Feb 26, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) reacts after making a three point shot against the Washington Wizards during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) reacts after making a three point shot against the Washington Wizards during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The final weeks of free agency are slowly giving us the last few moves before teams really close their rosters for the 2026-27 season. Just over the last few days, one of the best restricted free agents left, Peyton Watson, landed with the Cavaliers in a five-team sign-and-trade; Klay Thompson reached a buyout with the Mavericks before signing with the Heat, and DeMar DeRozan agreed to a one-year deal with the Nuggets.
That obviously leaves fewer and fewer NBA players on the market, but there is still way more talent available than one would expect this late in August. So instead of just ranking the best names left, we are going to try something a little different and build the best possible starting five using only players who are still available, while also giving a few honorable mentions to guys who were really close to making the team.
Point Guard: Cam Thomas
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
As far as point guards go, Cam Thomas really isn’t one, but the market is kind of weak at this point, so I would rather put one of the best scorers available here than force Gabe Vincent or Cameron Payne into the starting five. I was close to selecting Brandon Williams here, but Thomas has the track record and more history in the league to deserve the spot a bit more.
Last season was pretty rough compared to what he had done before. Thomas played 42 games between the Nets and Bucks and averaged 13.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in only 21.0 minutes, shooting 41.0% from the field and 31.0% from three. His 53.0% true shooting wasn’t good either, especially with a 29.5% usage rate, so he was still on a huge load without scoring nearly as efficiently as before.
But the reason he still gets this spot is pretty simple: we already know he can score a lot of points in the NBA. Thomas averaged 24.0 points in 2024-25 and 22.5 in 2023-24, and most of those buckets weren’t just easy catch-and-shoot looks. Even last season, 60.3% of his field goals were unassisted, so he can still get the ball late in the clock and create something by himself.
The defense is bad, and the playmaking is nothing special, so obviously there is a reason he is still unsigned. But for this exercise, I am fine with it. Signing Thomas in a point guard role would be messy, but at least it would be fun.
Shooting Guard: Bennedict Mathurin
Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images
I keep getting surprised by the fact that Bennedict Mathurin is still available at this point, because he’s only 24 years old and has never averaged fewer than 16.7 points in any NBA season. The Clippers still control his restricted free agency, but we are almost in September, and there still isn’t much traction on a resolution.
Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 54 games between the Pacers and Clippers last season. He shot 43.0% from the field, 31.5% from three, and 86.9% from the line, getting to the free-throw line 6.2 times per game. That last number is probably the best part of his offensive game because Mathurin is strong, aggressive, and really good at creating contact when he gets downhill.
The three-point shot is still the annoying part. He shot 37.2% from deep with Indiana before the trade, then the full-season average dropped all the way to 31.5%. His 2.4 assists against 2.2 turnovers also tell you pretty quickly why teams still don’t see him as some secondary forward who can run offense for long stretches.
Still, 17.6 points from a 24-year-old wing is a lot of production to have sitting around this late. He can get to the rim, draw fouls, and score 20 on basically any night if he gets enough touches. In this lineup, I would use him as the main scorer next to Thomas and probably the guy I trust most to attack a defense that is already set.
Small Forward: Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga’s last couple of years have been kind of insane. He wanted a bigger role with the Warriors, eventually ended up with the Hawks, played only 16 regular-season games for them, and then Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option. Now he is 23 years old, unrestricted, and still trying to find the kind of deal he thinks he deserves.
His Hawks numbers weren’t anything special. Kuminga averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.1 minutes while shooting 47.6% from the field and 34.6% from three. He started only one of those 16 games too, so once again he never really got the full-time role he has been asking for forever.
The upside is still obvious, though. Kuminga is 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, super athletic, dangerous in transition, and strong enough to take thinner defenders to the rim. He can also defend multiple forward spots when he is actually locked in, and that is probably the biggest reason teams still keep thinking there is more there.
The problem is that after five NBA seasons, we are still saying stuff like “if he shoots better,” “if he defends consistently,” or “if he improves as a passer.” At some point, teams have to pay for the player he actually is and not the one he could maybe become.
There’s been talk about the Lakers being the favorite to land him, but at this stage, with Kuminga asking for almost $20 million per season, I find it hard to understand it from both sides. Unless he lowers his demands and accepts the player he is, Kuminga may have to keep waiting for a new deal.
