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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Phoenix Suns

September 26th, 2025 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns.

Free agent signings

  • Collin Gillespie: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Nigel Hayes-Davis: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Jared Butler: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 9). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Damion Baugh: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • David Duke Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Tyrese Samuel: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Alex Schumacher: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Schumacher has since been waived.
  • Jaden Shackelford: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Shackelford has since been waived.

Trades

  • Acquired Mark Williams and their own 2029 second-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for Vasilije Micic, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley (No. 29 pick), and either the Timberwolves’ (top-five protected), Cavaliers’, or Jazz’s 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
    • Note: The Suns had traded the Hornets their 2029 second-round pick in a previous deal.
  • Acquired Jalen Green (from Rockets), Dillon Brooks (from Rockets), Daeqwon Plowden (two-way; from Hawks), the draft rights to Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick; from Rockets), the draft rights to Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 pick; from Timberwolves), the draft rights to Koby Brea (No. 41 pick; from Warriors), and either the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round (whichever is second-most favorable; from Rockets) in a seven-team trade in exchange for Kevin Durant (to Rockets), the draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; to Warriors), either the Warriors’ or Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; to Timberwolves), and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; to Timberwolves).
    • Note: Plowden was subsequently waived.

Draft picks

  • 1-10: Khaman Maluach
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $27,386,799).
  • 2-31: Rasheer Fleming
    • Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
  • 2-41: Koby Brea
    • Signed to two-way contract.

Two-way signings

  • Koby Brea
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
  • CJ Huntley
    • Two years, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season); second year non-guaranteed (will increase to maximum two-way protection amount on July 10 and to 50% at start of regular season).
  • Isaiah Livers
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

  • Signed Devin Booker to a two-year, $88,762,440 veteran contract extension that begins in 2028/29. Projected value of $145,760,888. Includes second-year player option.
  • Bought out and stretched Bradley Beal (gave up $13,879,830 of $110,794,880 total guaranteed salary).
  • Claimed Jordan Goodwin off waivers from the Lakers.
  • Waived Cody Martin (non-guaranteed contract).

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $187.9MM in salary.
  • No hard cap.
  • Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
  • Full bi-annual exception ($5,134,000) available.
  • Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $3,628,720).

The offseason so far

The Suns fell short of expectations in 2023/24, their first season with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the roster together, earning the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Timberwolves.

But that 49-win season actually looked pretty good in retrospect when compared to the all-out disaster that was ’24/25. Phoenix went just 36-46 last season and entered the offseason as the only NBA team that didn’t make the playoffs, didn’t make the play-in tournament, and didn’t control a lottery pick. The Suns were also the only club that made both a front office and head coaching change this spring, hiring Brian Gregory to replace general manager James Jones and Jordan Ott to replace coach Mike Budenholzer.

Injuries were a recurring problem for the Suns’ “big three,” as Durant missed 20 games in 2024/25 while Beal was sidelined for 29. But the team wasn’t good even when all three players were healthy and available — Durant, Booker, and Beal had a -4.1 net rating during the 667 minutes they shared the court last season. It simply wasn’t the right fit.

That meant the Suns headed into the summer with major decisions to make on all three players. They ended up taking a different route with each one of them, with Booker as the lone keeper. Not only did the Suns hang onto the star guard, but they gave him a maximum-salary contract extension, despite the fact that he still had three years left on his current deal. The new two-year contract will start in 2028/29 and projects to be worth well over $70MM annually, with a player option in ’29/30.

It seemed like an unnecessarily early commitment for the Suns to make, especially on the heels of a dysfunctional season in which Booker’s three-point percentage dipped to 33.2%, one of the worst marks of his career. But with speculation swirling about whether it would be in the organization’s best interests to kick-start a full rebuild, the front office was determined to show it was serious about its stance against trading Booker. With the extension, the Suns made it clear they’re all-in on the four-time All-Star.

Durant, on the other hand, was one of the offseason’s most obvious trade candidates after the Suns initially opened discussions on the star forward prior to February’s deadline. The fact that Phoenix ultimately agreed to terms to send Durant to Houston didn’t come as a real surprise, though the eventual structure of the blockbuster – which expanded to include seven teams in total – was unique.

That transaction combined several separate trade agreements into a single deal, but the Suns’ haul for Durant was ultimately headlined by a handful of pieces: fifth-year guard Jalen Green, veteran wing and professional nuisance Dillon Brooks, and the draft rights to three rookies, led by No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach.

In retrospect, the Suns’ decision to trade Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks (plus a swap) for Durant at the 2023 deadline looks like a mistake. They were unable to recoup that same sort of value when they flipped him two-and-a-half years later.

But as great as Durant is, he’s entering his age-37 season and is on an expiring contract, so the Suns could’ve done a lot worse this time around. Green has averaged over 20 points per game through his first four NBA seasons and is still just 23 years old; Brooks remains one of the league’s most effective and irritating defenders; and Maluach has a chance to become the team’s long-term answer in the middle. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which the 2027 Rockets feel a similar regret to the 2025 Suns about the package they gave up for Durant.

One thing the Durant deal didn’t do was save the Suns money, which was a problem, since the club had the NBA’s highest payroll in 2024/25, far above the second tax apron. With a retooled roster and no more short-term championship aspirations, Phoenix wasn’t interested in maintaining such a high team salary again and took an extreme measure to address the issue, reaching a buyout agreement with Beal and waiving and stretching the two years and $97MM still left on his contract.

Rather than carrying a cap hit of $54.7MM, Beal now counts for just $19.4MM in 2025/26, a reduction of more than $35MM that nearly moved the Suns out of luxury tax territory altogether. The downside? That $19.4MM in dead money will apply to the team’s cap for each of the next five seasons, through 2029/30, putting a major dent in the front office’s flexibility going forward.

While the Bucks took a similar path with Damian Lillard, Milwaukee used the stretch provision in order to create the cap room necessary to sign Myles Turner. The Suns didn’t have a follow-up move lined up after stretching Beal, which was mostly about saving money. Phoenix does have much more room to maneuver in the short term, but the club has yet to actually take advantage of that newfound flexibility.

Although the Suns’ most significant offseason moves revolved around those three stars, they were active on other fronts too. Notably, they struck a draft-day deal to acquire center Mark Williams from the Hornets in exchange for this year’s No. 29 pick and a future first-rounder. That’s not necessarily an overpay for a 23-year-old center coming off a season in which he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds, but the timing was a little odd, given that news of the deal broke right around the time the Suns drafted Maluach.

