Contract Predictions for Every NBA Team's Extension-Eligible Players
Most of the offseason's biggest fireworks have faded from view. The draft, free agency and much of trade season went down in June and July. But there are still dozens of players around the league eligible for extensions.
And today, we're going to peer into our crystal ball and try to predict what those extensions will look like (or if they'll even be signed at all).
But before we do, a word on max deals. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, with its first and second aprons and all the penalties that come with them, max deals may not be as common as they once were.
It'll be hard to pinpoint a specific, singular moment, but at some point, among both teams and agents, there will have to be a sort of collective understanding and acceptance that building teams with three or even two such players may be impossible.
So, just bear that in mind when you see a prediction for a player who likely would have commanded the most money possible under the old rules.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 22
Trae Young: Four years, ~$190 million
Trae Young is one of those players who almost certainly would've commanded a bigger payday prior to this CBA, but he could get a slight squeeze here (the max he's eligible for right now is around $222 million over four years).
Young is one of the most prolific distributors in the NBA and capable of getting hot enough as an outside shooter to swing games.
However, the lack of playoff success in recent years, his defense and the emergence of young core pieces could suppress his value a bit.
Dyson Daniels: Five years, ~$155 million
If that looks like a lot for Dyson Daniels, consider the following: Jabari Smith Jr. got $122 million over five years. Jalen Suggs got $150.5 million. And Daniels is sort of a hybrid of those two, with forward size and elite guard defensive skills.
Last season, at just 21 years old, he has a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year case.
Charlotte Hornets
2 of 22
Josh Green: No extension
Josh Green has quietly developed a solid three-and-D track record over the years. In his last three season, he's hit 39.2 percent of his three-point attempts. And he's still just 24 (at least until November).
If the Charlotte Hornets were to extend him, something around the range of $50 to $55 million over three years wouldn't be shocking.
But this team seems to be perpetually rebuilding. And it's hard to pinpoint exactly who the foundational talents are. Committing resources to Green, even if they're not exorbitant, feels shortsighted when this season might reveal significant value in Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley.
Chicago Bulls
3 of 22
Zach Collins: No extension
The Chicago Bulls are another team that should be eyeing the future, and Zach Collins has done less to warrant an extension than Green with the Hornets.
There's nothing wrong with being a journeyman backup big, which is what Collins projects to be. And it doesn't make sense to commit much money to such a player, when Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue are both waiting in the wings.
Dalen Terry: No extension
Dalen Terry has shown solid defensive chops, especially for a player of his age (23), but he's another one who's too far from a foundational talent to get a new deal right now.
Cleveland Cavaliers
4 of 22
De'Andre Hunter: No extension
There's no urgency to get a deal done with De'Andre Hunter, who's under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2026-27. And with this upcoming campaign feeling a little make-or-break, it makes sense to see how it plays out before deciding what to do with Hunter.
If, for example, Jarrett Allen winds up getting traded before February, Cleveland could move Evan Mobley to the 5 and commit to Hunter at the 4. If both bigs stay put, finding a slightly less expensive 3 may be the goal (Hunter makes $24.9 million in 2026-27).
Craig Porter: No extension
There are things to like about Craig Porter Jr., like his 40.2 career three-point percentage, but he's a 25-year-old who's averaged 11.4 minutes over 102 career games. Expect Cleveland to have other priorities heading into training camp.
Denver Nuggets
5 of 22
Nikola Jokić: No extension
We learned earlier this summer that Nikola Jokić will table extension talks until next season, which makes plenty of sense.
Right now, he's eligible for an additional $200 million over three years. If he waits till next summer, he can tack another year and $77 million on the deal.
Christian Braun: Five years, ~$140 million
The comps here are similar to those used with Daniels, but Braun is likely to come in at a slightly smaller number for a few reasons.
Though he's shown a bit more on offense through his career, a lot of that can be credited to playing with Jokić. He's also not quite the defender Daniels is. And on a title contender with multiple big-money players already on the books, it may be a little easier to talk Braun into sacrificing a few million per year.
