The initial rush of NBA free agency is about over at this point. And what a rush it was. This year’s free agency period saw a ton of player movement on both the open market and the trade front, with hundreds of millions of dollars handed out in the form of new contracts. Many faces will don unfamiliar uniforms next year and the implications of the summer action will be, as always, far-reaching beyond what even we can see now.
But it’s not over yet. With the dust largely settling around the league after the opening sprint of action, there are still a few leftover free agents who remain unsigned for various reasons. Even at this stage of free agency, where they sign will impact the league as much as the free agent signings we’ve seen so far.
This year is a special case with all-time great LeBron James still available. But even beyond him there are a few big names worth monitoring as negotiations continue.
Here are the five best NBA free agents still available as the offseason continues in earnest.
Best NBA free agents still available
LeBron James
2025–26 stats: 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists
LeBron is still an All-Star caliber point forward who can read and manipulate the floor as well as anybody in the NBA. Big scoring explosions are growing more rare and availability is a concern as he will turn 42 years old in December. But he is still very capable of playing a big role on a championship team as an elite third option; any more responsibility than that is probably asking too much of the 23-year NBA veteran. Beyond that, this is LeBron James. Just convincing him to sign on the dotted line is a big feather in his new team’s cap no matter who it is. Where James ends up will have a significant effect on next year’s title race.
Why he hasn’t signed yet: It appears that James isn’t prioritizing a big salary this time around so he’s letting the dust settle around the league in order to determine which roster would fit him best with the biggest moves of the offseason already executed. Rich Paul said over the weekend he doesn’t think a decision will come “anytime soon.”
Jalen Duren (restricted)
2025–26 stats: 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 0.8 blocks
Duren entered the offseason in a rather tough spot as an undeniably talented All-NBA center—who played a massive role in the Pistons’ playoff failure. The 22-year-old enjoyed the best regular season of his career to help Detroit win 60 games but turned into a pumpkin in the postseason as the Magic and Cavaliers rendered him completely ineffective; he averaged nine fewer points in the playoffs. Nevertheless, Duren has plenty of room to grow at his age. The big strides he’s taken since being drafted in 2022 suggests he’s capable of reaching his potential as one of the best rim-running, rim-protecting centers in the league.
Why he hasn’t signed yet: Duren and the Pistons started free agency extremely far apart in negotiations and nothing seems to have changed. Which was predictable. Duren was eligible for a contract worth nearly $300 million after his All-NBA nod and Detroit was never going to pay him that much, particularly after his postseason performance. As a restricted free agent Duren doesn’t have much leverage but is still holding out in hopes of getting a lucrative an offer as possible, whether from the Pistons, another team giving him an offer sheet or somehow finding a sign-and-trade solution that works for all parties involved.
Peyton Watson (Restricted)
2025–26 stats: 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
Watson broke out last year as an elite two-way wing in Denver. While he only played in 54 games due to injury (and missed the Nuggets’ playoff run for the same reason), Watson was one of only three players in the NBA to shoot over 40% from three and block at least one shot per game. It’s a rare and valuable skillset, even if he’s not a volume shooter and doesn’t create his own shot. Entering his age-24 season there’s also plenty of reason to believe Watson hasn’t yet scratched the ceiling of the player he can be. And even if that proves too optimistic, great defenders who aren’t invisible on offense are the backbone of any true contender.
Why he hasn’t signed yet: The latest reports suggest the Nuggets are still negotiating with Watson but have become more open to the idea of a sign-and-trade with their prized restricted free agent. Which suggests Denver hasn’t picked a direction for this roster yet after a disastrous first-round playoff loss. Signing Watson to a rich new deal would push the team into the second apron and incur costs ownership has never shown a willingness to pay in the past, but losing him makes the roster worse in almost any circumstance. But there’s no rush, and so the two sides continue to dance.
James Harden
2025–26 stats: 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds
Harden’s strengths and weaknesses are well-known at this point. He is an excellent ballhandler and shooter who can still lay claim to being one of the league’s top point guards even entering his age-37 season. His defense is still bad and getting worse. Relying on him to deliver in the clutch of the postseason is a fool’s errand, yet he undeniably makes his teammates better offensively as a floor general. Harden is who he is and, based on last year, has a few more good years left in him.
Why he hasn’t signed yet: Harden entered free agency after opting out of his player option with the widely-held expectation he’d re-sign to a longer deal in Cleveland. That still seems to be the case, but the plan appears to be on hold while the Cavaliers figure out if they can land LeBron for a third time.
Jonathan Kuminga
2025–26 stats: 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Kuminga’s on-court play doesn’t make him one of the top free agents available, but teams are still interested in betting on his potential and so he remains somewhat coveted. There is a reality in which Kuminga harnesses his top-tier athleticism to become an impactful wing defender who can slash to the bucket at any moment, and the Hawks saw glimpses of that player against the Knicks in the first round of this year’s playoffs. But that reality is at odds with what we’ve actually seen out of the 23-year-old former lottery pick to this point, one who clashed with the coaching staff in Golden State to the detriment of his own play and the team’s as he failed to prove why he deserved more of the spotlight in the few opportunities he was granted to do so.
Why he hasn’t signed yet: It seems the rest of the NBA is struggling with that perception as well. Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent and Atlanta obviously has been content to let him sit on the open market without making a strong push to re-sign him. The Lakers have been connected to him but otherwise the rumor mill hasn’t churned out much around Kuminga’s name. Someone will take a chance on his talents but it may be a while yet now that most of the money around the league has been allocated to other players.
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