Covering the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB has become a year-round job for working media, with absolutely no such thing as an offseason. For instance, the NHL has its draft and free agency, with players moving from team to team and even country to country to further their careers and win a Stanley Cup. Similarly, the NFL offseason has become a religious pilgrimage. Once the Super Bowl ends, gridiron mavens look forward to the NFL Combine, free agency, and the NFL Draft—an event that once took place in a hotel ballroom but has now become a true spectacle, moving from city to city with thousands of fans gathered in the street and millions more watching via multiple platforms.
In contrast, Major League Baseball’s offseason used to rule the roost. However, with analytics now dominating the game, big free-agent signings have been replaced by building up the farm system and developing talent to fit the philosophy of a given organization. Against this backdrop, the NBA has taken the number one spot in terms of offseason interest. Almost from the moment the Larry O’Brien Trophy was handed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, podcasts, television programs, radio shows, and all types of internet broadcasts turned their attention to expiring contracts, free-agent signings, and veteran players being waived.
Indeed, 2025 NBA free agency has been positively feverish. Fittingly enough, I caught an episode of Free Agent Fever on NBA TV. The frenetic show open featured shots of Nikola Jokić, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum, which is interesting since the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Celtics have played huge roles in NBA free agency thus far. Free Agent Fever began with breaking news that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder had agreed on a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension through the 2030–31 season.
Of course, it’s not just live, spoken-word news that draws people to NBA TV. Viewers also benefit from the bottom-third crawl providing all types of NBA signing news. In this case, graphics showed that Mason Plumlee had agreed to a $183.6 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Shortly after, the Gilgeous-Alexander news was followed by probably one of the most shocking turns of events in NBA free agency this year—namely, Myles Turner leaving the Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers and agreeing to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA News, Insight, Perspective at a Rabid Pace
This edition of Free Agent Fever was hosted by Nabil Karim and featured reporter Chris Haynes, ex-NBA standout Greg Anthony, and former Suns executive Ryan McDonough, the brother of sportscaster extraordinaire Sean McDonough. I liked the mix of perspectives on this program. As I was listening to this quartet, I saw the news that Jordan Clarkson was set to be released by the Jazz and sign with the Knicks, and that the Celtics had signed center Luka Garza from the Timberwolves to a two-year, $5.5 million deal—essentially replacing Luke Kornet, who left Boston to sign with the Spurs.
Shortly after, Karim immediately threw to Haynes, who, after speaking with sources, reported that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was very displeased with Milwaukee’s decision to waive Damian Lillard. Haynes also revealed that Lillard was surprised by his release and found out through the media. McDonough then made the point that such a huge move should be done in concert with a star like Antetokounmpo. It was an interesting assertion—one that really knocks home the player empowerment movement that has been growing over the past few years. Furthermore, McDonough noted that while Turner will help the Bucks, his contract gives the team less flexibility to further improve the roster.
As McDonough continued, we saw the news that the Brooklyn Nets had acquired forward Michael Porter Jr. and a first-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for forward Cam Johnson, and that Jaren Jackson Jr. had agreed to a five-year, $240 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies. This is the beauty of NBA free agency: non-stop news, developments, and intrigue. It truly is a delight for fans across the NBA’s worldwide landscape.
Meanwhile, Haynes and McDonough had a nice exchange about upcoming roster decisions that the Thunder face—decisions that will dictate whether they can remain a title contender for years to come. McDonough stated that championship windows close quickly in the NBA, citing the 2023–24 champion Celtics, who traded Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, lost Kornet in free agency, and are now facing the prospect of a season without Jayson Tatum due to an Achilles injury. McDonough is a television natural. I truly see him rising up the media ranks with his knowledge of team building.
Following the first break, the analysis turned to the Houston Rockets, who made a big offseason splash by acquiring Kevin Durant from Phoenix. Anthony, a seasoned NBA commentator who excels at applying his experience as a player to his analysis, said that, on paper, the Rockets look like a team that could win it all next season. However, he added that the challenge for head coach Ime Udoka will be integrating all this new talent into a team effort.
Crunching the Numbers and Explaining the Why
Make no mistake—Free Agent Fever and NBA free agency are all about the business end of the game. The NBA salary cap has been set at $154.647 million for next season, and the tax level for the 2025–26 season is $187.895 million. As the group discussed the Rockets, a graphic showed that the team had agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal with center Clint Capela. Immediately afterward, the panel turned its attention to the Atlanta Hawks while a timely graphic displayed the Hawks’ projected depth chart. Similarly, Haynes, Karim, Anthony, and McDonough talked about the San Antonio Spurs and how they could rise in the West. Haynes focused on the acquisition of Kornet, saying that he had talked to a lot of players around the league who like that Kornet is a vocal leader in the locker room.
Then, Karim cut from the Spurs talk to breaking news on X from ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, reporting that the Sacramento Kings were trading Jonas Valančiūnas to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Šarić. McDonough said that Denver’s offseason moves give them more salary flexibility while keeping them as a contender in the West.
One of the more interesting teams in the Western Conference is the Dallas Mavericks, who just scored Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft. The panel discussed whether the Mavs might actually be better without their former star Luka Dončić, now with the Lakers. Anthony chimed in, saying that Dallas might have the best front line in the NBA and pointed to Anthony Davis as a key component of that team. Meanwhile, McDonough noted that even though they picked up point guard D’Angelo Russell, the Mavericks still need to find another point guard for depth.
Anthony also stated that depth is a key concern for one of his former teams, the Knicks. He backed up his point by noting that the Knicks’ starters logged more minutes than any other starting five in the NBA last season. Karim, for his part, did a really nice job hosting this program and letting Haynes, Anthony, and McDonough showcase their respective strengths on air.
In conclusion, NBA teams have long used free agency to find a Big Three to lead them to a championship. NBA TV has gone one better with a Big Four roster of talent on Free Agent Fever. Karim, Haynes, Anthony, and McDonough combined all the offseason excitement, intrigue, and adrenaline with expertise, insight, and analysis.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
