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

Isaiah Hartenstein Re-Signs with the Oklahoma City Thunder

You can't really analyze this deal for the Oklahoma City Thunder without looking at the rest of their offseason.

By unloading both Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe into other teams' cap space, OKC created enough flexibility to extend Hartenstein without causing too many short-term problems.

Now, the Thunder can continue to lean on Hartenstein's passing and rebounding whether he's anchoring a bigger frontcourt with Chet Holmgren or playing without him.

His impact in either role has been solid for the Thunder.

Grade: B+

Coby White Returns to the Hornets for 3 Years, $74 Million

Shortly after news broke that the Charlotte Hornets were trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, we learned that Coby White would re-sign with Charlotte.

And considering the fact that he's sort of the de facto starting point guard now, this deal is a steal.

The average annual value here works out to about 15 percent of the 2026-27 salary cap, which is below market for the role and minutes White is likely to play.

And though he's not quite the distributor Ball is, if White produces like he did post-trade last season (he averaged 15.6 points and 3.0 assists in 19.3 minutes, while shooting 39.1 percent from deep), the Hornets should still push for a playoff spot.

There's some playmaking upside yet to be developed for Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, and White's off-ball experience should help on that front too.

At this price, bringing him back was a no-brainer.

Grade: A

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+

Jose Alvarado Re-Signs with New York

Declaring anyone the "heart and soul" of a team is obviously cliched, but it absolutely applies to Jose Alvarado.

And getting him to re-sign for an amount right around the $4.5 million he would've made from accepting his player option is a clear win.

His raw numbers (7.4 points, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.9 minutes last season) may not leap off the screen, but there really isn't anything to measure his effort and craftiness on both ends, and what that does for the crowd.

Especially with Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson potentially leaving this summer, bringing Alvarado back to the championship core feels crucial.

Grade: A

Suns Re-Sign Mark Williams for 3 Years, $38 Million

We'll get the concern out of the way at the outset. Unfortunately, injuries have been perhaps the defining feature of Mark Williams' career.

In 2025-26, he managed 60 appearances, but that was his career high. Over his four years in the league, he's barely averaged 41 games per season.

There's a very real chance that continues to be an issue through the life of the contract. In fact, it's probably the likelier outcome.

But at this price, this is still a very good deal for the Phoenix Suns.

The average annual value on this contract is less than eight percent of the projected cap for 2026-27. That's next to nothing for a starting center. And there's no question Williams is that caliber of big men when he's available.

For his career, Williams has averaged 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 23.6 minutes. In 2024-25, he even added 2.5 assists per game.

He may not be the best at his position at any one thing, but he's good at a lot of them. And even with the health concerns, this is a good value move for Phoenix.

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

Al Horford Returns to the Warriors for 2 Years, $14 Million

Al Horford only appeared in 45 games for the Golden State Warriors in 2025-26, and their net rating was slightly worse when he was on the floor.

But this deal's average annual value only amounts to about four percent of the 2026-27 cap, and the organization must've appreciated his experience and leadership.

If that's the bulk of what he brings to the Warriors next season, great. If they have to rely on him to play meaningful minutes, it probably means something has gone wrong with the center rotation.

It's not that Horford is bad. On the contrary, it's kind of amazing that he's still generally a plus player as he ages into his 40s. But at this age, he's not as versatile on defense as he once was and doesn't do much on the other end besides take catch-and-shoot threes and distribute from standstill positions.

But again, at this price, and with some of the off-the-court contributions Horford can make, this is a fine deal.

Grade: B

Toronto Picks Up Jamal Shead's $2.3 Million Team Option

From the Raptors' perspective, this really is a no-brainer.

The salary cap is $165 million in 2026-27, so $2.3 million is a minuscule portion of it. And Shead was quietly one of the more important pieces of Toronto's success last season.

His shooting efficiency leaves plenty to be desired, but Shead trailed only Scottie Barnes among Raptors in total assists. And the team's net rating was dramatically better when he was on the floor.

Keeping him around and making sure that second unit stays as intact as possible is wise.

Grade: A

Pelicans Pick Up Team Option on Karlo Matković

This was another easy decision on a team option.

The New Orleans Pelicans only have to pay Karlo Matković $2.3 million this coming season, which is plenty affordable for one of their more consistent role players.

In just 14.7 minutes, Matković averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, while shooting 42.2 percent from three. He was tied for fourth on the team in total wins over replacement player.

He certainly doesn't look like a future star or anything, but Matković brings a good combination of size (6'10") and outside shooting and is only 25.

Again, a pretty easy choice when the team option is as small as this one.

Grade: A

Hawks Pick Up Mo Gueye's Team Option

This was an easy decision for the Atlanta Hawks.

Mouhamed Gueye has provided plenty of energy to the team over the last three years, has a solid block rate and has even shown hints of three-point shooting ability.

for the 23-year-old, there may not be a ton of developmental runway left, but $2.41 million is such a small piece of the cap that that doesn't really matter.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr. Exercises His Player Option

Most of these grades have been from the team perspective, which is a little weird when a player option is exercised, but this is still a pretty good deal for the Milwaukee Bucks.

