For 10 NBA franchises, the 2026 offseason has already begun.
Which teams are ready to take the next step in their rebuilds? Which have massive draft and trade decisions ahead? Will stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant be on the move this summer?
We’re breaking down the potential moves for each eliminated franchise, including a look at the state of the roster, finances, front office priorities, extension candidates to watch, team needs and future draft assets. (Note: 2026 draft picks are based on current league standings.)
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
2025-26 record: 17-64
Draft picks in June: No. 1, No. 51 (via MIN), No. 60 (via OKC)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 14%
2026 free agents
State of the roster
After 21 trades in less than three years, there is a strong foundation in place. Since taking over in May 2023, president of basketball operations Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins have carefully built up Washington’s draft assets, financial flexibility and expiring contracts for when the next star player becomes available — such as Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
The Wizards took advantage of the financial flexibility created when Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole were traded for expiring contracts (CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton) that were sent to acquire Young and Davis. And the two first-round picks sent to Dallas were acquired in previous trades, which meant the franchise wasn’t mortgaging its future by sending out its own draft picks or former first-rounders Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson.
Washington is still in a position to add a lottery pick and to balance its cap sheet. Outside of Young and Davis, no Wizard will earn more than $12.5 million in 2026-27. The Wizards have seven players on rookie contracts and nine players younger than 24.
But those roster improvements should be met with some apprehension.
Young and Davis will improve an offense and defense that each finished 29th in the NBA. But the league’s second-youngest roster will need to build winning habits. This season, the Wizards won consecutive games only four times, with no winning streaks of three or more games. They started the season 1-15 and finished it by losing 24 of their final 25 games.
Offseason finances
Before adding Young and Davis, the Wizards projected to have nearly $80 million in cap space this summer. With both players under contract (Young has a $49 million player option) and lottery pick, Washington is $19 million under the luxury tax. They will have the $15 million non-tax midlevel exception available in free agency and also two large trade exceptions of $26.8 and $13.5 million.
Top front office priority
Reaching on a compromise on new contracts for Young and Davis. Wizards fans should circle two dates on the offseason calendar: June 23 and Aug. 6.
June 23 is the deadline for Young to either exercise his $49 million player option or become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“We have good relationships with his reps,” Wizards GM Will Dawkins told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. “So we’ve had communication on what it would look like to be a Wizard because he really wanted to be here, and that was important to us. And we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable and builds that partnership and relationship until we have any real conversations.”
Young is eligible to sign a three-year, $156.9 million extension until June 30, with the first year of that deal replacing the player option for next season. Young could also opt-in and sign an extension after free agency begins, delaying the start of a new contract until the 2027-28 season. Young could also decline the option, signing for less but with the benefit of up to five guaranteed years.
Young played the fewest games in his career this season but is still one of the best playmakers in the NBA. His career 9.8 assists per game average trails only Magic Johnson and John Stockton. Last season with Atlanta, he averaged an NBA- and career-high 11.6 assists.
Davis, meanwhile, cannot become a free agent but is eligible to sign a four-year extension on Aug. 6. The first year of the extension would replace a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
The 33-year-old Davis did not play since the trade and has failed to reach 60 games in five of the last six seasons. But when healthy, Davis remains a two-way force. According to ESPN Research, Davis has averaged at least two blocks and one steal in 11 seasons. That trails only Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon since blocks and steals were first tracked during the 1973-74 season.
Extension candidate to watch
Coulibaly was drafted in 2023 and is the first player who is rookie extension-eligible under the current front office. Per Cleaning the Glass, Coulibaly ranks in the 94th percentile among all wings in blocks and 84th percentile in steals. Offensively, Coulibaly is averaging a career-high 14.1 points per game since the All-Star break.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Davis (four years, $275 million, eligible to sign on Aug. 6)
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Young (three years, $156.9 million, through June 30)
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Cam Whitmore (rookie scale)
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Jaden Hardy (four years, $92.8 million, as of Oct. 22)
Team needs
Roster flexibility. The Wizards enter the offseason with 14 players already under contract for next season, not including their 2026 first-round pick and two second-rounders.
Future draft assets
In prior seasons, trading for Young and Davis likely would have depleted the Wizards’ future first-round picks. However, Washington has eight first-rounders still available in the next seven years, five that are tradable. Washington has 10 second-rounders available.
First-round picks owed to Wizards:
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2028: Second most favorable among Boston, Milwaukee and Portland
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2028: Can swap their own with the least favorable among Brooklyn, Philadelphia (if 9-30) and Phoenix. Washington can then swap that pick for the less favorable between Milwaukee and Portland (if 15-30)
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2030: Swap rights with Phoenix
2025-26 record: 19-62
Draft picks in June: No. 2
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 14% (Note: Pick will be conveyed to the LA Clippers if it falls to No. 5.)
2026 free agents
State of the roster
The Pacers should enter the summer as one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference despite finishing 2025-26 with the fewest wins in franchise history. But the Pacers are different from other lottery teams for several reasons.
Indiana returns 10 players, including All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam from the roster that pushed Oklahoma City to seven games in the 2025 Finals. Halliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 and missed the entire 2025-26 season, turning it into a “gap year” for the franchise. The Pacers were plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions in the regular season and plus-7.8 in the postseason with Haliburton on the court. He had 33 games with at least 10 assists and an assist to turnover ratio of 5.61 in 2024-25.
After losing center Myles Turner in free agency, Indiana traded for Ivica Zubac. Zubac averaged double-doubles in points and rebounds in the three straight seasons and he was named All-NBA Defensive second team last season with the Clippers. Zubac suffered a season-ending rib injury and played only six games after being traded to Indiana at the deadline.