Peyton Watson: No extension
The Denver Nuggets would probably love to get Peyton Watson secured to a long-term, team-friendly extension. His defense could be valuable for a team that's often short on that, especially on the perimeter.
But Watson will likely want to spend this season proving himself worthy of something more player friendly.
Detroit Pistons
6 of 22
Jalen Duren: Five years, ~$140 million
He's not a volume scorer. And defensive consistency is still a work in progress, but Jalen Duren has proven himself the Detroit Pistons' center of the future.
His rebounding is helpful on both ends of the floor. And the threat of his rim-running is a big part of Cade Cunningham's success as a playmaker.
Jaden Ivey: No extension
Coming off an injury-shortened 2024-25, Jaden Ivey is another player who seems primed for a prove-it year.
If he picks up right where he left off (Ivey averaged 17.6 points and 4.0 assists in 29.9 minutes last season), he could be looking at a payday similar to Duren's.
Houston Rockets
7 of 22
Kevin Durant: No extension
The Houston Rockets started driving a harder bargain than most on extensions a couple years ago. So, Kevin Durant getting a full $175.2 million over three years or $120.5 million over two felt unlikely even before Fred VanVleet tore his ACL.
That should have the Rockets thinking more long-term, and such an extension for a 37-year-old with an injury history as robust as Durant's may not make a ton of long-term sense.
Tari Eason: Five years, ~$110 million
Part of a focus on the future could include a commitment to Tari Eason, who's already established himself as one of the best forward defenders in the NBA.
Over the course of his three seasons, the Rockets are plus-1.6 points per 100 possessions with Eason on the floor and minus-4.4 when he's off.
Indiana Pacers
8 of 22
Aaron Nesmith: Three years, ~$70 million
Aaron Nesmith is far from a star, but during his time with the Indiana Pacers, he's earned a solid payday.
Over those three seasons, Nesmith has averaged 11.3 points and 1.8 threes, while shooting 40.2 percent from deep.
Bennedict Mathurin: Four years, ~$95 million
Bennedict Mathurin has long been more of a bucket-getter than Braun, but this past season was his first with an above-average true shooting percentage (and he barely cleared that threshold). He's also not the same level defender.
But Mathurin is worth a solid investment. At 23 years old, there's still plenty of developmental runway. If he adds a bit more playmaking to his scoring, he'll be well worth this.
Los Angeles Clippers
9 of 22
Kawhi Leonard: No extension
In case you've been living under a rock this summer, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are currently under investigation for potential salary-cap circumvention.
As long as that's hanging over their heads—which will almost certainly be through the All-Star break the Clippers are hosting—an extension for Leonard seems unimaginable.
Bogdan Bogdanović: No extension
Even before the Leonard news broke, it felt like L.A. might be waiting out the Leonard era and eyeing a fresh start.
Extending 33-year-old Bogdan Bogdanović—who suffered a hamstring injury at EuroBasket that could cause him to miss some games in 2025-26—would fly in the face of that idea.
Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 22
Austin Reaves: No extension
Due to cap rules, the most the Los Angeles Lakers could've offered Austin Reaves this summer was $89.2 million over four years. It should come as little surprise that he reportedly turned down that number.
As a free agent in 2026, Reaves could sign a deal with a starting salary north of $40 million. And even if he doesn't get there, he's likely to earn something more lucrative than what L.A. can hand out.
This past season, for a team on which he had to share touches and shot attempts with LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis, Reaves put up 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 threes, while shooting 37.7 percent from deep.
Memphis Grizzlies
11 of 22
Ja Morant: No extension
Given Ja Morant's injury and suspension history and the fact that he has three years left on his deal, there is absolutely no urgency to get a new deal done now.
Brandon Clarke: Three years, ~$50 million
This represents only a modest raise for Brandon Clarke, who's set to make $12.5 million in 2026-27, but he's career backup big who's long been plagued by injuries.
