2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Toronto Raptors
It was an injury-plagued season in 2024/25 for the Raptors, who only had one player - rookie Jamal Shead - appear in more than 65 games. Regulars like RJ Barrett (58 games), Jakob Poeltl (57), Gradey Dick (54), and Immanuel Quickley (33) all missed significant time, while Brandon Ingram didn't play at all after a trade-deadline deal in February sent him from New Orleans to Toronto.
The Raptors seemed to be playing it safe with Ingram and a few other veterans down the stretch after falling out of playoff contention. But injuries were a legitimate issue during the first half of the season, preventing the front office and coaching staff from getting a consistent look at their core players - led by forward Scottie Barnes (65 games) - on the court together for any extended period.
Toronto's presumed opening-night starting lineup of Barnes, Quickley, Barrett, Poeltl, and Dick appeared in just eight games together over the course of the season, logging 107 total minutes.
Those injuries, along with a challenging early schedule, resulted in an extremely poor first half for the Raptors, who lost 31 of their first 39 games and had the third-worst record in the NBA in mid-January. Recognizing at that point that it made more sense to pursue a high lottery pick than an outside chance at a play-in spot, Toronto went into tank mode in the second half of the season and began resting regulars while leaning more heavily on two-way and 10-day players.
Paradoxically though, with the help of one of the league's softest second-half schedules and the ongoing development of a few young prospects, the Raptors played their best basketball of the season in March (10-5). After spending the first half of the year losing games they were trying to win, the Raptors finished out the season by winning games management would've preferred to lose, going 22-21 after their 8-31 start and ending up with the No. 9 overall pick after dropping a couple spots on lottery night.
While it was a disappointing lottery outcome for fans in Toronto hoping to add one more blue-chip prospect to the team's core after a lost season, there are already several foundational pieces in place here, and the strides made down the stretch by second-year head coach Darko Rajakovic and youngsters like Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jamison Battle, and Jonathan Mogbo made for an encouraging trade-off.
2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Small Forwards
NBA teams in need of an impact small forward this summer likely won't be looking to the free agent market for their answer. While there's a chance that one of the greatest players of all-time will become a free agent, that star is widely expected to remain in Los Angeles. And after that, the starting-caliber small forwards dry up awfully fast.
Still, for teams seeking a depth option at the three rather than someone who can be relied upon to play 30-plus minutes per night, there could be a few interesting - and cap-friendly - targets out there.
Let’s take a closer look at this summer’s free agent small forwards, as we continue our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns
After winning 49 games and making a first-round playoff exit in 2023/24, the Suns were confident that their second year with the big three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal would yield better results.
Having not operated with a traditional point guard for much of the 2023/24 season, the Suns added Tyus Jones and Monte Morris in free agency during the summer of 2024 while also replacing head coach Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer.
Those changes, combined with a full season from 2024 deadline addition Royce O'Neale and the prospect of better health luck for Booker, Durant, and Beal - who suited up together for just 41 games in '23/24 - were reasons for optimism in Phoenix.
And through nine games, it looked like that optimism was warranted. The Suns raced out to an 8-1 start and sat tied with Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference standings on November 10.
However, things quickly turned south, as newcomers like Jones, Morris, and Budenholzer didn't make the sort of impact the Suns had anticipated, while Durant and Beal once again battled health issues that sidelined them for 20 and 29 games, respectively.
Most damning of all was the fact that Phoenix's so-called "big three" wasn't even effective when healthy -- in the 667 minutes that Booker, Durant, and Beal shared the court, the team was outscored by 4.1 points per 100 possessions.
The Suns finished the season with a 36-46 record, earning the ignominious honor of becoming the only NBA team that didn't clinch a top-six playoff spot, didn't claim at least a play-in berth, and didn't control a lottery pick -- each of the league's other 29 clubs fell into at least one of those categories. To make matters worse, the Suns finished the season with the NBA's highest payroll and don't control any of their own draft picks through 2031.
Put simply, running it back wasn't an option in Phoenix this offseason. The team has already fired Budenholzer and made front office changes, promoting vice president of player programming Brian Gregory to general manager while former GM James Jones transitioned into a senior advisor position. Next up? Making major changes to this underachieving roster.
The Suns' Offseason Plan
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/13/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included how much the Mavericks improved by landing Cooper Flagg, the Rockets' options on the trade market, the Spurs' plans with the No. 2 pick, suspicions about the lottery results and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/6/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Cavaliers and Celtics are in danger of a second-round exit, the Bulls' options with the 12th pick in the draft, the case for the Rockets to trade for a veteran star, the chances of LeBron James heading to Dallas and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Shooting Guards
There are no stars among 2025's free agent shooting guards, but that doesn't mean the class is bereft of useful players. A pair of restricted free agents look like strong candidates to cash in this summer, assuming they don't squeezed by the market. Meanwhile, several role players - including a pair of Sixth Man of the Year finalists - increased their value in contract years by logging heavy rotation minutes for playoff teams.
Let’s take a closer look at this summer’s free agent shooting guards, as we continue our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 4/29/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Heat's future after their playoff collapse, a summer of change for the Bucks, another roadblock for expansion, a new All-Star Game format and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Point Guards
The 2025 NBA free agent point guard class features three veterans who have earned maximum-salary contracts and have combined to make 21 All-Star teams. And while all three of those players will be among the best options available at the position this offseason, the point guard who signs the most lucrative long-term contract may be a player who has never been named an All-Star or averaged more than 17 points per game.
Let's take a closer look at this summer's free agent point guards, as we kick off our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 4/22/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Lakers should have kept Mark Williams, the Hawks' decision to fire Landry Fields, the Celtics' expensive future, the Rockets' chances to rebound from their Game 1 loss and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
One 2025 Free Agent To Watch From Each NBA Playoff Team
A team's evaluation of a player's worth typically doesn't fluctuate wildly from game to game in the postseason, but it's not uncommon for a strong run on the NBA's biggest stage to boost a player's stock as he enters free agency.
In 2023, for instance, veteran wing Bruce Brown played a crucial role for the champion Nuggets, averaging nearly 27 minutes off the bench and establishing himself as the type of complementary piece any playoff team could use. Brown, who had never earned more than $6.5MM in a season, signed a contract with the Pacers in free agency that paid him $45MM over the next two years.
Isaiah Hartenstein was essentially the 2024 version of Brown. Starting every playoff game for a Knicks team that was one win away from the conference finals, the big man led the NBA in postseason offensive rebounding, anchored New York's defense, and showed off his offensive play-making. Up until that point, the most lucrative contract of Hartenstein's career had paid him $18MM over two seasons. Coming off that postseason showing, he landed a three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder.
There's no guarantee that a role player like Brown or Hartenstein will parlay a strong playoff run this spring into a free agent contract that dwarfs their previous career earnings, but it's certainly a possibility.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at one player from each of this year's 16 NBA playoff teams who could - or will - reach free agency this offseason and whose future earnings will depend at least in part on how they perform in the postseason.