The rookie out of Duke, who turned 19 earlier this month, probably isn’t far enough along in his developmental process to play a major role immediately. Still, it’s hard to believe the Suns view Williams as simply a stop-gap solution at center until Maluach is ready — teams don’t give up multiple first-round picks for players if they don’t envision them as part of their future, and Williams is due to be paid this year or next (he’s currently eligible for a rookie scale extension). It will be interesting to see how the Suns manage their center position going forward.

Outside of Williams and the players they acquired in the Durant mega-deal, the Suns focused on filling out their roster with minimum-salary players. That group includes Collin Gillespie, who got a promotion from his two-way deal to a standard roster spot, and Nigel Hayes-Davis, whom the Suns brought back from Europe for his first NBA contract since he was waived by Sacramento in July 2018.

It also includes Rasheer Fleming, a rookie who was targeted by several teams heading into the second day of the draft before the Suns won the mini-sweepstakes for him by making a trade for the No. 31 overall pick. Getting younger, more athletic, and better defensively was a goal for Phoenix this summer, and drafting Fleming reflected that approach — the former Saint Joseph’s forward has a 7’5″ wingspan and averaged an impressive 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game as a junior last season.

Up next

Because he’s a free agent signing whose minimum-salary contract is subject to tax variance, Hayes-Davis counts a little more for tax purposes than he does against the salary cap, but even after taking that into account, the Suns are barely over the tax line — their 14 players on standard contracts put them into the tax by less than $300K.

That number would increase if Phoenix decides to carry a 15th man into the regular season. For now though, it looks like the team will probably leave an open spot on its regular season roster, with Jordan Goodwin ($200K partial guarantee) and Jared Butler (non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract) vying to be the 14th man alongside the team’s 13 players on fully guaranteed deals.

Goodwin’s contract structure may give him the slight edge, though the difference in marginal and the Suns should be able to duck the tax later in the season (if that’s a priority) regardless of which guard they hang onto.

Assuming the Suns keep their 13 players on guaranteed contracts, their three players on two-way deals, and one of Goodwin or Butler, the only other major preseason decisions will likely involve contract extensions. Williams, backup center Nick Richards, and Brooks are all eligible to sign new deals.

Of those three players, Williams is the most likely to get something done before opening night. Richards will remain extension-eligible all season long and probably doesn’t have a long-term future in Phoenix anyway after the club added Williams and Maluach. Brooks, meanwhile, still has two years left on his current contract, so there’s no rush to work out a new agreement with him prior to the 2026 offseason.

Williams, however, would become a restricted free agent next summer if he’s not extended this year. It’s possible the Suns are OK with that outcome. The big man has yet to play a game for his new team, and restricted free agency has favored teams over players this offseason. Still, if wouldn’t be a surprise if Williams and the Suns find a compromise both sides can live with next month. As noted above, teams typically don’t give up multiple first-round picks for players who aren’t in their long-term plans, so it’s safe to assume Phoenix would like to work out a new deal with the former Hornet sooner or later.

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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Charlotte Hornets

September 25th, 2025 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets.

Free agent signings

  • Tre Mann: Three years, $24,000,000. Third-year team option. Includes back-related injury protection. Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • Spencer Dinwiddie: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Mason Plumlee: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Terrell Brown: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Marcus Garrett: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Keyontae Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Isaih Moore: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • DJ Rodman: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Brandon Slater: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • Acquired Collin Sexton and either the Jazz’s or Clippers’ 2030 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Jazz in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.
  • Acquired Vasilije Micic, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley (No. 29 pick), and either the Timberwolves’ (top-five protected), Cavaliers’, or Jazz’s 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable) from the Suns in exchange for Mark Williams and the Suns’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Acquired Pat Connaughton, the Bucks’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Bucks’ 2032 second-round pick from the Bucks in exchange for Vasilije Micic.

Draft picks

  • 1-4: Kon Knueppel
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $45,487,013).
  • 1-29: Liam McNeeley
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,194,138).
  • 2-33: Sion James
    • Signed to four-year, $9,968,963 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
  • 2-34: Ryan Kalkbrenner
    • Signed to four-year, $9,968,963 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.

Two-way signings

Note: The Hornets carried over KJ Simpson on a two-way contract from 2024/25.

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $171.5MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $195,945,000.

The offseason so far

Since taking over as the Hornets’ president of basketball operations in March of 2024, Jeff Peterson has shown little urgency to accelerate the team’s rebuilding process. Charlotte, which last appeared in the playoffs in 2016, has the NBA’s longest active postseason drought and hasn’t won a playoff series since returning to the league as an expansion team in 2004, but Peterson and his front office are showing patience as they attempt to build the roster into one capable of sustained success.

That philosophy was evident again this summer. The Hornets entered the offseason with a pretty favorable cap situation and could have used their full mid-level exception on a free agent addition while remaining comfortably below the luxury tax line. However, the front office instead focused on building through the draft and accumulating draft assets on the trade market, while the club’s only forays into free agency involved re-signing its own players or bringing in minimum-salary veterans.

Let’s start with the draft, where the Hornets made four picks in the top 34 and subsequently signed all four players to standard contracts. With the No. 4 overall selection, Charlotte took the relatively safe route by adding Duke sharpshooter Kon Knueppel. The one-and-done wing should have a high floor as a pro, but his ceiling is probably quite a bit lower than that of Ace Bailey, who fell to Utah at No. 5.

There’s a case to be made that the Hornets should have rolled the dice on Bailey, the player with greater star potential, but they didn’t get a chance to visit with or work out the former Rutgers standout, who was believed to be trying to steer his way to Washington at No. 6. With incumbent cornerstones LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller coming off injury-shortened seasons, the Hornets decided to prioritize stability over a higher-risk, higher-reward option. And while Knueppel may not become a superstar, he absolutely has the chance to become one of the NBA’s very best shooters while holding his own on defense.

With the 29th, 33rd, and 34th overall picks, Charlotte drafted UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Knueppel’s former Duke teammate Sion James, and Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, respectively. Once again, the Hornets took a more conservative approach with these picks — McNeeley had been projected by draft experts to come off the board much earlier in the first round, so he was a solid value at No. 29, while James and Kalkbrenner were five-year college players who have had plenty of time to hone their games and could be ready to contribute at the NBA level right away.

Kalkbrenner, in particular, could have an immediate path to rotation minutes in a fairly thin Charlotte frontcourt. James will likely have to rely on his defense to earn him playing time, while McNeeley will have to get back on track after a poor shooting performance in his only college season. Playing alongside Ball and/or Tre Mann should benefit McNeeley in a major way after he spent his freshman year on a Huskies team that operated without a true point guard.

