NBA free agency moves quickly — and it gets faster every year. Remember “The Decision,” LeBron James’ televised announcement that he was headed to Miami 14 years ago? That was July 8th, and until that domino fell most others followed that summer. Today, in a fast-moving world where teams can negotiate with their own free agents after the season (but before the official start of free agency) and abuse is rampant decisions are made quickly, free agency is done long before July 8. As an executive put it to NBC Sports, free agency is done two-thirds before it officially begins.
With everything happening so quickly, fans can be forgiven for missing out on what new faces are in new places for the 2024-25 NBA season. To catch you up, here are the biggest players to change teams in the offseason.
Paul George to Philadelphia
Philadelphia decision maker Daryl Morey pushed all his chips into a massive bet — he spent years hoarding future cap space to ensure the 76ers would have maximum cap space in the summer of 2024, allowing him to reshape the roster around his MVP-level center. Joel Embiid and fast-rising guard Tyrese Maxey.
That bet paid off when Paul George hit free agency after the Clippers tried to land him (at least from George’s perspective – he said he’d take less to stay, like Kawhi Leonard did, but he wanted a no-trade clause so they couldn’t just get him for less then move him anywhere, and the Clippers wouldn’t give it).
Morey and the 76ers pounced.
Philadelphia now has a Big 3 with Embiid in the paint, George on the wing and Maxey at the point – that’s three All-NBA level players at once. Morey has also done a good job of getting solid role players around that core (Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon and more) despite limited resources. If Philly can get Embiid and George healthy for the playoffs, the 76ers are a legitimate threat to Boston at the top of the East.
Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns to New York
New York is coming off its best season since the Carmelo Anthony era, winning 50 games and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Team president Leon Rose doubled down on that run with his offseason moves.
First, he traded five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges — a high-end two-way wing and another former Villanova star who is hand-in-glove with the Knicks’ core. Bridges can be a secondary shot creator and also improves the Knicks’ defense, but they gave up a lot for a player who was never an All-Star (even if he played at that level). New York might match up better with Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston than anyone – Bridges with OG Anunoby puts two quality defenders on the wing to challenge the Celtics’ stars.
Then came the shocking trade – even to the players involved –New York traded for All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Townssending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. New York needed a center and Towns is one of the best in the game, he and Brunson together will make the Knicks offense elite.
Is New York’s defense good enough with KAT as the anchor to challenge Boston and Philly at the top of the East? Do they have the depth? These can be questions for April and beyond, in the regular season these Knicks will push for the number 1 seed.
Klay Thompson to Dallas
One of the Mavericks’ takeaways from the NBA Finals was that they needed more shooting around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. On the West Coast, Klay Thompson — one of the greatest pure shooters the game has ever seen — grew to feel unappreciated in Golden State and wanted a fresh start and the chance to change the narrative around him.
It was a match made in heaven…at least on offense. Dallas had the 10th-ranked offense in the league a season ago and that number should climb with more spacing, plus having Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford around all season is an upgrade.
The question in Big D is defense – can the Mavericks get enough stops to get back to the Finals? Thompson is not the defender he once was, and he replaces Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting five, which is a plus wing defender. Can Lively take a big enough step forward as a rim protector to clean up that mess? Look for another Dallas offseason signing, Naji Marshall, to get increased run on the wing because of his defense, as long as he continues to hit 3s at the 38.7% rate he did last season (probably with increased volume this season ).
DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento
A big-name free agent opted to go to Sacramento — that’s a huge win for this long-suffering franchise and a sign they’ve turned things around. They are becoming respectable around the league. (Technically the deal to bring him to Sacramento was a sign-and-trade, but DeRozan made the call.)
DeRozan averaged 24 points per game last season in Chicago and brings another shot creator and scorer to the best offense in the NBA two years ago, but slipped back to average last season. DeRozan, paired with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, will put a lot of pressure on defenses. Fox and DeRozan are also two of the best clutch players in the league, this team will be dangerous in a late game situation. The challenge will be spacing – all three of these players prefer to drive the lane/work the middle, they will need to shoot around them to keep the floor spaced.
DeRozan is not a defender and that is the Kings’ Achilles heel – this trade probably makes them a bit better in the regular season but not a bigger playoff threat. Still, in Sacramento, adding a player who can help them get back to the postseason — and one who chose to get there — is a win.
Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein to OKC
When NBA general managers were voted on who had the best offseason, they didn’t vote for Philadelphia – who got Paul George – they voted for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder were the top team in the West last regular season and gained valuable playoff experience for their young roster, but also saw clearly what their weaknesses were: They needed a big body in the paint for some matchups, and they needed better defense and a 3 .-point shooting at the guard than Josh Giddey could provide.
Enter Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein – two players straight out of central casting to fill those needs on a team with title aspirations. Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and brings championship experience having won a ring with the Lakers. Hartenstein showed last season in New York — and, honestly, with the Clippers before that, but not many fans noticed — that he’s a solid two-way center who can score, pass and defend.
With the addition of Caruso and Hartenstein – in addition to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and an already stacked roster – the Thunder enter the season as the team to beat in the West.
Dejounte Murray to New Orleans
New Orleans wanted a point guard to organize its offense, and after two years of often working the ball in Atlanta alongside Trae Young, Murray is happy to have the ball back in his hands, giving him a chance to make decisions.
Playing alongside Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram (at least for now with Ingram) Murray isn’t going to get the kind of numerical stats his fantasy fans might want, but he’s an upgrade on the court looking for the right guy. organize and manage the offense.
The Pelicans aren’t finished tweaking the roster, but Murray is in the long haul at the point and should be a good fit.
Chris Paul to San Antonio
Every year, in the annual NBA GM pollthe executives are asked, “Which active player will make the best head coach ever?” Every year, Chris Paul is at or near the top of the list. He is the best floor general of a generation and one of the highest IQ players in the league.
That’s why he’s perfect for San Antonio. Well, that and the lob goes to Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are a young team with a world of potential and the opportunity for Wemby and recently drafted point guard Stephon Castle to pick CP3s brain and learn his game is invaluable. Even if it only lasts half a season, because you can be sure that Paul’s name will come up at the trade deadline (and if the offer is decent the Spurs should seriously consider it).
Russell Westbrook to Denver
Denver’s bench is a question mark this season, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone to Florida (and Bruce Brown gone the year before). That moves Christian Braun into the starting lineup (and puts more on Peyton Watson’s plate).
Westbrook isn’t the MVP-level triple-double machine he once was (and he wasn’t the most efficient player, even then), but the man plays hard every time he’s on the court. He brings energy, and there are nights when his shot falls, but he continues to be dynamic.
Denver will take what they can get from him as a positive.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando
Orlando was looking for a few things this offseason: More shooting, and a veteran — ideally a seasoned championship — presence for their young locker room.
Enter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – the two-time NBA champion who shot 40.6% from 3-point range last season. He is perfect for their wing next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. This was an easy call for Orlando and they had the cap space to make him a three-year, $66 million offer.
Orlando still really needs a floor general and shot-creating point guard to move to the highest levels in the East, but KCP fits the bill at a fair price.
