NBA free agency in 2026 could possibly be headlined by four players: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Trae Young and James Harden.
Now, to be clear, it’s no guarantee that all of those players will reach free agency. Young and Harden both have player options attached to their contracts for the 2026-27 season, and Durant is currently eligible to sign an extension with the Houston Rockets.
In addition, it’s no sure thing that the Miami Heat would be interested in acquiring all of those guys. For example, Heat insider Ethan J. Skolnick shared last month that the word on Young within Miami’s organization has “never been glowing.”
But with each of these four stars potentially on the table next summer, let’s rank the options for the Heat based on a combination of all the factors.
4. James Harden
Harden is on the other side of 35 years old, yet he can still score and make plays with the best of them. He averaged 22.8 points per game with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, which put him 25th in the league in that category among players with at least 50 appearances. To boot, he averaged the fifth-most assists per game of any player with 8.7.
The 11-time All-Star is fresh off an incredibly notable bounce-back season. He earned an All-Star selection in 2025 for the first time since the 2021-22 season and also finished in the top 10 in MVP voting playing for a Clippers team that won 50 games.
But for as gifted an offensive player as Harden is, he’s ranked dead last on this list because of his shaky playoff track record. The Heat are committed to competing for championships, but Harden’s career has been full of playoff disappointments, and there’s little evidence suggesting he could lead Miami to a title anytime soon.
Despite all of the great teams and players Harden has played with, he is still searching for his first NBA title, and he has a reputation for not rising to the occasion when the games start to matter more.
Harden’s player option worth over $42 million for the 2026-27 season also can’t be ignored, as it could keep him from hitting the open market at all, especially at his age.
3. Trae Young
Young is a younger and arguably better version of Harden at this juncture. He would be an appealing free-agent target for the Heat for the same reasons that Harden would be — Young can essentially serve as a one-man offense at times with his vision as a playmaker along with his ability to score the ball.
He has increased his assists average with each passing season in the league and averaged a league-high 11.6 per game last season. Scoring-wise, Young’s career average of 25.3 points per game ranks among the highest in league history. The problem with that is that he has never been known for his efficiency as a scorer.
In addition, if Skolnick’s reporting that the Heat aren’t high on Young internally is true, it’s hard to believe that he would be a priority for Miami in 2026 over other people on this list.
Young’s reputation on the defensive end of the floor maybe wouldn’t make him the greatest fit on the Heat, either. Miami has long had a defensive-minded identity.
2. LeBron James
James will be very long in the tooth in the 2026 offseason. Specifically, he will be 41 years old and not all that far off from his 42nd birthday. With that in mind, though, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he will still be a great NBA player by then — assuming he’ll want to continue playing in the league.
The four-time NBA champion turned 40 years old in December, and even so, he finished last season with averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game for the Lakers while maintaining strong efficiency.
No player on this list would give the Heat a better chance to compete for a title in the 2026-27 season than James, and the only reason he’s not ranked at the No. 1 spot is because of his age and the uncertainty surrounding his future. Even if the Heat did manage to sign him in the summer of 2026, it’s possible James would be just a one-year rental for Miami.
But those concerns aside, wouldn’t a reunion be special for all involved parties?
1. Kevin Durant
Durant seemingly had Miami’s attention for quite some time this offseason before the Phoenix Suns finally traded him to the Rockets, as the Heat were connected to the forward in plenty of trade rumors once again.
Heat insider Barry Jackson also came out with a report recently that poured some optimism on the notion that Durant will maybe one day play for the franchise. He claimed that even though Durant is now a member of the Rockets, he will “forever be a Heat possibility.”
Durant has the blend of skill set and championship pedigree that would make him an ideal option for the Heat to pursue in free agency. First off, he’s a two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP selection. That experience would come in handy in a Heat locker room that’s full of young faces.
Moreover, he’s exactly the kind of go-to scorer that the Heat were missing when they got dominated in the opening round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. In a game that’s largely about buckets, Durant is one of the most prolific scorers the NBA has ever seen. He has amassed four scoring titles and averaged 27.2 points per game at the highest level.
Whether he will be available next summer is a different question, but he is clearly a name to keep in mind for now.