NBA summer storylines we're still watching, including the Kuminga saga in Golden State

Exactly 1 period since the 2025 NBA draft, immoderate of the biggest moves of the summertime person already unfolded.

From Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper being selected astatine the apical of the draught by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, to superstar players specified arsenic Kevin Durant, Desmond Bane, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Myles Turner changing teams via commercialized and escaped agency, it has been an eventful fewer weeks crossed the association.

But that doesn't mean everything has been determined. So, with that successful mind, here's a look astatine immoderate of the biggest unresolved hold and restricted escaped bureau decisions of the 2025 offseason, opening with a superstar hold campaigner connected the league's biggest stage:

Will Luka Doncic motion an hold successful August?

Arguably, the biggest communicative hanging implicit the league is the looming Aug. 2 day erstwhile Doncic, who arrived successful Los Angeles astir six months agone successful 1 of the astir shocking trades successful NBA history, tin motion an hold to stay a Laker past adjacent summer.

If Doncic chooses not to extend, helium tin go an unrestricted escaped cause adjacent July -- that would instantly marque him the astir impactful subordinate to deed the unfastened marketplace since Kawhi Leonard successful 2019. The Lakers, naturally, would not privation to spot a repetition of that concern erstwhile Leonard near the Toronto Raptors -- caller disconnected winning Finals MVP and starring Toronto to its lone NBA title -- to articulation the LA Clippers.

How could Doncic's concern play out? If helium chooses to motion an extension, helium volition beryllium eligible for a four-year, $222 cardinal declaration that would necktie him to the Lakers done the extremity of the decade.

But the champion fiscal way for Doncic would beryllium to motion a short-term woody -- astir apt a three-year, $160 cardinal hold with a subordinate enactment for the 2028-29 season. By signing for 2 much years, Doncic could perchance motion a woody successful 2028 for 35% of the wage headdress -- a woody that, astatine that time, could beryllium a five-year, $369 cardinal contract.

And for immoderate Lakers fans uneasy astir Doncic's level of concern successful Los Angeles, conscionable instrumentality a look astatine what Marcus Smart said astir however helium coiled up signing with the franchise.

"When you get a feline similar Luka calling ... checking connected you, trying to spot wherever you're at, to spot if you privation to travel articulation thing peculiar that he's trying to navigator up implicit here," Smart said this week. "For him to accidental that helium tin truly usage my help, that meant a lot."

What's adjacent for lingering restricted escaped agents?

There is simply a crushed 25 players signed rookie extensions implicit the past 2 years, including 11 successful 2024: Restricted escaped bureau is nary spot to be.

It's wherefore Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, Jonathan Kuminga and Cam Thomas proceed to beryllium successful a holding pattern.

All 4 players person been affected by the deficiency of headdress abstraction crossed the league. No squad (other than the Brooklyn Nets, Thomas' erstwhile team) has much than $14.1 cardinal of the non-tax midlevel objection to spend. That has near this quartet of restricted escaped agents with a choice: compromise connected their adjacent declaration oregon proceed to wait.

Kuminga's options are constricted by the deficiency of wide spending and the world that the Golden State Warriors could beryllium hard-capped astatine the first-apron if helium is signed and traded. The Warriors are presently $25 cardinal beneath the archetypal apron and person taken a backmost spot to escaped bureau until the Kuminga concern is resolved. They presently person six unfastened roster spots.

Grimes is successful a akin position. The champion disposable shooting defender continues to beryllium without a location mostly due to the fact that of the Philadelphia 76ers' finances. Although they person made minimum signings this offseason (Trendon Watford, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry and Justin Edwards), Philadelphia has held disconnected utilizing the $5.7 cardinal taxation midlevel objection due to the fact that of 2nd apron concerns. If Philadelphia utilized the exception, it would past hard headdress itself astatine the 2nd apron. The squad is presently $19.5 cardinal beneath without Grimes.

If a compromise is not reached, the fallback is to motion the one-year qualifying offer. Giddey ($11.1 million), Grimes ($8.5 million), Kuminga ($8 million) and Thomas ($6 million) person until Oct. 1 to motion their contracts. If they don't, the declaration is nary longer valid (unless it is extended), and each subordinate remains a restricted escaped agent.

There is simply a double-edged sword to signing the qualifying offer. While they would beryllium an unrestricted escaped cause successful the 2026 offseason, each subordinate loses Bird rights if they o.k. a commercialized to a caller squad during the season. (The past clip a subordinate signed the qualifying connection was Miles Bridges successful 2023.)

