NBA trade wheels are back in motion! The Phoenix Suns added some frontcourt depth and the Charlotte Hornets picked up some additional draft capital in a three-weeks-to-the-deadline swap.

Here are the particulars:

Phoenix Suns acquire: Nick Richards, less favorable Nuggets or 76ers 2025 second-round pick

Charlotte Hornets acquire: Josh Okogie, 2026 Nuggets second-round pick, 2031 Nuggets second-round pick, 2031 Suns second-round pick

Let’s dive in!

Phoenix Suns

Incoming salary: $5.0 million in 2024-25

• Nick Richards (C, two years, $10.0 million (2025-26 non-guaranteed))

Outgoing salary: $8.25 million in 2024-25

• Josh Okogie (SG, two years, $16 million (2025-26 non-guaranteed))

With Jusuf Nurkic underperforming, and recently removed from the rotation, the Suns were looking for additional center depth. They got it in Nick Richards, who is quietly having a very productive season for the Hornets.

Richards has established himself as one of the better backup centers, especially for how good of a value contract he has (more on that in a bit). This season, the fifth-year big man is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21 minutes per game off the Hornets bench. Richards has also shown improvement as a passer. He’s not much of a shooter, but he’s drawing a career-best 4.1 free throws per game, despite his limited minutes.

Think athleticism, energy and physicality on both ends and you have a solid profile of what Richards does. The Suns have some of those things in Mason Plumlee and rookie Oso Ighodaro, but this rounds out the Phoenix frontcourt nicely.

The Suns are now protected against injury, without having to turn back to Nurkic, assuming he even sticks around (more coming on that too). Also, if Ighodaro hits the rookie wall, Phoenix won’t be forced to make him play through it.

In addition, Richards’ contract is very team-friendly. He’s owed $5 million this season. By trading out of the $8.25 million owed the Josh Okogie, the Suns reduced their luxury tax bill by $20 million. That’s how punitive the penalties are with how deep into the tax Phoenix is. That savings can’t be discounted.

Beyond this season, Richards is signed for another $5 million for next season, which is also non-guaranteed. If, for some unlikely reason, Richards isn’t working out, Phoenix can move on without increasing their tax bill.

Trading out three seconds is offset a bit by getting one back. The 2025 second-round pick is going to be the Nuggets pick, given how far ahead of the 76ers they are in the standings. But that’s really about having an additional tradable item for the Suns, more than having a great value pick. We have no idea what the Suns or Nuggets will be in 2031, so we’ll leave those two in TBD stage for now.

Phoenix started the day nearly $31.5 million over the second apron. That left them with very restricted trade options. They did well here to use Josh Okogie’s inflated contract (Remember: Okogie was given the bigger deal to basically become a human trade exception) along with some limited draft capital, to get a rotation upgrade.

Also important: The Suns didn’t end up giving up Jusuf Nurkic in this deal. That’s huge, because now Phoenix can use his $18.1 million contract in another deal. That seems very likely, as Nurkic is clearly out of the plans in Phoenix.

Charlotte Hornets

Incoming salary: $8.25 million in 2024-25

• Josh Okogie (SG, two years, $16 million (2025-26 non-guaranteed))

Outgoing salary: $5.0 million in 2024-25

• Nick Richards (C, two years, $10.0 million (2025-26 non-guaranteed))

This trade was about getting additional draft capital in for the Hornets. Richards is a nice player, but with Mark Williams healthy, he was never going to be more than a very good backup for Charlotte. In addition, the Hornets are very high on two-way player Moussa Diabate, who has given the team good minutes when they were down other centers due to injury.

Josh Okogie could stick in Charlotte for a bit. The Hornets aren’t exactly flush with big guard/wing depth. Brandon Miller and Josh Green are solid starters, but there’s not a lot behind them. Tre Mann has been out with an injury. Nick Smith Jr. continues to yo-yo in and out of the rotation, and Cody Martin is more of a forward than a guard.

There’s a chance Okogie gets a real look. He was pretty good for Phoenix two seasons ago as a regular rotation guy. It’s a small sample size in his limited minutes this season, but Okogie is also shooting better than ever.

Think of this as a tryout of sorts, until/if the Hornets need a roster spot. If they do (possibly to convert Diabate to standard deal), Charlotte can move on with relative ease.

Part of the reason the Hornets can move on with relative ease is that Okogie’s contract is non-guaranteed for the 2025-26 season. That’s the same flexibility the team had with Richards, but Richards was never a candidate to get waived. Okogie is, given he hasn’t been a part of the long-term build for Charlotte.

The cost of this was $3.25 million on the cap sheet for the Hornets. Given the team is still over $7 million shy of the luxury tax, Charlotte has more than enough clearance for further roster shuffling.

The second-round picks are basically additional at-bats for Charlotte. They trade out what will be a late second this season, for what could possibly be a better Denver pick next season, if the Nuggets slip. And we have no idea what the Suns or Nuggets will be in six years. Both teams could be deep into rebuilds by that point.

If nothing else, Jeff Peterson added to his draft pick stash and gave himself potential assets to offer in future deals. All by trading from a position of strength and for renting a little bit of his space under the luxury tax. That’s solid work in a non-blockbuster move.

The Memphis Grizzlies should be rooting hard for Jaren Jackson Jr. to make an All-NBA team (increasingly likely) or to win Defensive Player of the Year (Jackson is in the mix, but it may be Victor Wembanyama’s award to lose) for the 2024-25 season.

Breaking News: NBA team wants their player to get accolades for a great season.

No kidding, right?

But this goes way deeper for Jackson and Memphis. And it could ultimately have an impact on the team’s ability to keep their versatile big man long-term. Before we go there, let’s go back to understand where the Grizzlies and Jackson are currently at.

