2025 NBA Free Agency: The Best Under-the-Radar Deals From Ty Jerome to Kevon Looney

While the NBA stars get the headlines for their free agency deals, these undervalued players could have sizable impacts with their new teams.

Ty Jerome #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after making a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 13, 2025. Jason Miller/Getty Images

The first few waves of NBA free agency are now behind us, as teams began negotiating with free agents on Monday, June 30.

Though they can’t officially sign the players until Sunday, July 6, the best available players have all been scooped up. While most of the big names like LeBron James, James Harden, and Julius Randle are sticking with their teams, there were several under-the-radar moves in which players switched teams.

Myles Turner is, perhaps, the biggest name among those as he’s going from one Central Division team (Indiana) to another (Milwaukee). But as a two-time blocks champion and starter for an NBA Finals team, he’s a known commodity.

Others don’t necessarily have the recognition but could provide major dividends to their new squads.

Here are the underrated NBA players who changed teams that could have sizable impacts during the 2025-26 NBA season.

Ty Jerome, G, Memphis Grizzlies

After playing just two games in 2023-24, Jerome broke out in his sixth NBA season last year, averaging 12.5 points in under 20 minutes a game with Cleveland.

Jerome does two things really well, which make him a great asset off the bench for the Grizzlies, who just traded away Desmond Bane. One is that he’s a lights-out shooter who shot 44 percent from beyond the arc last year, which was fourth-best in the NBA. The other is that he has a knack for steals, as his 2.0 swipes per 36 minutes was a top-10 mark.

Memphis acquired veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Bane trade, and drafted Cedric Coward with a lottery pick, but Jerome could emerge as the best new addition for the Grizzlies.

Guerschon Yabusele, F, New York Knicks

A former first-round pick who flamed out with the Boston Celtics, Yabusele then went overseas, where he won multiple championships, including the EuroLeague. He returned to the NBA last season with the 76ers and armed with a consistent 3-point shot that he didn’t have before in the States. The 260-pounder has a soft touch and knocked down 38 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent overall.

He’s a solid frontcourt addition for New York, which attempted the fourth-fewest 3-pointers a year ago under Tom Thibodeau but is poised to launch more outside shots under new coach, Mike Brown.

Kevon Looney, C, New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans ranked in the bottom 10 in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and free throw percentage last season. Thus, there were lots of offensive rebounding opportunities, and few in the history of the NBA have gobbled up offensive boards quite like Looney.

The three-time NBA champion with the Warriors ranked 19th in offensive rebounds last season despite ranking 247th in minutes played. A 19th ranking is also where Looney ranks in NBA history in terms of offensive rebounds per 36 minutes.

The 10-year vet should also provide leadership for a team that just traded away CJ McCollum, who doubles as the president of the NBPA.

Jake LaRavia, F, Los Angeles Lakers

The nominal replacement for Dorian Finney-Smith, LaRavia brings more of a diverse offensive arsenal, which should fit in well in L.A. He can play both forward spots and is an adept passer for a frontcourt player, as the Lakers saw last year. While with Memphis, LaRavia had a 13-point, 8-assist, 5-rebound game versus the Lakers.

His passing ability is something that other Lakers bigs such as Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura simply don’t have, and at just 23 years old, there’s still tons of room for progression for LaRavia.

Tyus Jones, G, Orlando Magic

There’s efficiency, and then there’s Tyus Jones, who is in his own stratosphere. Jones owns the best assist-to-turnover ratio in NBA history, leading the league in it six straight years before finishing second to Tyrese Haliburton last season. That’s just what the offensively-challenged Magic need as they ranked dead last in assists in 2024-25 and were fifth-worst in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Jones also provides Orlando with a natural point guard as opposed to a combo guard in Jalen Suggs, and the Magic won’t complain about his 41.4 percent 3-point shooting from each of the last two years either.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, C, Toronto Raptors

Born in New York but raised in the country of Georgia, Mamukelashvili could end up providing the most bang for the buck of any 2025 NBA free agent.

He was an analytics darling with the Spurs last year in backing up Victor Wembanyama, highlighted by a 34-point, 9-rebound game versus his hometown team in the Knicks. That came in just 19 minutes of action as Mamukelashvili set an NBA record for the most points in a game in fewer than 20 minutes. The 6-foot-11 center knocked down 7 of 7 shots from beyond the arc, and he was consistent in that regard all year, converting 37 percent from deep.

He'll likely back up veteran Jakob Poeltl in Toronto, but Mamukelashvili provides what Poeltl doesn’t, as the latter has made just three 3-pointers in his nine-year NBA career. The Georgian also holds his own on the defensive end and is a serviceable passer for a big man.

Mamukelashvili agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million deal with Toronto that is, essentially, the veteran’s minimum for a player with four years of experience. But he could be poised to outproduce that contract, exponentially, and could give the Raptors a great return on investment.