NBA Free Agency: Which teams improved the most for the 2025-26 season?

Signings won’t become official until July 6th, but the 2025-26 NBA offseason started on Monday, June 30th. That’s when teams were allowed to start negotiating and agreeing to terms with free agents, and we have already seen some big things happen. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the teams that really improved their rosters heading into next year.

Atlanta Hawks

• Acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade (four years, $62 million) with the Minnesota Timberwolves
• Signed Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal

I suggested backing Atlanta to win the East at 90-1 on June 23rd, expecting some singles or doubles from the new Hawks front office. One day later, Atlanta acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics. Then, on the first day of the NBA’s legal tampering period, the Hawks brought Alexander-Walker and Kennard into the mix.

Alexander-Walker is one of the NBA’s most reliable perimeter defenders, capable of guarding one through three at a very high level. Alexander-Walker finished the 2024-25 season fourth on the Timberwolves in Defensive EPM (+0.5), and that was one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. The thought of him, Dyson Daniels and some of Atlanta’s other lengthy wings flying around should be scary for opposing teams — especially with Onyeka Okongwu’s ability to cover ground, and Porzingis’ rim-protection capabilities. Alexander-Walker also shot 39.1% from deep in 2023-24, and he shot 38.1% on slightly increased volume last year. He’s just a good 3-and-D player, and he’ll be excellent whenever he’s next to Trae Young.

Kennard’s fit won’t be quite as seamless, as he is a player that needs to be hidden defensively. But realistically, Young and Kennard are the only two defenders in the Hawks rotation that can really be picked on. Having only two players like that is completely fine. What Kennard can do is light it up from 3, and he’s a better playmaker than he is given credit for. He can run some offense when Young has to head to the bench, and he can also do a good amount of scoring when Young needs nights off. Kennard is also the type of player that Quin Snyder should utilize well.

This is a team that is looking loaded heading into the new season, so don’t be surprised if Atlanta challenges everybody in the Eastern Conference. Remember that 90-1 price I mentioned earlier? The best I’m seeing now is 14-1. That says everything.

Denver Nuggets

• Traded Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson
• Signed Bruce Brown Jr. to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal
• Traded Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas
• Signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal

The Nuggets really improved their team on Monday. Porter Jr. is obviously a great 3-point shooter, but his contract is a nightmare and he’s a miserable defender. That’s why Denver had to give up a valuable draft pick to get off him. The Nuggets’ 2032 first will come well after Nikola Jokic’s prime, and there’s risk that comes with moving a pick like that. But Denver needed to do something to improve its chances of winning with Jokic. The Nuggets just took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games, so they were right there with the champs. It isn’t crazy to think that some small changes could lead to a second ring for Jokic and company.

Johnson brings the same elite shooting Porter Jr. does, as he knocked down 39.0% of his triples for Brooklyn last year. But Johnson is also a little more mobile than Porter Jr., so running him around and getting him good looks off movement will be a little easier. Johnson should also be dangerous with Jokic running dribble hand-offs, and the 29-year-old wing has also gotten much better at creating his own offense. On top of that, Johnson is a little better at moving his feet on defense, he’s much better as a team defender and he has a higher basketball IQ. In every way imaginable, this is an upgrade on the wing.

Denver also brought back Brown, who averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game the last time he played for the Nuggets. That was back in 2022-23, when Brown played a big role in helping Denver win the title. Brown was a great perimeter defender for the Nuggets, and his unorthodox offensive game fit well in the Mile High City. Brown is a good cutter, so he benefitted from Jokic’s world-class passing. He also was solid as a ball handler for this team. It’s definitely possible that Brown isn’t the same player he was a few years ago. His stops in other places haven’t worked out nearly as well. However, the Nuggets got him back for nothing, and there’s really no reason to believe he can’t find himself again.