Back in the 2021 offseason (in October due to the COVID-impacted adjusted calendar), the Grizzlies signed Jackson to a four-year, $104.7 million rookie scale extension. Memphis got Jackson on an under-market deal because he was coming off a knee injury that had cost him most of the 2020-21 season.

Beyond getting Jackson for less than the max, the Grizzlies were hailed at the time for making the extension a declining contract. Jackson’s extension looks like this:

• 2022-23: $28,946,605
• 2023-24: $27,102,202
• 2024-25: $25,257,798
• 2025-26: $23,413,395
• Total: four years, $107,720,000

Well done by Memphis, right? Jackson is clearly returning more than $25.3 million in value this season (more on that in a moment) and he’s an absolute steal at $23.4 million for next season. Hard to find any criticism for the Grizzlies with this deal.

Well, not exactly…kind of. It’s not really the Grizzlies fault, but more of the circumstances of the CBA.

Memphis did a great job protecting themselves on this deal. Despite some great flashes in his first two seasons, Jackson had piled up quite the list of leg injuries. And the 11-game sample in the 2020-21 season, plus playoffs, wasn’t exactly screaming All-NBA guy.

So, in full context, Memphis signed Jackson to a very fair, and smartly structured, contract at the time. And now it could come back to bite them.

Whenever a player signs a less-than-max deal, while having loads of potential, we all get excited as cap analysts and fans. If that contract is declining, it becomes a full-blown celebration. It’s time to re-think that, at least a bit.

Under the current CBA, the NBA has made veteran extensions more lucrative than ever. Instead of being limited to a 120% raise over the final-season salary, teams can bump a player up by 140%. That’s better, but it’s still not enough in a lot of cases.

Let’s use Jackson as an example. He’s extension-eligible this summer. Because he’ll have one year left on his deal, Jackson can add four new years to his contract. Here’s what Jackson’s new deal could look like:

• 2025-26: $23,413,395 (final season of current deal)
• 2026-27: $32,778,753 (first season of extension)
• 2027-28: $35,401,053
• 2028-29: $38,023,353
• 2029-30: $40,645,653
• Total extension: four years, $146,848,812

That’s a full 140% bump for Jackson in the first year of his extension, plus 8% raises on the subsequent years.

That probably looks pretty good, but again, we need to frame this with some context.

Here’s the percentage of the cap that each of the above extension years would reflect:

• 2026-27: 19%
• 2027-28: 19%
• 2028-29: 18%
• 2029-30: 18%

This projects the cap to continue to grow at the maximum allowable 10% per year throughout the life of Jackson’s potential veteran extension.

That’s well below the 30% of the cap maximum Jackson could sign for if he delayed signing a new deal until he was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. That deal would look like this:

• 2026-27: $51,033,600 (30% of projected $170,112,000 cap)
• 2027-28: $55,116,288
• 2028-29: $59,198,976
• 2029-30: $62,281,664
• 2030-31: $67,364,352
• Total: five years, $295,994,880

That’s full five-year deal using Jackson’s Bird Rights that starts at his max of 30% of the cap with 8% raises.

To be fair, we’ll eliminate the fifth year, just to do a four-year to four-year comparison of the veteran extension against the new contract:

• Veteran Extension: four years, $146,848,812
• New Contract: four years, $228,630,528

Jackson could be leaving nearly $82 million on the table by signing a veteran extension this summer, as opposed to waiting to sign a new deal as a free agent in the summer of 2026.

This is why signing a player to an under-market extension, combined with the declining contract can come back to bite a team. If the player breaks out, then he’s not really extendable. And, boy, has Jackson ever broken out.

Last season, Jackson was a bright spot in an injury-ravaged season for the Grizzlies. He played most of the season, only really missing games when there was little point to him playing. Playing with a lot of players on two-way and 10 Day deals (including several on Hardship contracts), Jackson managed to put together a good season. The lack of help led to some inefficiency, but the on-ball playmaker reps helped Jackson really round out his game.

This year, Jackson has built on that in a great way. As of this writing, He’s scoring a career-high 22.8 points per game on 50/35/78 shooting splits. Jackson is also grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game and handing out 2.1 assists per night.

But it’s on the defensive end where Jackson shines brightest.

Jackson is averaging 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. He’s keyed the Grizzlies fifth-ranked defense, as almost everything Memphis does is built around Jackson’s ability on that end of the floor. Jackson regularly defends 1-5, excelling on the perimeter and around the rim equally. He’s absolutely a contender to win Defensive Player of the Year.

It’s that production on defense, along with the improved offense, that might give the Grizzlies the key to paying Jackson without him ever reaching unrestricted free agency.

Even though NBA teams are no longer really spending a year or two clearing cap space to make a run at free agents, that path in roster building isn’t completely dead. It’s simply become less-used because so many players sign extensions now. However, as we covered above, a standard veteran extension isn’t going to get it done for Jaren Jackson Jr.

But a Designated Veteran Player Extension might. And that’s why the Grizzlies need to be rooting for Jackson to collect some accolades for this season.

If Jackson makes All-NBA this season or wins Defensive Player of the Year, he’d become eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Player Extension (DVPE), or so-called Super Max, this offseason. Here’s what the full DPVE would look like:

• 2026-27: $59,539,200 (35% of projected $170,112,000 cap)
• 2027-28: $64,302,336
• 2028-29: $69,065,472
• 2029-30: $73,828,608
• 2030-31: $78,591,744
• Total: five years, $345,327,360

That’s the 35% of the cap max with 8% raises each season. That’s the maximum a player qualifies for by reaching All-NBA status, winning Defensive Player of the Year or winning MVP.

For comparison’s sake, that’s about $49.3 million over the 30% max Jackson could get as an unrestricted free agent in 2026. It’s nearly $120 million more in the four-year-to-four-year comp to the standard veteran extension.

Now, is Jaren Jackson Jr. a full 35% of the cap max guy? Probably not, especially not for the Grizzlies.

