Last Updated on July 1, 2026 3:22 pm by Keston Paul | Published: July 1, 2026

Welcome (back) to our Free Agency Rundown series for 2026 NBA free agency!

The first day of free agency didn’t have a ton going on, frankly, with half of the moves from yesterday offering very little fantasy-wise. The biggest news of the day was Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto, followed closely by LeBron James’ official departure from the Lakers. The second day figures to have a bit more movement as restricted free agency cases get deeper into the weeds and teams and agents get a better lay of the land after the initial wave of moves. We’re here to break it all down.

It’s an exciting time of year as all 30 teams are plotting course for next season. Fans whose teams have been out of it for a long time are locked back in after the draft and every single squad will be making some moves to shake up the roster. It’s a fresh start for everyone in the league and a time when hope is renewed no matter where you finished last season.

Naturally, all that player movement is doubly exciting to fantasy basketball players, as each transaction creates fun new alignments while creating the potential for sleeper values all over the place.

It’s important to remember that no team is even close to being a finished product at this point. Moves get made that create depth chart imbalance, which requires more moves to be made. Things will continue to change and so will fantasy outlooks. Don’t expect the Blazers to enter the season with all those guards, for example — but if they do, get ready for some headaches. The rosters you see in the immediate aftermath of trades and signings are not necessarily what you’ll see on opening night.

The goal of this exercise is to give you running thoughts and live fantasy analysis of all the moves that get made. We’ll need to wait and see how rotations look and how coaches scheme around all their shiny new toys but you’ll be getting our first impressions of every transaction. Get excited — basketball is just around the corner again, already.

For up-to-the-minute updates on free agency, follow along on our NBA Blurb Feed by clicking here and filtering for Transactions only. 

And remember, you can view all of our free agency live blogs here.

Free Agent News

Lakers acquire Walker Kessler in sign-and-trade with Jazz on four-year, $130 million deal

The Lakers are reportedly sending two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 to the Jazz. Kessler was limited to just five games in 2025-26, as he was forced to undergo season-ending left shoulder surgery. However, Kessler was flashing some brilliance before that, as he was knocking down 1.2 triples at a 75.0% clip — but remember that was a small sample size (he isn’t the best shooter of all time, surprising right?) and Kessler’s attempts at being a shooter were never successful before. If Kessler can be a neutral (or even positive) player on offense in general, his value in both real life and fantasy will skyrocket. Ever since his rookie season, we have come to expect abundant blocks and rebounds with high-end FG% and poor FT% in the typical big-man package. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves feeding him lobs now (Kessler has to be a more impactful screener as well), while at the same time, likely having to do a lot of defensive cleanup duties at the rim for those two, Kessler’s big-man stats should remain elite, and if he adds a 3-ball (which again, we should not project to be reliable yet), it could round out his lines even more — albeit, at risk of losing some FG% shine.

Kessler should be the starting big in Los Angeles after demanding this much value, which means there could be questions about whether or not Deandre Ayton is traded, or perhaps if he is willing to move into a backup role. Jaxson Hayes would obviously fall out of the rotation if Ayton stays. Bobby Marks of ESPN noted that Ayton may have to be waived-and-stretched for the Lakers to facilitate all of their recent moves.

Jusuf Nurkic is also set to be the starting center in Utah and a potential 12-team option unless they shift some things around to acquire another big.

Norman Powell agrees to two-year, $45 million deal with Bulls

Coming off an All-Star season, Powell was one of the top free agents available and makes the curious decision to join a rebuilding Bulls team. If nothing else it’ll help Chicago stay out of the relegation zone while Powell gets a nice bag for his services as a professional scorer. The Bulls will benefit from a guy who can go out and get his own shot without needing complete command of the offense, as it should spare Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson from some go-nowhere possessions that aren’t aiding in anyone’s development. Powell is flanked by plenty of talent — arguably more than he had last season in Miami — but it would be a shock if he isn’t the team’s scoring leader when the dust settles. Expect more of the same from him in general, though a slight haircut for Powell, Giddey and even Tre Jones isn’t a crazy thought. Powell is a comfortable target in the middle rounds as usual.

John Collins to sign with Pistons for three years, $51 million

The Pistons have their new starting power forward with Collins coming in to (seemingly) replace Tobias Harris. The Pistons get younger and a little bouncier without a ton of commitment, as only the first year of this dear is fully guaranteed. Collins bounced back and forth from the bench to the starting five last year with the Clippers but did manage a pretty good run of top-50 value in the middle of the campaign. That he ended up as just a top-120 guy at the end of the season illustrates just how rough the start and finish were, however, and perhaps this move allows Collins to settle into more consistent production. The Pistons lack credible scorers and Collins can help with that, even though he isn’t a volume 3-point shooter to help space the floor. Expect a clear uptick in points and playing time that should push Collins back into the top-100, with wiggle room on either side depending on what Detroit does next.