More importantly, if the Pacers retain their first, they would be in position to draft from a pool of top prospects, including AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff Jr. and Caleb Wilson.
Offseason finances
The addition of Zubac came at a significant financial cost. In the scenario that their first-round pick is retained, the Pacers will enter the offseason $11.7 million over the luxury tax, $3.2 million above the first apron threshold and $9.8 million below the second.
The Pacers have a decision with Potter’s team option and partially guaranteed salaries of Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson. Indiana has until June 29 to exercise the $2.8 million Potter option and the following day to guarantee the $2.2 million contract of Jones, who already has $1.1 million guaranteed. On July 15, the salary protection for Jackson’s deal increases from $275,000 to $2.6 million if there are no waivers.
Top front office priority:
The draft is a priority, especially if the Pacers retain their first-round pick. Indiana has never had the first overall pick and has drafted second three times (Steve Stipanovich in 1983, Wayman Tisdale in 1985 and Rik Smits in 1988).
President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and general manager Chad Buchanan should be lauded for selecting Andrew Nembhard in the second round of the 2022 draft, but the Pacers resume of selecting players in the lottery is average at best.
Since the 2021 season, Indiana has selected Chris Duarte, Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker in the lottery. Duarte was traded to the Sacramento Kings for two second-round picks and Mathurin was traded to the Clippers in the Zubac deal. Walker, who was not part of the rotation during his first two seasons, averaged career highs in minutes (25.6) and points (11.5) this season as the Pacers dealt with a rash of injuries. Only Walker, Ben Sheppard and Jay Huff played more than 65 games after Indiana had eight such players last season.
Coach Rick Carlisle will need to reestablish an identity offensively with Haliburton returning and the addition of Zubac. The Pacers declined significantly on offense from last season, a result of 41 different starting lineups.
The Zubac fit will be worth monitoring considering he is not a threat from the perimeter — he has taken 12 3-pointers in his 10-year career — and the Pacers play at a much faster speed than the Clippers. Indiana ranked ninth in pace last season, while the Clippers were 28th.
Extension candidate to watch
The Pacers have been one of the more aggressive teams in signing their own players to extensions. Since the 2024 offseason, Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and TJ McConnell have signed long-term deals before their original contract expired. Nine players are eligible this offseason, including Siakam. Despite the Pacers record, Siakam has still managed to average 24 points per game this season (his highest since 2022-23). The 32-year-old forward has two years remaining on his contract and is allowed to extend for three additional years.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Obi Toppin (three years, $72.7 million, eligible the day after the NBA Finals)
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Johnny Furphy (four years, $92.8 million, day after NBA Finals)
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Nembhard (three years, $95.2 million, as of July 26)
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Huff (four years, $92.8 million, as of Oct. 28)
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Haliburton (two years, $121.6 million, as of July 6)
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Walker (rookie scale extension)
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Ben Sheppard (rookie extension)
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Ivica Zubac (three years, $95.2 million, as of Sept. 3)
Team needs
With Zubac, the Pacers’ starting lineup is set. The bench, however, could use a combo guard and consistent perimeter scoring.
Future draft assets
If Indiana retains its first-round pick at the lottery, it would be allowed to trade its 2027 and 2033 first-rounders. If the pick is conveyed to the Clippers, the Pacers would then be allowed to trade up to three firsts. Indiana has seven second-round picks available.
First-round picks owed by Pacers
2025-26 record: 20-61
Draft picks in June: No. 3, No. 33, No. 43 (via LAC)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 14%
2026 free agents
State of the roster
From an evaluation standpoint, the Nets currently have the look of an expansion team.
They finished the season with the NBA’s youngest roster, half of which is under 24 years old and included a league-record five players selected in the first round of the 2025 draft. The roster assembled played a big role in why Brooklyn finished with its fewest wins since 2009-10.
But considering Brooklyn’s two major transactions in the 2024 offseason — the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks then reacquired their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Houston Rockets — bottoming out while prioritizing youth, draft assets and financial flexibility has been by design.
The offseason presents an opportunity for Brooklyn to improve significantly. Heading into the May 10 lottery, there is a 40% chance that the Nets select in the top three for the first time since 2010. For the second straight offseason, the Nets will have over $30 million in cap space to use in trades or in free agency. Last summer, the Nets acquired Terance Mann and Michael Porter Jr. with that flexibility. Brooklyn also has draft assets to accelerate a rebuild: nine tradable future first-rounders, including a combined four unprotected picks from New York and the Denver Nuggets.
It is worth mentioning that, unlike the past two seasons, Brooklyn has no incentive to tank in 2026-27. The Rockets can swap first-rounders with the Nets in 2027.
Offseason finances
Including team options of Sharpe, Williams, Minott and their upcoming first-round pick, Brooklyn projects to have $31 million in cap space. The Nets have until June 28 to exercise Sharpe and Williams’ $6.2 million options for until June 29 to Minott’s $2.4 million option. The Nets will have the $9.4 million room midlevel exception available after cap space is used.
Top front office priority
Outside of the draft, their direction with cap space and internal development of their young players, the Nets must decide whether to build around Porter or to explore trades. Acquired last offseason from Denver along with an 2032 unprotected first-rounder, Porter averaged a career-high 24.2 points per game and shot 36.3% on 3s. It was his fourth consecutive season shooting greater than 36% from deep. He is on an expiring $40.8 million contract and is eligible for four additional years and up to $234 million.
