Credit: Yahoo Sports
Darren & Vic's Takes: NBA Free Agency Frenzy
Published: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
by Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa
The NBA season may have come to an end, but one of the best parts of the offseason is upon us: free agency. A lot has happened in the past few days since the July 1 opening of free agency, and it is safe to say that it is only the beginning.
In this edition of Darren & Vic’s Takes, we discuss the early free agency signings, our opinions on major acquisitions, and moves that surprised us.
Darren’s Takeaways
Each year in free agency, some teams improve, some stay the same, and some even get worse. But the last few days have been crazy, and I, for one, am still in shock. Usually I would start with what moves that I like, but this time I will be starting with what caught me off guard.
The biggest surprise so far is likely the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to sign former Indiana Pacers star center Myles Turner and waive Damian Lillard. The star point guard has never been a free agent in his career, and now he is suddenly forced to find a new team.
It is an understandable decision from Milwaukee in the sense that Lillard is going to be recovering from an achilles tear and is likely to miss most of the upcoming season, if not all of it. But it seems as though the way that they handled the situation could have been done with more respect to Dame. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Lillard was just as surprised to hear the news as fans were.
Lillard helped the Bucks immensely, especially when he and Giannis Antetokounmpo were both healthy. To just cut him like that feels like a stab in the back. And on top of that, Giannis is reportedly unhappy with Milwaukee’s decision too. This is the last person that the Bucks would want to disappoint, because if he decides that he is unhappy in Milwaukee, they will be forced to seriously rethink the future of the franchise.
Aside from Milwaukee’s major moves, a handful of other free agent signings have caught
my attention thus far.
First, Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs seems to be a good fit. He can be a backup
center behind Victor Wembanyama, and after seeing what he did against New York in
the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it is clear that he can hold it down defensively.
Wembanyama and Kornet are now a duo that demands respect, especially on the defensive
end.
Another key signing that I like is D’Angelo Russell’s deal with the Dallas Mavericks. With Kyrie Irving expected to miss approximately half of the 2025-26 season, I am interested to see what this revamped Mavericks squad looks like with Russell running the show as the starting point guard. This could be a role where he thrives, as he is now in the second half of his career.
Vic’s Takeaways
Similarly to Darren, I too was shocked that the Milwaukee Bucks bought out Damian
Lillard, who they had just recently acquired in 2023. This could be somewhat of a
seismic move in the East, especially with Giannis' decision regarding his future still
looming.
A team that I am impressed with thus far are my own beloved New York Knicks. It was
unexpected to see the Utah Jazz buyout Jordan Clarkson, as he’s been rumored in trades
for several seasons. I assumed they would trade him for the value of what they could
receive in return.
However, the Knicks are in a position where they prefer to be conservative with their
current assets. The situation worked out perfectly for them, as Clarkson was released and subsequently signed with New York.
Clarkson is a player who can be a viable sixth man for the Knicks and a legitimate
backup to superstar point guard Jalen Brunson. He averages 16 points per game throughout
his career and can provide solid scoring and playmaking off the bench.
Furthermore, I also liked seeing the Knicks use their Mid Level Exception on Guerschon Yabusele. He is a 6’8”, 265 lbs forward, who has shot above 36 percent from three in his career,
can score in the point, and defend multiple positions. New York added two players
that fit their structure as a team, and can provide the depth that they were lacking
in the 2025 playoffs.
Another team that has impressed me is the Atlanta Hawks, who seem as though they are
making a statement that they are going all in for the 2025-26 season. Not to sound
hyperbolic talking about a team that missed the 2025 playoffs, but acquiring Kristaps
Porzingis was a major shakeup in the Eastern Conference. Maybe even bigger than the
Myles Turner signing.
However, beyond Atlanta’s acquisition of a borderline All-Star center to pair with Trae Young, the Hawks also got two of the more coveted free agents and shooters on the market. Atlanta inked Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a 4-year, 62 million dollar deal. Then, they signed Luke Kennard to a one-year deal worth 11 million dollars.
Alexander-Walker is a career 36 percent three point shooter, and Luke Kennard has shot a whopping 43.8 percent from three point range throughout his career. The Hawks acquired three highly talented players early in their offseason, and they already have a solid young core with Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, last year’s number 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and of course, star point guard Trae Young.
The Atlanta Hawks now have the potential to be a top four seed in the Eastern Conference
next season, and at the very least, a formidable opponent.
Early in NBA free agency, there is already much to discuss and major shake-ups around
the league. It will be interesting to see what ensues next as the offseason continues
to unfold.
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