On Tuesday, July 1st, the Nuggets also agreed to terms with Hardaway. Only two teams in the NBA averaged fewer 3s per game than Denver’s 12.0 per contest, and David Adelman understands his team needs a healthier shot diet. Well, not only will Johnson help there, but Hardaway will, too. He shot 36.8% from deep last season, marking the fourth time in the last six years in which he has shot at least 36.0% from 3. He’s not shy about getting them up, and he can’t be left open. Don’t be surprised if he thrives playing with Jokic. Also, earlier in the day, Denver moved Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas, giving the team a serviceable backup big in the event DaRon Holmes II isn’t ready to give his team good minutes.

Overall, the Nuggets didn’t have a lot to work with heading into the offseason, but they found a way to get better. They have a puncher’s chance when it comes to winning the Western Conference, which also means a puncher’s chance at winning the title.

Houston Rockets

• Signed Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year, $53 million deal
• Signed Clint Capela to a three-year, $21.5 million deal

Houston could have stopped at Kevin Durant and called it a day. But stealing Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the best 3-and-D wings in basketball, from the Lakers means Houston is ready to go to war with Oklahoma City. Finney-Smith will come off the bench for the Rockets, but he could finish games in small-ball lineups. He has proven that he can guard threes and fours, and he can even size up and give centers trouble. Finney-Smith is also the type of player you want on the floor with Durant, as he should see all kinds of open looks from the corners.

The Rockets now have some outrageous depth, as Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Durant, Finney-Smith, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr and Steven Adams are all players that we know can play in the playoffs. A second-year leap can also be expected from Reed Sheppard.

Houston also added Capela on a three-year deal. That signing was a little puzzling, as I thought the Rockets had enough at the center position. But Capela still has a little to offer as a rim-running big, and he played some of the best basketball of his career in Houston. And adding a little extra depth inside is never a bad thing.

I can’t wait to see what Ime Udoka can do with this team.

Milwaukee Bucks

• Brought back Kevin Porter Jr. (two years, $11 million), Taurean Prince (two years, $7 million) and Gary Trent Jr. (two years, $7.5 million)
• Signed Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal
• Signed Gary Harris to a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal
• Waived and stretched Damian Lillard’s contract over five years
• Traded Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for Vasilije Micic

Everybody has been waiting for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and it’s still possible we’ll get one. Chris Haynes is reporting that Antetokounmpo wasn’t happy with the team waiving Lillard, but I’m guessing he’ll come around once he sees what Jon Horst is cooking up. On Tuesday, Milwaukee made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason, prying Turner away from the Indiana Pacers.

The Bucks let Brook Lopez, one of the only bigs in the league that can space the floor and protect the rim, go to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. But Lopez is 37 years old and slowing down quickly. Turner brings the exact same skill set, but he’s in the prime of his career. That said, Turner should be much better than Lopez next year, and he’s also on Antetokounmpo’s timeline.

Milwaukee also has most of its rotation pieces from last year back, including Porter Jr. and Prince. Both of them played very well towards the end of the season, which is why the Bucks were even remotely competitive in their opening-round series against the Pacers.

With Horst looking to be aggressive in putting a decent roster together for next season, the Bucks probably aren’t done either. So, let’s see what Antetokounmpo thinks about everything, but they’re undeniably in better shape than they were on Sunday.

New York Knicks

• Prepared to sign Jordan Clarkson to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal
• Signed Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year, $12 million deal

The Knicks had one of the weakest benches in basketball last year, but help is on the way. Clarkson could be a great fit as a microwave scorer off the bench. New York desperately needed some juice from the second unit in last year’s playoffs, but what Cam Payne provided was more like prune juice — which my friend’s dad inexplicably enjoys. Clarkson is bringing some fresh-squeezed orange juice. Just last season, Clarkson scored 16.2 points per game for a rebuilding Utah Jazz team. He’s an awesome off-the-dribble shooter, and he can attack the rack. And, despite being 33 years old, he’s not slowing down any time soon.

Yabusele is also a remarkable option off the bench. Last year, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for the Philadelphia 76ers, and he also shot 38.0% from deep. He’s a good floor spacer for a player that is built like a minivan, and he’s good at making things happen for himself and his teammates out of the post. Yabusele should do big things for the Knicks as a backup four, and he can also give them some new looks playing as a small-ball five.