What different cardinal seasoned hold decisions are retired there?

Doncic's concern merits attention, but he's acold from the lone seasoned facing the anticipation of extending this summer.

The biggest sanction progressive successful hold discussions is Durant, who was traded to the Houston Rockets past period aft spending the past 2½ years with the Phoenix Suns. Durant tin motion a two-year hold for a maximum of $118 million. If Durant doesn't hold to one, he, similar Doncic, tin go an unrestricted escaped cause adjacent summer.

There are 2 different notable constituent guards to show successful hold discussions. The archetypal is De'Aaron Fox -- who, similar Doncic, changed teams successful February erstwhile helium was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the San Antonio Spurs. Also similar Doncic, Fox volition go eligible for a four-year, $222 cardinal hold connected Aug. 3. Then there's Atlanta Hawks' prima Trae Young, who has 1 twelvemonth near connected his declaration earlier helium tin go a escaped cause (he has a $48.9 cardinal subordinate enactment for the 2026-27 season).

Atlanta has had an fantabulous summer and has a accidental astatine a top-four effect successful the Eastern Conference adjacent season. But is determination an hold to beryllium done with Young that makes sense? The Hawks person been astute successful spreading astir their aboriginal fiscal commitments and astir apt would privation to bash the aforesaid with Young, the franchise's champion subordinate since Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.

Other absorbing players to ticker see Mikal Bridges, who has 1 twelvemonth near connected his contract, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who has two, and could beryllium extended by the New York Knicks. The aforesaid goes for P.J. Washington successful Dallas, who could motion a four-year woody for up to $89 million. Tyler Herro, who has 2 years near connected his contract, is eligible to widen with the Miami Heat starting Oct. 1. Toumani Camara of the Portland Trail Blazers is besides a candidate, though extending him would marque it much hard for the Blazers to make important headdress country adjacent summer. Another low-priced hold to ticker is Milwaukee's AJ Green, arsenic wide manager Jon Horst has talked publically astir wanting to get a woody done to support the defender successful a Bucks uniform.

What are the rookie extensions to watch?

So far, 4 players from the 2022 draught -- Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Williams -- person signed semipermanent extensions. Over the adjacent mates of months, the absorption volition displacement to the remaining 17 extension-eligible players from that class.

But if the past 2 years are an indicator, expect a quiescent August and September.

Out of the 25 players who signed rookie extensions successful the erstwhile 2 offseasons, 16 were signed successful October, with 14 coming conscionable earlier the regular play began. As 1 Eastern Conference enforcement told ESPN: "The operation of players faced with a deadline and the lure of guaranteed wealth usually results successful a compromise."

There are respective absorbing names to monitor, including Hawks defender Dyson Daniels, Denver Nuggets defender Christian Braun, Rockets guardant Tari Eason, Indiana Pacers defender Bennedict Mathurin, Suns halfway Mark Williams, Trail Blazers defender Shaedon Sharpe, Kings guardant Keegan Murray and Utah Jazz halfway Walker Kessler.

The Nuggets trading Michael Porter Jr. and Indiana not re-signing Myles Turner person opened the fiscal flexibility to motion Braun and Mathurin to semipermanent deals.

The Pacers person been assertive successful signing their ain players to extensions the past 2 seasons but person done truthful wrong budget. Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and T.J. McConnell person signed caller contracts. Haliburton is the lone subordinate of the 4 with a starting wage implicit $20 million.

When volition Russell Westbrook find his adjacent team?

Prominent veterans are disposable precocious successful escaped bureau each year, and this clip is nary exception. Players specified arsenic Ben Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Boucher and Gary Payton II stay unsigned. But the biggest sanction is Westbrook, a erstwhile MVP.

After spending his archetypal 11 seasons with the Thunder, Westbrook has present played connected 5 teams successful the past six seasons: the Rockets, Washington Wizards, Lakers, Clippers and astir precocious the Nuggets. And, aft opting retired of his subordinate enactment for adjacent season, the anticipation was that Westbrook would person a squad by now.

Westbrook remains a talented and productive subordinate adjacent arsenic helium approaches his 37th birthday, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists successful astir 28 minutes past season. But his request to play connected the shot and his struggles arsenic a shooter marque him an awkward acceptable connected astir contending rosters. It's hard to ideate Westbrook disconnected an NBA roster adjacent season, and plentifulness of veterans motion minimum deals successful August. But until the aboriginal Hall of Famer does onshore somewhere, the league volition beryllium watching.