The NBA's free-agent frenzy is just days away. The 2026 class isn't exactly stacked, and it's already thinned out, as some teams reportedly re-signed their own free agents, but there are still plenty of compelling players available.
Here, you'll find seven notable players who could hit the open market, including restricted free agents (RFA), unrestricted free agents (UFA), and those with player options (PO). We'll attempt to project each player's market and landing spot.
2025-26 stats with Lakers
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 20.9 | 6.1 | 7.2 | 1.8 | 59.4% |
Team prediction: Lakers
Projected contract: 1 year, $30M
Other potential suitors: Warriors, Spurs, Cavs
If James is adamant about teaming up with old Finals rival Steph Curry (and veterans like Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler) in Golden State, the NBA's all-time leading scorer would likely land the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth roughly $15 million. The same would likely be true in San Antonio, where James could end his career contending for a fifth championship while mentoring the future face of the league, Victor Wembanyama.
However, an anticlimactic return to the Lakers still makes the most sense. James is due a sizable pay cut from his previous $52.6-million salary either way, but returning to the Lakers could allow him to earn double what most rival suitors can offer this summer without having to uproot his life at this stage of his career.
The Lakers have other priorities as they look to optimize the roster around Luka Doncic, but James proved his worth to Los Angeles again this past season. The 41-year-old thrived in a tertiary offensive role alongside Doncic and the reportedly re-signed Austin Reaves, but he also gave the Lakers a dynamic option to quarterback the offense when one or both of his younger co-stars were on the bench.
In addition, the projected one-year deal would come with a no-trade clause, giving James complete control over his unprecedented 24th season and the ability to survey his options again next summer. The mid-level exception would likely be available to James again a year from now if his career extends to a 25th year. That would be preposterous for any other player, but not King James, who continues to rewrite what's possible for over-40 NBA stars.
2025-26 stats with Pistons
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 19.5 | 10.5 | 2 | 1.6 | 68.8% |
Team prediction: Pistons
Projected contract: 5 years, $187.5M ($37.5M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Nets, Lakers
Duren enjoyed an extremely productive regular season that saw him earn his first All-Star selection. The 22-year-old even carried the first-place Pistons in Cade Cunningham's late-season absence and was rewarded with an All-NBA nod, giving him the chance to earn up to $287 million over a new five-year pact with Detroit (worth 30% of the cap in Year 1).
Such a monstrous deal was always unlikely, but it became downright unthinkable for the Pistons after Duren's nightmare of a postseason. The star center averaged just 10.2 points on 51% shooting while recording more turnovers than assists, and Detroit performed 8.1 points per 100 possessions better with Duren on the bench rather than on the court.
That two-round playoff run was filled with red flags. Duren's individual offensive limitations were exposed on a national stage, and the reality of a post-aprons world means teams can no longer afford to pay non-max level stars max money. Still, one terrible month of postseason ball shouldn't completely override six superb months from a young All-Star. The Pistons don't have to max Duren out, but a young team on the doorstep of contention also can't afford to lose such a talent for nothing.
Whether it's directly from Detroit or a result of the Pistons matching an offer sheet for the restricted free agent, Duren should command something in the neighborhood of $35 million-$40 million per year. I split the difference on my projection, giving him an average salary of $37.5 million, which is worth about 23% of next year's cap.
As teams get desperate to add talent and a long-term solution at center, don't be surprised if the Pistons have to go even higher to retain Duren.
2025-26 stats with Cavs/Clippers
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 23.6 | 4.8 | 8 | 1.5 | 61% |
Team prediction: Cavaliers
Projected contract: 2 years, $65M ($32.5M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Pistons, Heat
Nothing can ever be taken for granted when it comes to Harden, but it would be shocking if the future Hall of Famer doesn't return to Cleveland. Expect Harden to decline his $42.3-million player option and then sign a two-year contract that lowers his annual cap hit while providing him slightly more long-term security. Such a deal would also help the Cavs duck the second apron after Cleveland was the only team to cross the threshold in 2025-26.
Say what you will about Harden's sketchy postseason resume and the drama that has eventually led to his many departures, but the 36-year-old can still ball. Harden is going to be a productive, durable, and predictable offensive star, at least during the regular season. There's still value in that. Even if you just take Harden's 26 games with the Cavs, he averaged roughly 21 points and eight assists while shooting better than 50% inside the arc, 40% from deep, and 80% from the free-throw line.
