The Death of the Wild NBA Offseason

Just five 5+ WAR players have changed teams so far (and none with 10+ WAR), making this one of the quietest NBA summers since the 1980s — and a sharp contrast from the chaos of the 2010s.

Kevin Durant and Desmond Bane were two of the only big names who’ve swapped teams so far. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Back in late May, when the NBA world’s attention was still focused squarely on the actual games of the conference finals, ESPN hoops-insider Shams Charania went on Pat McAfee’s show and let slip that the summer of 2025 was shaping up to be what he called the “most craziest” offseason in league history — citing the potential for wild moves driven by the panic of the Parity Era.

So far, however, the NBA offseason has seen little of its trademark insanity. Aside from a few star moves of decent interest — a soon-to-be-37-year-old Kevin Durant joining the Rockets, his third team of the 2020s, in a trade that technically included a record seven teams; the Grizzlies dealing Desmond Bane to the Magic; the Bucks waiving Damian Lillard for injury reasons — we’re looking at a summer in which Ty Jerome and Luke Kornet are among the very highest-impact additions.¹ Most crazy, indeed.

So how does this low-key offseason actually compare with previous offseasons — especially those fever-dream summers when I needed a running diary to track every blockbuster? Let’s look at the total Wins Above Replacement (WAR) produced by players who’ve changed teams and see how this year’s exchange of value stacks up in NBA history.