Porter’s impact on the court, durability and age — he will turn 28 in June — should warrant discussions on a new contract. (Prior to suffering a strained left hamstring last month, Porter Jr. had missed just 14 games since the 2023-24 season.)
Because Brooklyn will have cap space, it could also increase his current salary and then decrease the first year of the extension by up to 40%. For example, Porter would earn $49 million this season and then $30 million next year.
Extension candidate to watch
Were Noah Clowney’s 60 starts and development from his rookie season enough to warrant extension discussions? After averaging career highs in minutes (27.0) and points (12.3), Clowney is set to enter the last year of his first-round contract. He is eligible to sign an extension through the end of the offseason.
For a stretch between Nov. 23 to Dec. 29, Clowney averaged 16.1 points per game. But while his points have increased, Clowney remains an inefficient shooter. For a second straight season, Clowney is shooting below 40% on field goals and 34% on 3s. Defensively, opponents shot 49.9% against Clowney. That ranks fourth worst of any player to contest 750 shots this season.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Porter (four years, $234.3 million; eligible after NBA Finals)
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Nic Claxton (three years, $95 million; eligible after NBA Finals)
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Mann (three years, $72.6 million, eligible starting Oct. 1)
Team needs
Development, consistency and winning habits. The Nets finished the season 27th in defense but showed a blueprint for success during a 15-game stretch in late November and December, during which the Nets ranked second in defense and allowed the fewest 3s, offensive rebounds and points.
Future draft assets
Brooklyn has 13 first-round picks available in the next seven years, including nine that can be traded. It also has 19 second-rounders.
Future first-rounders owed to Brooklyn:
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2027, 2029, 2031 unprotected via New York
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2028 most favorable of Philadelphia (if 9-30), New York and Phoenix
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2032 unprotected via Denver
Sacramento Kings
2025-26 record: 22-59
Draft picks in June: No. 4/5*, No. 34, No. 46 (via CHA)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 11.5%
* Note: A drawing will be held to break the lottery tie with Utah.
2026 free agents
State of the roster
The Kings were dealing with injuries before the season even began. Keegan Murray tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb during training camp and missed the first 17 games of the season.
The absence of Murray was the starting point to a season marred by injuries. The Kings ranked 10th in the NBA for most missed games and, as a result, used 34 different starting lineups. Last year they had 18 different starting lineups.
The Kings lost Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and De’Andre Hunter to season-ending injuries at different points, and no player on the roster played more than 60 games outside of veterans DeMar DeRozan, Westbrook, Achiuwa, and rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud. The trio of Murray, LaVine and Sabonis was never on the court for a single possession.
“It’s not an excuse, but it’s a fact,” GM Scott Perry said of the injuries in February.
“I think we’re the only team in the league this year that never started the projected starting five going into the season. That makes it very difficult to create any kind of continuity among your basketball team.”
The injuries should not be an excuse for Perry not to make changes, however.
“We’ve got to get younger as a team,” the GM told ESPN’s Anthony Slater in January.
The Kings finished the season as the fourth oldest team and will get an opportunity in June to draft a foundational player. But the addition of a lottery pick is only the starting point for a roster that could face financial restrictions in how they improve.
LaVine, Sabonis, Hunter and Malik Monk are under contract next season and combine to earn 74% of the Kings’ guaranteed salary.
Offseason finances
Including their first-round pick, the Kings are $20 million over the luxury tax and over both aprons. They are $3.9 million over the second. Sacramento can get financial relief if DeRozan is waived and the $3 million team option on Killian Hayes is declined. DeRozan’s $25.7 million contract is protected for $10 million and there is no guaranteed date.
Top front office priority
There is no bigger priority than the NBA draft. For a team that finished with the worst record in the NBA, Sacramento has only two players under the age of 23. There are only three players who finished the season on first-round rookie contracts: Murray, Devin Carter and Clifford.
Clifford and Maxine Raynaud were selected last year, and the principles that Perry relied on to select both are likely different this year.
“I like when guys have put a résumé together that you can really evaluate,” Perry told “The Drive Guys” last June.
“These are guys that got better each year in college. … A good by-product when you do get guys 22, 23 years old coming into the league, not only are they a little more physically mature, but they’re mentally more mature.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo’s recent mock draft has 10 freshmen, including AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff Jr. projected to go in the top 10.
As for the roster, there are financial decisions, starting with DeRozan.
Since signing a three-year contract in 2024, DeRozan has been the most reliable and consistent Kings player. He played in more than 75 games both years and trailed only LaVine in points per game this season. He could be a financial casualty because his contract next season is partially guaranteed, however.
One thing not on the priority list is Sacramento looking to replace head coach Doug Christie.
“I’m just expecting him to be my coach until I tell you anything different,” Perry said in February. “I’m not even thinking along those lines right now. I want to see us get incrementally better each day, and I want to see him continue to improve as a coach.”
Extension-eligible players
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LaVine (four-years $258.7 million, through June 30)
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DeRozan (two-years $75 million, as of July 8)
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Sabonis (three-years $207.5 million, day after NBA Finals)
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Monk (four-years $126.6 million, day after NBA Finals)
Team needs
A starting point guard and defensive identity. The Kings finished the season in the bottom of every defensive category, including transition points allowed, second-chance points, 3-point percentage and points per game allowed.
Future draft assets
In addition to their own first-round pick in the next seven seasons, the Kings have two first-rounders acquired in the De’Aaron Fox trade with the Spurs last year. They will receive a 2027 first-rounder from San Antonio if 1-16 and 2031 unprotected first-rounder from the Timberwolves. The Kings have two second-rounders available.
