The NBA Finals are still underway, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is already ringing the alarm bells: the real storm is coming and fast. Appearing on First Take, Windhorst delivered an ominous prediction about the NBA offseason, calling it one that will hit sooner, harder, and wilder than usual.
And the reasoning is simple: this is not a loaded free agency class, so all eyes have turned to trades, and the NBA Draft is the perfect catalyst.
“The NBA offseason is going to happen faster than normal. I think the majority of the action in this offseason is going to occur around the draft.”
“Typically, we get most of the action between June 30th and about July 3rd. I think this year, because it’s not really a free agent year, and there’s going to be, potentially there’s going to be three or four picks in the lottery that might be available, might be movable.”
“Teams moving out, teams moving up, teams moving back. And so that’s going to be attached to bigger deals. So let’s put it this way: Shams has cleared his calendar and he’s preparing to work his hardest around the draft.”
“And we are going to go right from the NBA Finals into the offseason, headlong. You’re going to get your action very soon. Trust me.”
With the 2025 NBA Draft scheduled for June 25, just three days after a potential Game 7 of the Finals, league executives are wasting no time. Multiple lottery picks are reportedly “available,” according to Windhorst.
Teams are jostling to move up, move out, or flip picks for proven talent. It’s not just rebuilding squads either; contenders and playoff teams are getting involved, ready to make power plays ahead of free agency.
The offseason calendar supports Windhorst’s urgency. The draft begins June 25, followed by the free agent negotiation window on June 30. By July 6, deals can become official. But Windhorst’s warning suggests many of those moves, especially trades, will already be in place or finalized by the time the draft concludes.
While the league might be light on superstar free agents, the trade market is bursting with tension. Kevin Durant is all but guaranteed to leave Phoenix, with the Spurs and Knicks seen as frontrunners. Bill Simmons has even suggested that a deal to San Antonio is already done, just waiting to be announced post-Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, long considered a potential domino, may be staying put at least for now. Windhorst himself confirmed earlier that “there is no trade market” for Giannis at this moment, since he hasn’t asked out and Milwaukee has no intention of dealing him.
Still, with big names like Trae Young, Zion Williamson, Domantas Sabonis, and even Karl-Anthony Towns floating around in trade rumors, the potential for chaos is sky-high.
Young, ambitious teams like the Nets, Spurs, and Rockets are armed with assets and ready to pounce. Contenders like the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Knicks, and Warriors are all expected to be aggressive in fine-tuning their rosters.
Even the Finals teams, OKC and Pacers, could explore bold adjustments if their title chase ends in disappointment.
With such a shallow free agent class, featuring names like Khris Middleton, Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, teams are viewing trades as the only path to significant roster improvement. That makes the upcoming draft the true centerpiece of the 2025 offseason.
Brian Windhorst’s warning is crystal clear: the NBA offseason earthquake is loading, and it’s set to detonate around the draft. With superstar trades, lottery pick shake-ups, and a shallow free agent pool, this offseason could go down as one of the wildest in league history. Buckle up.