The Hornets acquired the pick they used on McNeeley as part of a trade sending Mark Williams to Phoenix. It was actually the second time the front office had agreed to trade Williams — a deal with the Lakers at last season’s trade deadline fell through due to concerns about his physical. Whether the Hornets share those concerns about the big man’ long-term health or whether they just weren’t especially bullish about his long-term upside, it was clear he was no longer part of their future plans.

Taking into account a subsequent trade involving Vasilije Micic, who was sent from Phoenix to Charlotte in the Williams deal and then flipped to Milwaukee, the Hornets’ total haul for Williams consisted of McNeeley, Pat Connaughton, a 2029 first-round pick, and a future second-round pick (they gave up a second-rounder in the Suns trade but got two back in their deal with the Bucks).

Given that the first-rounder includes “least favorable” language and seems likely to land in the 20s, the return might not be as strong as the package Charlotte nearly acquired from the Lakers at the trade deadline (Dalton Knecht, a future unprotected first-rounder, and a first-round swap). But if McNeeley can develop into a reliable rotation player, it should end up looking fine for the Hornets, who would have had to pay Williams on his second contract beginning in 2026 if they’d hung onto him.

The Hornets’ other offseason trade wasn’t as significant as the one involving Williams, but it was curious for a couple reasons. For one, I’m not sure how Charlotte managed to extract a second-round pick from Utah while swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Collin Sexton, given that both players are on nearly identical expiring contracts and Nurkic – who is older than Sexton by five years – saw his playing time and production fall off last season. That was good work by the front office.

On the other hand, the Hornets’ backcourt is far more crowded than its center spot, so the trade wasn’t an obvious fit from a depth chart perspective. But with Ball and Mann both coming off injuries, acquiring another guard who can handle the ball made some amount of sense for Charlotte.

Speaking of Mann, even though he was limited to just 13 games last season due to a back injury, he was rewarded in free agency with a three-year, $24MM contract. The deal includes a third-year team option and some injury protection for the Hornets in the event that same back issue resurfaces, but it’s still a nice payday for Mann, who was productive (12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, .446/.377/.797 shooting) in 41 games for Charlotte across parts of two seasons before being sidelined.

The Hornets brought in some additional depth at the point and in the middle by signing free agents Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee to minimum-salary contracts. Neither Dinwiddie nor Plumlee is likely to play a starring role in Charlotte, but they’re reliable veterans who can give the team 15-20 minutes per night if needed.

Up next

Even after waiving DaQuan Jeffries earlier this month, the Hornets have a bit of a roster crunch to deal with before the regular season begins, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts and Moussa Diabate (on a non-guaranteed contract) looking likely to make the roster.

If Charlotte chooses to simply waive two players in order to set its 15-man regular season roster, Connaughton and former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. look like the odd men out to me.

Diabate’s non-guaranteed contract would normally make him an obvious release candidate, but he gave the team good minutes last season and could even have a path to a starting role this fall, with just Kalkbrenner and Plumlee as his primary competition at center. Dinwiddie and Plumlee are on small expiring contracts, but probably wouldn’t have been given guaranteed salaries two months ago if the plan was to waive either of them.

If the Hornets want to hang onto Connaughton’s expiring contract for midseason trade purposes or if they liked what they saw from Smith down the stretch last season, maybe they try to make a trade to open up a spot to keep one of them. But most teams won’t be looking to shake up their rosters during the preseason, and there are only so many legitimate trade candidates on the Hornets’ roster. Josh Green and Grant Williams could be a couple to watch.

Green and Williams are two of the Hornets’ players eligible for contract extensions, along with Sexton and Connaughton, but I’d be surprised if the team completes any extensions before the season tips off. The front office likely wants to keep its cap sheet relatively clean going forward, and none of those four players are obvious long-term keepers for the organization.

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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Boston Celtics

September 24th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Boston Celtics.

Free agent signings

  • Luka Garza: Two years, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Josh Minott: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Chris Boucher: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Jalen Bridges: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Kendall Brown: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Ron Harper Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Hayden Gray: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Gray has since been waived.

Trades

  • Acquired the draft rights to Amari Williams (No. 46 pick), the draft rights to Max Shulga (No. 57 pick), either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Magic in exchange for the draft rights to Noah Penda (No. 32 pick).
    • Note: The Celtics had traded their 2027 second-round pick to the Magic in a previous deal.
  • Acquired Georges Niang (from Hawks), the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (from Hawks), and cash ($1.1MM; from Nets) in a three-team trade in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis (to Hawks) and a least favorable 2026 second-round pick (to Hawks).
  • Acquired Anfernee Simons from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday.
  • Acquired RJ Luis (two-way) from the Jazz in exchange for Georges Niang, either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).

Draft picks

Two-way signings

  • Max Shulga
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee.
  • Amari Williams
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $200MM in salary.
  • No hard cap.
  • Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,685,000) available.
  • Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $22,531,707).
  • One traded player exception frozen ($4,018,363).

The offseason so far

After submitting one of the best seasons in NBA history in 2023/24 (64-18 in the regular season; 16-3 in the playoffs), the Celtics appeared on their way to authoring a worthy follow-up in ’24/25 as they racked up 61 more regular season wins and cruised past the Magic in the first round of the postseason.

But the Celtics’ path to a second straight championship hit a serious snag in the Eastern Conference semifinals when they blew back-to-back 20-point leads at home to the Knicks, then lost star forward Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles in Game 4. Boston managed to force the series to six games before bowing out two wins shy of the Eastern Conference finals.

A certain level of belt tightening had been anticipated this summer in Boston even before the season ended the way it did. The Celtics had been operating in second-apron territory for consecutive seasons, and even if the incoming ownership group were willing to spend the sizable luxury tax penalties that accompany a team salary of that size, the front office was finding it increasingly more difficult to add reinforcements to an aging roster due to apron-related restrictions.

After Tatum tore his Achilles and the club failed to make it out of the second round, the question went from “Will the Celtics shed salary?” to “Just how much salary will they shed?”

That question may not be fully answered until later in the season, as Boston’s cost-cutting efforts appear to be ongoing. But after entering the offseason with a projected team salary of $230MM+, the Celtics have reduced that number to about $200MM. They’re still in apron territory, but they sit comfortably below the second apron and may be able to dip below the first apron – or even the luxury tax line – at some point before season’s end.

