Top NBA Free Agents 2025 Rumors and Predictions Before NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA offseason is moving at warp speed.
The trade market seemingly features at least one notable name changing jersey per day, the draft is upon us and free agency looms just ahead.
While cap space is largely limited around the Association, and few legitimate difference-makers are available, there are still some intriguing situations to monitor. So, let's monitor them by rounding up the latest free-agency rumors and use them to forge predictions that cannot possibly go wrong (but maybe will).
Pacers Still Planning To Re-Sign Myles Turner?
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What felt like a fairly straightforward process only a few days ago could've been turned on its head. The Indiana Pacers, making their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years, seemingly had every reason to re-sign unicorn big man Myles Turner, their defensive anchor and offensive space-creator as a legitimate stretch 5.
A new deal for Turner likely would've pushed this team to a place it rarely ventures (into the luxury tax), but it made sense to keep a contender together. And then Tyrese Haliburton suffered a devastating Achilles tear in Game 7, putting his 2025-26 season very much in doubt and seemingly robbing Indiana of its newfound contender status.
So, could that change the tenure around Turner's free agency? Apparently not.
"They're still planning to bring back Myles Turner," ESPN's Shams Charania said on the Pat McAfee Show.
If re-signing Turner remains the aim, then it'll be interesting to see if Indiana considers cutting costs elsewhere. What's less interesting for big-man shoppers, though, is that it doesn't seem like Haliburton's injury will push Turner out of the only NBA home he's ever known.
Prediction: Turner re-signs with the Pacers for five years and $155 million.
Kyrie Irving Staying in Dallas?
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ACL tear aside, life seems pretty sweet for Kyrie Irving. His Dallas Mavericks already have one difference-maker on the interior in Anthony Davis and are set to add another Wednesday night as soon as they're able to finalize their selection of Cooper Flagg as the top pick of the 2025 draft.
Oh, and just in case you didn't catch that, then yes, these are still Irving's Mavericks.
He held a $43 million player option for next season, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported Irving plans to decline the option and sign a three-year, $119 million deal to stay in Dallas.
Keeping Irving was always a must for the Mavericks, who upped their win-now urgency when they added Davis at the expense of former franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić. This feels like a fair number for both sides, too, since a healthy Irving could've commanded more on the open market—rival executives told Charania they believed he might get a salary "between $50 million and $60 million annually"—but this pay rate reflects the fact he'll miss at least the opening portion of next season.
Prediction: None needed. Irving is seemingly back in Dallas for three years and $119 million.
Kings Have a Point Guard Target?
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In a little less than three years, the Sacramento Kings went from having two All-Star point guards (Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox) to rostering none. Haliburton was shipped out at the 2022 trade deadline, and Fox was sent packing at this most recent deadline.
The Kings have basically leaned onto combo guards ever since, with veterans Malik Monk and Keon Ellis and rookie Devin Carter filling the void Fox left behind down last season's final stretch. That made Sacramento a logical candidate to pursue a point guard this offseason, and it sounds like a certain free agent has the team's attention.
The Kings are seen as a leading suitor for veteran Dennis Schröder, per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. The report went on to note that Schröder is expected to find a contract starting in the neighborhood of the nontaxpayer mid-level exception, which projects to be worth $14.1 million.
Schröder, who split last season between the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons, is a decent-ish option as both a capable (albeit streaky) scorer and serviceable table-setter. Signing him would, however, feel a bit shortsighted for Sacramento, which could have trouble securing even a play-in spot in the fully loaded Western Conference.
That won't necessarily scare off the Kings, but it should give their front office something to think about. And maybe that leaves the door ajar for Schröder to land elsewhere, perhaps helping the Mavericks hold things over without Irving or re-signing with a Pistons team where he just served as their fourth-leading scorer in the playoffs.
Prediction: Schröder signs with the Kings for two years and $28 million.
