Latest 2025 NBA Free Agents Rumors, Predictions for Jonathan Kuminga, Notable Names
The 2025 NBA offseason is officially on.
Well, for one-third of the league, that is.
Sunday's regular-season finale sent the bottom five finishers in each conference into the offseason. Play-in and playoff losers will continue joining them over the coming weeks.
It's roster-building (or roster-reshuffling) time in the basketball world, in other words, and the rumor mill is starting to reflect that. We'll break down the latest buzz around some of the more notable players on the free agent market and predict what it will mean for their futures.
Jonathan Kuminga Not a Part of Golden State's Long-term Plans?
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The Golden State Warriors just played their most important game of the season—and chose to play it without a healthy Jonathan Kuminga.
It's hard to say for certain what exactly that means for his future with (or without) the franchise, but it certainly casts an ominous light on the former lottery pick's upcoming restricted free agency.
Kuminga's absence from the rotation was notable enough that James Harden asked him about it on the bench, per Danny Emerman of the San Francisco Standard. Emerman went on to note that Kuminga and the Warriors "didn't come close" on contract talks this offseason, despite the fact Kuminga "didn't demand a maximum level figure."
If Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn't trust Kuminga, the front office must think long and hard about the utility of keeping the athletic swingman around. Golden State would presumably prefer not to lose the asset outright, but a sign-and-trade that gives Kuminga a fresh start and the Warriors a better fit for their system seems like the best outcome for all.
Prediction: Kuminga is sign-and-traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Russell Westbrook's Days in Denver Numbered?
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The contract Russell Westbrook signed with the Denver Nuggets last summer includes a player option for next season.
That doesn't mean the former MVP will necessarily extend his stay in the Mile High City beyond this campaign.
"His future with the organization is uncertain," per Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic, who noted that Westbrook's playing time and usage had become a point of contention between former coach Michael Malone and fired general manager Calvin Booth.
Westbrook, of course, has a say in the matter, since the option is his to decide, but if the Nuggets' new regime makes it clear it doesn't want him around, it's hard to see him staying unless he doesn't feel like he can find that money elsewhere. He has been productive enough (13.3 points and 6.1 assists in 27.9 minutes) to where that shouldn't be the case.
Prediction: Westbrook declines his option and signs with the Atlanta Hawks.
Philadelphia Running It Back with Quentin Grimes?
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Almost everything that could go wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers did, resulting in a season that started with championship expectations ending in the draft lottery.
One of the few Sixers' success stories, though, was the play of deadline pickup Quentin Grimes. The only question is whether the restricted free agent played too well in Philadelphia to price himself out of the franchise's future. That certainly feels possible after the 24-year-old averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 28 tilts with the team.
Per NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Sixers "do hope to re-sign Grimes, whose precise market is difficult to forecast (as it always is for restricted free agents)."
Given that Grimes, a 2021 first-round draft pick, looked good for about a quarter-season and pretty mediocre during all his NBA action before that, it's hard to imagine he'll find major money in this cash-strapped market. And the Sixers should have seen enough to be comfortable with the idea of giving him a reasonable pay raise or matching an offer (again within reason) he signs with someone else.
Prediction: Sixers re-sign Quentin Grimes.
