NBA free agency 2026: James Harden declines option while negotiating with Cavs; LeBron James' Lakers decision looms
Yahoo Sports StaffMon, June 29, 2026 at 2:08 PM UTCWith the 2026 NBA Draft in the rearview, the league's attention turns to free agency this week. The official negotiation period opens on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, but there's been plenty of action to keep everyone busy since the draft last week.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo domino finally fell with his trade to the Miami Heat the day before the draft, which kicked off a flurry of activity. The Detroit Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Charlotte Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers re-signed Austin Reaves.
AdvertisementAdvertisementLeBron James' future still hangs in the balance, and there are plenty more moves to be made as free agency heats up next week.
Check out Yahoo Sports' free agency big board and position rankings: Shooting guards | Small forwards | Power forward | Centers
Draymond Green declining Warriors option, will become free agent
Draymond Green is reportedly declining his $27.7 million option with the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Per the report, the Warriors could use the cap flexibility to go after LeBron James in free agency and/or Anthony Davis via trade.
Zach LaVine picks up $49 million player option
Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine is picking up his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, forgoing free agency at least another year.
LaVine’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN that LaVine has decided to exercise the option. The decision was not a surprise.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks said LaVine’s opt-in puts the Kings right at the second apron and $16 million over the luxury-taxy threshold.
Mon, June 29, 2026 at 6:40 AM PDTChris Cwik
James Harden declines option with Cavs, but wants to stick with team
James Harden wants to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers long term. In order to do that, however, Harden declined his one-year, $42.3 million option Monday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Harden, however, is working on a multiyear deal to stay with the team. While he could have accomplished that by picking up his option, the move actually helps both sides moving forward.
For Harden, the opt out guarantees he’ll make more money on a new, multi-year contract. For the Cavaliers, the team needs to shed immediate payroll to stay under the salary cap and various salary aprons. The team can accomplish that by giving Harden a lower annual salary in exchange for more seasons on his new deal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementFred VanVleet reportedly opts into Rockets contract
Fred VanVleet is staying put. The veteran reportedly opted into his one-year, $25 million player option with the Houston Rockets for next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The move shouldn’t come as a major surprise, as VanVleet missed all of last season due to an injury. He will look to return to form in 2026 after averaging 14.1 points during the 2024-25 season.
Clippers, Raptors reportedly engaged in trade talks involving Kawhi Leonard
The Los Angeles Clippers might be sending Kawhi Leonard back to the place he won an NBA championship. The Clippers and Toronto Raptors are reportedly engaged in trade talks involving the star forward, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Leonard, 35, is in the final year of his contract and will only consider an extension with Toronto. The 35-year-old must have fond memories from his brief time with the franchise, as he led it to a title.
Sun, June 28, 2026 at 6:55 PM PDTIan Casselberry
Nets decline team option for Ziaire Williams, making him unrestricted free agent
The Brooklyn Nets declined the $6.5 million team option for forward Ziaire Williams, according to reports. As a result, he become an unrestricted free agent.
Brooklyn could bring Williams back at a lesser salary. However, the Los Angeles Lakers may be interested in signing him, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reports.
Williams. 24, averaged a career-high 10.2 points last season and shot 34% on 251 3-point attempts. The 6-foot-6 forward was originally the 2021 first-round selection (No. 10 overall) of the New Orleans Pelicans, but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHawks fully guarantee Buddy Hield's $9.66 million salary for 2026-27
The Atlanta Hawks will fully guarantee Buddy Hield’s $9.66 million salary for the 2026-27 season, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports.
Previously, $3 million of Hield’s salary for the upcoming season was guaranteed. The Hawks had until June 28 to move him before the full salary kicked in. Hield also has a $10 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign on his current deal.
Hield, 33, shot 35% on 212 3-point attempts last season for the Hawks and Golden State Warriors. He played in 51 games, only seven of them for Atlanta.
In 10 NBA seasons, Hield is a 40% 3-point shooter. However, he hasn’t reached 40% or above since the 2022-23 season with the Indiana Pacers.
Mavericks reportedly discussing Kawhi Leonard trade with Clippers
The Dallas Mavericks are interested in pursuing Kawhi Leonard, The Athletic reports.
