2025 NBA Free Agency and Trade Grades for Every Day 1 Deal
The 2025 NBA offseason is here, and Bleacher Report is ready to guide you through all the chaos with instant reactions to free-agency signings, trades, releases and more.
This is your one-stop shop for news and analysis of the NBA's rapidly shifting landscape. So, feel free to bookmark!
As the news rolls in, we'll be grading all of it on our typical A-F scale, and it starts below.
Key Terms and Quick Recap
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But first, a primer!
As we sort through another summer of player movement, a quick run through some key terms should be helpful.
Player Option: If a team gives a free agent a player option, it means that he is free to choose whether he wants to stay or go in the final year of the deal. For example, if someone signed a three-year deal with a player option, he could "opt in" to that third year and play for whatever team holds the contract, or "opt out" and become a free agent.
Team Option: A team option functions just like a player option, only it's the organization that wields the decision-making power. The team has the option of keeping a player on the roster for that last year or letting him become a free agent.
Max: Max deals are determined by a number of factors, including the size of the league's salary cap in a given year and the amount of experience a player has. The cap in 2025-26 is projected to be $154.6 million. Players with no more than six years of NBA service can sign max contracts with a starting salary of 25 percent of that number. Players with seven to nine years of experience can sign maxes worth 30 percent of the cap. And players with 10-plus years of service can sign maxes that start at 35 percent of that number.
Mid-Level Exception: The mid-level exception allows teams that are already over the salary cap to sign a player (or players) to deals that do not exceed a certain threshold. For 2025-26, that threshold is $14.1 million.
Taxpayer's Mid-Level Exception: Teams that are above the $187.9 million luxury tax line still have access to a mid-level exception, but it's smaller. For this season, the taxpayer's mid-level exception is $5.7 million.
This offseason, specifically, there was also a ton of movement that happened in advance of the official start of free agency. You can find a list of all the moves that preceded Monday, including the Kevin Durant and Desmond Bane trades, HERE.
And finally, though this isn't necessarily a hard and fast rule, think about the grades below on this scale:
A = Heist | B = Everybody Wins | C = Meh | D = Huh | F = That you, Nico?
And now, without further ado, let's get to Monday's action.
Denver Nuggets Trade Michael Porter Jr. and a First-Round Pick for Cameron Johnson
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Nuggets Grade: A
Nets Grade: B+
In the first real shocker of Day 1, the Denver Nuggets agreed to send 27-year-old sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson.
It also cost the Nuggets an unprotected 2032 first-round pick, but the move will likely be worth that.
Johnson is two years older than Porter, but he's similarly been a lights-out three-point shooter for the last four years, while also being a more mobile perimeter defender and showing more playmaking chops.
This past season, Johnson averaged career highs in points (18.8). assists (3.4) and threes (2.8), while shooting 39.0 percent from deep.
And his increasingly all-around production is likely to get a bit of a boost when he plays alongside Nikola Jokić.
For the Brooklyn Nets, Michael Porter Jr. may not be a long-term piece for the future (though he's under contract through 2026-27), but this is still a savvy use of some of their cap space.
By 2032, Jokić could be long gone, and an unprotected first-rounder could be very valuable.
If MPJ imparts a little championship experience in the meantime, great. If not, the Nets weren't likely to make much noise this year anyway.
Memphis Grizzlies Sign Jaren Jackson Jr.
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Contract: $240 million, Five Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B+
This renegotiation and extension may have been inevitable for the Memphis Grizzlies, especially after awards voting made him ineligible for a supermax contract.
Had they let Jaren Jackson Jr. walk after next season (when his original deal was set to end), there would have been no meaningful way to replace him on the roster. And losing that could've been devastating. JJJ has been Memphis' defensive anchor for nearly a decade and is now a consistent 20-point-per-game scorer.
But the price tag is still a bit of an eyebrow-raiser for a player who's always struggled to rebound and typically has to be paired with a bulky, traditional 5 to be effective.
Memphis Grizzlies Sign Ty Jerome
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Contract: $28 million, Three Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A+
Ty Jerome was quietly one of the berst reserves in the NBA last season, when he averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.1 steals in just 19.9 minutes, while registering a 60.6 effective field-goal percentage.
And now, he's headed to a Memphis Grizzlies squad that perennially needs a reliable backup guard to step in when Ja Morant is unavailable. Plus, there's plenty of minutes to be had alongside Ja, following the Desmond Bane deal.
