2025 NBA Free Agency: Three Winners and Three Losers
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
Even without many All-Stars available on the open market, 2025 NBA free agency has produced plenty of league-altering moves. A member of the NBA 75 was waived. A Finals team lost its starting five, while the Western Conference saw moves stretching from genius to baffling.
Here are the winners and losers of NBA free agency so far…
Winners
Atlanta Hawks
Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard have arrived. The losses of Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., and Caris LeVert aren’t going to hurt too much.
Alexander-Walker joins an exciting stable of young wings in Atlanta, along with Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Dyson Daniels. Kennard brings an elite off-ball shooter. Porziņģis, when healthy, is a smooth pick-and-pop partner for Trae Young.
Atlanta has seized its opportunity in the Eastern Conference. Young surrounded by long, shooting wings feels like a formula for success. Porziņģis is a worthwhile, high-upside health gamble with Onyeka Okongwu pencilled in as the starting five man. The pair can play together, too.
Detroit Pistons
Duncan Robinson replaces the shooting of Tim Hardaway Jr. off the bench. Caris Levert, a much-improved playmaker, could be an upgrade on Dennis Schröder as a sixth man.
This hasn’t been a blockbuster offseason for the Detroit Pistons as was speculated, but it has been a sensible follow-up to the shrewd moves of last summer. There has been no wasting of draft assets and they have avoided handing out contracts that could cripple their cap sheet into the latter part of this decade.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets needed a big offseason after the Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant. With limited financial flexibility and several picks already out the door, Denver revamped its roster by trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson, and signing Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Jonas Valančiūnas, brought in via a trade with the Sacramento Kings for Dario Šarić, is the best backup center of the Nikola Jokić era.
The Nuggets have a proper, title-contending rotation in the blink of an eye. Johnson is a more reliable starting three than Porter, Brown can fill numerous roles off the bench, and Hardaway’s shooting compensates for a team that has consistently been facing a math problem with its low three-point volume.
Losers
Los Angeles Lakers
What are the Los Angeles Lakers doing? It’s been reported Rob Pelinka is prioritizing cap space in 2027. They have lost Dorian Finney-Smith to a Western Conference rival and are yet to address their glaring issue at center.
Jake LaRavia is an okay replacement for Finney-Smith. That being the Lakers’ lone move so far is insufficient for a team with title aspirations, and that’s before we mention murmurs that LeBron James could ask for a trade.
A starting five and at least one more three-and-D wing are a must if the Lakers are to be taken seriously as a contender.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are in a similar position to the Lakers. Their weaknesses (frontcourt size, wing defenders) were clear in the postseason, but they have yet to address these.
Kevon Looney’s departure sees the loss of a long-time Warrior and serviceable center. Any Giannis Antetokounmpo pipedream has likely faded with the Bucks acquiring Myles Turner, while it’s unclear if Lauri Markkanen is available on the trade market.
Golden State hasn’t found an answer to the long-running Jonathan Kuminga conundrum, nor have they added any shooting to pair with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. Links to Al Horford are understandable from a fit perspective, but this veteran team should be wary about adding a 39-year-old.
Indiana Pacers
What a torturous few weeks it’s been for the Indiana Pacers. From game 7 of the Finals, Indiana has lost its star player for at least the entirety of next season and saw its longest-serving player join their rival Milwaukee Bucks on a long-term contract.
Pacers ownership has always been reluctant to go into the luxury tax. That was supposedly going to change, but Haliburton’s injury obviously led to a change of plans. Like the Boston Celtics, Indiana is facing a lost year in 2025/26, with player development surely the priority.
Rick Carlisle and co. will be hoping the Pacers are a factor in preseason NBA picks in 12 months’ time. For now, the focus has to be on seeing what they’ve got long-term in Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, and Bennedict Mathurin.