Mitchell Robinson agrees to three-year, $47.4 million deal with Celtics

Robinson landing in Boston might sneakily be the most interesting deal so far. He instantly becomes their best center, but due to his injury history, it is unlikely that he plays starter-level minutes. As a guess, Robinson would likely be capped at around 25 or 26 MPG if he starts — and even knowing that he is their best center, whether or not he actually starts is a legitimate question for the purposes of protecting his health in the regular season. Neemias Queta has proven he can be an impactful center in the regular season, while Luka Garza can always hop in for a 10-to-15 MPG of a more offensively-slanted look. That does mean there could be a timeshare in Boston, but both Robinson and Queta only need around 22-to-24 MPG to be in the low-end 12-team conversation.

In 19.6 MPG last season (60 games), Robinson averaged 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals (an underrated and overlooked part of his fantasy profile) with his typical .723 FG% and .408 FT% (only 1.7 attempts per game). If you add another 3-to-5 MPG onto Robinson, he can certainly be a four-cat specialist (rebounds, blocks, steals, FG%) worth a 12-team look if you can handle the potential for missed games.

Marcus Smart heads to Houston for two years, $13 million

Smart and the Rockets had been connected in concrete fashion over the last few days and it’s not shocking to see him land with another competitive squad after the fire was seemingly re-lit last season in LA. He brings defensive mettle and occasional 3-point shooting to a Houston team that was undone by lackluster guard play in the absence of Fred VanVleet a year ago. The Rockets have added Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic to a backcourt that includes a healthy VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, and now have enough depth that everyone should be slotted into their most natural role. Smart is probably going to get caught up in that timeshare enough that he isn’t a 12-team value unless you need assists and steals. The bigger worry for fantasy managers is that Smart’s presence will negatively impact Sheppard, who managed a strong fantasy season last year despite plenty of stops and starts along the way.

Lakers to sign Quentin Grimes for four years, $60 million

Grimes will likely slot in as the starting small forward in Los Angeles based on their current roster, providing 3-and-D play with a little ability to create for himself as well. After his stunning finish to the 2024-25 season with the Sixers, Grimes lost some edge as a sixth man in 2025-26 behind star rookie VJ Edgecombe and franchise player Tyrese Maxey. Grimes did play 75 games, which was a positive return on health for a previously injury-prone player, but his game-to-game stats in 29.4 MPG were 13.4 points, 1.7 triples, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks, .450 FG% and .840 FT%. That isn’t bad, but it doesn’t pop off the page either. If Grimes locks in defensively and gets back to picking up more deflections (i.e. steals), maybe he can get into the 12-team mix with a bit of a 3-and-D profile. For now, he likely projects to fall into the later rounds once again on a per-game basis.

Sandro Mamukelashvili agrees to four-year, $52 million deal with Lakers

As things stand, Mamukelashvili has a chance to be the starting power forward for the Lakers with Rui Hachimura seemingly not being retained. Jake LaRavia may also have a shout, but Mamukelashvili offers more reliable floor-spacing abilities after hitting 1.4 triples at a 38.9% clip last season. In 21.9 MPG, he also averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. He was the No. 172/137 (8-cat/9-cat) player per game, so as you can imagine, if Mamu plays closer to 28 or 29 MPG, he could certainly be in the 12-team conversation. Remember, that role is guaranteed and he might just be a 22 MPG backup again, but keep a close eye on his role.

Collin Sexton heading to Lakers for two years, $19 million

Sexton should slot in as the sixth man for the Lakers and a microwave scorer. He adds ball-handling and tenacity on defense (even if his size limits some of his overall impact). We have seen Sexton in this role over recent years and typically he falls into the 14-team range with high-end streaming appeal for 12-team leagues. If Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves ever miss time, Sexton should be a shoo-in to start and then actually provide more concrete 12-team production in points, FT%, assists and some threes, although he isn’t typically the highest-volume 3-point slinger.

De’Anthony Melton returning to Warriors for two years, $11 million

The Warriors kept Melton on a strict 25-minute limit throughout most of last season after coming off an ACL tear and multiple injury-riddled seasons prior. However, as he got more and more unleashed as a starter after the All-Star break, Melton reminded us of who he can be for fantasy, providing spurts of 12-team-worthy play via his threes, steals and some complementary assists with solid scoring.  Across 23.0 MPG in 49 appearances in 2025-26, Melton averaged 12.3 points, 1.5 triples, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals. The Warriors view him as a starter when healthy, so if he opens the season playing 28-plus MPG, Melton should be on the 12-team radar. However, if Melton is being protected due to injury risk, he is likely just in the streamer range.

Pacers and Kelly Oubre reach agreement on two-year, nearly $17 million deal

Oubre had pretty much nailed down a starting role in Philadelphia, but after they signed Dean Wade to a multi-year deal, it seemed obvious that Oubre was on his way out. In Indiana, Oubre’s path to starting is less clear, as Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam should occupy the non-PG and C spots. Nembhard and Nesmith both offer point-of-attack defense, while Nembhard adds secondary ball-handling and Nesmith is an elite shooter. Oubre can provide secondary offense and good defense too, but it seems like he is a mish-mash who might be viewed as more of a strong piece off their bench who can fill in at the forward spots while providing flexibility to cover multiple roles. Oubre has found a way to “survive for fantasy” year after year, but if the Pacers are healthy, he might finally take a step back into the deep-league realms.