Memphis is a small market team and they already have Ja Morant on a max extension and Desmond Bane on a near-max deal. Under the new CBA, building a team around three max players is really, really hard. And Memphis has never been a team that has dipped deep into the luxury tax.

More simply put: It’s not likely Jackson will get the full super max.

But here’s the thing: Making All-NBA or winning Defensive Player of the Year to still be a huge win for Jackson and the Grizzlies, even without the full super max.

The only ways for Memphis to pay Jackson more than he can get in a standard veteran extension are to let him hit unrestricted free agency in 2026. That’s risky. He’s good enough, and young enough, that whatever cap space teams are out there (there will be a few in the 2026 offseason) would make a run at Jackson with a full max offer. They couldn’t beat the Grizzlies deal, because those teams would be limited to offering a four-year deal with 5% raises, but it’s still a risk. No one wants their players in free agency, if they can avoid it.

The other way to pay Jackson more than the standard veteran extension is if he qualifies for the Designated Veteran Player Extension. Yes, that full super max is more than what Memphis should give Jackson. The good news? They don’t have to give him the full 35% of the cap max!

If Jackson qualifies for the DVPE, Memphis can give him a five-year deal but it only has to start at the 30% of the cap figure. The other key: It would free up Memphis to sign Jackson to this bigger, longer extension this summer. That’s huge for keeping Jackson out of free agency in 2026.

Jackson is definitely going to get a 30% of the cap max, whether it’s from the Grizzlies or another team. If he makes All-NBA or wins Defensive Player of the Year, Memphis can get that done as soon as July.

We also have a recent example of a defensive-minded big man getting extended in exactly this fashion.

When Rudy Gobert signed his last extension with the Utah Jazz in 2020 (since played out and replaced by his current extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves), he could have signed a 35% of the cap DVPE deal. But Gobert and the Jazz split the difference. Jackson and the Grizzlies could do something similar. A reasonable compromise for both sides is to probably start the extension at the 30% of the cap amount (or maybe a bit more), but with a player option on the fifth season.

That would get Jackson paid, plus give him a five-year deal, which he can only get from Memphis in free agency or on a Designated Veteran Player Extension. And, crucially, it would give Jackson the ability to get into free agency in 2030 ahead of his age-30 season. That’s definitely young enough to cash in on one more big contract, from Memphis or elsewhere.

NBA teams publicly want their players to garner accolades like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or All-NBA. They campaign for it openly every season. That means that player had a great season, and those awards are often tied to team success as well, which means the team was likely pretty good too.

Behind closed doors, when those accolades impact the player’s ability to get paid significantly more, teams are often less enthusiastic. It can cause stress on the cap sheet in a way that might not have been planned for, especially if the player reached those heights unexpectedly. That’s even more prevalent in this new CBA world of hard caps, aprons and the restrictions that come with them.

In the case of Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies, his breakout season is the best of both worlds. Jackson gets his accolades and the love for his play and the Grizzlies benefit by being a very good team this season. And, of course, it will allow Memphis to give Jackson a big contract early without risking one of their best players hitting unrestricted free agency. That’s a win-win scenario in a spot that’s often 50-50 at best.

NWSL teams are able to start their preseason camp as soon as Wednesday, and with it are required to be at 40-player camp rosters—including both rostered and non-rostered invitees (NRIs). Here’s a look at where the NWSL rosters currently stand ahead of preseason starting.

Reminder from the NWSL Competition Manual:
“A Team may exceed the maximum number of Players assigned to its Roster and the maximum number of international Roster spots starting the day following the NWSL Championship through the Roster Compliance Date of the following League Season, but a Player’s Salary Cap charge will count towards a Teams Salary Cap at the daily rate for the number of days the player is on the Roster.”

Teams have until March 12th to get into full compliance with both their INTL roster spots, and the 22-26 active roster, and while there is no penalty for being temporarily over in terms of INTL spots, even players who don’t play any games this year for a team will still count toward the salary cap in a prorated way. 

Overview of 2025 Rosters (End-of-day 1/13/25)

Table 1: An overview of active and non-active rostered players for 2025. Filled green box means the club has eight INTL spots, red means six INTL spots, no special shading means the club has the standard seven maximum spots. 

At full capacity, where every NWSL team uses the maximum 26 active roster spots, there can be 364 active players in the league. Currently, 312 of those spots are in use, with 27 non-active players (1 D45, 2 outgoing loans ending in June, 24 2024 SEI remaining on rosters), which leaves only 25 open spots for the remaining 61 free agents, and collegiate players looking to land on a team for the upcoming season. 

Bay FC and Orlando will have to be smart about their non-active players re-joining the active roster as Bay sits at the maximum of 26 but has a 2024 SEI who is eligible to come off non-active and Orlando has 24 active roster players, but four 2024 SEI’s who are eligible to put them over the active roster limits. North Carolina, Seattle, and Washington are all at the 26 player maximum if you look at their combined total, although especially for some of the later in the 2024 SEI’s, the feasibility of them re-joining in 2025 might be small. San Diego, Angel City, and Portland are all under the 22 active player limit when including their SEI’s. Utah and Chicago are currently under with their active players, but if their SEI’s are included would be in a roster complaint range. 

Chart 1: A breakdown of the 2025 International Spots allocated to players

With each team starting with seven international spots, there are 98 INTL spots in the NWSL for 2025, but only 70 actively in use with another 6 attached to non-active roster players. After trading for an additional INTL spot last year, the Utah Royals are under SEI compliance even if their one SEI INTL player comes back in 2025, considering how late Cloé Lacasse tore her ACL in 2024, this would definitely be a push. Keep an eye on the Washington Spirit though because they currently have all seven of their spots in use, and an additional one that could come back in Ouleye Sarr who was battling a back injury from September through the NWSL Championship. 