A pair of transactions played a significant role in the Celtics’ salary reduction. First the team agreed to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks in a three-team trade that also involved the Nets. Then president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and his front office flipped Georges Niang – the player acquired from the Hawks for Porzingis – to the Jazz without taking back any players on standard contracts.

Porzingis is set to earn $30.7MM on an expiring deal in 2025/26, so removing him from the books generated massive savings for the Celtics, who had initially been projected to pay a record-setting tax bill of approximately $280MM — that number has since dropped to roughly $40MM.

As talented as Porzingis is, his contract isn’t especially team-friendly and his health was a question mark entering the summer after he was plagued during last season’s final few months by a mysterious illness later described as post-viral syndrome. As a result, moving him represented a pure salary dump for the Celtics, who gave up more second-round picks (three) than they got back (one) in their trades with Atlanta/Brooklyn and Utah.

Boston’s other major cost-cutting trade of the summer saw the team send Jrue Holiday to Portland straight up for Anfernee Simons. The gap between Holiday’s $32.4MM salary and Simons’ $27.7MM cap hit isn’t massive, but the deal created significant multiyear flexibility for the Celtics. Holiday’s contract spans three seasons and is worth $104.4MM in total, whereas Simons is on an expiring contract and will come off the books next summer.

While Holiday looks like the more valuable player than Simons right now, he’s also 35 years old and his medicals were concerning enough that after initially agreeing to attach a pair of second-round picks to Simons as part of the deal, Portland was able to convince Boston to complete the trade without those picks included. The Celtics will miss the hard-nosed guard in the short term, but it’s possible they’ll be relieved in a couple years to no longer have that contract on their cap.

Simons isn’t nearly the defender Holiday is, but he’s a more dangerous scorer, having averaged roughly 20 points per game and making over 38% of his three-point attempts during his final four seasons in Portland. If the Celtics do want to keep chipping away at their team salary, Simons is the most obvious candidate to be flipped in the same way that Niang was. But for the time being, it looks like he’ll open the season as one of the club’s go-to options on offense alongside star wing Jaylen Brown.

Outside of Simons and first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez – who, at age 19, may not be ready to contribute immediately – the Celtics were limited to minimum-salary free agent signings this offseason. With Tatum likely to miss most or all of 2025/26, Porzingis traded, and Luke Kornet and Al Horford departing in free agency, the Celtics entered the market looking to add a wing and a couple frontcourt players.

One of those frontcourt additions was Chris Boucher, a longtime Raptor who is capable of blocking a shot on one end of the court and knocking down a three-pointer on the other. Consistency has been a challenge for Boucher, but he provides energy off the bench and his willingness to let it fly from beyond the arc certainly fits the Celtics’ game plan.

Boston’s other two notable free agent signings were a little less conventional, as the team swooped in during the first 24 hours of free agency on two little-used Timberwolves who had their team options declined by Minnesota in June, signing Luka Garza and Josh Minott to guaranteed minimum-salary contracts.

Neither player has shown much at the NBA level, but Garza has put up monster numbers in the G League and Minott received rave reviews from Wolves staffers last fall. The goal in Boston will be to replicate the success the team had with a player like Kornet, who became a productive rotation player in recent years after several seasons as a journeyman.

Up next

Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta don’t have fully guaranteed salaries for 2025/26, but both players look like safe bets to make the opening night roster alongside the Celtics’ 12 players on guaranteed deals. The team will likely open the season without a 15th man in order to maximize its roster and financial flexibility.

As noted above, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility of a preseason trade – involving Simons or another player – that further reduces Boston’s payroll, but there hasn’t been much chatter on that front as of late. The front office will have until the trade deadline to explore additional cost-cutting moves.

All three of the Celtics’ two-way slots are currently occupied, with the club’s two 2025 second-round picks – Amari Williams and Max Shulga – joined by RJ Luis, who was acquired from the Jazz in the Niang trade. Luis reportedly received a two-way offer from Boston at the start of the offeason before signing with Utah, so he shouldn’t simply be viewed as a trade throw-in. But if the Celtics do decide to make a change to one of their two-way slots before the season begins, he’d probably be more at risk to be waived than one of the team’s recent draftees.

Finally, while the Celtics have a couple players eligible for veteran contract extension, neither Simons nor Walsh looks like a legitimate candidate for a new deal at this point. Simons is more likely to be traded than extended, while Walsh still needs to establish himself as an NBA rotation player after playing fewer than 500 total minutes in his first two years in the league.

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2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division

September 22nd, 2025 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2025/26 NBA regular season tipping off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including BetMGM and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2024/25, our voters went 13-17 on their over/under picks. Can we top that in ’25/26?

We’ll continue our series today with the Northwest Division…

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • 2024/25 record: 68-14
  • Over/under for 2025/26: 62.5 wins
  • Major offseason moves:

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Utah Jazz

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Boston Celtics (42.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (42.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (37.5 wins): Over (50.2%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Over (54.4%)
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Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Final Roster Spots

September 21st, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks have been busy lately. After signing Jordan Clarkson following a buyout with the Jazz, as well as Guerschon Yabusele earlier in the summer, New York found itself in a severe salary cap crunch, but that hasn’t stopped the team from trying to upgrade on the margins.

The Knicks added Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon on training camp deals, and are reportedly hoping to keep both for the regular season, despite their cap limitations. They also signed Garrison Mathews, a sharpshooter like Shamet, along with Alex Len and Matt Ryan on camp deals.

Finally, they signed second-round draft pick Mohamed Diawara to a non-guaranteed deal while rounding out their two-way contract rotation with deals for Trey Jemison, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Kevin McCullar Jr.

For a team with limited space and money, the Knicks have done a good job of finding quality NBA players to compete for their final roster spot behind Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Ariel Hukporti.

With Diawara expected to claim a roster spot due to his rookie-minimum cap hit, the Knicks technically have two more openings on their 15-man roster. However, without enough room below a second-apron hard cap to carry a full 15-man squad, retaining two more veterans would require a salary-shedding trade, likely involving one of McBride, Kolek, or Dadiet.

McBride is the most proven player of that group, having demonstrated his ability to contribute during the playoffs after a tough opening series against the Pistons. He’s on a team-friendly contract, but only for one more season after this one. While it’s unlikely McBride would be moved, his defense and shooting could appeal to a team looking to add an established backcourt contributor on the cheap.

