A month into the NBA’s 2026 free agency interval, we have seen scores of signings and trades, with a number of potential needle-movers altering ZIP codes and uniforms — together with, most not too long ago and notably, the leading scorer in NBA history buying and selling in sunny Los Angeles for another city where I’m told it’s always sunny.
That does not imply, although, that the market’s bone-dry. There are nonetheless proficient gamers of all shapes, sizes, expertise ranges and ability units who may be capable to meaningfully assist a membership subsequent season.
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Let’s check out a few of the best technically available expertise nonetheless on the board, beginning with the literal and figurative largest prize on the restricted free-agent market:
BIGS
The 22-year-old Duren spent the first six months of his 2025-26 season constructing a case to argue for a max contract when he hit RFA this summer time. He posted career-best scoring marks whereas attending to the line extra usually than ever, and maintained elite effectivity — main the NBA in true taking pictures share — whereas bearing the largest offensive function of his Pistons tenure on these bowling-ball shoulders. Combine that with a notable leap on the defensive finish, and Duren profiled as a top-10-to-20 performer final season by a slew of superior metrics — as vital a driver of Detroit‘s rise to the top of the East as anybody apart from Cade Cunningham.
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And then got here the ultimate month of the season, which noticed Duren tear a gaping gap in that no-doubt max case, handing over a wildly underwhelming postseason during which his scoring, rebounding, inside protection and complementary playmaking all fell off a cliff.
Which participant is Duren most definitely to be over the subsequent few years: the one who averaged an environment friendly 19-and-10 whereas main a top-five protection en path to All-Star and All-NBA honors? Or the one who largely appeared misplaced in opposition to Orlando and Cleveland, his quiet play resulting in loud grumbling in the Motor City as he misplaced crunch-time minutes to Paul Reed?
That Duren earned these All-NBA honors solely additional complicates issues. The All-NBA choice makes him eligible for an extension with the Pistons that may pay him as much as 30% of the wage cap in its first season, with 8% year-over-year raises from there — a contract that may be projected to pay the middle $287 million over 5 years. The most profitable provide one other crew might provide can be 4 years and $185 million.
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That’s an awfully giant hole between what Duren and his representatives can argue he is earned — even when no person ever realistically anticipated Detroit to go all the method to the top attainable greenback — and what he might conceivably get elsewhere. In concept, that leaves plenty of room for negotiation. In apply, with nearly all of the available cap house round the league gone in different transactions, and with the Pistons holding the proper to match any provide sheet Duren may signal, Detroit’s brass does not really feel prefer it actually wants to barter very a lot in any respect.
Those early-free-agency stories of conferences with the Lakers and Kings got here to naught, with L.A. promptly figuring out a sign-and-trade to make Walker Kessler their middle of the future and Sacramento … properly, I assume waiving DeMar DeRozan and re-signing Precious Achiuwa does not essentially preclude the Kings from pivoting again to the middle market, however it does not precisely appear to be a suggestion’s forthcoming. With the few groups that entered the summer time with vital wage cap house having used it elsewhere, the Pistons management the tempo right here — except Duren will get critical about taking his $9.6 million qualifying provide for subsequent season, which might permit him to hit unrestricted free company subsequent summer time.
That method can have very totally different outcomes. Just final 12 months, we noticed a pair of restricted free brokers, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas and Philadelphia 76ers wing Quentin Grimes, signal their qualifying affords once they did not like the extensions being tendered by their respective groups. After a nice season in Philly’s backcourt rotation, Grimes signed a four-year, $60 million contract to affix the Los Angeles Lakers — lower than the $20 million to $30 million per 12 months he reportedly wished, however greater than the one- or two-year offers the Sixers reportedly floated. Thomas, on the different hand, did not make out as properly: After taking pictures 40% from the subject in the early going and lacking time to harm, he got waived after the Nets did not discover a taker for him at the commerce deadline. Just 18 video games after catching on with the Bucks, Thomas got waived again; he now finds himself in search of his subsequent alternative.
Duren’s a considerably higher-end professional participant than Thomas, in fact; one thing drastic would probably must occur for him to wind up out of the league in a 12 months’s time. But the level stands: If you flip down long-term cash as a result of it isn’t fairly as a lot as you want to, you run the danger that you simply won’t be capable to make it up.
