NBA free agency is moving fast — and it’s getting faster every year. Remember “The Decision,” LeBron James’ televised announcement that he was heading to Miami 14 years ago? That was on July 8th, and it wasn’t until that domino fell that most of the others that summer followed. Today, in a fast-paced world where teams can negotiate with their own free agents after the season (but before the official start of free agency) and Manipulation is widespread Decisions are made quickly, with free agency wrapping up well before July 8th. As one executive put it to NBC Sports, free agency is two-thirds done before it officially begins.
With everything happening so quickly, fans could be forgiven for missing the new faces in new locations for the 2024-25 NBA season. To keep you updated, here are the biggest players to change teams in the offseason.
Paul George to Philadelphia
Philadelphia decision-maker Daryl Morey bet his full potential on a massive bet: He spent years hoarding future player capacity to ensure the 76ers would have maximum player capacity come the summer of 2024, allowing him to build the roster around his center MVP-level rebuild Joel Embiid and fast-rising guard Tyrese Maxey.
That bet paid off when Paul George got free agency after the Clippers tried to stifle him (at least from George’s perspective – he said he needed less to stay like Kawhi Leonard did, but he wanted to a no-trade clause They couldn’t just get him for less money than take him anywhere, and the Clippers wouldn’t give it.
Morey and the 76ers pounced.
Philadelphia now has a Big 3 with Embiid on the roster, 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 adding solid role players to this core despite limited resources (Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon and more). If Philly can get Embiid and George healthy into 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 reinforced that run with his offseason moves.
First, he traded five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges — a quality two-way winger and another former Villanova star who fits perfectly with the Knicks’ core. Bridges can create secondary shots and also improves the Knicks’ defense, but they gave up a lot for a player who has never been an All-Star (even if he has played at that level). New York can keep up with Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown better than anyone – Bridges with OG Anunoby puts two quality defenders on the wing to challenge the Celtics’ stars.
Then came the shocking swap – even for the players involved –New York traded for All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Townsby sending 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.
With KAT as the anchor, is New York’s defense good enough to challenge Boston and Philly at the top of the East? Do they have the depth? These may be questions for April and beyond, as these Knicks will push for the No. 1 spot in the regular season.
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. Out on the West Coast, Klay Thompson — one of the greatest pure shooters the game has ever seen — was feeling increasingly neglected in Golden State and wanted a fresh start and a 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 increase with more spacing, plus having Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford under center all season is an improvement.
The question for Big D is defense – can the Mavericks get enough stops to return to the Finals? Thompson is no longer the defender he once was, and he replaces Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting lineup, who is a plus fullback. Can Lively take a big step forward as a rim protector to clean up this mess? Look for Naji Marshall, another of Dallas’ offseason signings, to get more run on the wing because of his defense as long as he continues to hit threes at the 38.7 percent rate he did a season ago ( probably with higher volume this season).
DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento
A big-name free agent has decided to head to Sacramento – it’s a big win for this long-suffering franchise and a sign that they’ve turned things around. They are becoming more and more respectable in the league. (Technically, the deal to bring him to Sacramento was a sign-and-trade, but DeRozan made the decision.)
DeRozan averaged 24 points per game last season in Chicago and adds another scorer and scorer to the NBA’s best offense two years ago, but regressed to average last season. DeRozan, along with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, will put a lot of pressure on the defense. Fox and DeRozan are also two of the best clutch players in the league, this team will be dangerous in a playoff situation. The challenge will be spacing – all three of these players prefer to drive the lane/work in the midfield, they will need to shoot around themselves to maintain floor spacing.
DeRozan isn’t a defenseman and that’s the Kings’ Achilles heel – this trade probably makes them a little better in the regular season, but doesn’t pose a major playoff threat. Still, getting a player in Sacramento to help them in the playoffs is a win Returning to the postseason can help – and one who has chosen to get there.
Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein to OKC
When NBA general managers were interviewed about who had the best offseason, they voted not for Philadelphia – which signed Paul George – but 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 clearly recognized where their weaknesses lay: They needed a strong team for some matchups, and they needed a better defense and 3-point shots at the guard spot when Josh Giddey was able to bid.
Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are there – two players straight from the central line-up who meet these needs in a team with title ambitions. 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, to be honest, before that with the Clippers, although not many fans noticed – that he is a rock-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 playing the ball alongside Trae Young for two years in Atlanta, Murray is happy to have the ball in his hands again and give him a chance to make decisions meet.
Playing alongside Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram (with Ingram, at least for now), Murray won’t put up the kind of scoring stats his fantasy owners might want, but he’s an upgrade on the court and looking for the right man Organize and carry out crime.
The Pelicans aren’t done tweaking the roster yet, but Murray is in for the long haul at this point and should be a good fit.
Chris Paul to San Antonio
Every year in the annual NBA GM pollExecutives are asked, “Which active player will one day be the best head coach?” Chris Paul is at or near the top of the list every year. He is the best floor general of a generation and one of the highest IQ players in the league.
That’s why he’s a perfect fit for San Antonio. Well, that and the lob goes to Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are a young team with a lot of potential and the chance for Wemby and newly drafted point guard Stephon Castle to pick CP3’s brain and learn the game from him is invaluable. Even if it’s only for 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 will have to seriously consider it).
Russell Westbrook to Denver
Denver’s bench is a question mark this season with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leaving for Florida (and Bruce Brown leaving the year before). That moves Christian Braun into the starting lineup (and adds more to Peyton Watson’s duties).
Westbrook is no longer the MVP-level triple-double machine he once was (and he wasn’t the most efficient player back then either), but the man plays hard every time he’s on the court. He brings energy and there are nights where his shot falls, but he’s still dynamic.
Denver will take anything they can get from him positively.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando
Orlando was looking for a few things this offseason: more shooting and a veteran — ideally with championship experience — for its young locker room.
Enter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – the two-time NBA champion who shot 40.6% from 3-point range last season. He fits perfectly on your grand piano alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. This was an easy decision for Orlando, and they had enough cap space to extend him a three-year offer worth $66 million.
Orlando still desperately needs a floor general and a shot-making point guard to advance to the highest levels in the East, but KCP is a great fit at a fair price.