Grading Every Contract Signing and Extension Ahead of 2026 NBA Free Agency

The NBA's 2026 free-agency period is right around the corner, but some teams and players clearly can't wait to get started.

Trae Young, Austin Reaves and others have already agreed to major new deals, and we're here to break all of them down.

With the help of the trusty A-F grading scale and in consideration of team fit, contract size, recent play and plenty of projection, here's how every deal scores.

Austin Reaves Returns to the Lakers for 4 years, $185 million

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That number looks big at first glance, but it's just the nature of NBA contracts under the current collective bargaining agreement, and following the signing of the latest TV deal.

Reaves' new salary won't even be top 40 in the league in 2026-27, and he'll almost certainly be a top-40 player.

Reaves averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 assists last season, but he was even better when his responsibility was ratcheted up a bit. When Reaves was on the floor without LeBron James, those numbers crept up to 26.7 points and 7.5 assists per 75 possessions, with a 65.5 true shooting percentage.

Obviously, those situations would be more common next season if LeBron departs. But even if they're not, Reaves' ability to control pace, create for others or himself, play on or off the ball and generate tons of trips to the line makes him one of the best offensive players in the league.

While the Lakers need to add defenders to help him on that end, they simply couldn't afford to let this kind of producer walk.

Grade: A-

Trae Young Extends with the Wizards for 4 years, $212 million

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We may have officially reached the point where Trae Young is a little underrated.

The general reaction to his new extension was severe. Several analysts and scores of fans were all clamoring to call it one of the worst contracts in the league within minutes of the news breaking.

But even without ever having a big like Anthony Davis (which he'll now have in Washington), Young was one of the league's best pick-and-roll playmakers for years in Atlanta. He made life on the offensive end significantly easier for several centers.

Over his last four seasons, he averaged 24.8 points and 10.7 assists. He'll undoubtedly continue to pile up dimes playing alongside AD and AJ Dybantsa.

Contrary to public opinion, those aren't just empty-calorie numbers. Even with his well-documented defensive shortcomings, Young's teams generally have better point differentials when he plays, because he charges the offense so much.

That said, he will stress Washington's defense. His shot selection will cause some head-scratching. And the contract could look pretty rough by the third or fourth year. But still, giving Dybantsa a pass-happy point guard with which to start his career is smart.

And simply letting Young leave in free agency, after acquiring him last season, would've been a mismanagement of assets.

Grade: B

Ayo Dosunmu Sticking with the Timberwolves for 5 years, $112 million

Following their salary dump of Julius Randle, the Minnesota Timberwolves acted quickly to secure a long-term deal for Ayo Dosunmu.

And given how instrumental he was in upsetting the Denver Nuggets in the first round, it's not hard to see why.

Dosunmu's combination of catch-and-shoot ability and secondary playmaking will be vital in Minnesota after Donte DiVincenzo went down with a torn Achilles. His perimeter defense can help cover for Anthony Edwards, who sometimes lacks focus on that end, too.

Even if he just matches his production from the postseason (15.6 points, 4.1 assists and 1.7 threes, while shooting 42.5 percent from three), this contract should age well.

Grade: B+

CJ McCollum Returns to the Hawks on a 1-Year, $21 Million Deal

Trae Young obviously puts up bigger raw numbers, but CJ McCollum was a better fit on the Atlanta Hawks, who needed to turn more of the offense over to Jalen Johnson.

After those two were swapped, the Hawks' offense was far more balanced, and they closed the season as one of the league's hotter teams.

But McCollum also turns 35 in September, so he doesn't really fit the timeline of the rest of the young core. It was reasonable to think they might let him walk.

Instead, the team and player settled on a good middle ground with this one-year deal. McCollum can provide his reliable leadership and shooting for another season. And if he drives his value up enough, he could be an attractive trade target in February.

This is a very low-risk, low-stress deal for a veteran who was mostly an additive piece last season.

Grade: A

Collin Gillespie Stays in Phoenix for 4 years, $48 Million

Collin Gillespie was one of the best stories in the NBA last season.

The 27-year-old scratched and clawed his way from playing on a two-way deal and having the outlook of, at best, a lifetime backup to a bona fide starter in just three seasons.

In 2025-26, he averaged 12.7 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 threes in just 28.5 minutes. The Suns' point differential was significantly better when he played.

And even after that campaign, the Suns were able to secure him on a four-year deal that will continue to pay him like a backup.

This is an absolute steal for Phoenix, whether he's a long-term starter or not.

Grade: A

Jordan Goodwin Stays with the Suns for 3 Years, $19 Million

This is another story of perseverance paying off for an unheralded Phoenix Sun.

Over the first three years of his career, Jordan Goodwin averaged 6.4 points, appeared in about 40 games per season and shot 30.8 percent from deep.

In the last two seasons, he's at 7.8 points in 21.4 minutes while shooting 37.3 percent from deep.

When you pair that production with near-constant effort on defense, it's a no-brainer to have him on a contract that takes up less than four percent of the cap.

Grade: A