2025-26 record: 22-59
Draft picks in June: No. 4/5*
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 11.5%
* Note: A drawing will be held to break the lottery tie with Sacramento.
2026 free agents
State of the roster
After he was hired as president of basketball operations last June, Austin Ainge was matter-of-fact on the Jazz’s rebuild.
“It’ll just depend on how these guys develop and what other moves we make, right?” he said. “It’s a hard thing to predict. I think it’s fair to say we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The 21 wins this season, four more than last season, suggest Ainge is correct. But do not let the second fewest wins in franchise history fool you; there is finally light at the end of a rebuild that started in the 2022 offseason.
The trade to acquire former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. — at the potential cost of their own 2027 first-round pick and two future first-rounders — is a strong indication.
Unlike recent blockbuster trades that have depleted draft assets and boxed franchises in a corner to improve, that does not apply to the Jazz. Jackson and Lauri Markkanen are under contract through at least 2028-29, and Utah has the financial flexibility to match any offer sheet on restricted free agent Walker Kessler.
They will also enter the May 10 lottery with an 11.5% chance of selecting first, while still retaining former first-round picks Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh.
The roster has improved, but there is still a learning curve when it comes to winning and competing in the playoffs. Outside of Jackson and John Konchar, no player on next season’s projected roster has postseason experience.
Offseason finances
Before the start of the regular season, Utah was one of the handful of teams projected to have cap space. That changed in early February, when Jackson was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Jazz still have flexibility but are likely to act as a team over the cap because of Kessler’s $14.6 million free agent hold and an upcoming lottery pick. Expect the Jazz to have the $15 million non-tax midlevel exception available to use.
Top front office priority
Other than preparing for draft, the goal is to find a compromise with Kessler’s next deal. The Jazz and Kessler can begin negotiating a new contract the day after the NBA Finals.
It was only a three-game sample, but the pairing of the 6-10 Jackson and 7-1 Markkanen proved to be efficient when the forwards were paired with a center in big lineups. The Jazz were plus-9.8 points per 100 possessions when both players were on the court with 6-11 Jusuf Nurkic.
The 7-2 Kessler had season-ending shoulder surgery in November and played only five games this season. But 2024-25 was his best as a pro, as Kessler averaged a career high in points (11.1), rebounds (12.2) and assists (1.7) per game and shot an NBA-leading 66.3% from the field. He held opponents to 48% in the paint as a contesting defender, fifth best in the NBA, per GeniusIQ tracking.
But taking on Jackson’s $49 million salary meant Utah can no longer boast financial flexibility to add in free agency outside of retaining Kessler.
The Wizards were a potential suitor for Kessler in restricted free agency but no longer have cap space after blockbuster moves to acquire Trae Young and Anthony Davis ahead of the trade deadline.
That leads to the question: Who exactly would Utah be bidding against? Currently, the only teams projected to have substantial cap space this summer are the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Extension candidate to watch
Keyonte George would have been a candidate for Most Improved Player if not for the league’s 65-game rule. George is one of 18 players this season to increase their scoring average by at least 6.8 points and is one of 11 players to average at least 23 points and six assists per game. Even with a potential new contract for Kessler and trading for Jackson, Utah will have room to extend George and remain well below the luxury tax. He can extend for up to five seasons and is eligible to sign through the eve of the regular season.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Nurkic (four years, $121.5 million, eligible through June 30)
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Sensabaugh (rookie scale)
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Svi Mykhailiuk (four years, $92.8 million, as of Aug. 10)
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Kyle Filipowski (four years, $92.8 million, as of Aug. 12)
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Konchar (three years, $55.9 million, day after NBA Finals)
Team needs
Adding Jackson and signing Kessler will help a defense that ranked last overall and 27th in second-chance points allowed. There is also a need for perimeter bench scoring; Jazz reserves ranked 23rd in 3-point shooting this season.
Future draft assets
The Jazz traded three future first-round picks to acquire Jackson but are still well positioned for the future. Utah has eight first-rounders, five that are tradable in the next seven years. The Jazz also have 11 second-round picks available.
First-round picks owed to Jazz:
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2027: Second-most favorable among own, Cleveland and Minnesota
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2028: Swap rights with Cleveland
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2029: Two most favorable among own, Cleveland and Minnesota (if 6-30)
Memphis Grizzlies
2025-26 record: 25-56
Draft picks in June: No. 6/7*, No. 17 (most favorable of Orlando and Phoenix), No. 32 (via Indiana)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 8.2
* Note: A drawing will be held to break the lottery tie with Dallas.
2026 free agents
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($21.6 million, player option)
GG Jackson ($2.4 million, team option)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper ($2.5 million, team option)
Rayan Rupert (restricted)
State of the roster
After the Grizzlies were swept in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, general manager Zach Kleiman gave a frank assessment of the roster.
“I don’t think we can look back at this series and this season and say, ‘Oh, we’re close,'” he told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “No, we’re not close. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Six weeks later, Desmond Bane was traded to Orlando for four first-round picks and a 2029 top-two protected pick swap. Then, days before the February trade deadline, former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. was sent to Utah for three first-round picks. Memphis also added former first-round picks Taylor Hendricks and Walter Clayton Jr.
“I don’t think this is some five-year, try-to-be-terrible [process],” Kleiman said after the Jackson trade. “I don’t believe in that method of team-building. Between the assets that we’ve accumulated and the players that we have, we’re very optimistic.”
