The initial chaos of the 2025 NBA free agency period has come and gone, with plenty of surprises and players changing teams.
However, as we enter the final week of July, the fate of a handful of players remains undecided. Some, such as Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, and Quentin Grimes, are restricted free agents, which complicates matters.
But others are free agents in every essence of the phrase, with the ability to poke around the league, broach their value, and eventually sign with a team — albeit later in the process than others.
We ranked the 10 best remaining free agents, including both restricted and unrestricted, and provided the likeliest landing spot.
10) Seth Curry
Predicted Landing Spot: San Antonio Spurs
A career 43.3% 3-point shooter, it’s no secret what Seth Curry does best. But at 34 years old, his athleticism is diminishing. Always considered to be an average to below-average defender in his career, Curry was attacked last season with the Charlotte Hornets and had trouble staying in front.
He averaged 6.5 points per game while knocking down a career-high 45.6% from deep in just over 15 minutes a night. For a team that needs spacing like the San Antonio Spurs, Curry would be a low-risk veteran’s minimum signing who can come in and hit shots when needed.
9) Alec Burks
Predicted Landing Spot: New York Knicks
Fourteen seasons into his career, and at age 34, Alec Burks is still a reliable spark-scorer off the bench. Playing for the Miami Heat last season, he averaged 7.3 points in 17.6 minutes per game, including multiple 20-point outings.
He’s already been with the New York Knicks twice in his career, performing well during each stint. With new head coach Mike Brown presumably using more of the team’s depth than previous coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks could opt to sign one more player to their bench unit.
They have already signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele this offseason; adding Burks would complete their rotation and provide insurance in case of injury.
8) Gary Payton II
Predicted Landing Spot: Golden State Warriors
It’s hard to see Gary Payton II playing for any NBA organization other than the Golden State Warriors. He emerged as a viable player in the league with the Warriors from 2020 to 2022 before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of ’22. But he played just 15 games before being traded back to Golden State, where he has excelled ever since.
A very pesky, quick-witted, and reliable defender, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knows and values exactly what Payton brings. Offensively, the 6’2″ Payton plays an unorthodox style, sort of in the mold of Draymond Green as a passer and screener, but also finishing at the rim after timely cuts. Not a 3-point shooter by nature, he finds space and can knock down corner treys.
A veteran’s minimum is likely all that Payton will get on the market, making his return to the Warriors a likely possibility as a depth piece on the wing who’s comfortable in their system.
7) Russell Westbrook
Predicted Landing Spot: Miami Heat
After an up-and-down season with the Denver Nuggets, Russell Westbrook wasn’t re-signed and remains on the market. A future Hall of Famer, Westbrook’s issue has been inconsistency over the last several seasons.
He can be counted on to always bring the energy, but his decision-making has been lackluster. There’s a reason that he’s been on four different teams since 2020 and wasn’t among the first batch of free agent signings this summer.
Despite that, it’s extremely unlikely that Westbrook will enter next season without a contract. Several teams, including the Miami Heat, need depth at the point guard position.
With a culture that routinely gets the most out of players, head coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley would be inclined to believe they could accentuate Westbrook’s strengths while hiding his flaws.
6) Cam Thomas
Predicted Landing Spot: Brooklyn Nets
The market seems to have dried up for Cam Thomas, who finished the fourth year of his rookie deal with the Brooklyn Nets and is a restricted free agent. He’s a polarizing player, averaging 22.5 and 24.0 points per game in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but is lacking in nearly every other aspect of the game.
His sheer ability to put the ball in the hoop can benefit a team, but it’s more likely that he re-signs with the Nets for a relatively middling dollar amount for two or three seasons. As a rebuilding team, Brooklyn has cap space and can’t afford to let talent walk out the door.
5) Malcolm Brogdon
Predicted Landing Spot: Milwaukee Bucks
Just two years ago, Malcolm Brogdon won the Sixth Man of the Year award with the Boston Celtics. He’s been essentially irrelevant since, as he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2023 and the Washington Wizards a year later, both rebuilding franchises that had little use for a veteran point guard.
