NBA fans often go crazy for league-altering, earth-shattering moves.
In 2025, Kevin Durant’s move to the Rockets and Desmond Bane’s trade to the Magic have gotten the most attention.
But sometimes it’s the moves that go largely unnoticed and fly under the radar that end up having the biggest impact once the season begins.
There have been plenty of player acquisitions this offseason that haven’t gotten the attention of Durant or Bane or shifted a team’s odds of winning the NBA title next year, but could pay big dividends down the line.
Let’s explore the overlooked moves of the 2025 NBA offseason thus far.
Pacers Acquiring Jay Huff
With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the 2025-26 season and Myles Turner signing with the Bucks, expectations are understandably low for the Pacers.
However, acquiring Jay Huff for just a couple of second-round picks could help the Pacers be more competitive than most people think. Despite playing four seasons with four different teams, Huff became one of the best shooting big men in the league last season. He made 81 of his 200 three-pointers attempted (40.5%).
Huff opens up space by pulling opposing centers away from the rim while being a strong rim protector on the other end, too.
He’ll help the Pacers fill the void left by Turner and give them a little more hope to at least return to the playoffs without Haliburton.
Magic Add Tyus Jones
As mentioned, Orlando’s big move this offseason was trading for Desmond Bane. He’ll be a key figure for the Magic, but adding on a modest one-year, $7 million deal is the type of supplementary move that can take the team to another level.
Tyus Jones is a 10-year veteran who brings experience and stability to the Orlando backcourt. He can play alongside either Bane or Jalen Suggs, providing excellent backcourt depth as a reliable ball handler who’s also shot over 40% from three-point range in back-to-back seasons.
If you explore sports betting apps, the Magic are finally getting respect as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, with players like Jones playing a small but important role in making that happen.
Cavaliers Acquiring Lonzo Ball
Changes were needed in Cleveland, both for financial reasons and after a disappointing playoff loss to the Pacers.
While injuries have hampered Lonzo Ball in recent years, he’s worth taking a chance on heading into the final year of his contract. During his time in New Orleans, Ball showed that he has high upside and can be a consistent shooter and playmaker. If healthy, he could give the Cavs a formidable guard trio alongside Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
Trading away Isaac Okoro, who is strong defensively but doesn’t move the needle much offensively, makes this a smart but overlooked move by Cleveland.
Lakers Sign Jake LaRavia
LeBron James has made it clear that he wants to play for a contending team.
That got a little more complicated with the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith and the skeptical addition of Deandre Ayton. Of course, most of the attention will be on James and Luka Doncic and how far that tandem can carry the Lakers.
But signing LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal is the type of under-the-radar move that could improve LA’s odds of making some noise in the Western Conference. After all, LaRavia is just a few years removed from being a first-round pick. He’s a good shooter and an underrated defensive player, and for a team like the Lakers, those qualities can end up making a big difference.
Pistons Re-Shape Roster with Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson
Detroit’s supporting cast is seeing some changes this offseason, as Malik Beasley (league investigation), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Denver Nuggets), and Dennis Schroder (Sacramento Kings) won’t be back.
However, the additions of players like Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson are low-key upgrades for a team on the rise. Both are strong shooters to help complement Cade Cunningham. They will also add quality depth to the backcourt, even if Jaden Ivey can come back healthy this season.
Plus, both LeVert and Robinson bring playoff experience to the table, which is another trait the Pistons needed their offseason acquisitions to have.
Hornets Trade for Collin Sexton
There aren’t a lot of reasons to talk about the moves of a team that won just 19 games last season.
But giving up a backup center in Jusuf Nurkic and a second-round pick for Sexton is massive for the Hornets. If Charlotte can get Sexton, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller healthy and playing together, they could move from huge underdogs to a dark horse to make the playoffs. Worst-case scenario, Sexton becomes a valuable trade piece at the deadline to help them restock on draft picks and keep rebuilding.
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