Looking ahead to 2027 free agency

Take an early look at the players who could be in the free agency mix once next summer gets rolling.

John Schuhmann

1. The class of 2023

Players selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft will be restricted free agents in 2027…

As long as they had the third and fourth-year options on their rookie contracts exercised.

Unless they sign an extension between now and the start of the 2026-27 season.

There were seven players in the first round of the 2023 Draft who didn’t have their options picked up, with Jett Howard (No. 11 pick), Kobe Bufkin (No. 15) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (No. 17) being the three that were drafted in the top 20. That leaves 23 players who could negotiate and sign rookie extensions this summer.

At this point, Victor Wembanyama is the only one of the 23 that has agreed to an extension. Other key players from the class of 2023 include …

Brandon Miller (CHA) – No. 2 pick

Amen Thompson (HOU) – No. 4 pick

Ausar Thompson (DET) – No. 5 pick

Cason Wallace (OKC) – No. 10 pick

Keyonte George (UTA) – No. 16 pick

Last year, nine of 22 eligible players signed rookie extensions. If they don’t happen early in the summer, they generally get done in the last few days before the start of the season.

2. Unrestricted free agents

Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. is a name to watch in free agency next summer.

1. LeBron James (Team TBD)

If the league’s all-time leading scorer signs a one-year contract with his new team and doesn’t announce his retirement after Season 24, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again in 2027.

T-3. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

The best shooter in NBA history is still an impact player. He’ll be 39 next summer, but no player in the league has more gravity when he’s off the ball.

T-3. Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers/Toronto)

Leonard will turn 36 next summer, but he played 65 games last season and was one of only three qualified players – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić were the others – that averaged at least 27 points with a true shooting percentage of 62% or better last season.

4. Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn Nets)

Porter (29 next summer) saw a huge jump in usage rate upon his move to Brooklyn, and his efficiency didn’t suffer much.

5. Tyler Herro (Milwaukee Bucks)

Herro has seen a significant jump in efficiency over the last two seasons, but he played just 33 games in 2025-26.

6. RJ Barrett (Toronto Raptors)

Barrett is coming off the most efficient season of his career, and he was terrific in the playoffs, averaging 24.1 points on a true shooting percentage of 56.3%.

7. CJ McCollum (Atlanta Hawks)

McCollum showed in the playoffs that he can still get big buckets in big moments, but he signed just a one-year extension with the Hawks before free agency began this year. So he’ll be up for a new deal again in 2027, and he’ll be 36 when the ’27-28 season begins.

8. Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Dort has been a critical piece for the league’s best team over the last three years, and the Thunder exercised his team option for ’26-27. But shedding role-player salary may be necessary in the next 12 months.

9. Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets)

It’s still been less than a year (Sept. 2025) since VanVleet tore his ACL, and it will be fascinating to see if he was the missing ingredient for the Rockets last season.

10. Jimmy Butler (Jimmy Butler)

Butler tore his ACL in January, and he’ll be 38 at the start of the 2027-28 season, but he did average an efficient 20 points per game (in 38 games) before getting hurt.

More: Saddiq Bey (NOP), Miles Bridges (PHX), Dillon Brooks (PHX), Moussa Diabaté (CHA), Donte DiVincenzo (MIN), Cam Johnson (DEN), Keldon Johnson (SAS), Kyle Kuzma (MIL), Zach LaVine (SAC), Miles McBride (NYK), Davion Mitchell (MIA), Max Strus (CLE)

3. Player options

New Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo has a player option on his deal for the 2027-28 season.

These players have options in their contracts for the 2027-28 season. If they exercise it (likely if it’s for a player-friendly salary), they’re under contract until 2028. If they decline it, they’re unrestricted free agents in 2027.

1. Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)

The three-time Kia MVP has said he wants to play his entire career in Denver, and the time for his next contract extension is next summer. He’s coming off a historical season in which he became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat)

It’s highly unlikely that Antetokounmpo hits free agency, though he might not sign an extension until January. It will likely keep him under contract through the 2030-31 season, during which he’ll turn 36.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks)

The Knicks are champions and the big winners in the trade that brought Towns to New York less than two years ago. Mitchell Robinson is gone, which means Towns’ health, defense and rebounding will be a little more important than they were last season.

4. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)

Durant will be 39 by the start of the ’27-28 season, but he remains a remarkably efficient, high-volume scorer. With this past season having been a bit disappointing, it’s a huge year for the Rockets.

5. Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves)

The Wolves have undergone big changes, and with the departures of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, Gobert is even more important than he has been over the last four seasons. He’s the biggest reason why the team has had the league’s third-best defense over his time in Minnesota.

6. Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)

Irving could be a trade candidate before he hits free agency if the Mavs don’t feel he fits with their Cooper Flagg timeline. But other teams may want to see how well he’s recovered from his torn ACL in March of 2025.

7. Anthony Davis (Washington Wizards)

Unless he has a huge, bounce-back season after playing only 20 games in ’25-26, it seems likely that Davis will exercise his $63-million player option for ’27-28.

8. Brandon Ingram (Toronto/LA Clippers)

Is Ingram part of the Clippers’ long-term plans, or was his inclusion in the Leonard trade mostly about his salary? The Clippers are somewhat of a motley crew at this point (assuming the trade eventually goes through), and it will be fascinating to see how competitive they are in the Western Conference.

9. Ty Jerome (Memphis Grizzlies)

Jerome played in just 15 (low-leverage) games this past season. But if he can repeat his production (19.7 points and 5.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game) with a larger sample size, he could be in for a nice payday a year from now. His ’27-28 player option is for just $9.7 million.

More: Grayson Allen (CHA), Deandre Ayton (WAS), Paul George (BOS), Jerami Grant (MEM), Jalen Green (PHX), Jrue Holiday (POR), Luke Kennard (PHX), Damian Lillard (POR), Dejounte Murray (NOP), Julius Randle (BKN), Anfernee Simons (PHI)

4. Team options

Useful players on team options usually get their option exercised so that they remain under contract for another year. It seems doubtful that many (or any) of the following players will become free agents in 2027 …