Free Agency Update:

Looking at free agency as a whole, there have been 56 players who have signed with teams in 2025, 8 free agents have signed with clubs outside the NWSL, and 11 players have announced their retirements. There are 61 free agents who played in the NWSL in 2024 who have yet to sign with a club for 2025. 

Most teams have put out ‘Thank You’ posts to their 2024 rostered free agents who they will not be re-signing in 2025, or announced it in the end-of-season roster announcements in December. That being said, there are still 12 players who have yet to receive a ‘Thank You’ post or the last update from the team was that they were in negotiations:

Angel City FC - Christen Press

Chicago Stars - Sarah Griffith

Houston Dash - Erin McKinney, Havana Solaun

Kansas City Current - Elizabeth Ball, Kristen Hamilton, Mallory Weber

NJ/NY Gotham FC - Michelle Betos, Midge Purce

North Carolina Courage - Kerolin

Portland Thorns - Gabby Provenzano

Seattle Reign - Lauren Barnes

Bonus Charts– Positional Breakdown:

Chart 2: A breakdown of the 339 players currently under contract for the 2025 season, both active and non-active. 

Chart 3: Breaking down each team’s active players by position

Chart 4: Breaking down each team’s non-active players by position

Nick Taylor wins Sony Open in Hawaii. Taylor earns $1.57 million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $1.57 million and his career on-course earnings to $20.3 million. 

Sony Open in Hawaii Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2025 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

A look at player contracts from each of the 14 NFL playoff teams that we’re watching for one reason or another over the course of the next few weeks/months.

RELATED: 2025 NFL Free Agents

Baltimore Ravens

C Tyler Linderbaum
Entering Year 4 of his rookie contract. Baltimore is a lock to exercise his 5th-year option for 2026, but an extension is very much on the table this offseason. He’s a 3 year, $50M player in our system.

LT Ronnie Stanley
The 30-year-old had the healthiest season of his career in 2024 on a renegotiated 1-year contract, setting up a tough decision for the Ravens’ front office this March. He holds a 2 year, $42M valuation in our system heading toward 2025.

S Kyle Hamilton
This one seems pretty simple, as Hamilton has quickly become the best safety in all of football. Mathematically speaking, he projects to become the highest paid safety in NFL history. A 3 year, $61M extension is the starting point.

Buffalo Bills

CB Christian Benford
Benford joins a growing list of cornerbacks around the league (Stingley Jr., Gardner, Humphrey, McDuffie) who could push this market into the $25M+ per year category. He’s been one of the best shutdown corners in the game over the past 2 seasons, and he enters a contract year in 2025. He’s a 4 year, $92M player in our system right now.

DE Greg Rousseau
After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Rousseau has now posted 3 straight productive, consistent seasons in Buffalo, including career-best numbers this past season. He holds a fully guaranteed $13.3M 5th-year option salary in 2025, projecting toward a 4 year, $100M extension in our system.

RB James Cook
Cook will be entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn a projected $5M based on a Proven Performance Bonus. He just posted one of the best overall rushing seasons in Bills’ history, proving his worth and then some to this Buffalo offense. He’s a $9M player in our system as of today, projecting toward a 4 year, $36M contract.

Denver Broncos

DE Zach Allen
Allen heads into a contract year after posting the most productive season of his career in 2024. With a $19.8M cap figure, Denver will be motivated to extend the 27-year-old both for football and business purposes this winter. He holds a 3 year, $66M projection in our system.

OLB Nik Bonitto
The 2nd rounder out of Oklahoma has improved each season, culminating with an outstanding 2024 campaign (14 sacks, 48 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and an interception). He enters the final year of his rookie contract, where a Proven Performance Bonus should escalate his salary near $5M. The 25-year-old holds a 4 year, $94M projection in our system.

WR Courtland Sutton
Sutton was offered an incentive package before the 2024 season to “sweeten the pot” a bit. He responded with near-career numbers across the board and showed a clear fit with new QB Bo Nix. He enters a contract year in 2025, carrying a 3 year, $69M valuation in our system.

Detroit Lions

CB Carlton Davis
The pending free agent has helped stabilize a once deficient Lions’ D, and should hit the open market as one of the top available free agents. He’s in line for a 3 year, $42M contract based on our valuation.

DL Aidan Hutchinson
Recovery from a broken leg notwithstanding, every part of Hutchinson’s NFL start has been both productive, and exponentially improving annually. He’s extension-eligible for the first time now, holding a $30.5M valuation in our system. Nick Bosa’s $34M per year should very much be in sight here.

Green Bay Packers

CB Jaire Alexander
Alexander has missed significant time in each of the past 2 seasons, putting his 2 years, $37M remaining very much in question. A late season knee injury/IR stint probably means the Packers move on next March.

WR Romeo Doubs
The Packers passing game hasn’t been much to write home about of late, but Doubs has consistently been QB Jordan Love’s go to target down the stretch (especially with Christian Watson suffering another tough injury). The 24-year-old is entering a contract year in 2025, and could very well garner a multi-year extension to remain in the fold thereafter. As a fringe WR2/WR1, Doubs currently projects toward a 4 year, $86M extension in our system.

LB Quay Walker
Walker has been “solid” as an off-ball linebacker in Green Bay for the better part of three seasons, but he hasn’t lived up to the #22 overall status the Packers were hoping for back in 2022. Despite a starting role, look for Walker’s name to be floated in offseason trades this winter. The 24-year-old is guaranteed $2.6M next season, with a decision looming on his 2026 5th-year option.

Houston Texans

CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Back-to-back massive seasons for the #3 overall pick from 2022 has Stingley Jr. primed to reset the CB market this offseason. He’s owed $5.4M in 2025, with a certain to be exercised 5th-year option for 2026, so let’s tack on 3 years, $75M to all of that and call it a day.

