the end of the season. The same option of declining the player option and extending would remain in place through June 30 of next season. Delaying does come with the risk that Young could simply choose to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. But that’s probably better than simply giving Young another max deal.

Given the uncertainty with Young, the Hawks should try to sign Daniels to an extension this summer. With how good Daniels already is on defense, combined with the leap he took on offense, the floor should be $100 million over four years for the young combo guard. That’s a tick below the $30 million AAV that Jalen Johnson got in his extension, and that feels about right, given role, position and potential. If Atlanta could get Daniels for $125 million over five years, on a similar structure to Johnson’s even spread of salary, that would be even better for the Hawks.

Extending Daniels long-term would give Atlanta the surety of a core of Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu, Risacher, Terance Mann (who was acquired with a three-year extension kicking in next season) and the upcoming draft picks. That’s a solid group to build around, with or without Young in the fold.

After getting unlucky to land the first overall pick in the draft sandwiched in between Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg, the Hawks still did well with Zaccharie Risacher. He looks like a long-term starter at the least, and a potential All-Star on the higher end. Jalen Johnson is on a great deal moving forward. Getting Dyson Daniels in the Dejounte Murray deal looks like a work of genius. There’s a lot in place to like in Atlanta.

This offseason is about the Atlanta Hawks adding some talent to push the team out of the PIT and into the playoffs. But it’s also about not signing extensions that will leave the cap sheet bloated. That’s what’s facing the Atlanta front office this summer. Pretty worrisome? As of this writing, we still don’t have clarity on who will be running the Hawks front office. That obviously needs solved, with a plan for everything else being top of mind.