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Getting a Duren deal completed would appear to be the top precedence for a Pistons crew that — with apologies to John Collins, Taurean Prince, Isaiah Joe and Gary Harris — has but to take a serious swing this summer time. The Pistons continue to project confidence that they will attain an settlement. But with solely “modest” progress reportedly made in negotiations up to now, and in the absence of a suggestion sheet that may power their hand, Trajan Langdon and Co. seem like content material holding the line in negotiations, preferring to let issues drag on through August — and even towards October if want be — if it means bringing again their gifted large man at the value they need … and to maintain as a lot powder as attainable dry of their subsequent spherical of negotiations, with extension-eligible swingman Ausar Thompson.
The six-year veteran discovered himself on the outskirts of Jordan Ott’s rotation in Phoenix, leapfrogged by Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro and averaging simply 9.1 minutes per recreation. After a midseason transfer to Chicago, although, the 28-year-old averaged 9.4 factors and 7.6 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per recreation and scored in double figures 11 instances in 20 video games as a Bull after doing it simply as soon as in 28 video games for the Suns final season. (He even made 5 3-pointers in Chicago, after canning a grand complete of 1 by means of his first 285 video games as an expert.)
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The Kentucky product has by no means graded out notably properly in superior metrics like worth over alternative participant, field plus-minus and estimated plus-minus, and has tended to alternate good and unhealthy seasons defending the rim. (Opponents shot 66.9% on up-close shots when he was the nearest defender last season; purchase the dip!) But he is a 6-foot-11, 245-pound dude below age 30 who can display, dive, catch, dunk and hit the glass — and, apparently, hit the occasional nook 3? — which might have worth for groups in want of one other large man to spherical out the rotation.
You could be considering, “Is Kevin Love, two months shy of his 38th birthday, having played a grand total of 864 minutes over the past two seasons, really one of the best remaining big men on the market?”
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I assume what I might say right here is: It’s not, like, an superior market at this stage. And when pushed to decide on between highlighting a few of the different choices available or doffing my cap to a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA choice — and, in the course of, feeling shocked that each of these numbers in some way aren’t increased??? — I opted for saluting a dude who nonetheless shot 37.3% from lengthy vary and grabbed 29% of available defensive rebounds in Utah final season.
The 18-year veteran could be ticketed for a return to his native France to play for ASVEL, a membership that is owned by longtime pal Tony Parker and for whom Batum previously served as director of basketball operations. If he is prepared to carry off on a visit again throughout the pond for yet another 12 months, although, the 37-year-old — who performed 74 video games for the Clippers, and who has shot 39% or higher from 3-point vary in six straight seasons — can be price a search for a crew in want of expertise, defensive savvy and flooring spacing in the frontcourt.
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Also on the market: Jeremy Sochan; Drew Eubanks; the San Antonio Spurs’ veteran trio of Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee; longtime Mavericks energy ahead/middle Dwight Powell; Trendon Watford; Tony Bradley; Xavier Tillman.
BALL-HANDLERS
Harden’s basically right here as a technicality. He declined his $42.3 million player option for next season in what was broadly considered as a precursor to a multi-year deal at a decrease common annual worth — a transfer most projected when he landed in Cleveland back in February, and that was largely related to the Cavaliers’ pursuit of one more reunion with LeBron.
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The Cavs did not land one James, however they will nonetheless deliver again one other. Harden stays at the head of the class of (technically) available facilitators, averaging 20.5 factors on 47/44/84 taking pictures splits to go with 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per recreation after becoming a member of the Cavs. His efficiency fluctuated in the postseason, as is his wont — and as was the case for quite a few his Cleveland teammates — however he did crew with Donovan Mitchell to get the franchise to its first Eastern Conference finals in eight years, with the Cavs outscoring opponents by 2.4 points per 100 possessions in his regular- and postseason minutes.
DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan turned a late addition to the market when the Sacramento Kings selected to waive him after their efforts to discover a commerce associate for his providers proved unsuccessful. The 17-year vet was evidently a tricky promote at the $25.7 million he was set to make in the ultimate season of the three-year, $73.7 million contract he inked with the Kings in 2024 (even with simply $10 million of that 2026-27 determine assured).