Among the Knicks’ 2024 draftees, Kolek played more than Dadiet last season and showed himself to be a heady decision-maker, but he needs to be more consistent as a shooter to cover for his defensive limitations. While Dadiet played less than half the minutes of Kolek, his size (6’8″), flashes of shooting, and the fact that he’s four years younger than Kolek could make him a more attractive trade target for teams.

As for who will win the training camp battle for the final roster spot(s), Shamet appears to be a frontrunner. The 6’4″ guard played well when called upon by former coach Tom Thibodeau, operating as an effective off-ball shooting threat and giving good effort on defense. Head coach Mike Brown has reportedly put an emphasis on player movement this summer, which should play into the skill set of Shamet, as well as Mathews and Ryan.

Brogdon is the most accomplished of the players under consideration. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2016/17 and Sixth Man of the Year in 2022/23, had a season of shooting over 40/50/90 while scoring 15.6 points per game, and holds a career three-point percentage of 38.8%, as well as a career assist-to-turnover rate of 4.7 to 1.7. For a team that was lacking secondary ball-handling alongside Brunson last season, Brogdon’s ability to function in either guard spot and play alongside Brunson could be appealing, especially with the defensive concerns that could come with playing Brunson and Clarkson together for long stretches.

However, Brogdon comes with an extensive injury history, having played just 166 games over the last four seasons. The decision on Brogdon could come down to how comfortable the team is with his health, as well as his willingness to move the ball quickly.

The Knicks’ roster-building strategy this summer has been very focused on offensive-minded guards and wings. Brown faces an uphill battle when it comes to ironing out an effective defensive scheme, and starting Robinson could be one way that he addresses it.

Adding Shamet and Brogdon, along with Clarkson, would make for a roster crunch in the backcourt with McBride still there as the incumbent sixth man. Starting McBride could make it easier to slot the guards in around Hart and Yabusele, while also allowing McBride to take over the primary initiator defensive duties, a role that Bridges struggled with at times last season. This would allow the team to have three high-level wing defenders in McBride, Bridges, and Anunoby while also playing five shooters offensively.

If Brown decides during training camp to start the two-big lineup, it could change the team’s plans for the back of its roster. Brown coached Len for over two years in Sacramento, so there’s a built-in familiarity between the two. Jemison has less size than Len, but he could be viewed as a potential longer-term depth piece given that he’s only 25 years old.

We want to hear your thoughts. How do you think the Knicks should round out the final spots on their roster?

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Checking In On Top Remaining Free Agents

September 21st, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas have generated most of the free agency headlines this offseason. While Giddey (four years, $100MM) and Cam Thomas (one year, $6MM) re-signed with their respective teams earlier this month, Kuminga and Grimes remain restricted free agents ahead of the October 1 deadline to accept their qualifying offers.

There haven’t been many updates on Grimes’ situation with the Sixers of late, but there has been movement on the Kuminga front. The Warriors reportedly made a new three-year offer to the young forward, but his agent said signing the $8MM QO remains a viable option unless the team’s offers improve.

The prolonged Kuminga stalemate has prevented the Warriors from completing other roster moves, with unrestricted free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II among the veterans expected to sign with Golden State. The team has been linked to Seth Curry and Cody Martin as well.

The Warriors also have the NBA’s two remaining unsigned 2025 draft picks (Alex Toohey and Will Richard) as well as the lone two-way RFA (Taran Armstrong). As of now, Golden State technically only has 10 players under contract — five fewer than any other team.

Russell Westbrook is the most accomplished UFA left on the board. However, he has really only been linked to the Kings, who reportedly covet Kuminga and have been wary of making other trades until his restricted free agency is resolved. Sacramento would likely need to open a spot in the backcourt to make room for Westbrook.

Precious Achiuwa is another player who surprisingly remains unsigned ahead of training camp. He was added to our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents in late June after spending the past year-plus in New York.

Achiuwa, who recently turned 26 years old, reportedly drew EuroLeague interest from Panathinaikos in early August before the Greek team decided to sign Richaun Holmes. He has since been linked to the Heat, though Miami isn’t in position to sign him to a veteran’s minimum deal without crossing the luxury tax line.

Ben Simmons (who has reportedly mulled retirement), Monte Morris, Cameron Payne, Malik Beasley (who remains a subject in a federal gambling probe), Alec Burks, Mo Bamba and Thomas Bryant are among the other noteworthy names who have yet to find new teams with training camps set to begin within the next two weeks.

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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Dallas Mavericks

September 18th, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Dallas Mavericks.

Free agent signings

  • Kyrie Irving: Three years, $118,473,846. Third-year player option. Trade kicker (15%). Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • D’Angelo Russell: Two years, $11,654,250. Second-year player option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Dante Exum: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Moussa Cisse: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Matthew Cleveland: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • None

Draft picks

  • 1-1: Cooper Flagg
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $62,730,225).

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

  • Signed P.J. Washington to a four-year, $88,762,440 veteran contract extension that begins in 2026/27.
  • Signed Daniel Gafford to a three-year, $54,380,289 veteran contract extension that begins in 2026/27.
  • Waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper (guaranteed $3,007,080 salary).

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $204.7MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $207,824,000.
  • Three traded player exceptions frozen (largest worth $11,000,000).

The offseason so far

It’s almost hard to fathom a non-playoff NBA team experiencing the same sort of highs and lows that the Mavericks – and their fan base – did during the five-month stretch this year from the start of February to the end of June.

A not-insignificant number of Mavs supporters appeared ready to give up on the team after the front office traded perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic to the Lakers in a February blockbuster that could be charitably described as “controversial.” But many of those same fans had a “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” moment on May 12 when Dallas – having entered the night with the 11th-best odds (1.8%) – improbably won the 2025 draft lottery, putting the club in position to draft a new franchise player: Cooper Flagg.

With Doncic no longer part of the Mavericks’ future, Kyrie Irving recovering from an ACL tear he sustained in March, and Anthony Davis (eye) and Dereck Lively II (foot) both undergoing offseason surgeries, it looked like it would be a miserable summer in Dallas on the heels of a disappointing spring in which the injury-plagued team missed the playoffs entirely after making the Western Conference Finals in 2024.

Winning the draft lottery and the right to select Flagg didn’t just salvage the offseason — it reinvigorated the organization, providing the Mavericks with legitimate optimism for the long-term future after the Doncic/Davis swap had shortened their probable window for contention.

Describing Flagg’s arrival in those terms makes it sound as if the pressure on him will be enormous, but it’s not as if he’ll immediately be asked to carry the franchise like he would have been if he’d landed somewhere like Utah or Washington. The Mavs, even without Doncic, have a pretty talented roster when Irving and Davis are healthy, with Lively, P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Max Christie, and Caleb Martin among the most likely candidates to play major roles in 2025/26. Flagg will certainly see regular playing time, but the club won’t ask too much of him in his rookie year.