The Grizzlies are the only team with the possibility to have two lottery picks in this year’s draft, their own and the most favorable of Orlando and Phoenix. Memphis also has a second-round pick from Indiana. The picks accumulated from the two trades can be used to move up in the first round, acquire additional assets or trade for a young player on a controllable contract that fits their rebuild. (Last June, Memphis swapped first-round picks with Portland to select Cedric Coward. They included a 2028 unprotected Orlando first that was acquired in the Bane trade.)
As for the roster, half of the returning players were selected in the past three drafts: Coward, Clayton, Hendricks, GG Jackson, Prosper, Cam Spencer, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells.
Despite the shift in building with younger players, the future of Ja Morant will continue to hang over the organization. “We’ve been incredibly supportive of Ja for many years. This is about organization direction, though. This is not about Ja in particular,” Kleiman said after the Jackson trade.
Offseason finances
The Grizzlies have $130 million in guaranteed contracts but are still likely to act as an over the cap team for multiple reasons. First, and most importantly, Memphis has a $28.9 million trade exception that was created in the Jackson trade with Utah. The exception counts against the cap unless it is renounced. Second, there are five players — Wells, Prosper, GG Jackson, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Taj Gibson — with team options or partially guaranteed contracts. Third, the Grizzlies’ two first-round picks in June could equal $13 million in combined salary.
Top front office priority
In addition to navigating three draft picks in the top 32, Memphis once again faces a decision on Morant’s future. As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, the Grizzlies explored trades for Morant ahead of the February trade deadline with no deals materializing. The two-time All-Star guard has two years and $87 million remaining on his contract.
Morant was shut down for the season in March, two months after he suffered a UCL strain in his left elbow. Throughout his 20 games — he has played just 79 across the past three seasons — Morant recorded the lowest field goal (41%) and 3-point (23.5%) percentages of his career. On defense, Morant gave up 1.2 points per possession on drives this season, the most in his career, per GeniusIQ tracking. Morant got blown by on 27.5% of opponents drives, the third highest in his career.
Extension candidate to watch
The past two seasons have been a roller coaster of roster turnover, injuries and a change at head coach. One major positive has been the play of Wells, a 2024 second-round pick who has started 143 games for Memphis. After the 2026 All-Star break, Wells averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 39.6% on 3-pointers. He has two years remaining on his contract, including a team option in 2027-28. Wells can sign a three-year extension if the option is exercised or a four-year deal if the option is declined.
Other extension-eligible players
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Morant (three, years, $177.9 million; eligible after NBA Finals)
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Caldwell-Pope (four years, $135.6 million; after NBA Finals)
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GG Jackson (four years, $87 million; as of Feb. 9)
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Brandon Clarke (four-years, $92.8 million; after NBA Finals)
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Hendricks (rookie extension-eligible)
Team needs
Edey’s health — the 7-3 center played just 11 games this season due to left ankle issues — should incentivize the Grizzlies to target a reserve big that can rebound and protect the rim. There is also an internal need for improved shooting from Wells and Coward.
Future draft assets
The Grizzlies have slowly built a collection of draft assets. Not only does Memphis have their own first-round pick in the next seven years, but the franchise boasts four additional first-rounders acquired in prior trades. In total, Memphis can trade up to eight first- and six second-rounders.
First-round picks owed to Grizzlies:
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2027: From Lakers (top-four protected)
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2027: Most favorable among Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah
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2029: Swap rights with Orlando (top-two protected)
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2030: From Orlando
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2031: From Phoenix
2025-26 record: 25-56
Draft picks in June: No. 6/7*, No. 49 (via PHX)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 8.3%
* Note: A drawing will be held to break the lottery tie with Memphis.
2026 free agents
State of the roster
A lot has changed since the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis ahead of the 2025 deadline. The man responsible for making the trade, former general manager Nico Harrison, was let go in November. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards four months later, a move designed to help the franchise fully reset around former No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
This offseason, Dallas will add a lottery pick in a strong 2026 draft to pair with Flagg, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II and the financial flexibility to add more. The Mavericks also have veterans Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson and PJ Washington to keep or explore in the trade market.
“You take a look at our roster now. We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg,” co-interim general manager Michael Finley said after the Davis trade. “It’s our job to put the right pieces around him.”
The question is whether Finley and co-interim GM Matt Riccardi will be making those roster decisions. Since November, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont has placed both in a dual role in charge of basketball operations. Finley and Riccardi played major roles in orchestrating the blockbuster Davis trade to Washington that returned five draft picks.
Offseason finances
Dallas would have faced a bleak financial future if the franchise had kept Davis on the roster. No longer projected as an apron team in 2026-27, Dallas has the flexibility to add in the offseason. While the Mavericks are not a cap space team, they can use the non-tax and biannual exceptions and can take back salary in a trade. Including both first-round picks in June, Dallas is a projected $38 million below the tax and $45 million under the first apron. They have until June 29 to exercise the $2.2 million team option on Ryan Nembhard.
Top front office priority
It starts with the draft in June. We won’t minimize the Mavericks moving up in the lottery last season and selecting Flagg with the first pick — he averaged 21 points per game and was the second teenager in NBA history with 27 games of 15-5-5 in a season. But considering that, after 2026, the Mavs don’t control their first-rounder until 2031, this year’s draft offers an important opportunity to select a foundational player to pair with Flagg. The Mavericks have not had consecutive lottery picks since they selected Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic in 2017 and 2018.
Another storyline to monitor is what Dallas does with Irving. When Dallas re-signed the 34-year-old guard last offseason, the plan was to pair him with Davis and Flagg. But Irving missed the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL and Davis was traded.
