NBA Free Agents Who Surprisingly Still Don't Have a Team
Over a month into NBA free agency, several big names are still looking for homes.
As rosters fill up and teams run out of spending tools, the market may not improve before training camps start to gather near the end of September.
Why, then, have these players been left out in the cold so far?
Jonathan Kuminga
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Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors weren't on the same page when he hit restricted free agency in 2025, compromising on a two-year deal with a team option for 2026-27. Soon after, the Warriors dealt Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged 13.7 points through a hard-fought six-game series against the New York Knicks.
Still, the Hawks declined Kuminga's option, freeing over $24 million from the team's cap sheet. Instead, Atlanta reinvested in CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, while trading for Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard. Atlanta chose depth over Kuminga, which is why he's in this predicament.
The Hawks still have his rights, but the roster is already at 17 players. Even if Mouhamed Gueye's non-guaranteed $2.4 million is cut, Atlanta is only $6.5 million below the luxury tax thresholdโhistorically, that's a line the franchise has refused to cross.
If Atlanta is willing to help a suitor like the Los Angeles Lakers acquire Kuminga via sign-and-trade, the Hawks would need to absorb at least one or two players like Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, or Jaden Harden. That's an issue with roster count and luxury taxes. Additionally, a sign-and-trade requires at least a three-year deal. Kuminga isn't going to lock in a long-term deal at the wrong price.
He faces a similar issue with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that would need to drop and stay under the first apron in a sign-and-trade. Whether a third team is interested in Dennis Schrรถder or Max Strus, or any of the Lakers listed above, remains to be seen. The Hawks could go into the tax, but can only add about $13.7 million in salary under the first-apron hard cap.
Alternatively, Kuminga could sign a short deal in Cleveland at the taxpayer mid-level exception, but $6.1 million is significantly less than what he has in mind.
With no home run answer yet, Kuminga will continue to wait to see if the market changes unexpectedly.
James Harden
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Harden chose to opt out of his final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaving behind $42.3 million. However, about a third of that salary was guaranteed. That was from a deal worked out in 2025 with the LA Clippers, which ultimately led to the breakup and trade that landed Harden in Cleveland.
Very few teams had spending power this summer. Those that did, including the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, were all going younger. Harden didn't recklessly leave that money behind without an understanding with the Cavaliers that he'll re-sign with the franchise.
So what's the delay? The Cavaliers were the only team above the second apron last season. The team is working within boundaries set by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Harden is giving Cleveland time to chase players like LeBron James (who ultimately chose the Philadelphia 76ers) or Kuminga.
Once the dust settles, put Harden back on a 2-3 year deal with the Cavaliers, the starting salary flexible enough to accommodate improvements, with Harden making it up with the additional season on his contract.
DeMar DeRozan
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DeRozan is the No. 16 scorer in NBA history, currently sitting on 26,711 points. He's ahead of Steph Curry (26,528), Tim Duncan (26,496), and Kevin Garnett (26,071).
Yet the Sacramento Kings cut him loose despite a $10 million obligation, a financial move to get out of his full $26.7 million. As one of the bottom teams in the league last year, the Kings went into the summer with one of the highest payrolls. Setting him free should give the veteran wing the chance to latch on with a high-level squad like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, or Denver Nuggets.
A player of his stature likely resists taking a minimum contract, but that's probably the most likely path if he wants to play with a true contender. Additionally, the Kings will be able to discount some of the $10 million owed to DeRozan, depending on his new contract. For instance, a taxpayer mid-level deal with the Cavaliers would drop Sacramento's obligation to almost $8 million.
Russell Westbrook
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Westbrook is one of the few players higher on the all-time scoring list than DeRozan, currently No. 14 at 27,176. He's a former NBA Most Valuable Player, averaging a triple-double over four of his 18 seasons.
Unfortunately, he has struggled to find a home over the last few years of his career.
Westbrook has played for five different teams since his last All-Star appearance in 2019-20, including the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and, most recently, the Sacramento Kings. And he even joined Sacramento last year on a non-guaranteed minimum contract.
Injuries and other issues with the Kings led him to take on a much larger role than was initially intended. He averaged 28.9 minutes per night, scoring 15.2 points with 6.7 assists per game.
Westbrook can still play, and while he's rarely been a consistent outside shooter, don't count him out as "retired" just yet.
The Restricted Free Agents
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Lumping a few together, the top available free agents are mostly restricted, specifically Jalen Duren with the Detroit Pistons, Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets, and Bennedict Mathurin of the LA Clippers.
The few teams that started the summer with cap room have spent it elsewhere. The Pistons haven't entertained sign-and-trade options. With no team currently in position to give Duren an offer sheet, he must weigh taking the one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer or accepting a multi-year deal from Detroit that obviously isn't as high as he would like.
The Nuggets and Clippers have been more open to sign-and-trade, at least that's what competing front offices indicate. But both franchises want to be paid handsomely for giving up a good, young player. Denver is dealing with second-apron issues, which is why they're reluctant to overpay Watson.
The Clippers have other issues to worry about, with the NBA still working to finalize the Aspiration/Kawhi Leonard investigation, which has placed the Brandon Ingram/Gradey Dick trade with the Toronto Raptors on hold.
If the NBA chose to do something extreme, like voiding Leonard's contract, the Clippers would fall under the salary cap and could become a suitor for players like Duren, Watson, or even Kuminga.
The safe bet is that all three players return to their teams, though Mathurin may be the most likely to relocate.
Email Eric Pincus atย eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Xย @EricPincusย andย Bluesky.
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