That would reunite the 14-year veteran with Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations who traded for Leonard in 2018 when he was executive VP for the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors went on to win the NBA championship with Leonard earning NBA Finals MVP honors in his lone season with the team.
Could Kawhi Leonard and Masai Ujiri reunite with the Dallas Mavericks? (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Dallas' trade package would be built around Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and draft picks, according to The Athletic's Christian Clark, Dan Woike and Sam Amick.
Getting Leonard would be the latest move in an offseason renovation that includes hiring new head coach Dusty May from Michigan. With one year remaining on his contract for $50.3 million, a trade would likely be contingent on Leonard agreeing to a contract extension with the Mavericks.
Heat seeking 3-point shooters in free agency
The Miami Heat are looking to add shooters around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports.
One of their top targets is expected to be Tim Hardaway Jr., a Miami native. He shot 41% on 550 3-point attempts with the Denver Nuggets last season. Khris Middleton, a former teammate of Antetokounmpo, is also on the Heat’s radar, according to Jackson. He made 36% of 180 3-point shots.
Other names reportedly on Miami’s list, with their 3-point shooting stats:
Landry Shamet: 39%, 263 attempts
Anfernee Simons: 39%, 379 attempts
Quentin Grimes: 33%, 380 attemptsMiami also would presumably like to re-sign Norman Powell, who shot 38% on 410 3-point shots. However, the Heat may not have enough salary cap room for him, especially as other teams including the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons are pursuing him.
AdvertisementAdvertisementRaptors reportedly prefer to include Brandon Ingram in Kawhi Leonard deal, instead of RJ Barrett
As previously reported, Kawhi Leonard is open to returning to the Toronto Raptors and signing a contract extension with the team if the Los Angeles Clippers trade the 14-year veteran.
However, the Raptors would prefer to include Brandon Ingram rather than RJ Barrett in any Leonard deal, according to reporter Jake Fischer.
Ingram, 28, was Toronto's leading scorer last season with 21.2 points per game compared to Barrett's 19.3 per game average. Barrett is also two years younger.
Yet Ingram is set to make $40 million next season and has a $42 million player option for 2027-28. Barrett's salary is $29.6 million for 2026-27 and he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Hornets trading Miles Bridges to Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, 1st-round pick: Report
The Charlotte Hornets are trading forward Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
In exchange, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick are going to Charlotte. Phoenix will also receive a 2027 second-rounder in addition to Bridges.
The trade is the second major transaction made by the Hornets in the past week, following LaMelo Ball being dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists, also shooting 33% on 445 3-point attempts.
Charlotte has now traded two of its top four scorers from last season after making a significant improvement from 19 wins to 44 victories and qualifying for the play-in tournament as the Eastern Conference’s No. 9 seed.
Rockets likely to extend Tori Eason qualifying offer: Report
The Houston Rockets are expected to extend a qualifying offer to forward Tari Eason, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reports. That would equal a one-year contract for $8,014,182, based on his $5.7 million salary last season.
With the qualifying offer, Eason would become a restricted free agent.
In four seasons with the Rockets, Eason has averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s also shot 35% on 666 3-point attempts.
Eason was Houston’s 2022 first-round pick (No. 17 overall) out of LSU.
AdvertisementAdvertisementCeltics remain favorites to keep Jaylen Brown
Amid all the trade rumors, Jaylen Brown is favored to stay with the Boston Celtics.
Oddsmaker list the Celtics as the team Brown is most likely to play for next season.
That shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise, as Brown is currently a member of the Celtics. While the team seems willing to deal the guard, there’s no guarantee it will happen.
But if a trade does come to fruition, the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets are considered the two most-likely destinations for Brown, per the odds.
Jaylen Brown reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams
Jaylen Brown is still a member of the Boston Celtics … for now. Brown continues to draw interest on the trade market, with a number of teams reportedly looking to acquire the star guard, per HoopsHype.
Those teams include the Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks.
The Celtics reportedly put Brown on the trade block this offseason. It marks the second time since 2022 Brown has been involved in possible trades.
After the Milwaukee Bucks opted to go in a different direction and ship Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat this offseason, other teams have stepped up their pursuit of Brown, who was rumored to be the centerpiece of the Celtics’ trade proposal for Antetokounmpo.