G Kenyon Green
Green’s role in Houston appears to be on thin ice, as veteran stopgaps have taken away precious snaps from him in each of the past two seasons. He enters Year 4 of his rookie contract in 2025, with a decision to be made on a 5th year option looming as well. The #15 overall pick back in 2022 could be on the trade block this winter.

Kansas City Chiefs

G Trey Smith
The 6th round pick out of Tennessee has seen his stock explode in recent months. He’ll be considered one of the top available free agents this March if allowed to get there, with a 4 year, $80M projection attached to him in our system.

OL Joe Thuney
The starting left guard for the better of 4 seasons in KC has been filling in admirably at left tackle a bit down the stretch as well. He’s as valuable an offensive lineman as the league currently has, and despite being 32-years-old, should be considered an extension candidate this winter (especially as it will lower his current $27M cap figure). A 2 year, $40M tack-on could be in the cards here.

CB Trent McDuffie
The #21 overall pick back in 2022 is now extension-eligible for the first time, joining a growing list of young defensive backs that should easily reset this market. McDuffie enters 2025 with a 3 year, $66M valuation attached to him.

Los Angeles Chargers

RB JK Dobbins
The oft-injured 26-year-old did miss a few weeks with a knee knock, but for the most part proved to be a legitimate weapon for the new-look Chargers offense. Has he done enough to warrant a multi-year deal this time around? He’s a $7.3M/year player in our system on the surface.

LT Rashawn Slater
Slater battled injuries early on in his rookie deal, but the former #13 overall pick now seems a lock to be Justin Herbert’s blindside protection for the foreseeable future. He enters 2025 on a fully guaranteed $19M 5th-year option salary, carrying a $25.5M per year valuation in our system.

EDGE Khalil Mack
While he didn’t come near the 17-sack, 6 forced fumble performance he posted in 2023, Mack still proved to be one of the best edge defenders in all of football this past season. The almost 34-year-old is a pending free agent, but an incentive-laden deal to remain in LA seems plausible. 1 year, $7.5M with a chance to get to $10M might get it done.

Los Angeles Rams

WR Demarcus Robinson
The 30-year-old played a much more significant role than anticipated, filling in for frequent injuries to Cooper Kupp & Puka Nacua throughout the season. A pending free agent, Robinson could be in the market for the 1 year, $4M contract he just finished out.

WR Cooper Kupp
Kupp has 2 years, $39M remaining on his contract, but the 31-year-old has struggled to remain healthy each of the past 3 seasons. With that said, Kupp is still both highly productive & valuable to this Rams’ offense when available, and a $5M roster bonus for 2025 is already fully guaranteed. But this (along with QB Matthew Stafford) is still a situation to watch this offseason.

Minnesota Vikings

QB Sam Darnold
Regardless of where you land on the “should they keep him or not” debate, nobody can deny the magical season Darnold just posted. Signed as a mere stopgap to hold the Minnesota fort down in 2024, there’s a legitimate path to $40M+ this winter (either via a tag, extension, or free agent contract).

OT Cam Robinson
Brought over from Jacksonville at the deadline to step in for the injured Christian Darrisaw, Robinson will be considered one of top available free agent OL on the market this March. He’s a 3 year, $42M player in our system.

RB Aaron Jones
Jones posted a career-high 1,546 yards from scrimmage with 7 total touchdowns on a 1 year, $7M contract in Minnesota. Despite eclipsing the 30-years-old mark last month, Jones appears worthy of another go around in 2025. He’s a 1 year, $6M player in our system

Philadelphia Eagles

EDGE Josh Sweat
The 27-year-old signed a 1 year, $10M renegotiated contract to remain in Philly, responding with 8 sacks and 41 tackles. He may have priced himself out of the Eagles constraints this time around, projecting toward a 3 year, $45M contract in our system.

LB Zack Baun
The 28-year-old signed a 1 year, $1.6M contract to join Philly last March, and is now a 1st-Team All-Pro linebacker. He’s a near $10M per year player in our system this time around.

C Cam Jurgens
No longer just “Jason Kelce’s replacement”, Jurgens shined in his first season as Jalen Hurts’ center (including a Pro Bowl nod). He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, projecting toward a 3 year, $25 million extension in our system.

Pittsburgh Steelers

OLB T.J. Watt
Just another 12 sacks, 40 tackle, 6 forced fumble, Pro Bowl/All-Pro season from the 30-year-old future Hall of Famer. Watt is entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $21M. He projects toward a 4 year, $121M extension in our system, but there’s a legitimate discussion to be had about $40M per year here (especially if the Steelers decide to rip the band-aid off and go young/cheap elsewhere on this roster).

WR George Pickens
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Pickens and the Steelers, leading toward a potential crossroads this offseason. The 23-year-old (yes, really) is entering a contract year in 2025, with three options on the table: Hold and let this contract play out. Trade Pickens for draft assets. Extend the fringe WR1 (currently valued at 4 years, $94M in our system).

QB Justin Fields / QB Russell Wilson
The Steelers enter the offseason with no quarterbacks under contract, so obviously something has to give in the coming weeks. Adding a QB in the upcoming draft seems like a lock (even if it’s a mid-round flier), but it also stands to reason that one of Wilson or Fields will be back in the fold for 2025. Wilson handedly took this job over when he became healthy enough to do so, but really struggled to maintain a high level of productivity down the stretch. In either case here, a 1 year, $10M incentive-laden contract makes sense. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WR Chris Godwin
A devastating ankle injury put an end to Godwin’s 2024 campaign, but with slim-pickings set to be available in the WR free agent market, it shouldn’t damage his ability to cash in too much. 3rd-round pick Jalen McMillan appears poised to step into the WR2 role for TB going forward, putting Godwin in a position to change teams for the first time in his career. He’s a 3 year, $66M player in our system.