With a couple important exceptions, most of the Mavs’ key players were already under contract for 2025/26 when the offseason began, so after drafting Flagg, the team had two clear priorities: addressing the point guard spot and locking up some of those players already under contract to longer-term extensions.

Although there have been some rumblings this summer about the possibility of the Mavs experimenting with Flagg as a point guard, the hole at that position was one crucial leftover problem from the Doncic trade that winning the draft lottery didn’t solve. Not only was Irving a free agent this summer, but he almost certainly won’t be ready to return from his ACL tear until sometime in the second half of 2025/26 at the earliest. Even if they were to re-sign Irving, the Mavs were going to need more reinforcements.

Despite turning 33 this year, Irving remains the Mavs’ point guard of the future — their belief in him was part of the reason that president of basketball operations Nico Harrison was willing to trade Doncic at all. So it came as no real surprise when the two sides quickly agreed to terms on a new three-year, $118.5MM deal several years before free agency began.

It’s almost the exact same contract Irving signed with the club in 2023, with the same two guaranteed seasons, third-year player option, and trade kicker. While Irving is two years older now and is coming off a major injury, he has been excellent on the court – and hasn’t created any off-court drama – since arriving in Dallas. Salaries have also risen a little since 2023, and the Doncic trade gave him some additional leverage in those contract negotiations.

The Mavs also agreed to bring back Dante Exum on a one-year, minimum-salary contract. A solid defender who has improved his three-point shot since a multiyear stint in Europe from 2021-23, Exum has battled injuries during his two years in Dallas and has been limited to just 75 regular season outings, but he has been very productive when he’s available.

Still, with Irving out, the Mavs weren’t about to hand over ball-handling duties to the trio of Exum, Brandon Williams, and Jaden Hardy, so adding an outside point guard was the front office’s number one goal entering free agency. With only the taxpayer mid-level exception available to spend, Dallas didn’t realistically have a shot at any of the top players on the market, but the club did well to land D’Angelo Russell, a former No. 2 overall pick and 2019 All-Star who is still just 29 years old.

Russell isn’t a strong defender and his three-point percentage dropped off significantly last season to a career-low 31.4%. But based on his career trajectory, last season’s shooting numbers look like an anomaly. Russell is still a solid scorer and play-maker who spent multiple seasons in Los Angeles developing chemistry with Davis. Dallas probably isn’t a legitimate contender in the postseason if Russell is the starting point guard, but for a stop-gap option who will transition to a backup role if and when Irving returns, the team could’ve done much worse.

The Mavs didn’t complete any trades this summer, so drafting Flagg, adding Russell, and waiving 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper (a necessary move to create room under a second-apron hard cap to re-sign Exum) were the only moves the club made involving its standard roster. But Dallas also completed a pair of veteran contract extensions, agreeing to terms with both Washington (four years, $88.8MM) and Gafford (three years, $54.4MM).

Those prices are reasonable for what that duo brings to the court, though it’s fair to question whether the Mavs really needed to invest long-term in Washington and Gafford at this point. They’ll be part of a crowded frontcourt that already features Davis, Lively, and Flagg, three players who would likely rank ahead of Washington and Gafford if you were to list the team’s most valuable long-term assets.

For what it’s worth, the terms of Gafford’s deal fell within the extend-and-trade limits, meaning he could be moved at any time this season, whereas Washington’s extension makes him ineligible to be dealt until at least the 2026 offseason.

Up next

With little room to maneuver below their hard cap, the Mavericks will likely enter the regular season with their current 15-man standard roster. Outside of making a trade, the only option they would have to create some additional flexibility would be to waive Williams, whose minimum-salary contract is only partially guaranteed for $200K for now.

However, Williams was an effective role player for Dallas down the stretch last season, earning a call-up from his two-way contract when the team could’ve opted to promote Kessler Edwards or Kai Jones instead. If the Mavs didn’t plan to hang onto Williams through opening night, they likely would’ve made a move with him in June or July, before his $200K partial guarantee was locked in.

While Dallas’ 15-man roster looks pretty set, the club does have one two-way slot available alongside Miles Kelly and Ryan Nembhard. That opening may be up for grabs in training camp and the preseason — Moussa Cisse and Matthew Cleveland have already signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Mavs and Jamarion Sharp is reportedly expected to do the same, so they could be among the players who get a chance to compete for a two-way deal.

Having already finalized new deals with Washington and Gafford, the Mavericks likely won’t complete any more contract extensions before the season begins. Dwight Powell, who is on a $4MM expiring contract, is the only Mav who is still extension-eligible, but a new deal for the 34-year-old reserve probably isn’t at the top of the front office’s to-do list.

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2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

September 18th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2025/26 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including BetMGM and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2024/25, our voters went 13-17 on their over/under picks. Can we top that in ’25/26?

We’ll begin our series today with the Atlantic Division…

New York Knicks

Boston Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Brooklyn Nets

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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Washington Wizards

September 16th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Washington Wizards.

Free agent signings

  • Marvin Bagley III: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Anthony Gill: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.

Trades

  • Acquired the draft rights to Will Riley (No. 21 pick), the No. 43 pick in the 2025 draft, either the Heat’s or Pacers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick from the Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Walter Clayton (No. 18 pick).
  • Acquired Dillon Jones and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for Colby Jones.
  • Acquired CJ McCollum (from Pelicans), Kelly Olynyk (from Pelicans), Cam Whitmore (from Rockets), and the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (from Pelicans) in a three-team trade in exchange for Jordan Poole (to Pelicans), Saddiq Bey (to Pelicans), the draft rights to Micah Peavy (No. 40 pick; to Pelicans), the Bulls’ 2026 second-round pick (to Rockets), and the Kings’ 2029 second-round pick (to Rockets).
    • Note: The Wizards already controlled the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick if it landed between 31-50. Now they’ll receive it no matter where it ends up.
  • Acquired Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and either the Mavericks’, Thunder’s, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) from the Spurs in exchange for Kelly Olynyk.
    • Note: Wesley was subsequently bought out by the Wizards.

Draft picks

  • 1-6: Tre Johnson
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $37,439,130).
  • 1-21: Will Riley
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $17,220,192).
  • 2-43: Jamir Watkins
    • Signed to two-way contract.