With Dallas shifting toward youth, does Irving still fit?
Considering the Mavericks had the sixth worst record in clutch games (17-28), have no incentive to bottom out in the standings because of their pick situation and are in need of a high-level playmaker, the answer should be yes — at least for now.
“Understanding the offensive end of the ball, [Irving] would help in all categories,” coach Jason Kidd told reporters in March. “His shooting, his scoring. And then the biggest is if we can put ourselves in 40 clutch games, you have a closer. A born closer, who I’m not going to say is going to win all 40 games for you. But it puts you in a better seat”.
Irving has two years remaining on his contract, including a $42.4 million player option in 2027-28.
The front office is also tasked with evaluating Thompson and Gafford next season. Thompson is on an expiring $17.4 million contract and shot 42.7% on 3-pointers after the All-Star break. Gafford signed a three-year extension last offseason and started 44 games at center in 2025-26.
Dallas also saw positive results when Washington started at center. In those three games, Washington averaged 20 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Two-way player Moussa Cisse is another option for their frontcourt. The 23-year-old rookie had 14 games of at least seven rebounds.
Extension candidates to watch
Lively, Christie and Marshall top Dallas’ list. Lively, who can extend up until the last day of the offseason, has been impactful as a lob threat and defensively but has yet to play more than 55 games in any of his first three seasons. Considering his durability issues — he had season-ending foot surgery in December — Dallas should include injury protection if a new deal is reached. The Mavericks’ defense was nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better with Lively on the court in 2025-26.
Christie is under contract for two more seasons ($8.3 and $8.9 million). Because his salary is below the estimated average player salary, his maximum extension with Dallas would be four years, $92.8 million. (The first year of the extension would replace his $8.9 million player option in 2027-28.) The 23-year-old Christie started a career-high 66 games this season, averaging 12.2 points per game and shooting 43.9% from the field and a career high 40% from 3.
For a second consecutive season and fourth overall, Marshall played more than 65 games. He averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game and shot 53% from midrange, ranking in the 89th percentile among all wings per Cleaning the Glass. Marshall has a $9.4 million expiring salary next season but is eligible to sign a four-year, $92.8 million extension.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Thompson (four years, $109.5 million; can sign after NBA Finals)
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Caleb Martin (four years, $92.8 million, after NBA Finals)
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Powell (four years, $87 million; through June 30)
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Middleton (three-years, $125.9 million, through June 30)
Team needs
Irving’s return next season will address the lack of ballhandling, while Dallas could use a stretch big for lineup versatility.
Future draft assets
The Mavericks have eight total first-round picks and four tradable first-rounders in the next seven years. But because of prior trades, Dallas has no control of its own first-rounder until 2031. They do have a 2029 unprotected pick from the Los Angeles Lakers and a 2030 top-20 protected pick from the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks have five second-rounders available.
First-round picks owed by Mavericks:
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2027: To Charlotte (top-two protected)
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2028: To Oklahoma City (swap rights)
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2029: To Houston or Brooklyn
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2030: To San Antonio (swap rights)
2025-26 record: 26-55
Draft picks in June: No. 58 (via DET)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 0%
2026 free agents
State of the roster
Last summer, newly hired president of basketball operations Joe Dumars addressed the 21-61 roster he inherited.
“I thought the core [Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones] was really good there and I thought if you have a good core, let’s build out around that core with the type of players that we need,” he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.
The 2025 offseason saw Dumars add Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and Kevon Looney and draft Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Micah Peavy.
But while the core Dumars referred to was plus-9.4 points per 100 possessions when on the court, New Orleans won just five more games from last season.
A 2-10 start, the firing of coach Willie Green, injuries, struggles to find an identity and Fears’ learning curve as an NBA facilitator all contributed. New Orleans was bottom-five on offense and defense through Dec. 31.
Dumars has to evaluate the upside of the roster when healthy, or whether time has run out and change is needed. Fourteen players from the current team are under contract next season, including Williamson, Murray, Jones and Murphy.
Offseason finances
New Orleans is $4.8 million below the luxury tax and $5.8 million under the first apron. The Pelicans have until June 29 to exercise the team options of Kevon Looney ($8 million) and Karlo Matkovic ($2.3 million). The decision on Looney will determine if New Orleans has part of its non-tax midlevel exception available. The Pelicans also have a $13.5 and $4.5 million trade exception, but using either would hard cap them at the first apron.
Top front office priority
The Pelicans do not have a lottery pick this offseason but do have a series of important decisions, starting with finding stability at coach. After Green was fired, assistant James Borrego was elevated to an interim role.
Dumars was clear in his vision for the franchise after Borrego replaced Green.
“It’s establishing that we are going to be a team that plays hard every night,” Dumars said at the time Green was fired. “That’s still what I’m looking for right now, and I had that conversation with James this morning.”
Dumars has had nearly six months to evaluate whether to remove Borrego’s interim tag or hire another coach. Borrego had made a strong case, especially from the All-Star break to March 19, when New Orleans ranked in the top-15 in both offensive rating and net rating.
The improved play during that stretch was a result of Murray returning and Borrego committing to a small-ball lineup with Williamson at center. The lineup of Murray, Murphy, Jones, Bey and Williamson were a plus-16.6 points per 100 possessions. However, before beating Utah on April 7, New Orleans had lost eight straight games.
It has been nearly 16 years since Dumars has made a coaching hire as a team executive. In 2011 as the Pistons general manager, he hired Lawrence Frank but fired him two seasons later.