A guard who's capable of starting games making less than $6 million when the cap is $165 million is a borderline steal. And KPJ is indeed good enough to start games.

That was his role in 36 of 38 appearances last season, and he averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 assists.

Of course, availability is a big concern. A career 34.8 three-point percentage could raise some eyebrows too.

But all in all, the Bucks should be fine with this.

Grade: B+

Ron Harper Jr. Re-Signs with Boston for 3 Years, $9 Million

He hasn't quite made the splash his little brother did with the San Antonio Spurs this season, but Ron Harper Jr. is starting to carve out his NBA niche with the Boston Celtics.

Last season, he averaged in 29 games, hit 28 threes and had an above-average defensive estimated plus-minus.

At $3 million per year, for a 26-year-old with the pedigree of Harper's family, it's worth it to see how much more developmental runway is left.

Grade: B+

Josh Minott Re-Signs with the Nets for 2 Years, $9 Million

Josh Minott hasn't put up huge numbers at any of his NBA stops, but he definitely showed some three-and-D upside for the Brooklyn Nets last season.

In 49 games (including 11 starts), he put up 7.4 points in 17.0 minutes, while shooting 41.8 percent from three.

That kind of production from a 6'8" forward who can, at least in theory, switch all over the floor on defense, is well worth $4.5 million per year.

Grade: B+

Nets Re-Sign Day'Ron Sharpe for 2 Years, $20 Million

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With Nic Claxton being traded to the Chicago Bulls this offseason, there was suddenly a significant need at the 5 for the Brooklyn Nets.

And while they could probably still use some depth there, Day'Ron Sharpe re-signing could make him the safe bet to be the starter.

The former Tar Heel was very productive with limited playing time last season, averaging 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in just 18.7 minutes.

There's no guarantee all those numbers naturally rise with more time on the floor, but he's shown a wide-ranging skill set that will make him an easy fit alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle.

And to get that for $10 million per year, when the salary cap is $165 million, is a borderline coup.

Grade: A

Raptors Pick up Trayce Jackson-Davis' $2.4 Million Team Option

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Trayce Jackson-Davis did next to nothing after he was traded to the Toronto Raptors last season. He appeared in 17 games, averaged 5.0 minutes in those games and scored a grand total of 31 points.

But for his career, TJD has a solid enough block rate and true shooting percentage to suggest he can be a useful backup big.

And for less than two percent of the 2025-26 salary cap, the Raptors are essentially getting one last look at him for free.

The only possible downside is that he's taking a roster spot from someone the team believes is more worthy, but that could be solved by waiving Jackson-Davis later.

Grade: B

Miami Re-Signs Andrew Wiggins for 3 Years, $64 Million

Over the course of his career (which is heading into its 13th year!), the expectations for Andrew Wiggins have morphed from "future superstar" to "useful role player."

And while it would certainly be nice if he produced a bit more as a rebounder, passer or defender, being passable in those categories, while shooting 41.4 percent from deep, helped him post the highest box plus/minus in his career last season.

With Miami entering 2026-27 starting Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt, that shooting from Wiggins will be even more important, too. He might even need to up the volume.

If the rest of his production stays roughly the same, while his three-point attempts per game go from 4.9 to 7.9, he'll be worth the average annual value of this deal.

Grade: A-

Cavaliers Re-Sign Thomas Bryant for 1 Year at the Veteran Minimum

Thomas Bryant didn't have a huge role to play on a Cleveland Cavaliers team with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but he was quietly pretty productive in his limited playing time.

In his first campaign with Cleveland, Bryant appeared in 60 games, averaged 12.2 minutes and put up 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in those minutes.

He's not a dynamic rim protector and can get a little shot-happy on the other hand, but simply being able to eat up some innings inside makes him worth this deal.

Grade: B+

Knicks Re-Signing Landry Shamet for 4 Years, $24 Million

This one felt like a borderline no-brainer before James Dolan publicly declared his unwillingness to spend the team into the second apron.

But even with that apparent mandate, the New York Knicks were able to bring back one of the most important reserves from their title run on a pretty team-friendly deal.

The average annual salary of $6 million is less than four percent of the 2026-27 cap, and Shamet will almost certainly blow past that value if he stays healthy and shoots like he did in the postseason.

During the playoff run, he made 47.5 percent of his three-point attempts and finished 23rd in the entire NBA in total plus-minus.

Grade: A

OKC Picks Up Lu Dort's $17.7 Million Team Option

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With Luguentz Dort being borderline unplayable by the end of the San Antonio Spurs series, he seemed like one of the most obvious options for cost-cutting.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder already did a fair bit of that by dealing Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. Given how important Dort's defense was to the rise of OKC prior to this past season, the team could pretty easily justify bringing him back.

Still, merely picking up his team option doesn't guarantee that's the plan. That could simply be the first step in moving him. Had the Thunder declined his option, they would've risked losing him for nothing. Now, they can trade him for something and potentially open up more minutes for a growing group of players on rookie contracts.