Two-way signings

  • Tristan Vukcevic
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
  • Jamir Watkins
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $156.1MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $195,945,000.
  • Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
  • Portion of bi-annual exception ($407,672) available.
  • Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $13,445,122).

The offseason so far

After winning 15 games in 2023/24 and 18 last season, the Wizards are in no hurry to take a significant step forward in ’25/26. In fact, a major improvement in the standings might work against the best interests of the organization in the long term, since Washington will owe its 2026 first-round pick to New York if it lands outside the top eight. Assuming that pick is inside the top eight, the Wizards will keep it and would no longer be required to give up a future first-rounder — instead, they’d send the Knicks their second-rounders in 2026 and 2027.

That first-round pick, which has landed in its protected range for each of the past three years, was originally sent to Houston as part of the John Wall/Russell Westbrook swap during the 2020 offseason before being rerouted to Oklahoma City and then to New York.

While that Wall/Westbrook trade may feel like ancient history, the traded pick involved in the deal continues to loom large over the franchise. It’s a big reason why the majority of the Wizards’ moves this summer weren’t about adding win-now help, but were instead about creating financial flexibility, taking fliers on former first-round picks, or continuing to accumulate future draft assets. Washington made four trades this offseason and each of them falls into one or more of those three categories.

For instance, the Wizards added three second-round picks to their stockpile by trading back from No. 18 to No. 21 on draft night. They picked up another second-rounder and took a shot on a recent first-round selection when they sent Colby Jones‘ non-guaranteed deal to Oklahoma City in exchange for 2024’s No. 26 overall pick Dillon Jones. And when they dealt Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio, they acquired a future second-round pick and reduced their 2025/26 team salary in the process.

The biggest trade of Washington’s summer was the one initially sending Olynyk to D.C. alongside veteran guard CJ McCollum. The agreement, which saw Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey head to New Orleans as the Wizards and Pelicans swapped second-round picks, looked a little curious on the surface, but made a ton of sense on the cap sheet — while Poole and Bey have two guaranteed years left on their contracts, McCollum and Olynyk (as well as the players whom the Wizards eventually acquired when they flipped Olynyk to the Spurs) are on expiring deals.

That means the Wizards are now in position to create a huge chunk of cap room during the 2026 offseason. Even if they retain all their players with team options and/or non-guaranteed salaries for the 2026/27 season, they’d still only have about $70MM in salary on their books entering next year’s draft. Of course, Washington doesn’t need that cap room to pursue free agents, but the team’s relative lack of multiyear financial commitments gives the front office a ton of flexibility to take on salary in trades, during either the coming season or the summer of 2026.

That trade with the Pelicans turned into a three-team deal when the Wizards folded in a separate agreement with the Rockets — Washington sent a pair of second-round picks to Houston in exchange for 2023 first-rounder Cam Whitmore.

It was the only deal the Wizards made this summer in which they gave up more draft assets than they got back, but the price tag to take a shot on a young scorer who has some untapped potential was relatively modest. Whitmore just turned 21 in July and has averaged 22.3 points per 36 minutes during his first two NBA seasons, but there was no place for him on an increasingly deep Rockets roster. We’ll see if he can find a more permanent home in D.C.

The Wizards added two more notable youngsters to their roster in this year’s draft, using the sixth overall pick on Texas guard Tre Johnson and the 21st pick on Illinois forward Will Riley, a pair of one-and-done college players.

Washington has now made six first-round picks in the past three years, including three top-seven selections, and doesn’t yet have a clear-cut franchise player to show for it. The franchise presumably hoped to address that issue this year with the second-best lottery odds in a class headlined by Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, but ended up with a worst-case outcome, leapfrogged by four teams and dropping to No. 6.

As disappointing a result as that was, there’s still optimism about Johnson’s ability to become a long-term fixture in the Wizards’ backcourt. He was excellent in two Summer League games, scoring 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting in 55 minutes of action, which was a promising first impression.

As the Wizards continue to lean into their youth movement, there are fewer veterans than ever left on the roster. The club brought back Marvin Bagley III and Anthony Gill on minimum-salary contracts, and it looks like McCollum and Khris Middleton will at least start the season in Washington. But Marcus Smart was bought out, Richaun Holmes was waived, Malcolm Brogdon departed in free agency, and it’s likely just a matter of time until McCollum and Middleton (both eligible for free agency in 2026) move on as well. The Wizards’ young core should get plenty of opportunities to sink or swim in 2025/26.

Up next

The Wizards have a minor roster crunch to address for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Justin Champagnie on a non-guaranteed deal. Champagnie was a pretty effective role player last season and doesn’t deserve to be the odd man out, so Washington will likely have to trade or release someone with a guaranteed salary, which shouldn’t be an issue for a team operating way below the luxury tax line.

Malaki Branham, acquired from the Spurs in the Olynyk deal, is one candidate to be waived — he averaged a career-low 9.1 minutes per game in his third NBA season in 2024/25.

It’s also not clear if Jones, who was acquired in that aforementioned trade with the Thunder, is someone Washington actually likes or if the front office just made the deal for the second-round pick that was attached to him. He looks like another potential release candidate.

The Wizards have one open two-way slot alongside second-round pick Jamir Watkins and big man Tristan Vukcevic. After undrafted rookie Kadary Richmond agreed to sign with Washington in June, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino published a social media post congratulating Richmond for his “two-way” deal, but no reporters ever confirmed that the guard was getting a two-way contract and he has yet to officially sign at all, so Pitino may have misspoke. It’s possible Richmond will be one of a few players who have a chance to compete for that two-way slot in training camp.

Setting the 15-man standard roster and filling the final two-way opening will be the main items on the Wizards’ to-do list this fall, since there are no real extension candidates on the roster — Branham is the only player eligible for a rookie scale extension, and extension-eligible veterans like McCollum and Middleton aren’t legitimate candidates for new deals.

Still, the Wizards are worth keeping an eye on as a trade facilitator. The preseason doesn’t typically feature a ton of trade activity, but there are usually at least a couple deals made, and the Wizards’ cap situation makes them a logical partner for teams looking to shed a contract or two. Washington is operating more than $30MM below the luxury tax line and still has the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and a pair of mid-sized trade exceptions at its disposal to take on salary.

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NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Minnesota Timberwolves

September 15th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Free agent signings

  • Naz Reid: Five years, $125,000,000. Fifth-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • Julius Randle: Three years, $100,000,000. Third-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • Joe Ingles: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Bones Hyland: Exact details TBD.