As for the roster, how does Williamson fit long term?
Before the season, Dumars challenged the former No. 1 pick and All-Star.
“I’ve talked to him about the responsibility of being great and the responsibility of being a leader, of being a captain, of being the best player, of being the face of a franchise,” Dumars told Andscape. “I’ve talked to him about how all of those things come with responsibility and how it’s time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities.”
Williamson missed nine games in November because of a hamstring injury but still managed to play more than 60 games for the third time in his career. Williamson trailed only Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most paint points per game this season and had 41 games with at least 20 points despite a career-low usage rate.
With games played and weight criteria in his contract expected to be met, his $42.2 million salary for next season is guaranteed. Before the season, Williamson’s 2026-27 season came with zero salary protection. He has two years remaining on his contract and is eligible to extend this offseason.
Extension candidate to watch
For more than 16 months, Bey was a forgotten player. He tore his ACL in March 2024 while with Atlanta, was traded to Washington in the ensuing offseason, signed a three-year contract with Wizards and then missed the entire 2024-25 season while rehabbing his knee.
Now with the Pelicans as part of the 2025 trade that sent CJ McCollum to Washington, Bey has been the most consistent player on the roster. He is one of three players (Fears and Queen are the others) who will play at least 70 games this season. In his 64 starts, Bey is averaging 18.9 points per game, 45.8% shooting from the field and 37.7% from 3. Bey held opponents to 47% shooting as the closest defender, per GeniusIQ tracking, which ranks eighth among players to defend 550 shots this season. Bey is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign a four-year, $92.8 million extension.
Other extension-eligible players:
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Jordan Hawkins (rookie scale)
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Poole (four years, $213.5 million, eligible to sign the day after NBA Finals)
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Matkovic (four years, $92.8 million, as of July 13)
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Williamson (three years, $177.9 million, day after NBA Finals)
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Murray (four years, $180.4 million, as of July 9)
Team needs
Rebounding continues to be an issue for the Pelicans. A year after finishing 29th in defensive rebound percentage, New Orleans finished 28th this season. The Pelicans allowed the third most second-chance points in the league.
Future draft assets
The Pelicans have seven first-round picks, four that can be traded. From the Murray trade, New Orleans will send a 2027 top-four protected first-rounder (the least favorable between its own and Milwaukee’s) to Atlanta. The Pelicans have five second-rounders available.
2025-26 record: 31-50
Draft picks in June: No. 9, No. 38 (via NOP), No. 58 (via DET), Portland’s pick if Nos. 15-30
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 4.5%
2026 free agents
State of the roster
In late March, Bulls guard Josh Giddey gave an honest assessment of the roster.
“Everyone wants to know what’s going on,” Giddey told the Chicago Tribune. “We want to know what the strategy is going forward. If you look at the way this team’s put together now, I don’t know if we’re put together to win a championship this year or whether we’re going into a rebuild or a younger phase.”
A week after Giddey made those comments, Chicago fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Coach Bill Donovan, who signed a multiyear extension last July, is expected to remain part of the franchise’s future.
The Bulls have drafted in the lottery four straight seasons and five times since Karnisovas took over in 2020. They have not selected better than 11th in any of those drafts.
Despite making a league-high seven trades this season that netted eight second-round picks, there were no players acquired that can help Chicago. For the past five seasons, the Bulls have been stuck between contending for the play-in tournament and building for the future, something Karnisovas acknowledged after the February trade deadline: “It’s being in the middle. That is what we don’t want to do.”
Fortunately for the new front office, that situation could be temporary.
The Bulls’ next head of basketball operations will inherit a Hall of Fame coach in Billy Donovan, a likely top-10 pick in a strong 2026 draft and the financial flexibility to reshape the roster as they see fit.
Offseason finances
With 11 players under contract, including their 2026 lottery pick and $2.4 million team option for Miller, Chicago projects to have a league-high $60 million in cap space this summer. (That projection assumes that Chicago renounces every free agent on its roster.) To reach the minimum salary requirement by the first day of the regular season, Chicago would need to spend at least $46 million.
Top front office priority
It starts with building an identity and foundation with youth. How the Bulls put that plan in motion is the direct opposite of how the former front office built the roster when they took over.
In a five month span in 2021, Chicago acquired veterans Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan for three first-round picks — one was eventually reacquired in the Zach LaVine trade — three second-rounders and a package of players. In 2022, the Bulls traded a then 24-year old Lauri Markkanen to the Utah Jazz for a first-round pick that has yet to be conveyed.
The trades put Chicago on a path of mediocrity, reaching the play-in four straight seasons and winning just one playoff game. Lonzo Ball’s season-ending knee injury in January 2022 didn’t help the momentum. The Bulls were 27-14 at the time.
“I want someone who’s process-oriented,” Bulls CEO and president Michael Reinsdorf told the media. “Some of the biggest mistakes we’ve made are because we haven’t followed a process.”
As for this offseason, the new front office has to accept that building a sustainable roster will require patience. Players under contract for next season include Giddey, Tre Jones, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue. Essengue, drafted No. 12 in 2025, played just two games before season-ending shoulder surgery in December.
“Going forward, it’s about sustainability,” Reinsdorf said. “We want to build this for the long term. I don’t want to be just good for one or two years. I want it to be year in and year out, we have a chance to be competitive and win.”
While the Bulls have the spending power to sign free agents, they are not at a stage to commit to the long term, which takes away flexibility in the future. They will also need a checklist for free agents and trade candidates who fit their identity on the court moving forward.