Still just 32, Brogdon has a lot left in the tank. If anything, he’d be a reliable reserve guard who doesn’t make mistakes and can hold his own defensively. A career 38.8% 3-point shooter and dishing out 4.1 assists per game last season, he would be a tremendous addition for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks drafted Brogdon in the second round in 2016 and promptly won the Rookie of the Year award. A return makes sense, as Milwaukee waived Damian Lillard and has Kevin Porter Jr. slotted to start at point guard. More depth is needed, as well as the possibility that Brogdon would step in immediately as the starter and bump Porter to his natural bench position.
4) Al Horford
Predicted Landing Spot: Golden State Warriors
For weeks, the expectation has been that Al Horford will sign with the Golden State Warriors once they figure out Jonathan Kuminga’s contract situation. However, as time passed, other teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, and the possibility of retirement snuck into the picture.
Still, Horford’s best fit appears to be Golden State. He fits their wide-open offensive system, as his 3-point shooting (career 37.7% mark from deep) allows him to space the floor. Additionally, with 18 seasons in the league, Horford would bring an innate feel for the game, which would likely raise the Warriors’ floor after they lost big man Kevon Looney in free agency.
Plus, Stephen Curry has never played with a viable 3-point shooter at the center position. Adding Horford gives them exactly that, potentially unlocking a version of Curry’s game we’ve never seen before.
3) Quentin Grimes
Predicted Landing Spot: Philadelphia 76ers
Traded to the Philadelphia 76ers from the Dallas Mavericks at midseason, Quentin Grimes showed out in 28 games as a 76er. The 6’4″ shooting guard, primarily due to injuries to the core of Philadelphia’s roster, was given free rein to shoot the ball.
His averages were impressive: 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game on 46.9% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range. Having demonstrated this, he significantly increased his market value.
However, there’s still an expectation around the league that he and the 76ers will reach a mid-sized deal, as his age (25) fits with Philadelphia’s timeline for developing its core in the backcourt. He could opt to sign a short-term deal and hope to capitalize in the summer of 2026 or 2027 when more teams have cap space, but for right now, it seems as if Grimes will be back in a 76ers uniform next season.
2) Jonathan Kuminga
Predicted Landing Spot: Sacramento Kings
The stalemate between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga continues. Head coach Steve Kerr hasn’t been shy in saying that Kuminga doesn’t fit the Warriors’ style of play, and the two have been butting heads in several separate instances.
Still a highly talented player at just 22 years old, Kuminga hasn’t done enough to warrant a large contract from any team in the league, as he remains a restricted free agent.
The Sacramento Kings have emerged as a potential suitor via a sign-and-trade, as they’d need to create cap space by sending out some of their own contracts. With the Kings, Kuminga would receive a fresh start and be rid of the drama over his head with the Warriors.
While Sacramento is a prime landing spot, there’s no indication of when anything will happen, as the two sides — Kuminga’s representation and the Warriors’ front office — are seemingly far apart on any negotiations regarding a contract or sign-and-trade destination.
1) Josh Giddey
Predicted Landing Spot: Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are in another stalemate, this one reportedly centered around the value of Josh Giddey’s next contract. A restricted free agent who came to the Bulls last summer in a trade that granted the Oklahoma City Thunder Alex Caruso, the expectation is that Giddey is in Chicago next season and beyond.
He had a nice debut campaign for the Bulls, especially down the stretch of the season. He routinely scored 20 points and dished out double-digit assists while rebounding the ball at a high rate.
A notable contract is Toronto Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley’s five-year, $162.5 million deal, signed last summer, which earns him an annual salary of $32.5 million.
It’s not hard to argue that Giddey, with his positional size and passing ability, is a better player than Quickley and is deserving of a similar contract. The waiting game may continue for weeks or months, as neither side is willing to budge.