Every year that we bet against Oubre, however, he still finds a way to show up and at least have stints of 12-team value. He can put up points, threes, rebounds and steals, so do remember to keep him in mind, especially if one of the Pacers’ starters go down. He might even slot in if someone like Tyrese Haliburton sits out (which he might do regularly coming off an Achilles tear), as Nembhard could shift over to PG, Nesmith to “SG” and Oubre as the SF. So, he could potentially be the next man up for anyone not named Ivica Zubac, since he can also fill in at PF for Siakam too.

Nikola Vucevic agrees to one-year deal with Magic

Vucevic had a pretty nasty fall-off last year with Boston to the point that he was phased out of the playoff rotation entirely, though that might’ve been more a factor of actually playing competitive games than any mid-season decline. It turns out that playing high-level opponents for seven games is much different than sleepwalking to double-doubles on a bad Bulls team. A return to the Magic for a paltry $3.9 million is a surprising move either way. Vucevic is onto the backup/situational stage of his career on good teams and that appears to be what we have here. With Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze on the roster and much more capable defensively, Vucevic is probably slotting into the backup spot and topping out at 25 minutes a night (and that’s generous). His days as a 12-team asset look to be over but Vucevic will probably still have his share of low-end double-doubles and will play consistently for a Magic team that needed some offensive punch.

Jonathan Mogbo agrees to two-way deal with Kings

Mogbo was an afterthought in his second season, averaging just 6.2 mpg in 40 appearances after averaging 20.6 mpg as a rookie. The Raptors’ improvement outpaced his development and Mogbo could not get onto the court as he was outplayed by Collin Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jamison Battle (plus Brandon Ingram pushing Scottie Barnes to the four more often). It’s an upside bet for the Kings that is well worth taking; his rookie year numbers (6.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 0.3 triples) point to his statistical potential and if Mogbo gets the developmental reps you’d expect from a rebuilding team — or at least any rebuilding team besides the Kings — there could be something here. Keegan Murray and Precious Achiuwa are in his way but Mogbo is someone you can view as a deep-league sleeper just in case the organization figures out that he’s exactly the kind of player who should be eating minutes.

Other moves with less fantasy implications: Jevon Carter re-signs with Magic for one year, $3.5 million; Moritz Wagner agrees to two-year, $19 million deal with Nets; Mike Conley agrees to one-year deal with Celtics; Ariel Hukporti agrees to one-year, $3.4 million deal with Sixers; Alijah Martin returns to Raptors on two-year, $4.8 million deal; Jonathan Isaac back to Magic on one-year deal; Jamir Watkins returns to Wizards on two-way contract

Yesterday’s Recap

Ousmane Dieng re-signs with Bucks for three years, $17.5 million: A sensible deal for a two-way wing with upside on a rebuilding team. Last season’s strong finish might be smoke and mirrors for fantasy given the current crowd in Milwaukee but the commitment to Dieng is notable and puts him in the mix as a deep-league target or a last-round dart in standard leagues if the Bucks send out more players before opening night.

Nets nab Keon Ellis for two years, $18 million: It feels like a bit of a waste for Ellis to end up on the Nets but in a real meritocracy, he won’t have problems securing healthy minutes. It’s a decent spot for his fantasy upside given the lack of productive guards — though there are a lot of them — in Brooklyn, and we all know that Ellis only needs 24 minutes a night to hit the fringes of 12-team value with obvious specialist appeal. He’s going to be underrated in fantasy again, especially after a couple of frustrating seasons, but savvy managers don’t have to look hard to see the opportunity here. He’s a defensive pest who can knock down 3-pointers and the Nets simply need that skill set from someone in the rotation.

Heat get Tim Hardaway Jr. on one-year, $6.5 million deal: The Heat have made it no secret that they’re looking to add shooting and their first move was to get perhaps the most reliable veteran 3-point shooter on the board. Hardaway could theoretically start but is just as comfortable holding down a high-minute reserve role. You know exactly what you’re getting here and Hardaway should remain a solid 3-point specialist who has some 12-team potential if the Heat come up short in future efforts to sign shooters.

Dean Wade agrees to four-year, $39 million deal with Sixers: The Sixers scoop a strong wing defender from a Conference rival, securing Wade on a nice annual salary. He will be in the mix to start at PF after the Sixers leaned a bit too heavily on Dominick Barlow last season. Wade will mean more to the Sixers than fantasy GMs but he is going to cook up that typical low-key blend of rebounds, steals, blocks and triples and should be helpful in deeper formats.

Other moves with less fantasy implications: DeAndre Jordan re-signs with Pelicans; Bones Hyland re-signs with Wolves; Branden Carlson signs with Blazers; Kobe Sanders re-signs with the Clippers; Luke Kennard signs with the Suns; Zach Collins extends with the Bulls; Bogdan Bogdanovic signs one-year deal with Rockets

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• NBA Free Agency Rundown: July 1
• 2026 NBA Free Agency Rundown: June 30
• 2026 NBA Draft Primer: Prospect Profiles