Every NBA off-season, there comes a time when each of the league’s 30 teams has a chance to participate in the feeding frenzy for fresh talent that is NBA Free Agency.
That’s the stretch of the off-season where some of the league’s best players become available to be signed by other teams, and it’s often a golden opportunity to coax a truly game-changing player away from a rival.
So, which NBA players are at the top of the list for NBA Free Agency in 2025? Here’s our take on which players can be expected to make the biggest splash in free agency. Here’s a sneak peek: There’s more than a few superstars and one true legend on this list.
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When Does NBA Free Agency Start in 2025?
The NBA’s free agency period officially begins on July 6 ,2025 at 12:01 p.m. ET, but teams are able to begin negotiating with their own free agents and other teams’ pending free agents on June 30, during the “legal tampering” period. They still can’t start signing players under contract until the official start of free agency.
Free agency is a good opportunity both for players to secure a better contract or team fit elsewhere and for teams to acquire much-needed talent at a specific position or open up some cap space.
How Does NBA Free Agency Work?
So, how exactly does the NBA’s free agency period work?
NBA Free Agency is a period during the offseason during which players whose contracts have expired or are expiring can sign with a different team. The whole process is governed by the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, a contract between the league and the players’ union, the National Basketball Player’s Association (NBPA).
During this period, players fall into one of five categories of free agents:
Unrestricted Free Agent: These players are able to sign with any team that offers them a contract, without any restrictions or special rights afforded to their current team.
Restricted Free Agent: Restricted free agents can sign with another team during free agency, but their current team has the right to offer a matching contract within the next 48 hours after signing.
Player Option: Players with a Player Option clause in their contracts have the ability to decide whether to play another year of their contract or opt to become a free agent and pursue a contract with a different team.
Team Option: A player’s team gets to decide whether to allow them to become a free agent or keep them for another season.
Early Termination Option: Players with an early termination option clause in a five-year contract can decide whether to play the fifth season of their contract or become a free agent.
What are Bird Rights in the NBA?
Bird rights allow an NBA team to exceed their salary cap to resign one of their own players, making it easier to provide these players with longer-term contracts and helping teams retain their top players during free agency.
These rights are named after NBA legend Larry Bird, who was resigned by the Boston Celtics above their salary cap in 1983.
Players earn Bird rights by playing for the same team for three straight seasons.
The Top 10 NBA Free Agents in 2025
Here are the top NBA players who will be available in free agency in 2025, plus which teams they’re most likely to end up playing for:
1. James Harden – Los Angeles Clippers
Position: Point Guard
2024-25 Season Stats: 22.8 points per game, 8.7 assists per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 41% field goal percent, 35.2% three-point percent, 87.4% free throw percent
2025-26 Salary: $36.3 million
Free Agent Type: Player Option
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with the Clippers
James Harden is easily one of the most talented basketball players of the modern era, and he’s remained as effective as ever despite being 35 years old. While inconsistent in the playoffs over the years, he was a key player in the Clippers’ seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets during the 2024-25 playoffs. There’s a solid chance he’ll stick with the Clippers.
2. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Small Forward
2024-25 Season Stats:
Salary: 24.4 points per game, 8.2 assists per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, 51.3% field goal percent, 37.6% three-point percent, 78.2% free throw percent
Free Agent Type: Player Option, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with the Lakers or retire
At 40 years old, LeBron James is the oldest active player in the NBA. But, he’s also a living legend and one of the most recognizable names in both basketball and sports at large. He’s still performing near the top of his game, and his son, Bronny James, is also rostered by the Lakers. He’s an institution in L.A., and that’s where he’ll probably stay.
3. Julius Randle – Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Power Forward
2024-25 Season Stats: 18.7 points per game, 4.7 assists per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, 48.5% field goal percent, 34.4% three-point percent, 80.6% free throw percent
Salary: $33.1 million
Free Agent Type: Player Option, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with Minnesota
Julius Randle was a big part of what helped propel the Timberwolves through two rounds of the 2025 playoffs and into the Western Conference Final. He wasn’t exactly the most game-changing of acquisitions when he landed in Minnesota, but his performance surged in the second half of the season. He’s likely to stick around with the Wolves until there’s more opportunity to explore a bigger payday with other teams.
4. Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers
Position: Center
2024-25 Season Stats: 15.6 points per game, 1.5 assists per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 48.1% field goal percent, 39.6% three-point percent, 77.3% free throw percent
Salary: $19.9 million
Free Agent Type: Unrestricted, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with Indiana
It’s hard to make an argument for not paying a player who helped your team make it to the NBA Finals. Myles Turner did just this season, and with few other options for Indiana, he’s likely to get a significant raise to remain the Pacers’ starting center.
5. Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks
Position: Point Guard
2024-25 Season Stats: 24.7 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 47.3% field goal percent, 41% three-point percent, 91.6% free throw percent
Salary: $41 million
Free Agent Type: Player Option, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with Dallas
Despite an ACL injury ending his 2024-25 campaign prematurely, Kyrie Irving is still a force to be reckoned with on the court, and one that the Dallas Mavericks certainly want to remain on their roster. The questions around his injury and recovery also make it more likely that he’ll wait until next year to test the waters as a free agent.
6. Naz Reid – Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Center/Forward
2024-25 Season Stats: 14.2 points per game, 2.3 assists per game, 6 rebounds per game, 46.2% field goal percent, 37.9% three-point percent, 77.6% free throw percent
Salary: $14 million
Free Agent Type: Player Option, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain with Minnesota, or Detroit Pistons/Toronto Raptors
Naz Reid was solid for the Wolves this season, and he’s easily one of the league’s top big bench players, if not the best. He brings a major physical presence to Minnesota’s lineup, and plenty of other teams need that capability. Detroit or Toronto might make a play for Reid, and it’ll be up to Minnesota to fight their hardest to retain him.
7. Josh Giddey – Chicago Bulls
Position: Point Guard
2024-25 Season Stats: 14.6 points per game, 7.2 assists per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 46.5% field goal percent, 37.8% three-point percent, 78.1% free throw percent
Salary: $8.4 million
Free Agent Type: Restricted, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots:
Josh Giddey made an immediate impact as a playmaker when he landed in Chicago on a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it’s likely Chicago will want to retain that talent. Giddey also seems to want to stay put in the Windy City, so expect a pretty sizeable deal to get worked out here.
8. Fred VanVleet – Houston Rockets
Position: Guard
2024-25 Season Stats: 14.1 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, 37.8% field goal percent, 34.5% three-point percent, 81% free throw percent
Salary: $42.8 million
Free Agent Type: Team Option
Potential Landing Spots: Houston exercises Team Option, or Orlando Magic
The Rockets hold the cards in this situation. Fred VanVleet is a veteran presence on the Houston roster, but he’s not the same player he used to be. That said, Houston was looking for someone who could have enough of an impact to regain their competitiveness, and they found it in VanVleet by most measures. If they bring him back, he’ll probably be looking at a contract lower than his current $42 million.
9. Jonathan Kuminga – Golden State Warriors
Position: Power Forward
2024-25 Season Stats: 15.3 points per game, 2.2 assists per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, 45.4% field goal percent, 30.5% three-point percent, 66.8% free throw percent
Salary: $7.6 million
Free Agent Type: Restricted, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat
Jonthan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors have butted heads in contract negotiations over the last few years, failing to reach an agreement on an extension. His role has also diminished, especially since the arrival of Jimmy Butler, and he’s likely to be sporting a different jersey next season. The Warriors could also hang on to him to look for a trade.
10. Malik Beasley – Detroit Pistons
Position: Shooting Guard
2024-25 Season Stats: 16.3 points per game, 1.7 assists per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, 43% field goal percent, 41.6% three-point percent, 67.9% free throw percent
Salary: $6 million
Free Agent Type: Restricted, Bird rights
Potential Landing Spots: Remain in Detroit
Beasley was one of the best three-point shooter in the league this season, beating out even Stephen Curry, the man widely credited with making the shot a fixture of modern play. Detroit will almost certainly not allow a talent like that slip through their fingers, and he’s likely looking at a payday at least double, if not more, than his current salary to remain a Piston.
Watch NBA Basketball on DIRECTV
There’s plenty more interesting players coming up in NBA free agency this year, but these ten are the ones we think will have the biggest impact, wherever they end up playing next season.
You can watch all of these top-tier players hit the court in the 2025-26 NBA season right on DIRECTV! Sign up today and be prepared to watch NBA basketball every day in the new season.
The post NBA Free Agency 2025: Top Free Agents, Predictions appeared first on DIRECTV Insider.
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