New York suddenly has Clarkson, Yabusele and Deuce McBride coming off the bench, plus Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks are going to be nine deep in the postseason, which is wild considering how thin they were last year. They also have James Nnaji coming over from FC Barcelona this summer, and he’s a player with real two-way potential. There’s also a chance Tyler Kolek is ready for some minutes as a backup point guard.

Additional Notes

While the teams highlighted above made multiple moves, there were also some other pieces of business that I liked.

The Memphis Grizzlies, another team I highlighted in a futures story last week, inked Jaren Jackson Jr. to a five-year, $240 million extension. The Grizzlies also signed Ty Jerome to a three-year, $28 million deal. Memphis has shuffled the deck around its duo of Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Those two will will now be surrounded by a trio of 3-and-D players in Jaylen Wells, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Cedric Coward. Memphis also has a potent shooter and creator off the bench in Jerome, who averaged 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game on 51.6%-43.9%-87.2% shooting splits last season. Santi Aldama, who also signed an extension, is a dangerous stretch-shooting big for the Grizzlies, and Zach Edey is an absolute force around the basket. This team has the potential to surprise some people, even after moving Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic.

Signing Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal was a shrewd move from Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. Losing Finney-Smith was definitely a bit of a blow, but LaRavia is a 6-foot-7 wing with length and athleticism. He’s not the defender Finney-Smith is, but he’s feisty and won’t be a negative out there. He can competently guard a few spots, and the competitive environment will bring more out of him. LaRavia also shot 42.3% from 3 last season, and he has always been good in transition. There’s a chance he really outperforms his contract — especially with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James setting the table for him.

Los Angeles also did well to sign Deandre Ayton to a two-year, $16.6 million contract. The Lakers didn’t have any serviceable bigs last year, and Ayton, at his very worst, is better than their options from a season ago. Ayton’s efficiency wasn’t there, especially on the defensive end, but he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Portland Trail Blazers. Ayton is a capable play finisher around the basket, has decent touch on his mid-range jumper and should look like a completely different guy feeding off Los Angeles’ playmakers. In 2021-22, when Ayton played the type of basketball that earned him his max contract, he averaged 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and he also shot 62.6% from the floor. That was with Chris Paul, one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers in league history, setting him up. Well, Doncic, Reaves and LeBron can all do a little of that for him. So, don’t be surprised if he flirts with 60% shooting from the floor again. The question is: can he still defend at a high level? Ayton was once the anchor of a good Phoenix defense, finishing in the 94th percentile in Defensive EPM (+1.7) in 2021-22. But he was worse on that end of the floor in his final season with the Suns. And he didn’t come close to sniffing strong defensive play with Portland. Last year, he had a Defensive EPM of +0.1, finishing in the league’s 58th percentile. The Lakers will be hoping that they can unlock some of what we saw in Phoenix — and especially that run to the NBA Finals. If anybody can do it, it’s JJ Redick, who proved to be a very good head coach. Having Doncic and LeBron around to motivate him won’t hurt either. Oh, and if that can’t motivate him, how about the fact that he’s playing for $8.3 million after signing for over $30 million per year a few seasons back? If he ever wants another payday, he’ll need to do something in Los Angeles. At only 26, he has time to turn his career around.

Don’t sleep on the Phoenix Suns signing Nigel Hayes-Davis to a one-year deal. Hayes-Davis, who went by Hayes when he played for the Wisconsin Badgers, averaged 15.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for Fenerbahce last season. He was one of the best players in the EuroLeague, and he helped his team complete a treble last season. Fenerbahce won the EuroLeague, the Turkish League and the Turkish Cup, and Hayes-Davis really has nothing left to prove overseas. He even set the record for most points scored in a EuroLeague game, scoring 50 points against Alba Berlin in the 2023-24 season. The Suns might not have any expectations this year, but Hayes-Davis could stick with this team needing help at power forward. He’s a much better 3-point shooter than he was earlier in his career, and the jumper was a big part of the reason he couldn’t stay in the NBA out of college. Hayes-Davis is also a crafty scorer around the basket, and he makes good decisions with the ball. He also has good size and length, and he uses that to compete on defense.