LB Lavonte David
The 34-year-old just refuses to slow down, turning a 1 year, $8.5M contract into 122 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception this past season. Run it back at the same price for one more season?

Washington Commanders

WR Terry McLaurin
With Jayden Daniels now firmly entrenched as the leader of this offseason for the foreseeable future, McLaurin is finally able to maximize his talents (and find the end zone regularly). The 29-year-old enters a contract year in 2025, set to earn $19.65M. A 3 year, $84M extension to keep him in the fold makes sense.

EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler signed his third straight “show-me” deal in March of 2024, a 1 year, $3.25M contract with the Commanders. He added $1.6M to that based on both playing time, and his 11 sack performance on the field. Has he earned a muti-year deal this time around? Spotrac has him on a 3 year, $16M deal this offseason.

RB Brian Robinson
The Commanders are a better offense when Robinson is healthy and on the field. The 25-year-old enters a contract year in 2025, but could be in line for a 3 year, $27M extension to remain in the fold as this young team grows up quickly.

Thursday (1pm ET) was the deadline for arbitration-eligible players and teams to agree on a 2025 contract before exchanging salary figures.

A majority of the 201 eligible players agreed to terms but 17 did not and subsequently exchanged salaries. The two sides can continue negotiations after the salary exchange deadline.

RELATED: 2025 Arbitration Salary Tracker

17 Arbitration Filings

CHC - Kyle Tucker (OF)
Player Filed: $17,500,000 /  Team Filed: $15,000,000 / Difference: $2,500,000

WSH - Nathaniel Lowe (1B)
Player Filed: $11,100,000 / Team Filed: $10,300,000 / Difference: $800,000

SDP - Michael King (SP)
Player Filed: $8,800,000 / Team Filed: $7,325,000 / Difference: $1,475,000

MIL - William Contreras (C)
Player Filed: $6,500,000 / Team Filed: $5,600,000 / Difference: $900,000

LAA - Luis Rengifo (3B)
Player Filed: $5,950,000 / Team Filed: $5,800,000 / Difference: $150,000

BOS - Jarren Duran (OF)
Player Filed: $4,000,000 / Team Filed: $3,500,000 / Difference: $500,000

BAL - Jorge Mateo (SS)
Player Filed: $4,000,000 / Team Filed: $3,100,000 / Difference: $900,000

STL - Brendan Donovan (OF)
Player Filed: $3,300,000 / Team Filed: $2,850,000 / Difference: $450,000

STL - Lars Nootbaar (OF)
Player Filed: $2,950,000 / Team Filed: $2,450,000 / Difference: $500,000

NYY - Mark Leiter Jr. (RP)
Player Filed: $2,500,000 / Team Filed: $2,050,000 / Difference: $450,000

LAD - Alex Vesia (RP)
Player Filed: $2,350,000 / Team Filed: $2,050,000 / Difference: $300,000

STL - Andre Pallante (SP)
Player Filed: $2,100,000 / Team Filed: $1,925,000 / Difference: $175,000

PIT - Dennis Santana (RP)
Player Filed: $2,100,000 / Team Filed: $1,400,000 / Difference: $700,000

LAA - Mickey Moniak (OF)
Player Filed: $2,000,000 / Team Filed: $1,500,000 / Difference: $500,000

TBR - Taylor Walls (SS)
Player Filed: $1,575,000 / Team Filed: $1,300,000 / Difference: $275,000

PIT - Johan Oviedo (SP)
Player Filed: $1,150,000 / Team Filed: $850,000 / Difference: $300,000

LAA - Jose Quijada (RP)
Player Filed: $1,140,000 / Team Filed: $975,000 / Difference: $165,000

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams enters Year 2 of his rookie contract, with cap hits of $8.9M, $10.7M, & $12.5M through 2027. He won’t become extension-eligible until after the 2026 season, and the Bears hold a 5th-year option on him in 2028 if needed.

QB2 Tyson Bagent is scheduled for restricted free agency this winter. Tendering him at the first right of refusal should cost around $3M in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence enters Year 2 of his 7 year, $306.3M total value contract in Jacksonville, set to earn $37.5M in 2025. His cap hits remain extremely team-friendly thanks to the use of a signing bonus & four option bonuses over the course of the contract (Lawrence stands to account for $17M of cap in 2025). There are early vesting guarantees through 2028 on this deal, making this at least a 4 year, $163M contract for practical purposes.

Backups Mac Jones & C.J. Beathard are both pending unrestricted free agents.

Las Vegas Raiders

$3.16M of Gardner Minshew’s 2025 salary is already fully guaranteed, but that only represents 25% of the $12.5M he’s set to be owed next season. He’s a keep, trade, and release candidate this offseason as he recovers from a collarbone injury.

Aidan O’Connell enter Year 3 of his rookie contract, set to earn $1M in 2025, and $1.1M in 2026 (barring a Proven Performance Bonus). The Raiders are certain to add another QB to the mix this offseason, but O’Connell’s near minimum, non-guaranteed contract should allow for him to compete in 2025.

The Raiders hold the #6 pick in the upcoming draft.

New England Patriots

Drake Maye enters Year 2 of his rookie contract, with cap hits of $8.3M, $9.9M, & $11.6M through 2027. He won’t become extension-eligible until after the 2026 season, and New England holds a 5th-year option in 2028 as needed.

Jacoby Brissett is a pending unrestricted free agent this March.

New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr has a fully guaranteed $10M roster bonus in 2025 to go along with a $30M base salary that becomes guaranteed March 14th. He’s already on the record stating he won’t be taking a pay cut this winter, so for now it appears imminent that he’ll remain with the Saints through 2025. He holds $50.1M of dead cap against a $51.4M salary cap figure for the upcoming season.

Spencer Rattler enters Year 2 of his rookie contract, with non-guaranteed minimum salaries on the books through 2027.

