"The 2025-26 season is just three weeks old, and there are more than six months until the start of free agency. But the small body of work on the court should not dissuade us from identifying 12 potential free agents who have stood out and what their future could hold with their respective teams. There are criteria to how we selected our lineup of contract-year All-Stars:"
"First, we have disqualified players who have previously made an All-NBA or All-Star team. That means you won't see potential summer free agents such as Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, LA Clippers guard James Harden, Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young -- or even Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James -- on this list. Second, players with team options in their current contracts, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort and center Isaiah Hartenstein are also not considered."
"To say that Reaves has taken advantage of early season injuries to Luka Doncic and James has been an understatement. Reaves has seen his points per game increase from 20.2 points last season to a career-high 31.1. He currently ranks sixth among all players in points per game, behind Doncic, Tyrese Maxey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell. Reaves became the fourth undrafted player in the shot-clock era with a 50-point game in the regular or postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau."
Early in the 2025-26 season, twelve contract-year players were identified as standout potential free agents for the 2026 offseason. Players who previously made an All-NBA or All-Star team were excluded, removing names like Nikola Vucevic, James Harden, Zach LaVine, Trae Young and LeBron James. Players with team options were also excluded, including Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein. One Lakers guard has emerged as a second option in LeBron's absence and is positioning for a major 2026 payday. That guard's scoring rose from 20.2 to a career-high 31.1 points per game, and his playmaking surged with multiple high-assist outings.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]