Vince Williams: No extension
If Vince Williams Jr. was extension-eligible coming off 2023-24, when he started 33 games and averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, it would've been much easier to imagine a deal materializing.
But he made just 27 appearances this past season and averaged under 20 minutes. Now, this feels like a prove-it season.
GG Jackson: No extension
Similar to Williams, Jackson had a much more intriguing 2023-24 than 2024-25. He only appeared in 29 games, and his box plus/minus and true shooting percentage were both dramatically below average.
Miami Heat
12 of 22
Norman Powell: No extension
Thirty-two-year-old Norman Powell is entering the final year of his current deal. And at this point in his career, the temptation to flirt with legitimate title contenders next summer is likely to strong to pass up.
Andrew Wiggins: No extension
Rebuilds aren't real common for the Miami Heat, but another mediocre campaign in 2025-26 could force them into one. And Andrew Wiggins, who turns 31 in February, doesn't really fit that timeline.
The Heat would be wise to prioritize players like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro and Nikola Jović at the positions Wiggins can play.
Tyler Herro: Three years, ~$130 million
This one felt a bit easier to predict a few weeks ago, before we learned of an offseason ankle surgery that will sideline Herro into the season.
But even with that wrinkle, for a team as offensively challenged as Miami, keeping a 25-year-old who's averaged 20-plus points and four-plus assists in each of the last four seasons should be a priority.
This isn't quite the max the Heat can give Herro (that's $149.7 million over three years), but it's close enough not to insult him. And in the wake of this surgery, long-term security may be more valuable on the player side.
Nikola Jović: Four years, ~$65 million
Jović broke out a bit just in time for extension season. Over his last two seasons, the 6'10" Serbian averaged 9.2 points and shot 38.3 percent from deep. He suddenly looks like a plug-and-play floor-spacing big who could fit just about anywhere.
The Heat should pay him and mold him into whatever the next era of Miami basketball looks like.
New Orleans Pelicans
13 of 22
Zion Williamson: No extension
Injuries have just been far too common a theme throughout Zion Williamson's career to commit to another extension right now. If he struggles with availability again, a trade might be likelier.
Jordan Poole: No extension
The New Orleans Pelicans just expended real assets to acquire Jordan Poole in a trade, but he's under contract through 2026-27. There's no urgency to extend him, and there's plenty to learn about his fit on the team over the next several months.
New York Knicks
14 of 22
Karl-Anthony Towns: No extension
File another one under the "no urgency" tab. Karl-Anthony Towns is under contract through 2027-28 (when he has a player option). And the front office should want to see how he and the New York Knicks perform in the decimated Eastern Conference before tacking years onto the end of this deal.
Miles McBride: No extension
Though a Miles McBride obviously wouldn't tie up cap flexibility like the two years and roughly $150 million Towns could get, he still hasn't done quite enough to guarantee his spot on the Knicks beyond 2026-27.
Last season, he averaged 9.5 points, but his effective field-goal percentage was well below average.
Oklahoma City Thunder
15 of 22
Ousmane Dieng: No extension
After handing out monster extensions to each of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren this summer, it feels like the Oklahoma City Thunder will take their foot off the gas a bit heading into training camp.
With big contracts like those above on the books, cheap extensions for unproven talents like Ousmane Dieng can come in handy, but only if that talent eventually becomes proven.
And though there were some intriguing attributes on Dieng coming out of the draft (like his combination of size and fluidity), he hasn't done enough in the NBA to earn a live-up-to-it-later deal.
Over three seasons, he's appeared in 109 NBA games, averaged 4.3 points and shot just 42.4 percent from the field.
Phoenix Suns
16 of 22
Mark Williams: No extension
Few teams are in quite as much flux as the Phoenix Suns, who just traded Kevin Durant and waived-and-stretched Bradley Beal this summer.
