NBA Free Agency 2025: New West Tiers After Flurry of Moves

Apart from adding 2024 first-round pick Nikola Topic, the Thunder have not acquired any new players through trade or free agency. However, why would they need to? The defending champions already possessed the league`s deepest roster. Furthermore, they are expected to improve in 2025-26, as 31-year-old Alex Caruso and 30-year-old Kenrich Williams are their only players older than 27, and Chet Holmgren`s previous season was limited to just 32 games due to injury.

Is it possible to be even better than winning the title after a 68-win regular season and the best point differential in NBA history? Yes, it`s not only conceivable but realistic. As they aim to become the first back-to-back champions since the Kevin Durant-era Warriors, which would end a record-long streak without a repeat winner, the Thunder stand in a category of their own.

The Rockets were somewhat of a “paper tiger” in 2024-25. They secured the No. 2 seed in the West with relentless effort during the regular season but lacked the star power needed to make a significant impact in the postseason, resulting in a first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors. However, after trading for Kevin Durant and signing Dorian Finney-Smith, coupled with Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard poised for larger roles, the Rockets now boast a complete team with the necessary depth and star talent to challenge the Thunder.

Houston still may not have the same level of top-tier talent as the champions, but they also don`t have any significant weaknesses. Don`t be surprised if the Rockets once again finish as the No. 2 seed, appearing far more prepared for playoff contention. This tiger now seems real.

The fundamental structure of the Nuggets remains consistent with previous years: Nikola Jokic leads the team, supported by Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. However, Denver has seen several recent changes, including a new coach, a new front office, and a significantly improved bench. Denver strengthened its reserves by adding Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and potentially Jonas Valanciunas (if he doesn`t return to Europe). Cameron Johnson also replaces Michael Porter Jr. as the primary shooter in the starting lineup after joining the team this offseason.

Had it not been for an unexpected offensive surge from Luguentz Dort, the Nuggets might well have defeated the Thunder in the second round this spring. They have since reloaded their roster for another opportunity next season.

Anthony Edwards` continued development will be the primary determinant of whether Minnesota can reach the conference finals for a third consecutive season, and ideally surpass their previous two attempts by advancing to the Finals. However, a great deal also depends on the Timberwolves` guard play beyond Edwards. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker now in Atlanta, Minnesota`s remaining backcourt rotation includes Mike Conley, who will turn 38 before the season starts; the inconsistent Donte DiVincenzo; and developing sophomores Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. The latter duo combined to average only 8.8 points over 81 games during their rookie year.

There is potential here, but also considerable risk. The Timberwolves sought to maintain their position this offseason by re-signing Julius Randle and Naz Reid, but it`s difficult to argue they demonstrably improved. Meanwhile, other teams in this tier made clear upgrades in their pursuit of the Thunder, and may have overtaken Minnesota in the process.

The Clippers could arguably be placed one tier higher. After Kawhi Leonard played his first game last season on January 4th, the Clippers ranked second in the West with a plus-7.2 net rating. They even outscored Denver in their seven-game first-round series loss, but two narrow two-point defeats and a poor performance in Game 7 dashed the hopes of the dark horse contender.

The good news for the Clippers is the addition of Brook Lopez from Milwaukee, an underrated move that addresses the need for a backup center behind Ivica Zubac. Additionally, every key player from the 2024-25 team is set to return in 2025-26, except for Norman Powell, who was traded for John Collins. The concerning news is that Leonard, James Harden, and key role players Lopez, Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all in their 30s, leading to questions about whether the Clippers missed their prime opportunity last season.

Any team featuring Luka Doncic or LeBron James, let alone both, automatically qualifies as a contender. However, do the Lakers possess a sufficiently strong supporting cast to truly compete at the highest level? Several significant, challenging questions persist: Can lineups featuring Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves adequately defend? Will new starting center Deandre Ayton, recently acquired after a buyout, play with more physicality and reverse his multiyear decline? Can Jake LaRavia effectively replace Dorian Finney-Smith? Is there enough shooting on this roster?

Expect the Lakers` drama to persist until they can definitively answer these critical questions.

The Warriors have been notably quiet this offseason, currently in a holding pattern awaiting Al Horford`s free agency decision and the resolution of Jonathan Kuminga`s restricted free agency. As of now, they remain in a similar position to where they finished last season: a very capable team, particularly with Jimmy Butler III integrated, but not a dominant force. Depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolds, they have the potential to move up a tier – recall they might have reached the conference finals last season if Stephen Curry had not been injured early in the second round – but they haven`t yet made the moves to justify a higher ranking.

Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old No. 1 overall draft pick, certainly doesn`t fit the “old guard” description and represents the most significant reason for excitement surrounding the Mavericks. However, a team anchored by Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (once he recovers from his torn ACL), with Klay Thompson and D`Angelo Russell starting in the backcourt, still qualifies for this designation.

The larger question for the Mavericks is whether they possess sufficient playmaking – can Flagg handle point forward responsibilities as a rookie, will the streaky Russell find consistency, and most importantly, will Irving return at full strength or require another year to regain his form?

Trading Desmond Bane appears to have been a specific adjustment rather than the start of a complete rebuild. Memphis followed that surprising move by signing Ty Jerome, trading up in the draft to select Cedric Coward (a potential replacement for Bane), and extending both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama. The roster still possesses significant depth and talent.

However, without Bane, the majority of that talent is now concentrated at the point guard and center positions. To avoid regressing, the Grizzlies need either Coward to perform well as a rookie, Jaylen Wells to make a substantial leap in his second season, or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to bounce back after a less effective year in Orlando.

De`Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama shared the court for only five games last season, during the short period between Fox`s trade to San Antonio and Wembanyama`s diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis, which prematurely ended his impressive second season. Adding No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle makes it clear the Spurs still have considerable self-discovery ahead.

In all likelihood, this season will serve as a transition year for San Antonio as they begin to define their identity and figure out how their players fit together. After securing the No. 2 pick, the Spurs notably avoided pursuing win-now moves like trading for a star such as Durant. However, they also possess significant potential for rapid improvement in 2025-26, largely thanks to Wembanyama, who is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year and earn an All-NBA selection.

Last season, the Trail Blazers had a challenging start, going 13-28 in the first half of their schedule, but improved significantly to 23-18 in the second half, with wings Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara emerging as strong two-way contributors. By trading Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday and elevating Donovan Clingan to a starting role – a move that included buying out Deandre Ayton – Portland reinforced and strengthened its defensive identity this summer.

It remains uncertain if the Simons-less Blazers possess enough offensive firepower to reach the play-in tournament, and they will rely on Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to show further growth in the backcourt. However, for the team with the second-longest playoff drought in the West (only the Spurs` is longer), things are looking more positive in Portland.

Over 1,121 possessions last season with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine on the floor together, the Kings achieved an offensive rating of 117.4, according to Cleaning the Glass. This is a respectable figure, placing them in the 72nd percentile leaguewide for such lineups. However, in those same possessions, the Kings posted a defensive rating of 120.9, which ranked in the 11th percentile. The Kings have star power and can be entertaining, but they lack a realistic path to consistently winning games. They might compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, but they simply aren`t good enough in the competitive West.

The question “What`s the plan?” has been applicable to Phoenix for quite some time, and this offseason hasn`t provided any meaningful clarity. The Suns did not receive a significant return when trading Kevin Durant, while simultaneously adding two centers on draft night and still lacking natural point guards or power forwards in their projected rotation. Devin Booker and Jalen Green as a starting backcourt could prove to be a very awkward fit.

Expect the Suns, led by owner Mat Ishbia, to continue sacrificing future assets in an attempt to compete in the present. However, do not anticipate many actual victories.

One might assume the Pelicans would categorize themselves higher, given their aggressive approach to offseason moves, most notably trading an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots in the 2025 draft. And there are reasons for optimism – primarily, if the Pelicans can stay healthier after Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones collectively missed significant time last season, playing only 103 games combined.

However, with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram departed and Dejounte Murray out with a torn Achilles, there is considerable uncertainty in New Orleans and no apparent long-term strategy for building a consistently winning roster. Even in the short term, the Pelicans were not dominant in the rare moments their key players were healthy last season, finishing 10-20 in games Williamson played, with a minus-4.3 net rating when Williamson and Murphy shared the court.

On one hand, Lauri Markkanen remains in Utah. The team sought to add Jusuf Nurkic. And new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge stated in his introductory press conference, when asked about tanking, “You won`t see that this year.”

Yet, on the other hand, Utah divested John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton this summer for minimal compensation; drafted an 18-year-old developmental prospect in Ace Bailey; and is projected to feature the youngest backcourt in the league. The Jazz might aim not to tank and still realistically lose 60-plus games this season, given their own roster limitations and the overall strength of the rest of the Western Conference.