Grade: Incomplete

Spurs Re-Sign Julian Champagnie for 3 Years, $45 Million

The San Antonio Spurs deciding to start Julian Champagnie over Harrison Barnes was a big part of the late-season surge that secured the No. 2 seed in the West. And his three-and-D contributions helped them reach the Finals, too.

In 23 playoff games, he averaged 11.2 points and shot 39.6 percent from deep, while often being tasked with chasing the opposition's best perimeter player.

He checked both of the primary boxes for his role, and the Spurs' postseason net rating was comfortably better when he played.

Barring a pretty significant trade, he's going to be a starter for this team for the foreseeable future. And getting that for $15 million per year is excellent value.

Grade: A

Jazz Re-Sign Jusuf Nurkić for 2 Years, $22 Million

I'm not exactly sure who coined the term, but "human trade exception" recently entered the NBA lexicon, and it's tough to see this deal for Jusuf Nurkić as anything other than that.

The fact that it's two years (without an option on the second year) suggests otherwise, but Utah also has Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kyle Filipowski on the roster. Walker Kessler is a restricted free agent, so the team can match whatever offer sheet he signs.

Maybe bringing Nurkić back is a hedge against the possibility Kessler's money is too rich for ownership and the front office, but it feels like the likeliest outcome is Nurkić showing enough to be moved to an older team before the deadline.

Otherwise, there's a chance Utah signed up to pay $11 million a year to someone who's far from guaranteed to be in the rotation.

Grade: C+

Pistons Re-Sign Kevin Huerter for 3 Years, $27 Million

Kevin Huerter didn't shoot the way he has for most of his career in 2025-26. Between his time with the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons, he made just 30.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

If he stays at that level, this deal might not age very well.

But $9 million per year for the player Huerter was prior to this past season is good value. Over the six seasons prior to this one, he put up 12.0 points and 2.9 assists in 28.3 minutes, while shooting 37.4 percent from deep.

If that version of Huerter consistently shows up for a Detroit Pistons team that desperately needs shooting around Cade Cunningham, this is a good signing.

Grade: B+

Warriors Re-Sign Kristaps Porziņģis for 2 Years, $40 Million

There is some very real risk involved in this one.

Beyond Kristaps Porziņģis being perhaps the single biggest availability risk in the NBA, ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that it could eat into Golden State's ability to use the full mid-level exception (perhaps on a free agent like LeBron James).

Is the raw dollars and cents and the decreased flexibility really worth it for a player who's averaged fewer than 50 appearances per season for his career?

There's no question that Porziņģis is both effective and brings a different dynamic to Golden State than its previous bigs. His combination of size, shooting and rim protection would be integral to the Warriors contending again.

But the chances of him being anywhere near 100 percent for a playoff run, based on his history, are pretty slim.

Grade: C

Spurs Re-Sign Harrison Barnes for 1 Year, $8 Million

He's no longer a starting forward for the San Antonio Spurs (putting Julian Champagnie in that spot helped them make the Finals), but Harrison Barnes' leadership and experience remain valuable.

And securing both of those things for just $8 million (against a $165 million salary cap) is worth it.

Even if Barnes only plays 15-20 minutes, if he guards reserves well and continues to shoot 41.1 percent from deep (his percentage in San Antonio), this deal will be just fine.

Grade: B+

Miami Re-Signs Simone Fontecchio for 1 Year and the Veteran Minimum

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo headlining this Miami Heat team, shooting at every other spot will be crucial.

And while Simone Fontecchio has had a couple down years statistically, his reputation and willingness to get threes up at decent volume make him an obvious fit for this roster.

If he shoots the three like he did in 2023-24 (when he hit 40.1 percent of his attempts) or this past season (37.5 percent), he'll be well worth the veteran minimum.

Grade: B+

Portland Re-Signs Robert Williams for 3 Years, $44 Million

Robert Williams III might be an even bigger injury risk than Kristaps Porziņģis.

Williams has averaged fewer than 40 appearances per year for his career, and has had to work his way through multiple knee injuries. Now that he's nearing 30, it's hard to imagine the trend suddenly reverses.

But he did manage to play in 59 games last season and was his typical, bouncy self in limited playing time.

Williams averaged 7.0 rebounds and 6.7 points in 17.1 minutes, while shooting 70.8 percent from the field. His production and ability to finish at the rim make him particularly interesting in the wake of the Ja Morant trade. A lob threat like Williams should make Ja more dangerous.

But there's a very real chance Williams sits more games than he plays over the next three years. And if that happens, this deal could look pretty bad in hindsight.

Grade: B-

Hawks Re-Sign Jock Landale for 1 Year, $14 Million

Jock Landale was quietly one of the best backup centers in the NBA this past season, and the Atlanta Hawks apparently want a longer look at him.

After the midseason trade that sent him to the Eastern Conference, Landale averaged 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 threes in 19.4 minutes, while shooting 39.1 percent from deep.

On a team with a volume-playmaking forward who doesn't shoot all that well from the outside like Jalen Johnson, a sweet-shooting center can make a huge difference.

The $14 million salary here seems a bit steep for someone almost certain to be a backup, but it's a number Landale can live up to.

Grade: B-