Jimmy Butler says he's already back to form after ACL surgery
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler is feeling pretty good months after ACL surgery. The veteran guard told ESPN he’s “back to who I’ve always been” after undergoing surgery in February.
"I'm right back to who I've always been," Butler told ESPN. "Probably better if we was to really talk about it. I know I'm still going to be a top player whenever I get back. I have a couple good years left in me, and we're going to ride it until the wheels fall off."
Butler, 36, still has work to do before he’s ready to play in games, but he’s hoping that can happen in the “
AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat's the best landing spot for Jaylen Brown?
Kelly Iko: San Antonio. The cleanest deal cap-wise would have to involve De'Aaron Fox (who would likely go to a third team), but it's hard to rewatch the bulk of the Spurs' offensive misfires late in those Finals games and not think that Brown could help alleviate some (or all) of that Knicks pressure. Pulling the trigger on a player of his caliber would put the franchise into that weird two-timeline territory, but Brown's shot creation, true three-level scoring ability, ball-handling prowess and defensive versatility would mesh seamlessly with Victor Wembanyama.
Ben Rohrbach: Cleveland. The Cavaliers have the blue-chip talent (Evan Mobley) to offer for Brown, while maintaining a lineup that would feature Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. The Cavs have been in search of a wing, really, since LeBron James left town. Who better than one of the NBA's best two-way players to fill that hole. And Brown is a winner, too. The 2024 Finals MVP could win another title with Cleveland, and that's not something we can say about all his suitors.
By trading LaMelo Ball, Hornets risk alienating their fans
Magic waive F Jonathan Isaac, will save $6.5 million against cap
The Orlando Magic have waived forward Jonathan Isaac, according to several reports.
If Isaac was on the Magic's roster past June 28, his $14.5 million salary for 2026-27 would have been fully guaranteed, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede. By waiving him now, the team will save $6.5 million against the salary cap.
Additionally, Orlando is not waiving Isaac and stretching the $8 million owed to him by spreading it out over several years. The team is simply waiving the seven-year veteran. But by doing so, Isaac can re-sign with the Magic if he doesn’t go elsewhere.
Isaac, 28, was Orlando's 2017 first-round pick (No. 6 overall) out of Florida State. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSat, June 27, 2026 at 1:30 PM PDTNekias Duncan
The biggest questions surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to become a member of the Miami Heat. It's still surreal to type, considering Giannis' long history with the Bucks (and the city of Milwaukee) and Miami's recent pursuits of no-doubt-about-it superstars coming up short. Even during this cycle, there seemed to be real smoke behind the Boston Celtics landing Giannis for a package headlined by Jaylen Brown.
Ultimately, the Heat were able to land their whale. They had to empty the proverbial clip to do it — Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, three first-round picks (including this year's selection, Nate Ament), a pick swap, and a second rounder — but they clearly felt it was worth it with a guy like Giannis on the table.
While last season was an injury-plagued mess for the Bucks, it's worth remembering just how dominant Giannis still is. In just 28.9 minutes per contest, he averaged 27.6 points (65/33/65 splits, a career-best 65.8 true shooting), 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists. The list of downhill threats in his class can be counted on one hand. And when engaged, he can still be a rangy defender who can create havoc at a high level.
Landing the superstar is the hard part, and the Heat have done that. Their next job is to parlay this acquisition into building a legitimate contender — a tall task, but not an impossible one.
It's fair to say they have some pretty big questions to answer before the season starts. Let's talk through some of them, while examining some potential answers.
Ron Harper Jr. ready to sign 3-year, $9 million deal with Celtics: Report
Forward Ron Harper Jr. is reportedly reaching agreement on a three-year, $9 million contract with the Boston Celtics, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Harper, 26, previously had a $2.6 million team option for the upcoming season, but the Celtics declined that in favor of the new three-year deal.
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He began last season on a two-way deal, but was eventually converted to standard NBA contract. In 29 games, Harper averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds, shooting 35% on 80 3-point attempts.
Most notably, Celtics coach Joe Mazulla started Harper in Game 7 of their first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, which Boston lost 109-100. He scored no points in four minutes of play.