In the wake of those moves, despite the addition of Mark Williams, Phoenix appears to be, at best, a play-in team.
And committing much long-term money to a roster packed with this level of uncertainty feels unwise, even if Williams is incredibly productive when healthy.
Over the last two seasons, he averaged 14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks in just 26.7 minutes. But the problem with him, specifically, is that he's missed 140 of a possible 246 games during his career.
The more prudent path would be playing out this season, seeing how Williams fits with the recently extended Devin Booker and then using restricted free agency to retain him if the fit is good.
Portland Trail Blazers
17 of 22
Duop Reath: No extension
Duop Reath has been a fun story for the Portland Trail Blazers over the last two years, but he's heading into his third season at age 29. And Portland has Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen to think about going forward.
This could be Reath's last campaign with the Blazers.
Shaedon Sharpe: Five years, ~$130 million
Shaedon Sharpe's scoring efficiency is still way below average. And he hasn't had a positive impact on Portland's point differential in any of his three seasons.
But he's just 22 years old and averaged 18.5 points in 31.3 minutes last season. That mini breakout paired with absurd athleticism makes him a solid bet to remain a part of this team's core.
Sacramento Kings
18 of 22
Keon Ellis: Three years, ~$50 million
Keon Ellis should be a priority for the Sacramento Kings' front office. He's a solid perimeter defender who's hit 42.9 percent of his career three-point attempts.
And though there isn't a ton of ancillary production, defense and shooting can be enough to make a player fit into just about any lineup.
Keegan Murray: Five years, ~$140 million
Keegan Murray's production has slowly withered away after a strong rookie campaign in which he averaged 12.2 points and shot 41.1 percent from deep.
But he's still a 6'8" forward who can defend multiple positions and theoretically pull opposing bigs and forwards away from the paint with his shooting.
San Antonio Spurs
19 of 22
Jeremy Sochan: Four years, ~$80 million
Jeremy Sochan quietly had an above-average true shooting percentage for the first time in his career in 2024-25.
Though that wasn't the product of a boost in three-point shooting, it's still encouraging. And if he can maintain that kind of scoring efficiency, he could be a fun, Swiss Army knife-like forward for the San Antonio Spurs.
He doesn't produce a ton of anything, but he provides a bit of scoring, some playmaking and multipositional defense.
Toronto Raptors
20 of 22
RJ Barrett: No extension
We've yet to see a single minute of RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram all playing together. Locking in one third of that trio without the eye test doesn't make much sense, especially since Barrett is under contract through 2026-27.
Ochai Agbaji: Three years, ~$45 million
Ochai Agbaji has only started 95 games in his three NBA seasons. And his career averages of 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists don't scream foundational talent.
But he has prototypical 2-guard size, is only 25 and just had a 2024-25 in which he averaged 10.4 points and shot 39.9 percent from deep.
Utah Jazz
21 of 22
Walker Kessler: Four years, ~$105 million
He doesn't provide much scoring or passing, but Walker Kessler has been a dominant rim protector and rebounder throughout his career.
And as his predecessor with the Utah Jazz proved, those traits can go a long way toward helping your team win and getting you paid.
During his career, Utah's plus-minus per 100 possessions is 2.8 points better when Kessler is on the floor.
He's never averaged fewer than 2.3 blocks (and he hit that mark in a season in which he averaged 23.0 minutes). And in 2024-25, he led the league in offensive rebounds per game.
The Jazz should invest in him as their long-term center.
Washington Wizards
22 of 22
Malaki Branham: No extension
The Washington Wizards could likely secure Malaki Branham on a pretty cheap extension.
Something like four years and $35-40 million is more than realistic for a player with career averages of 8.5 points, 1.7 assists and 1.1 threes.
But even with Branham being only 22 years old, there are multiple other guards on Washington's roster who'll likely be bigger priorities going forward, including Tre Johnson, AJ Johnson and Bub Carrington.
That makes any long-term commitment to Branham feel like a long shot.
