2026 Free Agency
In-depth look at some early offseason trades
These four key roster transactions are already shaping the overall outlook for 2026-27.
John Schuhmann | Archive | Updated on June 25, 2026 4:05 PM
With Giannis Antetokounmpo added to the mix, the Heat could boast one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league.
Free agency ainât what it used to be, with most star players signing extensions well before their contracts expire. But that doesnât mean that NBA offseasons arenât eventful. This summerâs player movement has already kicked off with two major trades: the Miami Heat reportedly acquiring two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly sending three-time All-Star Julius Randle to Brooklyn. There are certainly more trades to come, and there will be some free agents changing teams. So consider this to be Part 1 of a player-movement notebook for the summer of 2026.
1. The Heat need shooting
To Miami:
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby PortisTo Milwaukee:
Tyler Herro, Kasparas JakuÄionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kelâel Ware, No. 13 pick (Nate Ament), two future first-round picks, a pick swap and a future second-round pickThe Heat have acquired the only player in NBA history to have averaged at least 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and one block per game over his career. Antetokounmpo is one of the best downhill attackers weâve ever seen. Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo will also be the best defensive frontcourt in the league. But the offensive fit isnât great, with the two bigs having combined to shoot 39% from mid-range and 32% from 3-point range over the last three seasons.
The good news is that the Heat can stagger their two starsâ minutes, so that they have at least one on the floor at all times and the fit issue is minimized. But it would help if they had more shooters to surround them with. There were 154 players (5.1 per team) who shot the league average (36.0%) or better on at least 100 3-point attempts this past season. The Heat had seven of them, but only one of those seven (Davion Mitchell) is currently under contract with Miami for next season. They just traded three of the seven â Herro, JakuÄionis and Ware â to Milwaukee, getting another above-average 3-point shooter (Portis) in return.
If Andrew Wiggins exercises his player option, that would give the Heat three guys who shot the league average or better from 3-point range last season. Two other shooters â Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio â are unrestricted free agents. Even if they can retain both those players, the Heat may need more shooting to complement their new star. Over his 14-year career, 52% of Antetokounmpoâs assists have come on 3-pointers. Thatâs the third-highest rate among 468 players with at least 1,000 assists in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data, and it was 69% this past season.
2. The Bucks have some youth
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is one of the key new youngsters in Milwaukee. One big issue with the Bucksâ fall-off this past season was that there was little hope regarding the development of young players on the roster. While every other team got more than 1,300 minutes from first or second-year players in 2025-26, the Bucks got ⌠318.
Fewest minutes from rookies or second-year players, 2025-26
| Team | Rookie | 2nd Year | Total | %MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 318 | 0 | 318 | 2% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 195 | 1,163 | 1,358 | 7% |
| Denver | 298 | 1,451 | 1,749 | 9% |
| Minnesota | 350 | 1,832 | 2,182 | 11% |
| New York | 634 | 1,555 | 2,189 | 11% |
%MIN = Percentage of total minutes coming from rookies and second-year players
Those 318 minutes came from undrafted rookies Cormac Ryan, Mark Sears (who was waived in January) and Alex Antetokounmpo, all of whom were on two-way contracts. So they didnât have a single first or second-year player on their primary roster. Now, a youth movement is in place. When the trade is completed, the Bucks will have rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, JakuÄionis (entering his second season), Ware (entering his third season) and fourth-year forward Jaquez.
3. Pistons move on from Stewart
To Detroit:
3 second-round picksTo Memphis:
Isaiah StewartStewart is one of the best interior defenders in the league. Last season, opponents shot just 106-for-242 (43.8%) at the rim when Stewart was there to protect it. That was the best rim-protection mark for any player who defended at least 200 shots at the basket in the 13 seasons for which we have tracking data, and Stewart also has the fifth-best mark.
Best rim protection, 200+ FGA, since 2013-14
| Player | Season | FGM | FGA | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Stewart | 2025-26 | 106 | 242 | 43.8% |
| Chet Holmgren | 2024-25 | 88 | 200 | 44% |
| Roy Hibbert | 2013-14 | 208 | 463 | 44.9% |
| Andrew Bogut | 2014-15 | 146 | 323 | 45.2% |
| Isaiah Stewart | 2024-25 | 148 | 322 | 46% |
FGM, FGA, FG% = Opponent field goal makes, attempts and percentage at the rim when player is there.
But the Pistons were willing to trade Stewart for just three second-round picks. Some possible reasons ⌠The trade frees up cap space for the Pistons to pursue some perimeter offense (maybe the aforementioned Powell) in free agency. Despite the elite rim protection, the Pistons were much better with Stewart off the floor (plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions) than they were with him on the floor (plus-1.8 per 100) in the regular season. And they scored less than a point per possession in his 165 minutes on the floor in the playoffs. Over the Pistonsâ 14 playoff games, Stewart played just four minutes alongside Jalen Duren. So his role became more limited at the most important time of year. Paul Reed (in limited minutes) has been a capable third-string center and should be able to take over Stewartâs backup role.
4. Lakers will keep winning free-throw battles
LeBron Jamesâ future is unknown, but the Lakers got some important business done on Wednesday by agreeing to a new, four-year contract with Austin Reaves. Reaves has been a big part of the Lakersâ success at the free-throw line, where theyâve outscored their opponents by 3.8 points per game over the last four seasons. Theyâve led the league in free-throw differential in all fourâŚ
Lakersâ free-throw differential per game, last 4 seasons
| Season | Own | Opp. | Diff. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 20.6 | 16.1 | 4.5 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 18.9 | 14.3 | 4.6 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 18.2 | 15.9 | 2.3 | 1 |
| 2025-26 | 20.4 | 16.8 | 3.6 | 1 |
Reaves has attempted 39.5 free throws per 100 shots from the field over those four years. Thatâs the 18th-highest mark among 162 players (10th among non-bigs) with at least 2,000 field goal attempts over that stretch. This past season, he ranked ninth in free-throw rate (48.7 attempts per 100 shots from the field) among the 182 players with at least 500 field goal attempts.
John Schuhmann has covered the NBA for more than 20 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Bluesky.
Related
- 2026 NBA Draft & Offseason Trade Tracker â Keep track of all of the official trades and transactions during the 2026 Draft and summer offseason.
- 15 stats to know about Giannis-to-Miami trade â As the former two-time Kia MVP reportedly heads to Miami, these are the stats to know about the blockbuster swap.
- Reports: Randle traded from Wolves to Nets â Minnesota reportedly deals star forward Julius Randle to the Nets as part of a 3-team swap on 2026