This feels like a hand-in-glove fit for both team and player. And it's only going to cost Memphis around six percent of the cap.
Dallas Mavericks Sign D'Angelo Russell
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Contract: $13 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Option: Player
Grade: C-
This is good value for D'Angelo Russell, a 29-year-old playmaker, who hit 38.4 percent of his three-point attempts over the four seasons prior to this one (when his three-point percentage plummeted to 31.4).
With Kyrie Irving likely to miss the bulk of the campaign, the Dallas Mavericks can use Russell's shooting, as well as his ability to manipulate defenders as a pick-and-roll ball-handler.
But he also consistently ranks among the league's worst defenders in Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus, so this signing sort of flies in the face of Nico Harrison's near-constant preaching of "defense wins championships" in the wake of the Luka Dončić deal.
Atlanta Hawks Acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker via Sign-and-Trade
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Contract: $62 million, Four Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, one of the hotter names from this free-agent class, is headed to an Atlanta Hawks squad that's already loaded with versatility and defense on the wings.
After averaging 9.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1.7 threes, while shooting 38.1 percent from deep, in 2024-25, NAW now joins a rotation that includes Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson.
That group has to be one of the NBA's best at the defensive end. And when you add Kristaps Porziņģis' rim protection, it suddenly feels like Atlanta may have enough on that end to finally cover for Trae Young's shortcomings.
Getting that while only having to give up a second-round pick and some cash in the sign-and-trade is a win for the Hawks.
Houston Rockets Sign Dorian Finney-Smith
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Contract: $53 million, Four Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A
The Houston Rockets are absolutely on fire this offseason.
After trading for Kevin Durant, renegotiating and extending Fred VanVleet at a lower 2025-26 salary and re-signing Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr. (among others), they landed one of the best three-and-D wings available in free agency.
Last season, Dorian Finney-Smith averaged 8.7 points and 2.0 threes, while shooting 41.1 percent from deep, for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. His teams were plus-8.6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor and minus-4.8 when he was off.
Having him flank primary actions run by KD, VanVleet or Alperen Şengün will make the offense more dangerous, and that's not even where he brings the most value. His defense will instantly make him a favorite of head coach Ime Udoka.
This is a no-brainer for Houston.
Atlanta Hawks Sign Luke Kennard
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Contract: $11 million, One Year (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A
As previously mentioned, the Atlanta Hawks already have plenty of perimeter defense to deploy around Trae Young. And with the addition of Luke Kennard, they now have one of the best pure three-point shooters in NBA history.
Kennard is third all time in career three-point percentage, and his mark has gone up over the last five years. In that stretch, Kennard has hit 45.4 percent of his triples, while leading the league in percentage twice.
But that's not all. Over the last two campaigns, he's revived his playmaking back to the level where it was just before he left the Detroit Pistons. He's an underrated creator and pick-and-roll ball-handler who might even be able to run the offense when Young is off the floor.
Detroit Pistons Sign Caris LeVert
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Contract: $29 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
In an offseason that could cost them both Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Detroit Pistons desperately needed shooters to deploy alongside Cade Cunningham.
Caris LeVert kind of checks that box.
He's an underwhelming 34.5 percent three-point shooter for his career, but that number is slightly higher (36.3) over the last three seasons. And LeVert brings a little playmaking punch that Beasley and Hardaway didn't.
He may be able to pilot some possessions as a combo guard when Cunningham is off the floor.
Denver Nuggets Sign Bruce Brown
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Contract: Veteran Minimum, One Year (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A
Without knowing the price point for Bruce Brown's new deal with the Denver Nuggets, it's hard to hand out a grade with much confidence, but we already know the basketball fit here is good.
Brown won an NBA title with the Nuggets in 2023, and his contributions as a creator, defender and finisher off the bench were crucial.
He'll instantly be up to speed on how to play with Nikola Jokić and fill some of the void left on the bench when Christian Braun was promoted to the starting five.
Los Angeles Clippers Sign Brook Lopez
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Contract: $18 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B+
It came as a bit of a surprise, given Ivica Zubac's presence on the roster, but Brook Lopez joining the Los Angeles Clippers gives them one of the more dynamic second units in the league.
Lopez is 37, but he still puts up gaudy block numbers and has hit 37.1 percent of his three-point attempts over the last three seasons.