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Even so: a participant who averaged greater than 18 factors and 4 assists per recreation on 50% taking pictures might nonetheless present loads of bang for the proverbial buck on a considerably smaller deal with a crew in want of a dose of shot creation and shot-making. That’s notably true in crunch time, the place DeRozan — a perennially elite midrange operator with pristine footwork and the crafty to wrongfoot defenders into ill-timed reaches, bites on pump-fakes and fouls — scored 86 factors in 101 “clutch” minutes on .651 true taking pictures with a 15-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio final season for the Kings.
I’ve been working below the assumption that he would wind up signing with the Heat — and, in actual fact, had apparently hallucinated him already signing with the Heat — so let’s all brace for him touchdown anyplace however Miami. (Like, for instance, Washington?)
Like DeRozan, the former NBA Most Valuable Player spent final season grinding it out in Sacramento, beginning and logging main minutes for a circling-the-drain Kings crew. Like DeRozan, Westbrook’s nonetheless able to being a productive offensive participant when given the alternative, averaging greater than 15 factors, six assists and 5 rebounds per recreation final season, albeit on declining 2-point effectivity.
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And, like DeRozan, he is nonetheless bought sufficient juice left to have the ability to tilt a recreation when he is feeling it. Only 4 gamers in the NBA (Nikola Jokić, Josh Giddey, Jalen Johnson and Luka Dončić) posted more triple-doubles last season than the 37-year-old Westbrook.
The Washington Wizards reportedly have at least some interest in bringing him again as a backup to the prolonged Trae Young. Prior to the decision of the LeBron saga, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post additionally pegged the Miami Heat as a “team to watch” for Russ.
The 14-year veteran was one thing of a shock addition to the open market, after he declined the $5.6 million player option he held for the 2025-26 season. Beal had inked a two-year, $11 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers final summer time after agreeing to phrases with the Phoenix Suns on a buyout of the ultimate two years of the $251 million extension he’d signed with the Washington Wizards in the summer time of 2022. The three-time All-Star logged simply 121 minutes in L.A., although, earlier than struggling a fractured hip that required season-ending surgical procedure.
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The hope, when Beal joined the Clippers, was that he’d be capable to rehabilitate his picture by replicating his Phoenix manufacturing — 17 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes per recreation on 50/39/80 taking pictures splits — at a considerably lower cost level on a Clippers crew intent on contending for a title. The hope now, after surgical restore and many months of rehabilitation, is that Beal can as soon as once more approximate the form of clean three-level scoring that had made him such an attractive potential addition in each Phoenix and L.A, that his play and manufacturing may perk up in a lower-usage function, and that he’ll be capable to maintain up defensively with a surgically repaired hip.
Which crew is prepared to harbor all these hopes, although, stays to be seen. The Heat and Celtics have expressed curiosity in Beal, in line with Jake Fischer, who additionally stories that there is not less than some chance of a return to the Clippers.
A primary-round draft choose of the Pacers in 2018, Holiday has bounced round a bit, with stints in Washington, Phoenix and Atlanta earlier than catching on as a dependable rotation possibility in Houston for the final three seasons. The 29-year-old can stress ball-handlers the size of the courtroom and pester them at the level of assault for 10 to fifteen per recreation off the bench — an more and more priceless ability in in the present day’s NBA.
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He can contribute somewhat on the different finish, too. Among level guards who performed not less than 600 minutes final season, solely seven shot better than 65% at the rim and 37% from 3-point range; Holiday was one in every of them. (The different six: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, Stephen Curry, Payton Pritchard, Immanuel Quickley and late-season Wizards call-up Sharife Cooper.)
Also on the market: Cole Anthony, Brandon Williams, Gabe Vincent, Cam Thomas, Jalen Pickett, Nick Smith Jr.
WINGS
The 23-year-old ahead made a big offensive leap in his fourth season, averaging 14.6 factors, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and two steals-plus-blocks in 29.6 minutes per recreation on 49/41/73 taking pictures splits. Watson ran extra pick-and-rolls and shot extra effectively in a bigger offensive function, whereas sustaining sturdy rebounding and block charges for his place — a profile that marks the 6-foot-8, 200-pound swingman as exactly the type of potential 3-and-D (and possibly extra) wing that each crew covets.
