2025 NBA Free Agency Live Tracker: Updates, news, rumors, top players, signings, trades

Oklahoma City has set the bar and the chase to beat them — or at least the race toward respectability — gets serious on Monday with the official start of NBA free agency and the peak of the NBA trade season.

Not that every team has waited — Kevin Durant is now a Houston Rocket and they are all-in on winning next season. Desmond Bane is in Orlando already, where he is an underrated fit with an up-and-coming Magic team.

As of Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern, teams are officially allowed to start talking to free agents (although, in the tampering world of the NBA, if a team is not already at least two-thirds done with free agency by the time it starts, they are behind). In this tracker, we will give you all the latest signings, trades, rumors, and reports all in one place (all in order of when they happened, with the most recent news on top). This is a brief synopsis with initial thoughts on any deals; follow the links to view a more detailed analysis.

Booker negotiating extension with Suns

While voices outside the locker room said, “blow it up, trade everyone,” that was never the plan for the Suns or Devin Booker. They are both all-in on making this work and retooling after the Kevin Durant trade.

Which is why the sides are negotiating a contract extension, something reported before free agency and confirmed by Chris Haynes during it. The max the extension can be for is two years, $150 million, which would get tacked onto the end of the three years, $171 million he is already owed. Phoenix has had a good offseason so far, but this is a team not ready to make a leap up the standings in this Western Conference. It’s going to be a work in progress, but Booker is locked in for it.

Luke Kornett to sign with Spurs

Well, Luke Kornett is not going to be the tallest player on the roster anymore.

Kornett has agreed to sign with the San Antonio Spurs for four-years, $41 million, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. Boston wanted to hang on to Kornett, but in an offseason where saving money has been the priority the Celtics could not match an offer like this.

San Antonio’s top priority this offseason was size along the front line and a center who could be a backup, and at times play with Victor Wembanyama. Kornett does that, plus he brings championship experience (he earned a ring with Boston a year ago). He averaged 6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game last season in Boston.

Brook Lopez, Clippers agree to two-year, $18 million deal

Ivica Zubac and now Brook Lopez? That’s as good a center rotation as there is in the league.

Lopez is headed to the Clippers on a two-year, $18 million contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Lopez is still a solid center who averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds a game last season. He sets a big pick then can roll to the rim or pop out for a 3-pointer, hitting 37.3% from beyond the arc last season, and he’s a plus defender. The only concern was his age, 37, and with that his game slipping a little the past couple of years. However, in a limited role behind Zubac, playing 20 minutes or fewer a night, going against more reserves, and with good screen navigators like James Harden, Lopez can thrive.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker headed to Atlanta

The Atlanta Hawks are having a fantastic offseason.

That continued on Monday with Nickeil Alexander-Walker agreeing to a four-year, $62 million contract that includes a trade kicker, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. This is a huge win for a Hawks team that needs perimeter defense and shooting around Trae Young — and Young knew it.

This is a sign-and-trade to bring Alexander-Walker to Atlanta, so the Hawks are sending back a 2027 second-round pick (Cleveland’s) and cash to the Timberwolves.

This offseason, the Hawks added rim protection and a floor spacing big in Kristaps Porzingis (as long as he stays healthy) and now Alexander-Walker, who may slide into Caris LeVert’s bench role (assuming the starting five is Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu, with NAW and Zaccharie Risacher the first two off the bench). Atlanta is going to make some noise in the East next season.

Ty Jerome headed to Memphis

The Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to keep Ty Jerome but knew he had played his way off the team — they were not going to be able to afford to keep him. They were right.

Jerome is headed to Memphis on a three-year, $28 million contract, with a player option in the third year, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania. Jerome is a case study of a player who works hard, improves each year, and then takes advantage of his chance. Jerome had been in the league for five years before a breakout season in 2024-25, averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc, while also adding 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are going to miss what he brought off the bench (and he likely has a bench role waiting for him in Memphis, but with a much better payday.

Clint Capela headed back to Houston

Clint Capela spent the first six years of his NBA career in Houston. Now he is headed back there.

Capela agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Rockets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. He was an unrestricted free agent, but Atlanta had moved on with Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and the just-drafted Asa Newell. Capelas’ role in Houston will be much smaller. The Rockets are almost certainly going to start Kevin Durant at the four and Alperen Sengun at the five, with Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams off the bench behind them. And now Capela is in that mix.

The Rockets are pushing all their chips in the middle for next season.