He'll also simply give L.A. the ability to play a little different style than it does when Zubac is on the floor. The Clippers can now shift from the bruising approach that Zubac brings to a more spread-out look with Lopez shooting from the outside.
Memphis Grizzlies Sign Santi Aldama
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Contract: $52.5 million, Three Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A-
Santi Aldama quietly became a near-indispensable reserve for the Memphis Grizzlies this season. In just 25.5 minutes, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 threes in 2024-25.
And he was third on the team, behind only Desmond Bane and JJJ, in wins over replacement player.
Getting that kind of well-rounded production for just over 11 percent of the salary cap is a clear win.
Orlando Magic Sign Tyus Jones
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Contract: $7 million, One Year (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: A-
Tyus Jones' stint with the Phoenix Suns didn't really work out. In lineups that included Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, Phoenix just needed far more defense from that spot than Jones was able to provide.
But on a defensive stalwart like the Orlando Magic, Jones makes perfect sense.
Over the last four years, he's averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 assists, 1.6 threes and just 0.9 turnovers, while shooting 39.8 percent from deep.
His low-mistake playmaking and willingness to shift off the ball and operate as a floor-spacer will take a lot of pressure off of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The Magic, in turn, can cover for many of Jones' flaws on the defensive end.
New York Knicks Sign Jordan Clarkson
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Contract: TBD (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Jordan Clarkson has never been a terribly efficient scorer, but he's still found a way to dip below his career standards over the last two seasons.
His 47.8 effective field-goal percentage in that span is a whopping 6.7 points below the league average.
But that dip also coincided with an uptick in passing (he's averaged 4.5 assists over the last three seasons), and Clarkson can still flip a quarter or game when he gets hot off the bench.
For a team that desperately needed some second-unit firepower in 2024-25, this is a solid addition.
Milwaukee Bucks Sign Gary Trent
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Contract: $7.5 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B+
Gary Trent doesn't tally a lot of rebounds or assists, but he's quietly become one of the league's more reliable volume three-point shooters over the course of his career.
Since the start of 2019-20 (six years), he's averaged 2.5 threes and hit 39.2 percent of his three-point attempts.
And with Giannis Antetokounmpo commanding the ball whenever he's on the floor, having good catch-and-shoot options like Trent around him makes a lot of sense.
Detroit Pistons Sign Paul Reed
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Contract: $11 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Paul Reed only appeared in 45 games for the Detroit Pistons this past season. And he only played 9.7 minutes per game.
With Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart both still around, he isn't likely to play a much bigger role in 2025-26.
But Reed is a hard-playing big who does a decent job of protecting the rim when he's out there. And this certainly isn't a bank-breaking price for some depth and experience at the 5.
Memphis Grizzlies Sign Cam Spencer
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Contract: $4.5 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Twenty-five-year-old rookie Cam Spencer logged just 252 total minutes this season, but he went 19-of-52 (36.5 percent) from deep and tallied 34 assists (to just six turnovers).
Those are encouraging numbers for a potential playmaking wing. And that price is far from too rich to see how much Spencer can build on that first season.
Los Angeles Lakers Sign Jake LaRavia
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Contract: $12 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: C+
The grade on this deal is impacted (just a bit) by the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to hang onto Dorian Finney-Smith. On a team with LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the defensive side of the Three-and-D equation is pretty important.
But this is still decent value for a 23-year-old, 6'8" forward with the potential to become a dangerous outside shooter. In 2024-25, he hit 42.3 percent of his three-point attempts and should be able to command some defensive attention outside while the aforementioned playmakers work to get to the basket.
Chicago Bulls Sign Tre Jones
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Contract: $24 million, Three Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B+
Like his brother Tyus, Tre Jones is among the league's most steady-handed creators. For his career, he's averaged 4.7 assists to just 1.1 turnovers.
And last season, he showed significant progress in what had been one of the only weak spots in his game, shooting 39.6 percent from deep.
That kind of production from a backup point guard, and for just over five percent of this year's cap, is a good deal.
New Orleans Pelicans Sign Kevon Looney
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Contract: $16 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B-
It's hard to get a handle on what exactly the New Orleans Pelicans are doing this offseason.
Trading CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey felt like a lateral move, at best. Trading an unprotected 2026 first for Derik Queen has the potential to be a disaster.