The Saints hold the #9 pick in the upcoming draft.

New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers’ $35M option bonus isn’t due until the start of the 2025 regular season, but it’s largely expected that a decision on his future in NY will come at the beginning of the league year (March 12th). The Jets would take on $49M of dead cap to release/trade the 41-year-old.

$2.5M of Tyrod Taylor’s $6M 2025 salary is fully guaranteed already, and his deal carries plenty of incentives to bump that up based on playing time and production. It stands to reason that Taylor could be in the Jets’ plans next season regardless of who else is brought in at the position.

The Jets hold the #7 pick in the upcoming draft.

Honorable Mention: Dallas Cowboys

With current HC Mike McCarthy’s contract set to expire in the coming days, it’s plausible that the Cowboys could find themselves in this mix sooner rather than later.

Dak Prescott is entering Year 2 of a 5 year, $274M contract, set to earn $47.75M in 2025. He holds a league-high $89.9M cap hit for the upcoming season that can (will) be lowered down to $52.7M after a salary conversion. The deal carries early vesting guarantees through 2027, making this a 3 year, $132.75M contract for practical purposes.

Cooper Rush & Trey Lance are both pending unrestricted free agents.

Today the NWSL released the schedule footprint as well as the competition calendar for the 2025 season. Here’s what you need to know:

Preseason Rosters

Under the new CBA, teams can begin preseason camps as soon as January 15th, and as late as February 5th. By the February 5th deadline, teams must submit their 40-player preseason roster to the league and get any trialist—non-rostered invitees or NRIs—agreements out. 

As far as rosters go by February 19th, teams need to be down to a 32-player roster, and then they need to be at full 22-26 player compliance by March 12th when the rosters are submitted to the league. Players can still be added after the March 12th deadline, but teams will need to remain in compliance on active players and salary cap until the end of 2025 after that point. 

During preseason there is a three-match FIFA Window from February 17th to the 26th, which will slightly disrupt the flow of teams’ preseason chemistry building, but it shouldn’t be as chaotic as the Concacaf W Gold Cup last year which lasted from February 20th to March 10th—less than a week before the regular season started in 2024. 

2025 Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup started in 2020 as the Covid-bubble replacement for a regular season. In 2021 and 2022 it transformed into a fully preseason tournament, and in 2023 it morphed again into a tournament interwoven with the regular season—being played as mid-week games and the summer international window. 

Last year the Challenge Cup went through its (final?) iteration, becoming a single match played ahead of the regular season between the NWSL Shield winner (top of the regular season table), and the NWSL Championship winner. Since last season the Orlando Pride won both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, this year’s Challenge Cup will be a replay of the 2024 NWSL Championship game as the Orlando Pride take on the Washington Spirit on Friday, March 7th.

Regular Season & Playoffs

The regular season will kick off on Friday March 14th this year, roughly the same time as the regular season started in 2024. The playoffs also aim for similar weekends with the NWSL Quarterfinals being November 7-9, Semifinals November 14-16, and the NWSL Championship November 22nd. 

The NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup does not appear to be making a re-appearance in 2025 following its inaugural run last summer during the time when international players were away preparing for and playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In its stead the league has decided that NWSL clubs will be able to plan their own friendlies/competitions in the month of July while FIFA regulated competitions are ongoing.

Transfer Windows 

The major change from 2024 is that there are no longer trade windows, so up until the October 9th roster freeze, players can be traded—within the league—at any time as long as the trades have the required player approval. 

For players coming from abroad, the transfer windows are when the NWSL can accept an International Transfer Certificate (ITC). International players (or domestic players abroad) can sign outside of the transfer windows, but they cannot play in a game until the ITC has gone through during an open window. For 2025, the Primary Transfer Window goes from January 28th until March 24th (one week after the regular season starts), and the Secondary Window will open up on July 1st and close on August 25th. 

Another change that comes with the new CBA is that starting July 1st, 2026 free agents will be able to sign with new teams for the 2026 season. 

As a reminder, per the new CBA, there is no more waiver wire and all contracts are guaranteed.

Hideki Matsuyama wins The Sentry. Matsuyama earns $3.6 million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $3.6 million and his career on-course earnings to $52.68 million. 

The Sentry Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2025 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

January 7 isn’t a well-known date on the NBA calendar, but it should be. Many know that on January 10, all NBA contracts become fully guaranteed. What isn’t as well-known is that in order for a team to not have a fully guaranteed deal land on their books for the rest of the season, they have to make a decision by January 7.

Teams must waive players on partial/non-guaranteed deals by January 7 in order for them to clear waivers before January 10. (The waiver period is 48 hours). Thus, while January 10 is the technical date that all contracts become fully guaranteed, January 7 is the functional deadline.

There are 23 players in limbo before the January 7 deadline. Here are the decisions NBA teams must make. (All salary amounts reflect the player’s fully guaranteed cap hit.)

Atlanta Hawks

No guarantee decisions

Boston Celtics

No guarantee decisions

Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson - $2,162,606

Johnson is going to stick in Brooklyn. He’s become a starter and he’s young enough to be part of whatever the Nets are building next. Johnson is the kind of diamond-in-the-rough that Sean Marks had success with during his first rebuild.

Jalen Wilson - $1,891,857

Wilson is also going be with the Nets beyond the guarantee deadline. He’s another rotation guy, and sometimes-starter for Jordi Fernandez. Wilson isn’t going anywhere.

Charlotte Hornets

Taj Gibson - $2,087,519

If the Hornets feel they need an open roster spot, they could cut Gibson loose. Charlotte is also more than $10 million under the tax. That means the Hornets could always waive Gibson down the line if they need a roster spot without creating a tax issue. Bet on the veteran locker room leader sticking around in Charlotte.

