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The 2026 free agency class wasn't a particularly great one. And we're still waiting for the biggest shoe to drop as LeBron James continues to weigh his options on what new team to join.
Despite the lack of headline names, there were still some very good and very bad deals signed this summer. Contracts for role players may not seem like a big deal, but they are oftentimes the biggest value-adds for contending rosters. Saving money on your fourth or fifth-best players are the type of smart moves on the margins that allow teams to get bigger stars on their payroll down the road.
There were several of those types of transactions. Some teams made out like bandits, while others made decisions that are going to cause a lot of pain down the line. Using my salary model, here's what the best and worst contracts of the summer were.
OFFSEASON TRADE GRADES: Giannis to Heat | LaMelo Ball to Wolves | Julius Randle to Nets | Ja Morant to Blazers | Kawhi Leonard to Raptors | Jaylen Brown to Sixers, Paul George to Celtics
2026 NBA free agency best signings
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1. Neemias Queta
Mitchell Robinson gained the most attention nationally after the Celtics pried the big man away from the Knicks on a three-year, $47 million contract that was great in its own right. Queta's four-year, $56 million contract extension drew far less attention, but Boston fans have rightfully been more excited about it.
Queta came from out of nowhere to become an above-average starting center for Boston last season, filling a role as a great offensive rebounder, defender, and play finisher. He didn't have nearly that same level of success in the playoffs, but the 26-year-old was worth way more than the $2.7 million he was set to earn next year.
The Celtics wisely signed him to an extension to keep him long-term. They'll get a starting-level center for about half the price.
Surplus value: +96.7 million
2. Collin Gillespie
Gillespie was another breakout player last season, proving that he can play big minutes in an NBA rotation with the Suns last year. He's a great shooter, a smart floor general, and competes hard enough on defense to somewhat limit the disadvantages of his 6-1 height.
Gillespie signed on a four-year, $48 million contract that was surprisingly low given that he was one of the better free agents in this class. That was a steal for the Suns, who will retain the 27-year-old throughout his prime years.
Surplus value: +60.2 million
3. Julian Champagnie
If you think that you're seeing a pattern here, you're not wrong. The best signings of the summer were players who were on minimum contracts that earned not-big-enough raises for proving that they were capable of starting in the league.
Champagnie thought his NBA career was over three years ago. He joined the Spurs and found his niche, starting 68 games for them last season and turning into a perfect 3-point bomber to put next to Victor Wembanyama.
Champagnie was locked up on a cheap $3 million option for next season. The Spurs ripped that contract up in order to ink him to a longer-term three-year, $45 million contract. That gives Champagnie financial security and a huge raise next year while still underpaying him relative to his production.
Surplus value: +57 million
4. Dean Wade
Wade is a decent but reluctant shooter who plays good defense and has good NBA size at 6-9. He doesn't have the pedigree of an elite NBA player after being undrafted out of Kansas State. NBA analyst Zach Lowe gave him the nickname of The Accountant because of his boring but steady play.
That turns out to have a lot of value in the league, even if it's not making highlight reels. Wade is a solid role player who makes the guys around him better while barely scoring any points. He's particularly important on a Sixers team that didn't have a ton of depth and lost their other wings in Kelly Oubre and Quentin Grimes in free agency. Wade at four years and $39 million was a better value option than those two.
Surplus value: +44.6 million
5. Tari Eason
You know that a guy's agent screwed up when he tweets this right before signing his new deal:
I guess bruh🤷🏾♂️
— Tari Eason (@TAR13ASON) July 2, 2026Eason was at one point expected to get a massive payday that could have put him in the $30 million annual range. Instead, he settled on a paltry five-year, $81.5 million deal that was smaller than what Patrick Williams got two years ago.
The Rockets benefited from the restricted free agency market punishing Eason, who is a good young two-way player. He went through a brutal cold streak from 3 during the season, at one point missing 23 straight attempts. That dropped his percentage down considerably and cost him a ton of money.
Surplus value: +44.6 million
MORE: LeBron James free agency: What salary model says about how much star is worth at age 41
2026 NBA free agency worst signings
1. Trae Young
Young is a good player, and the Wizards felt that they had to give him a huge deal in order to keep them out of the relegation zone. He's not worth even close to the four years and $212 million that Washington paid him though.
Young is a quality starter at point guard. There are probably around 10 players better than him at his position. He should be paid like a very good starter. Instead, he'll be getting All-NBA money. The new extension makes him the second-worst contract in the league, behind only Joel Embiid.
Surplus value: -99.2 million
MORE: 11 worst contracts in the NBA
2. Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins is another good player who is getting overpaid on his new deal. He's still a solid starter who can play some defense when motivated and hit 3's. But he's not worth his new three-year, $64 million contract.
There is some context missing to this evaluation. Wiggins had a $30.1 million option for this upcoming season, so his new contract only tacked on an extra two years. Those seasons are actually close to neutral value, so this wasn't necessarily a bad negotiation on the part of the Heat.
Surplus value: -25.7 million
3. Austin Reaves
Reaves deserved a massive raise after the Lakers were underpaying him throughout his career. He is a great scorer, and an easy case can be made that his five-year, $239 million contract isn't an overpay.
The model doesn't quite see it that way. Reaves grades out as a quality starter who is being paid like an All-Star. What the model is missing is that Reaves could very easily get to that level. His role will increase with the departure of LeBron James, so this is another one where I disagree with the model and feel that the value is fine.
Surplus value: -21.8 million
4. Moritz Wagner
Wagner can score and stretch the floor. The Nets needed some backup big man depth after trading away Nic Claxton. But Wagner's two-year, $19 million contract was one of the more perplexing deals of the summer. He produces worse than the level of a minimum-salaried player, and he has trouble staying healthy.
A mutual option in the second year which allows both parties to get out of the deal makes this better, but it's still a head-scratcher why the Nets gave Wagner $9.5 million this season.
Surplus value: -19.0 million
5. Ousmane Dieng
Dieng had some really nice moments for the Bucks last season, averaging 11.0 points in 30 games after the trade deadline. He didn't show much with the Thunder in his previous three years though, and the salary model doesn't totally trust that performance at the end of last season.
The Bucks believed in him more, giving him three years and $17.5 million. Like Wagner, he has performed at replacement-level. Milwaukee is gambling that his last two months were more reflective than his first three years, where he was buried on a deep Thunder bench. A 36-point, 10-assist barrage against the Rockets showed that he is capable of that on some nights.
Surplus value: -17.5 million
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