D’Angelo Russell signs with Dallas Mavericks

As was expected, D’Angelo Russell has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, something Marc Stein and Jake Fischer at The Stein Line predicted would happen and then Chris Haynes confirmed when it became real.

Dallas picks up a quality point guard to fill in until Kyrie Irving returns from his torn ACL (that could be most or all of next season). Russell averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 assists a game last season, splitting time between Los Angeles and Brooklyn.

Nuggets bringing back Bruce Brown Jr.

Denver might not have a banner hanging in the Ball Arena without the great bench play of Bruce Brown Jr. that season. However, under the terms of the CBA, the Nuggets also couldn’t pay market rate to keep him and Brown left after the season for Indiana (where he struggled to fill the same role, as he did in Toronto).

Now Brown Jr. is headed back to Denver on a one-year deal, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. That is likely for the minimum and is a great deal for Denver, bringing him home.

TRADE: Nuggets send Michael Porter Jr. to Nets for Cam Johnson

The Denver Nuggets have been looking to get off Michael Porter Jr.’s massive contract for a while. They have done it and brought back one of the most coveted fours thought to be available via trade, Cam Johnson.

Denver is trading Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to Brooklyn for Johnson, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

This trade is a win for the Nuggets. Financially, they save about $17 million in salary, although with Johnson’s bonuses that’s closer to $14 million. Still, that gives the cash-strapped Nuggets some room to maneuver.

Johnson, a 6’8″ forward, can step into MPJ’s role. Johnson averaged 18.8 points a game while shooting 39% from 3 last season in Brooklyn, plus he grabbed 4.3 rebounds a night. Johnson took a step back defensively last season, but has been a plus defender in the past, in the right system can be that again.

B-Ball Paul returning to Detroit

The Pistons are keeping fan favorite big man Paul Reed — B-Ball Paul — around for a couple more years with a two-year, $11 million contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. Reed came off the bench in half the Pistons games last season, averaging 4.1 points a game. He’s a quality backup center when healthy.

Lakers sign Jake LaRavia for two years, $12 million

Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said it best: He made a mistake by declining Jake LaRavia’s option and setting him on a path to free agency. LaRavia has developed into a quality player, and the Grizzlies could have used him down the stretch last season, but Kleiman had traded LaRavia to Sacramento.

Now LaRavia is going to be a Laker, agreeing to a two-year, $12 million contract, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania. He will step into Dorian Finney-Smith’s role, although he lacks the experience and defense and will have to prove he can handle that role. Overall last season, the 6’8″ power forward averaged 6.9 points a game, but he should get a real opportunity with the Lakers to do more.

Rockets sign Dorian Finney-Smith, four years, $53 million

The Houston Rockets are swinging for the fences this offseason.

The Rockets have added veteran 3&D wing Dorian Finney-Smith with a four-year, $53 million contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Finney-Smith is the kind of wing every contending team is trying to find: 8.7 points a game for the Lakers last season but shot 41.1% from 3 and is a quality wing defender. DFS is going to get key minutes in Houston, taking over some of the defensive responsibilities Dillon Brooks used to handle (Brooks had to be sent to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade).

With Kevin Durant at the four and Finney-Smith getting heavy minutes in the rotation, a Rockets team that looked young and inexperienced at points in the playoffs last season will not be the same next time around. This team is a legit contender and Finney-Smith is a key part of that.

Santi Aldama returns to Memphis for three years, $52.5 million

The Memphis Grizzlies were not done locking up their frontcourt.

Santi Aldama was one of the better frontcourt names on the free agent market, but you can take him off the board after he agreed to return to Memphis on a three-year, $452.5 million contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Last season, Aldama averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 assists a game for the Grizzlies as a stretch big who shot 36.8% from beyond the arc. Aldama is the model of a modern NBA big who can stretch the floor and still have some presence inside the paint. There were a lot of teams interested, but he’s staying home in Memphis.

To do this for Aldama and give JJJ the max will take some fancy footwork by the Grizzlies, as Keith Smith points out.

And along those lines…

Memphis agrees to max extension with Jaren Jackson Jr.

There are a handful of players in the league who are the best offensive and defensive players on their teams. Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of those guys. (If you want to argue Ja Morant is the Grizzlies’ offensive MVP, I’ll listen to the argument, but note availability matters.)

The Memphis Grizzlies are going to lock up Jackson with a five-year, $240 million maximum renegotiation-and-extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Last season Jackson Jr. averaged 22.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, plus was an All-Star and Second Team All-Defense. However Memphis may be shaking up its roster going forward (without Desmond Bane), Jackson Jr. is going to be at the heart of it and should get paid like it. This is a fair deal.