Chicago Bulls

Talen Horton-Tucker - $2,087,519

Horton-Tucker is a regular in Billy Donovan’s rotation. The Bulls are also expected to be active at the trade deadline. So, despite an overstuffed backcourt rotation, Horton-Tucker will stay in Chicago.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Sam Merrill - $2,164,993

Merrill may not stick as a rotation player as the Cavs get healthy, but he’s not going anywhere either. Cleveland has had injury issues on the wing, so Merrill stays as a quality depth player for a title contender.

Craig Porter Jr. - $1,891,857

Porter is already $1 million guaranteed, so that alone probably keeps him on the Cleveland roster. But he’s also become a solid third point guard, and the Cavaliers have him for two more full seasons beyond this one. Porter isn’t going anywhere.

Tristan Thompson - $2,087,519

Thompson is a respected locker room voice. He’s also proven to be a decent depth player, when other bigs are out. Thompson will see his deal guaranteed.

Dallas Mavericks

Markieff Morris - $2,087,519

The Mavericks have been active in trade talks, but most trade configurations see Dallas giving up more players than they bring back. Morris is locker room leader for Jason Kidd, so he’s likely to stick around Dallas for the season.

Denver Nuggets

No guarantee decisions

Detroit Pistons

No guarantee decisions

Golden State Warriors

Gui Santos - $1,891,857

The Warriors are so tight around their first apron hard cap, that they have to keep Santos. Replacing him with a non-drafted player would cause Golden State to see a higher than desirable tax hit, which causes further hard cap issues. Santos will stay beyond the guarantee deadline.

Lindy Waters III - $2,196,970

Waters is a rotation regular for Steve Kerr. He’s not going anywhere. As stated above, it would be hard for the Warriors to find any kind of replacement if they did cut Waters loose.

Houston Rockets

No guarantee decisions

Indiana Pacers

James Johnson - $2,087,519

Last season, Indiana cut Johnson loose, then brought him back after making other roster moves. Something similar could occur this season. One other thing to keep in mind: The Pacers are around $800,000 below the luxury tax. They won’t be paying the tax, so Johnson could be waived and re-signed later to create more space under the tax.

James Wiseman - $2,237,691

Wiseman is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. This one is probably about needing a roster spot. If the Pacers need one, Wiseman might be cut loose. Otherwise, he’ll keep working on coming back to be a part of Indiana’s rotation next season.

LA Clippers

No guarantee decisions

Los Angeles Lakers

No guarantee decisions

Memphis Grizzlies

No guarantee decisions

Miami Heat

No guarantee decisions

Milwaukee Bucks

Andre Jackson Jr. - $1,891,857

Jackson is a starter for the Bucks and the team’s best perimeter defender. He’s also got two more seasons on his deal beyond this one. He’s on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league in terms of cost vs production. Jackson isn’t going anywhere. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

No guarantee decisions

New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson - $36,725,670

Williamson’s deal is half-guaranteed for almost $18.4 million. That alone means he’s not getting waived. But the talent is still there. The Pelicans aren’t ready to make this move now. After next season, if Williamson keeps missing time with injuries, we could be looking at a different story. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

New York Knicks

Ariel Hukporti - $1,064,049

After all the machinations to get to the minimum roster requirements following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the Knicks signed Hukporti to a standard deal. Tight margins under their first apron hard cap, combined with Hukporti’s upside, means he’s not going anywhere.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Branden Carlson - $990,895

Carlson is on the roster bubble in Oklahoma City. The Thunder will likely prioritize the flexibility of having an open roster spot over keeping Carlson. Keep an eye on Oklahoma City bringing him back into the fold down the line, if the opportunity arises.

Jaylin Williams - $2,019,699

Williams is healthy now and providing frontcourt depth for the Thunder. He’s not going anywhere. The real story to watch here is if Oklahoma City declines their 2025-26 team option to make Williams a restricted free agent this summer. That would allow the Thunder to control Williams’ free agency, as they’d like to retain him long-term.

Orlando Magic

No guarantee decisions

Philadelphia 76ers

Ricky Council IV - $1,891,857

Council gives Nick Nurse wing depth on a team-friendly deal. Given Philadelphia is already over the tax, they need players like Council to provide minutes on minimum-type deals. Council will see his deal guaranteed.

Phoenix Suns

No guarantee decisions

Portland Trail Blazers

Dalano Banton - $2,196,970

Banton has been a rotation regular for Chauncey Billups since arriving at last season’s trade deadline. He’ll have his deal guaranteed for the rest of the season. This summer, we’ll get a sense of how much Portland values Banton’s ability to provide perimeter scoring.

Sacramento Kings

Jae Crowder - $1,655,619

Crowder was added earlier this season to give the Kings additional forward depth. He hasn’t played very much however, and Sacramento interim head coach Doug Christie doesn’t seem to have room for Crowder in his rotation. There’s a 50-50 chance Crowder is waived for roster flexibility for the Kings approaching the trade deadline.

Doug McDermott - $2,087,519

McDermott has been in and out of the Kings rotation. He can still shoot, but doesn’t offer a whole lot else. Much like Crowder, Sacramento could waive McDermott for flexibility with their roster and to create a bit more wiggle room under the luxury tax line.

Orlando Robinson - $2,087,519

Robinson is in the same spot as Crowder and McDermott. He doesn’t have a regular role, and the Kings may want roster flexibility and more space under the tax line. The best guess here is that one of these three veterans is cut loose before the guarantee deadline.

San Antonio Spurs

No guarantee decisions

Toronto Raptors

Bruno Fernando - $2,087,519

Fernando hasn’t been a rotation player for the rebuilding Raptors. Now that their frontcourt is healthy, Toronto is likely to move on before Fernando’s deal guarantees. That will allow the Raptors to cycle through some players to see if someone proves to be a long-term fit for the roster.

Utah Jazz

No guarantee decisions

Washington Wizards

No guarantee decisions