The 2025 NBA Draft took place last week, and free agency has officially begun. There has been significant player movement and huge trades involving Kevin Durant, Desmond Bane, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and CJ McCollum. And it’s still early July!
Rockets Add KD
Kevin Durant’s departure from Phoenix was inevitable. The Suns traded the future Hall of Famer to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and a slew of second-round picks. The Rockets will be Durant’s fifth team in his career, and third since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019. Durant turns 37 in September, but he still has plenty of gas left in the tank as long as he stays healthy. He still averaged 26.6 ppg and shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season on a subpar squad.
The Rockets also strengthened their front line by adding center Clint Capela and power forward Dorian Finney-Smith. They also awarded contract extensions to Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, and Jabari Smith, Jr. The Rockets are now the second favorite on BetMGM‘s futures board at +700 odds to win the 2026 NBA championship.
Magic Level Up with Desmond Bane
The Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious-Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony, and several first-round draft picks. Bane averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game last season. He averaged a career-best 23.7 ppg in the 2023-24 season. Bane became the Grizzlies #1 scoring option when Ja Morant missed significant time with injuries or serving suspensions the last few seasons. With Bane anchoring the backcourt, the Magic added a young guard who is a career 41 percent shooter from downtown.
Celtics Trade Unicorn and Holiday
General manager Brad Stevens is rebuilding the Boston Celtics while All-Star Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgery. He already traded away two vital players from the 2024 championship squad. Jrue Holiday, revered as one of the premier two-way players in the NBA for his lockdown defensive skills, was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons. The Celtics also dealt Kristaps ‘The Unicorn’ Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-way deal. Stevens is also shopping guard Derrick White to the highest bidder. The Celtics saw their 2026 championship odds sink to +3500.
Nuggets Trade MPJ
The Denver Nuggets made their first major move in several seasons. They traded forward Michael Porter, Jr. and a first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Cam Johnson. Porter averaged 18.2 ppg in the regular season, but struggled with only 9.1 ppg in 14 playoff games due to a nagging shoulder and back injury. Johnson averaged 18.8 ppg with the Nets last season and shot 39 percent from 3-point land. Johnson is a much better defender and earns significantly less than Porter, which gives the Nuggets more flexibility to sign veterans and restock a thin bench.
The Nuggets also brought back guard Bruce Brown, a key member of the 2023 championship squad, who they let depart in free agency shortly after winning the title. Brown is a great locker room presence and will add much-needed depth to the bench. The Nuggets are now +1100 odds to win the title next season.
Knicks Add Former Sixth Man of Year
The Knicks narrowed their head coaching search to three candidates. They also made one key move by signing veteran guard Jordan Clarkson, who won the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Utah Jazz. The Knicks’ bench lacked consistent firepower last season, especially in the playoffs. Although Clarkson has limited exposure to the postseason, he averaged 17.5 ppg and shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range for the Jazz off the bench in his last 17 playoff appearances. Clarkson currently holds the record for the highest scoring average off the bench in NBA history.
The Knicks also signed power forward Guerschon Yabusele, who started 43 games with the Philadelphia 76ers last season. The French-born Yabusele won two silver medals for France in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
Bucks Waive Dame
In one of the biggest surprises so far this summer, the Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard, who can now explore free agency. Lillard was expected to miss next season while he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Bucks will eat the remaining $113 million on his contract because they were unable to find a suitable trade partner.
Although the Bucks lost starting center Brook Lopez in free agency, they signed big man Myles Turner, who was the longest-tenured member of the Indiana Pacers.
New Trio in the Big Easy: Poole, Bey, and Looney
The New Orleans Pelicans traded CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey. They also added Kevon Looney after the starting center from the Golden State Warriors departed in free agency.
There are rumblings that the Pelicans might trade Zion Williamson. Front office exec Joe Dumars stated that the Pelicans are committed to Williamson, and he’s the focal point of the team. Williamson, the former #1 overall draft pick, is an amazing talent when he’s healthy and averages a career 24.7 ppg. He appeared in only 214 games in five seasons with the Pelicans due to multiple injuries. He played in only 30 games last season.
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