Kings to meet with Westbrook, Schroder

The Sacramento Kings need a point guard after they traded theirs — De’Aaron Fox — to San Antonio in the wake of the fallout of Mike Brown being fired as coach. (Just to rub salt in the wound, Fox was the guy the Kings kept when they traded Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers.)

Sacramento has now set up Zoom meetings with both Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder, reports Chris Haynes. Those are just meetings, convincing those guys to come to Sacramento is another thing, but it’s a step.

Free agency has started

For as long as anyone can remember, the second that free agency officially opened, there was a flood of deals announced in the first hour. There have been zero so far in the first 10 minutes this year, which is just a little weird. It’s worth noting that before free agency even began, there were an estimated $784 million in contracts and extensions handed out. That could have slowed things. Still, this is unusual. to say the least.

LeBon’s agent Rich Paul says no trade talks taking place

NBA insider Chris Haynes spoke with Rich Paul, a day after Paul’s statement as LeBron James picked up his player option for next year sent NBA fans scrambling toward the trade machine. Paul told Haynes there is no trade demand and no trade talks. Here is what Haynes said on NBA TV:

“[Rich Paul] told me there has been no trade discussions, there are have been no trade talks with the Lakers, people have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I’m told that all that talk is false. There has been no trade talk, there has been no extension talk. He clearly opted in and he wants to win. He believes the Lakers have what it takes to maximize Luka’s timeline, but also maximize and prioritize his timeline. That’s what Rich Paul wanted to get clear.”

So, we can cool it with the LeBron trade talk for a while. This is just LeBron once again trying to push the Lakers to go all in and try to win now.

NBA 2025-26 salary cap set

For the NBA salary cap nerds out there, the NBA has formally set the salary cap and tax line numbers for next season:

• The Minimum Team Salary is $139.182 million
• The Salary Cap is $154.647
• The Luxury Tax starts at $187.895 million
• The First Apron Level is $195.945 million
• The Second Apron Level is $207.824 million

One note: ESPN’s Bobby Marks said that the league is now projecting a 7% growth of the salary cap next year, which had been assumed to be 10% before this. If it is 7% that is going to squeeze teams that have players getting 8% raises (for example, in Toronto both Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are due 8% raises). Just something to watch going forward.

Knicks to give Mike Brown second interview

While free agency grows nearer, we get this news out of New York: The Knicks are having a second interview with Mike Brown for their head coaching position, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Brown gets a bad rap from some fans, he’s not the sexiest pick but he’s done a good job wherever he has been (Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento): 59.9% winning percentage, he coached LeBron and the Cavaliers to the Finals in 2007, and he helped the Kings break their 16-year playoff drought. He’d do a good job in the role.

Is he worth firing Tom Thibodeau for? That’s a different conversation. Others who got a formal interview with the Knicks are James Borrego, Taylor Jenkins and Micah Nori.

Ben Simmons seeks more than the minimum

In the 18 games he played for them after the trade, Ben Simmons was more solid for the Clippers than the counting stats show: 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He wasn’t a great playmaker but was respectable, although when things got serious in the Denver playoff series Simmons was glued to the bench.

Simmons is now a free agent and likely does not return to the Clippers because he is seeking more than the minimum, reports Law Murray at The Athletic. “Simmons in particular looking at teams with exceptions; he’s not looking for a minimum deal.”

We’ll see how that goes.

Mavericks expected to sign D’Angelo Russell

In no way is there tampering in the NBA, but if there were, we would find out about free agent signings before they happen. Completely unrelated to that thought…

The Dallas Mavericks and point guard D’Angelo Russell are expected to ink a two-year, $12 million contract after free agency opens, reports Marc Stein and Jake Fischer at The Stein Line. This is a good fit for a Dallas team that needs a quality point guard for the first half of the season (at least, could even be the full season), and Russell fills that role. Russell averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 assists a game this past season, splitting time between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Russell is a better option for the Mavericks than their other choices, such as Tyus Jones, Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder.

Lakers interested in Ayton

Everyone in the league knows the Lakers are looking for a rim-running, paint-protecting center to play off Luka Doncic, which is why when Los Angeles has contacted teams to start trade discussions, there seems to be a premium they are asked to pay.

In free agency, the Lakers were linked to the aging Brook Lopez as well as former Hawks center Clint Capela. Now, after his buyout in Portland, add Deandre Ayton to the list, reports Dan Woike at The Athletic. Beyond that, NBA insider Chris Haynes said there is a “strong possibility” Ayton ends up a Laker.