Trades

  • Acquired the draft rights to Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 pick; from Lakers), either the Warriors’ or Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Suns), either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Suns/Rockets), and cash ($3.25MM; from Lakers) in a seven-team trade in exchange for the draft rights to Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 pick; to Suns).
  • Acquired the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick and cash ($1.5MM) from the Hawks in exchange for Nickeil Alexander-Walker (sign-and-trade).

Draft picks

Two-way signings

  • Enrique Freeman
    • One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
  • Rocco Zikarsky
    • Two years, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season); second year partially guaranteed for maximum two-way protection amount (will increase to 50% at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other roster moves

  • Re-signed Jesse Edwards to a two-way contract ($85,300 partial guarantee), then waived him.

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
  • Carrying approximately $200.3MM in salary.
  • No hard cap.
  • Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,685,000) available.
  • One traded player exception available ($7,580,900); one traded player exception frozen ($4,686,880).

The offseason so far

Given that the Timberwolves have only advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs three times in franchise history, it’s not an exaggeration to call the last two seasons – which saw them appear in back-to-back Western Conference Finals – the most successful stretch in team history. However, entering the 2025 offseason, financial concerns threatened to put a dent in a roster that had won four postseason series in the past two years.

Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez, and their “deep-pocketed” ownership group finally assumed majority control of the Timberwolves in June, while defensive anchor Rudy Gobert took a pay cut of nearly $9MM on a new deal that began in 2025/26. But after operating above the second tax apron in ’24/25, the Wolves weren’t eager to surpass that threshold for a second consecutive year. That meant the club likely wouldn’t be able to re-sign all three of its top free agents, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The Wolves chose to prioritize Reid and Randle, reaching a five-year, $125MM agreement with the former and a three-year, $100MM deal with the latter. Since both Reid and Randle are power forwards, there was an argument for letting one of them walk, but Minnesota was a much better team when both players were available, since it allowed Reid – the Sixth Man of the Year in 2023/24 – to go to work against second units and created more frontcourt optionality. The Wolves had a 44-25 record in games Randle played, compared to a 5-8 mark when he was sidelined.

Reid’s $125MM contract, which is fully guaranteed with a fifth-year player option, was actually the most lucrative deal signed by any free agent this summer. That may seem like an aggressive investment in a player who doesn’t project to be a starter, but the 26-year-old has been one of the league’s most effective reserves in recent years and would be fully capable of stepping into a starting role in the event that Randle is traded at some point in the next couple seasons.

Reid’s new contract will also cover his prime years and isn’t an anomaly when compared to deals around the league. DeMar DeRozan, Miles Bridges, Tobias Harris, John Collins, RJ Barrett, Jerami Grant, and Khris Middleton are among the forwards who will earn between $3-12MM more than Reid in 2025/26.

Randle, meanwhile, turned down a $30.9MM player option in favor of a multiyear deal that starts at the same price. The three-time All-Star has taken some flak for his inconsistent three-point shot and mediocre defense, but he’s a talented, scorer, play-maker, and rebounder who had an excellent postseason (21.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 4.9 APG on .502/.385/.880 shooting), and he should be more comfortable in his second year in Minnesota following his first full offseason as a Timberwolf. He had little time to adjust to new his home last fall when the Knicks traded him to the Wolves at the start of training camp.

With Reid and Randle back in the fold, the Wolves didn’t have enough room below the second apron for Alexander-Walker, who received a four-year, $60MM+ contract from the Hawks.

Minnesota got a future second-round pick and cash as part of that sign-and-trade transaction, but lacked the resources to acquire a direct replacement for Alexander-Walker, a three-and-D guard, in free agency or on the trade market. The Wolves will be betting on increased contributions from a trio of in-house backcourt youngsters, with Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark each likely getting the opportunity to compete for an increased role in 2025/26.

Although the Wolves also used a first-round pick on Joan Beringer and re-signed Joe Ingles to another minimum-salary contract, Beringer is an 18-year-old who will be playing stateside for the first time and Ingles shifted into the “locker room leader” phase of his career last season by logging 114 total minutes in 19 outings. It’s probably not realistic to expect major contributions from either player this season.

Up next

The Timberwolves entered the day on Monday with just 13 players on standard contracts and a team salary roughly $5.86MM below the second tax apron. Bones Hyland has since signed a contract – presumably worth the minimum – that could line him up to be Minnesota’s 14th man.

It’s possible Hyland will simply get that 14th roster spot and the Timberwolves will carry a 14-man standard roster into the regular season, but it’s not quite that simple.

For one, we don’t know yet how much (if any) of Hyland’s salary is guaranteed. Is he being handed a roster spot or will he have to compete for one? If it’s the latter, he could be the first of a handful of veteran free agents to reach deals with the Wolves, similar to how the Knicks agreed to terms with Landry Shamet, Garrison Mathews, and Malcolm Brogdon in a 24-hour span last week.

Minnesota also has enough wiggle room below the second apron to add a 15th man on a minimum deal or even using a modest portion of the taxpayer mid-level exception. But the Wolves are far enough into the tax that they’d be paying a penalty of $3.50 per dollar on that 15th man’s salary, so it would have to be someone they really like.

For what it’s worth, I’ve long thought that it would be in the Wolves’ best interest to add another veteran point guard to provide depth behind Mike Conley, who will be entering his age-38 season. Donte DiVincenzo and Hyland aren’t really true point guards, and it’s unclear if Dillingham will be ready to take on that role in his second NBA season. Brogdon would’ve been a nice fit, but there are other options still out there, including Cameron Payne and another one of Connelly’s former Nuggets, Monte Morris.

The Wolves have an open two-way slot available alongside Enrique Freeman and second-round pick Rocco Zikarsky, but the expectation is that Tristen Newton will fill it. The 2024 second-rounder reportedly agreed a month-and-a-half ago to sign his two-way qualifying offer, but that move still hasn’t been officially confirmed by either the team or the league. Assuming it gets done as expected, Minnesota’s two-way players should be set for the season.

As for potential extension-eligible players, most of the Wolves’ core players are already on longer-term deals. The only players eligible for extensions this fall are DiVincenzo and Leonard Miller.

A DiVincenzo extension isn’t out of the question, but he has two guaranteed years left on his current contract, so I doubt the Wolves will be in a hurry to get something done with him at this point unless he’s willing to give them a pretty team-friendly rate.

Miller, meanwhile, has barely seen the floor in his first two NBA seasons, playing just 84 total minutes in 30 appearances. At this point, extending his current deal is probably less of a priority than simply making sure he shows enough to finish out that expiring contract without being waived.

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