Extension candidate to watch
Roster turnover and injuries to bigs Collins and Vucevic saw Jalen Smith take on a bigger role this season. In the 21 games he started, Smith averaged 12.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign an extension on July 8.
Other extension-eligible players
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Simons (three years, $104.6 million, can sign through June 30)
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Sexton (three years, $71.7 million, through June 30)
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Richards (three years, $52.4 million, through June 30)
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Miller (three years, $55.9 million if team option is exercised)
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Collins (four years $113.4 million, through June 30)
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Isaac Okoro (four years, $92.8 million, starting on Sept. 17).
Team needs
Shooting and frontcourt depth. The Bulls finished ninth in 3-point shooting but fell to 24th in games after the trade deadline. They gave up the second-most second-chance points and allowed the sixth-most points in the paint since Feb. 5. Their frontcourt returns Smith, Buzelis and Essengue.
Future draft assets
The Bulls have their own first-round pick over the next seven drafts and they are allowed to trade up to four of those picks. Chicago also owns a top-14 protected first-rounder from Portland this season. If the Trail Blazers advance out of the play-in, the pick will be conveyed this season. The first is top-14 protected in 2027 and 2028 if Portland does not advance. Chicago has 12 second-rounders available.
2025-26 record: 32-49
Draft picks in June: No. 10 (less favorable of their own and New Orleans)
Odds at the No. 1 pick: 0%
2026 free agents
State of the roster
The 2026 offseason is the most important in Bucks history. Not only will Milwaukee pick in the lottery for the first time since 2016, but it has a franchise-defining decision on the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Wes Edens, the team’s controlling owner until April 2028, spoke matter-of-factly when he talked to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne about the future of Milwaukee’s franchise player.
“Giannis is going into the last year [of his contract],” Edens said. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded.”
Starting Oct. 1, Antetokounmpo is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million contract. (If he exercises his $62.8 million option for 2026-27, it would become a three-year, $213.6 million deal.) But to sign a fourth extension with Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has to be sold on the franchise’s plans to bolster a roster that will miss its first playoffs in a decade.
On top of the Antetokounmpo drama, there is the unknown future of coach Doc Rivers, especially if the Bucks decide to trade their franchise player. The last time Rivers was part of a rebuild was in 2005-06, when the Boston Celtics won a combined 57 games in two seasons prior to acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the 2007 offseason. They won the championship a year later.
The Bucks will likely add a top-10 pick in this year’s draft — due to the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard trades, the Bucks do not control their own first-round pick until 2031 — and have 12 players from the current roster under contract for 2026-27. Five of those players, including starting guard Kevin Porter Jr., have a player option.
Offseason finances
The Bucks enter free agency $15 million below the luxury tax and $20 million under the first apron, including their first-round pick. Milwaukee could gain additional relief if Porter, Trent, Harris, Prince and Sims decline their player options and sign elsewhere. The five players have $21 million in combined salary for next season, and the deadline to opt into their contracts for next season is June 29. The Bucks also have until June 29 to exercise Nance and Jackson’s team options.
Top front office priority
If last summer and this regular season taught Milwaukee anything, it is ownership and the front office should have a strategic three-year blueprint on what the roster would be like without Antetokounmpo.
As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, Antetokounmpo expressed serious doubts and concerns about the roster before the season. Those concerns should only accelerate with the state of the Bucks roster heading into the offseason after how the season ended.
Antetokounmpo’s last game was March 15 due to a hyperextended left knee. Despite the injury, Antetokounmpo told Milwaukee he was healthy enough to play, but the Bucks did not medically clear him, causing another rift. “I’m available to play, but I’m not in the game. I’m available to play today. Right now. I’m available,” Antetokounmpo told reporters.
For the betterment of the organization long term, Milwaukee should not be in a holding pattern on Antetokounmpo, but rather aggressively exploring trades leading up to the draft.
An Antetokounmpo trade would require interested teams to weigh multiple factors before creating a package to land the two-time MVP:
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How much leverage does Antetokounmpo have in choosing his next team?
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Would teams trade a hefty collection of assets — draft picks, young players on controllable contracts and sizable short-term deals — with no guarantee on an extension?
Antetokounmpo would be eligible for the same extension he could sign with the Bucks, albeit not until six months after a trade.
Milwaukee has another decision to make. When the Bucks signed Ryan Rollins last offseason, they included a player option in his contract for 2027-28. Rollins had a breakout season and could become a free agent next summer; he is not allowed to sign an extension this season.
As Bucks general manager, Jon Horst spent the past few offseasons retooling around Antetokounmpo to this point. Now as the head of basketball operations, he would be faced with building a roster without their franchise player for the first time.
Extension candidates to watch
The Bucks have either traded previous first-round picks or prospects they drafted, so there are no players eligible for rookie extensions. The only players extension-eligible are Antetokounmpo, Jackson and Kyle Kuzma.
Team needs
Closure with the future of Antetkounmpo is a starting point, but Milwaukee needs a lead guard and an identity on defense. The Bucks went from 12th in defense last season to 27th this year.
Future draft assets
From the Holiday and Lillard trades, Milwaukee has no control of its first-round pick until 2031. It is allowed to trade up to two first-rounders (2031 and 2033) and can swap first-rounders in three years (2031, 2032, 2033). The Bucks have one second-round pick available.
First-round picks owed by Bucks:
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2027: To Atlanta or New Orleans
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2028: To Portland or Washington (swap rights)
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2029: To Portland or Washington
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2030: To Portland (swap rights)
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