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That naturally contains his present employer, the Denver Nuggets, who initially signaled to suitors that they intend to match any offer sheet tendered for the UCLA product in restricted free company, and have since supplied Watson a five-year, $70 million deal, in line with Tony Jones of The Athletic. But after crossing the second apron by matching Oklahoma City’s offer sheet for Spencer Jones, and with a large luxurious tax invoice looming, the Nuggets have reportedly additionally signaled an curiosity in entertaining sign-and-trade talks.
The Clippers, Hawks and Bucks are all “on the list of teams trying to pry Watson away from the Nuggets” in such a deal, in line with Marc Stein. The Bucks, house owners of a $25.5 million traded participant exception, are at the moment thought-about the “most likely external suitor” to swoop in on Watson, according to Fischer.
Watson, like Duren, additionally has the possibility of signing his qualifying provide — price $6.5 million for subsequent season — to get into the unrestricted market subsequent summer time. It’s one he is contemplating, in line with Stein; the aforementioned dangers nonetheless apply.
After all the drama of his restricted free agency final summer time, Kuminga wound up signing a priced-to-move deal with Golden State and then was, certainly, moved to Atlanta at the commerce deadline. The 6-foot-7 swingman supplied some pop off the bench for Quin Snyder, averaging 12.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.1 minutes per recreation for a Hawks crew that completed with the East’s No. 6 seed.
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Kuminga turned something of a bellwether in Atlanta’s opening-round playoff sequence in opposition to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. When he performed properly, the Hawks tended to look actually good …
… and when he did not, they did not:
Kuminga went 10-for-27 from the subject and 2-for-14 from 3-point vary over the ultimate three video games of that sequence — all Knicks wins.
After the season, the Hawks declined their $24.3 million team option on Kuminga’s contract for the 2026-27 season in favor of having more financial flexibility, although they reportedly remained open to bringing him again at a friendlier quantity. Jake Fischer reported that the Hawks are additionally open to discovering Kuminga a brand new residence through sign-and-trade, with the Lakers and Cavs reportedly curious about the 23-year-old ahead’s providers.
Need any individual who can get to the cup and get himself to the foul line? Mathurin’s your man: Among 199 gamers who’ve logged not less than 5,000 complete minutes over the previous 4 seasons, the 24-year-old restricted free agent ranks 13th in free-throw attempt rate. Among guards and wings, he ranks fifth, behind solely Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Harden, Deni Avdija and Young.
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On the nights when Mathurin’s changing up-close, attending to the line and flattening his jumpers, he seems to be like the type of one-on-one shot-creating scorer {that a} crew can construct its offense round. The challenge is how incessantly these nights come — Mathurin’s been a below-average shooter at the basket, from midrange and from 3-point land all through his profession — which, mixed with a unfavourable profession assist-to-turnover ratio and trick-or-treat defensive attentiveness, have led to the Montreal native grading out poorly by quite a few superior metrics.
That eye-test vs. statistical résumé collision makes the query of what kind of function best fits Mathurin, and what to pay him to carry out it, fairly thorny. The Pacers punted on it, sending him to the Clippers in the deal that introduced Ivica Zubac to Indiana.
The Clips, for his or her half, reportedly need to re-sign him as a part of their ongoing youth motion, although it is unclear for the way a lot and for the way lengthy. They may need some competitors, too: The Pelicans and Bulls are each reportedly contemplating taking a run at the Canadian swingman, in line with Stein.
After a quiet couple of seasons in his post-2023 NBA title sojourn by means of Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans, Brown returned to Denver final season and acquitted himself fairly properly, averaging 7.9 factors, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal in 24.4 minutes per recreation, taking pictures 47.5% from the flooring and 38.5% from 3-point vary. He’s not fairly some extent guard, not fairly a taking pictures guard and not precisely a wing. In the proper state of affairs and for the proper value, although, he is useful — a tricky, seasoned vet who can do some little bit of the whole lot, all whereas wearing the hell out of a cowboy hat.
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Also on the market: Dillon Jones, Ochai Agbaji, Blake Wesley, Jett Howard, Bryce McGowens, Jae’Sean Tate, Gary Payton II (who’s type of a wing and a guard and a giant all of sudden, is not he?).