This shouldn’t be a surprise, the Lakers need a big and Ayton — for all his flaws — is a better fit than Capela. Lopez had been the top target: He sets a good pick and can roll to the rim or pop out for a 3-pointer (37.3% from beyond the arc last season) and is the best defender of the group, even at age 37. It’s that age, combined with the fact that Lopez’s game has noticeably slipped over the past year, that gives teams pause.

The Lakers have the full $14.1 million mid-level exception to throw at their next center, although ideally, they would like to split that up between a couple of players. That exception is not going to be enough to bring back Dorian Finney-Smith, who just declined his $15.4 million contract for next season. The Lakers expect to lose him to the Rockets, Woike reports.

Knicks, Kings, Nuggets interested in Westbrook

Russell Westbrook declined his $3.5 million player option, making him a free agent and giving himself control over where he plays next…

But that could still be Denver. The Nuggets, as well as the Knicks and Kings, are interested in Westbrook, reports Marc Stein and Jake Fischer at The Stein Line. I doubt Westbrook chooses Sacramento (although they can offer the biggest role, and if they overpay he might have to consider it). We know how well Westbrook played alongside Nikola Jokic, but his role and money there would be very similar to what he earned a year ago. How would Westbrook fit in the Knicks’ system? Well, that would assume they had a coach and we knew their system. In New York, Westbrook would come off the bench and play next to Miles “Duece” McBride, and that, plus being on a contending team in the East, could interest Westbrook. It’s all just something to watch.

Warriors linked to Al Horford

A couple of new reports have linked free agent center Al Horford to the Golden State Warriors (Anthony Slater at The Athletic is one). There is a logical fit there, the Warriors are at their best with Draymond Green at the five, but he can’t play there full time, so they then turn to Kevon Looney. Horford, with his ability to defend in the paint and on the perimeter, is a perfect stylistic fit for Golden State, playing off Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

However, making it work is not easy, as Slater explained well:

If the Warriors use the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at around $5.7 million) on Horford or another free agent, they’ll be hard-capped at the second apron, currently projected at $207.8 million. The Warriors currently have nine players under contract at $170.5 million. Kuminga’s qualifying offer, extended over the weekend by the Warriors, is $7.9 million, but his cap hold is $22.9 million, further clogging the Warriors’ books if his situation drags deeper into July.

Kuminga is a whole other thing that will be all over this live updated tracker in the coming days.

Clippers, Nicolas Batum agree to new deal

For a player scoring 4 points a game and averaging less than 18 minutes a night, it’s difficult to overstate how much Nicolas Batum means to the Clippers. He steadies their bench units, provides needed leadership, and is a hand-in-glove fit for how the Clippers want to play.

Which is why the Clippers are giving him as large a deal as they can with his non-Bird rights — $11.5 million over two years — to return, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Even with this deal and the team re-signing James Harden, the Clippers are $8.5 million below the luxury tax line, affording them the flexibility to bring in a player at the full mid-level exception ($14.1 million) or make a bold trade. Keep an eye on this team, they are in the middle of a lot of rumors around the league.

Jazz, Jordan Clarkson agree to buyout

Add Jordan Clarkson to the list of free agents.

Clarkson averaged 16.2 points a game last season while shooting 36.2% from 3, and he wanted to be moved to a contender, but there was no trade market because of his $14.3 million contract. So, the Jazz and Clarkson have agreed to a contract buyout, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania. With this buyout — where Clarkson certainly is giving the Jazz a discount, how much we don’t yet know — he becomes a free agent. There will be interest from playoff teams who want to add some bench scoring, just didn’t want to do it at the price he was getting paid. Expect now a taxpayer mid-level sized contract ($5.7 million) or less.

Nets bring back DayRon Sharpe, Ziaire Williams

By keeping all five of their first-round draft picks this year, the Brooklyn Nets are leaning hard into youth and a rebuild. With that, the Nets made a couple of moves before free agency opened Monday.

First, they are bringing back big man DayRon Sharpe. This is a player the Nets didn’t extend a qualifying offer to, making him an unrestricted free agent. However, the sides agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Sharpe averaged 7.9 points and, 6.6 rebounds a game for the Nets last season.

Second, the Nets are re-signing wing Ziaire Williams on a two-year, $12 million contract, Charania reports. Last season, Williams started more than half the Nets’ games and averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds a night.