Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas have generated most of the free agency headlines this offseason. While Giddey (four years, $100MM) and Cam Thomas (one year, $6MM) re-signed with their respective teams earlier this month, Kuminga and Grimes remain restricted free agents ahead of the October 1 deadline to accept their qualifying offers.
There haven’t been many updates on Grimes’ situation with the Sixers of late, but there has been movement on the Kuminga front. The Warriors reportedly made a new three-year offer to the young forward, but his agent said signing the $8MM QO remains a viable option unless the team’s offers improve.
The prolonged Kuminga stalemate has prevented the Warriors from completing other roster moves, with unrestricted free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II among the veterans expected to sign with Golden State. The team has been linked to Seth Curry and Cody Martin as well.
The Warriors also have the NBA’s two remaining unsigned 2025 draft picks (Alex Toohey and Will Richard) as well as the lone two-way RFA (Taran Armstrong). As of now, Golden State technically only has 10 players under contract — five fewer than any other team.
Russell Westbrook is the most accomplished UFA left on the board. However, he has really only been linked to the Kings, who reportedly covet Kuminga and have been wary of making other trades until his restricted free agency is resolved. Sacramento would likely need to open a spot in the backcourt to make room for Westbrook.
Precious Achiuwa is another player who surprisingly remains unsigned ahead of training camp. He was added to our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents in late June after spending the past year-plus in New York.
Achiuwa, who recently turned 26 years old, reportedly drew EuroLeague interest from Panathinaikos in early August before the Greek team decided to sign Richaun Holmes. He has since been linked to the Heat, though Miami isn’t in position to sign him to a veteran’s minimum deal without crossing the luxury tax line.
Ben Simmons (who has reportedly mulled retirement), Monte Morris, Cameron Payne, Malik Beasley (who remains a subject in a federal gambling probe), Alec Burks, Mo Bamba and Thomas Bryant are among the other noteworthy names who have yet to find new teams with training camps set to begin within the next two weeks.
I’d say Mo Bamba no longer deserves to be on a list such as this.
Considering Bamba wasn’t on a team to end last season, that’s more than fair. His brief inclusion was more about his age and draft status rather than what I personally think of him as a player.
If we were solely going by career accomplishments, DeAndre Jordan (three-time All-NBA) would be far more “noteworthy,” but he’s 37 and hasn’t been more than a minor role player and valued locker room presence for several years. Still, obviously it says something about him as a person that he’s been in the league for 17 seasons.
It’s just a list. It’s exhaustiveness doesn’t need to be critiqued or defended. Write about who and what you want. The diplomacy of your response is professional and admirable, but to me the unrealized truth here is… a comment invoking criticism of the listing of Mo Bamba in an offseason remaining NBA free agent article will always and forever be more pedantic and offending than the original inclusion of Mo Bamba in the first place.
Druuu, dude, we don’t say that out loud! You and I are here commenting on a comment about the forgotten players in the extreme doldrums of the offseason. *gesturing broadly* We’re all pedantic here.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to lay down some very hot takes on a thread about G league trades.
Excellent article Rory. Yeah like the guys are saying it’s just a list.
I like your list and Mo Bamba can be on some guys lists and not on others.
He’s just one of those players that we had hoped so much more from. He’ll probably get more chances so he would probably be included on the tail end of a lot of guys list of current free agents.
But as rxbrgr suggests, how much longer does he deserve it?
Good stuff guys I love the discussion.., and also the opportunity to look up fancy words like pedant.
What kind of offer would it take to bring Grimes back to New York? I wouldn’t mind that at all. I honestly thought Burks would come back to New York also.
Burks has played well recently. But I think the hope is you pick up a young guy who can do what Burks does and in the case it doesn’t happen, a team will grab a Burks type midseason to fill the gap.
—- The Countdown —-
Nine days till Kuminga signs his QO — Oct 1st
9 days till Horford, Melton, Payton ……
I sure rather have Horford than Brogdon. Horford and Shamet would be a big score for Knicks. Dolan should offer a no-show job at Sphere for 2 mill……
Training camp and media day are the 29th. I bet he will have signed something by then.