Yes, Harden's heliocentric brand of basketball can be painful to watch for some, and there are drawbacks. But among 148 players who posted a usage rate of at least 20% and logged at least 500 minutes last season, the Cleveland version of Harden would've ranked seventh in points per shot attempt (1.296), according to Cleaning the Glass.
2025-26 stats with Jazz
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 14.4 | 10.8 | 3 | 3.2 | 78.6% |
Team prediction: Jazz
Projected contract: 5 years, $150M ($30M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Lakers, Hawks, Nets
Between a torn labrum that ended Kessler's season just two weeks into the campaign, Utah's acquisition of former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., and reports that Kessler and the Jazz are in a standoff, the relationship appears to be hanging by a thread. That should open the door for a team in need of a starting-caliber center to construct a sign-and-trade for the restricted free agent.
However, I'm still betting Kessler and the Jazz eventually get a deal over the finish line to keep the 24-year-old in Utah. Efficient big men who are elite offensive rebounders, possess all-world defensive potential, and have experimented with an improved 3-point shot don't grow on trees. Kessler, Jackson, and Lauri Markkanen could instantly become one of the league's best two-way frontcourts, and Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is smart enough to understand all of that.
Unless a rival team is willing to make parting with such a talent worth it for Utah, the smart money is either on the Jazz slightly upping their offer or matching an offer sheet once someone else sets Kessler's market. Kessler reportedly balked at a five-year, $140-million offer, so I've got him landing a five-year, $150-million deal that nets him a nice round average of $30 million per season.
2025-26 stats with Knicks
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 5.7 | 8.8 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 67.6% |
Team prediction: Clippers
Projected contract: 3 years, $42M ($14M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Knicks, Hawks, Lakers
Robinson is going to miss a ton of free throws and be an easy target for intentional fouls, but he's also going to crash the hell out of the offensive glass, protect the rim, help your team win the possession battle, and ultimately win his minutes. And, as Knicks head coach Mike Brown showed us during the playoffs, Robinson's team can use the hack-a-Mitch strategy to its advantage by getting into the bonus earlier in quarters.
Add it all up, and Robinson's skill set makes him a mid-level-type $15-million player. Perhaps he'll have to settle for slightly less due to his injury history. Unfortunately for New York, if Knicks owner James Dolan is serious about avoiding the second apron, the defending champs won't be able to afford him. With that in mind, let's send him to the Clippers, a team that seemingly still wants to compete and has rebounding issues.
2025-26 stats with Heat
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 21.7 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 60.9% |
Team prediction: Pistons
Projected contract: 3 years, $80M ($26.7M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Heat, Lakers, Rockets
Powell has a recent habit of fading down the stretch of seasons, he comes with serious questions on the defensive end, and he's 33 years old. For those reasons, I originally assumed the 2026 All-Star might have to settle for an average salary in the $20-million range. Then Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White got between $22 million and $25 million per year on their new deals.
With all due respect to Dosunmu and White, who are much younger than Powell, neither of them have Norm's track record. Powell is an efficient three-level scorer who's been getting it done for years. Powell averaged more than 21 points per game in each of the last two seasons. He's topped 60% true shooting seven years running, and he's a career 39.6% 3-point shooter on a high volume of attempts.
With shooting and self-creation still at such a premium, and a rising contender like the Pistons opening up significant cap space, the fit and the contract make sense. Perhaps Powell's age means the third year is a team option, effectively turning this into a two-year deal worth $50 million-$55 million.
2025-26 stats with Nuggets
| GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL+BLK | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 2 | 59.4% |
Team prediction: Nets
Projected contract: 4 years, $110M ($27.5M AAV)
Other potential suitors: Nuggets, Bulls, Lakers
The Nuggets would be wise to retain Watson, an improving 23-year-old with the tools to be a two-way stud.
Denver is reportedly looking into cost-cutting measures elsewhere so it can do just that, but let's get creative here and assume that another team swoops in with a sizable offer sheet and Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke balks. OK, that last part isn't really that creative, given Kroenke's penny-pinching history in Denver.
Injuries have limited Watson to just 225 games over the first four years of his career - roughly 56 games per season - but he's a 6-foot-8 forward coming off a season in which he averaged nearly 15 points while shooting better than 41% from deep. Watson may never be a star, but he has the makings of a foundational piece for a rebuilding team with money to spend or a ready-made contender looking for a versatile forward.
Perhaps even that vote of confidence still sells him short. During a 13-game stretch in January while Nikola Jokic was sidelined and both Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon missed time, Watson made the most of his opportunity. In what amounted to the first real stretch of consistent star usage in his pro career, Watson averaged 23.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 stocks on an effective field-goal percentage of 58.2.
Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.