And now, signing veteran center Kevon Looney could take some minutes away from Yves Missi (who was a better-than-expected 5 as a rookie), Queen and Zion Williamson (who should be playing some center himself).
Still, a depth piece and veteran leader, a team can do a lot worse than Kevon Looney. He always plays hard, is a heady defender and ferocious offensive rebounder and can bring some veteran experience to a roster that needs it.
San Antonio Spurs Sign Luke Kornet
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Contract: $41 million, Four Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Luke Kornet turns 30 in July and has given up entirely on shooting threes (he took 3.3 per game over his first four seasons).
His career high in scoring came all the way back in 2018-19, when he put up 7.0 points over 46 games.
On paper, it's sort of difficult to understand how he's going for much more than a veteran minimum.
But during his stint with the Boston Celtics, Kornet proved a capable rim protector and rebounder who can also pass a little bit. And given the way Victor Wembanyama can shoot, Kornet may be able to combine with the French phenom to form a dominant defensive backline.
Houston Rockets Sign Clint Capela
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Contract: $21.5 million, Three Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: C-
This is a tough one to grasp.
The Houston Rockets already have Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams. And ideally, there would be some small-ball 5 minutes available for Jabari Smith Jr.
So, it's tough to figure out exactly how Clint Capela fits onto this roster, other than by giving it the opportunity to play a few possessions with a pure pick-and-roll finisher.
The center rotation looks overly clogged, but at that price, it may not be too big a deal.
Charlotte Hornets Sign Mason Plumlee
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Contract: $3.6 million, One Year (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Mason Plumlee is 35 years old and coming off a career-low 4.5 points for the Phoenix Suns in 2024-25, but this is a solid deal for a young team that needs veteran leadership and a center.
Plumlee's effort and professionalism will help incoming rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner acclimate a little bit better and more quickly to the NBA.
And that's plenty of value for a veteran minimum deal.
Boston Celtics Sign Luka Garza
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Contract: $5.5 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B+
This was a good bit of business from the Boston Celtics in the wake of losing Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs.
He's never had much of a chance to show what he can do on a team with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Naz Reid and (at one point) Karl-Anthony Towns, but Luka Garza's old-school post game and effort on the glass could make him a fun (and cheap) addition for the gap-year Celtics.
Phoenix Suns Sign Nigel Hayes-Davis
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Contract: One Year (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former Wisconsin forward who averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in college, last played in the NBA in 2017-18. He appeared in just nine games and logged 122 minutes.
But he's taken off overseas, where he was the First Team All-EuroLeague, the EuroLeague Final Four MVP and a EuroLeague champion in 2025.
In his role for Fenerbahçe over the last three seasons, Hayes-Davis has provided plenty of solid defense while also shooting 39.5 percent from deep.
And for a team in as dire a financial position as the Phoenix Suns, creative moves like this one can go a long way toward getting back on the right track.
Milwaukee Bucks Sign Taurean Prince
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Contract: $7.1 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: C+
Taurean Prince doesn't provide a lot of ancillary contributions, and the Milwaukee Bucks were significantly worse when he was on the floor, but bringing him back makes some sense for one reason: He can shoot.
Last season, he made 43.9 percent of his three-point attempts, and he's at 38.4 percent for his career.
On a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, you need as much outside shooting as you can get, even if some of those shooters don't provide much else.
Milwaukee Bucks Sign Kevin Porter Jr.
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Contract: $11 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
Kevin Porter Jr. played probably the best basketball of his NBA career after joining the Milwaukee Bucks midseason.
Over his 30 games there, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 assists and 1.0 threes, while shooting 40.8 percent from deep, in just 19.9 minutes.
And with Damian Lillard likely to miss all of 2025-26, he's almost certain to play a bigger role this coming season.
It's fair to worry about his scoring inefficiency and volatility in previous seasons, but this is a move that the over-the-cap Bucks almost had to make.
Brooklyn Nets Sign Trendon Watford
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Contract: $5.3 million, Two Years (per ESPN's Shams Charania)
Grade: B
In his fourth NBA season, Trendon Watford had a bit of a breakout, posting career highs in points (10.2), assists (2.6) and threes (0.7) per game for the Brooklyn Nets.
Bringing him back for less than $3 million per year makes plenty of sense. The coach and front office know him. By now, he has a little veteran know-how to impart on a big incoming rookie class. And there's still room for Watford to grow.
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