Power Forward: Nicolas Batum
Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Nicolas Batum is definitely the least exciting name here, but this lineup desperately needs one tool guy who doesn’t care about touches. With so many scorers believing they’re the first option, somebody has to just stand in the right places, defend, shoot, and move the ball to be the glue guy on a team.
That is basically Batum’s whole game now. He averaged only 4.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 17.5 minutes for the Clippers last season, but he also shot 40.4% from three. Even crazier, 95.8% of his field-goal attempts were threes, so he has fully accepted that he isn’t out there to create offense anymore.
That makes him a perfect fit here. Batum can stay outside the arc, make the extra pass, guard a bigger forward, and basically never mess up the flow of the offense. His usage rate was only 9.2% last season, which is almost funny next to guys like Thomas and Mathurin, but that is exactly why he works with them.
Obviously, he is 37, and there is basically zero juice left. He isn’t giving you 30 minutes every night, and he isn’t suddenly becoming a 15-point scorer again. But if I am actually trying to make this lineup function like a real basketball team, I would much rather have Batum than another guy who wants 14 shots.
Center: Jalen Duren
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
There is no real debate at center. Jalen Duren is easily the best player still available this offseason, even if restricted free agency makes his situation pretty difficult, as negotiations with the Pistons have reportedly turned ugly for both sides.
Duren had a monster season with 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 65.0% from the field. He started all 70 games he played, grabbed 3.8 offensive rebounds per game, and got to the free-throw line 6.1 times a night. He went from 11.8 points the year before to 19.5 and made both his first All-Star team and an All-NBA team at only 22 years old.
That is a ridiculous jump for a center who still has plenty of room to get better. Duren doesn’t shoot threes, but honestly, who cares when he is this dominant around the rim? He runs hard, rolls out of ball screens, finishes almost everything close to the basket, and destroys teams on the offensive glass.
The whole problem is money and his poor playoff performance. Duren wants a huge contract over $40 million annually; the Pistons haven’t wanted to go all the way to his number, and because he is restricted, Detroit can match any offer sheet anyway. That has basically frozen the market and left one of the best young centers in the league still sitting there this late.
If this imaginary team actually existed, Duren would obviously be the best player. Thomas can score, Mathurin can attack, Kuminga gives you athleticism, and Batum gives you spacing, but Duren is the guy who gives the whole lineup a real identity.
Honorable Mention: Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey is probably the most complicated free agent left, and basketball isn’t even the main reason anymore. He was the No. 5 pick in 2022, averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 2024-25, and shot 40.9% from three, so not that long ago he still looked like a really interesting young combo guard.
Then everything went sideways. Ivey battled knee problems, got traded from the Pistons to the Bulls, played only four games in Chicago, and finished 2025-26 at just 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 37 total games. The efficiency wasn’t even awful at 44.5% from the field and 37.3% from three, but his role basically disappeared.
Then came the whole social-media mess. Ivey went on several long Instagram Live sessions talking about his religious beliefs and made anti-LGBTQ+ comments, including criticism of the NBA celebrating Pride Month. The Bulls eventually waived him for “conduct detrimental to the team,” and it obviously made his free agency even more complicated.
Honorable Mention: Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown is probably the “safe bet” of free agents still available. There isn’t a ton of upside anymore at 30 years old, but he played all 82 games for the Nuggets last season and still averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three.
I just couldn’t put him above Thomas, Mathurin, or Kuminga because the talent ceiling isn’t really close anymore, and Batum makes a little more sense for his size. Still, if a playoff team needs a seventh or eighth man before camp, Brown is probably one of the easiest free agents left to trust.
Honorable Mention: Nick Richards
Nick Richards isn’t a super exciting name, but good backup centers usually find work sooner or later. He averaged 7.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists last season between the Suns and Bulls while shooting 51.2% from the field, and he still grabbed 1.6 offensive rebounds and blocked 0.7 shots in only 14.6 minutes per game.
The limitations are pretty obvious. Richards doesn’t shoot threes, isn’t some switch-everything defender, and doesn’t create offense, so there isn’t much mystery here. He is a 6-foot-11 center who rebounds, finishes around the rim, sets screens, and gives you physical minutes off the bench.