NBA free agency 2026: How all 30 teams can ace the...

playStephen A.: Lakers have to keep LeBron after signing Reaves (1:19) The NBA offseason has barely begun, but blockbuster moves are already swaying the league's balance of power. Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Austin Reaves' new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. But plenty of offseason work remains across the NBA. With the 2026 draft complete, here's how each franchise can ace the rest of its summer. ESPN's NBA insiders are breaking down the key decisions facing each team's front office -- signings, trades and cost-cutting maneuvers to sneak under the luxury tax and apron -- heading into next week's official start to free agency (Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET). Note: Team order is based on ESPN's post-Finals NBA Power Rankings. Jump to a team: ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN NO | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS More: Latest free agency, trade buzz How they ace their offseason: Trim the tax payment and make room for the rookies on the roster without significantly impacting the team's ability to succeed. The Thunder have already added Michigan center Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 option against West nemesis Victor Wembanyama, for extra frontcourt help. The trade of Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta made space, but OKC also drafted Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, meaning at least another player must be moved (or a team option declined). Veteran stopper Lu Dort and reserve guard Isaiah Joe appear to be the most vulnerable. Both have been valuable rotation players, so GM Sam Presti is being tasked with finding young, cost-controlled options to fill their void. Acing this offseason is probably dependent on whether Presti aced the Mara and Stirtz picks. One move they should make: Bring Isaiah Hartenstein back, either exercising his $28.5 million team option or declining and extending him at a lower starting number to trim the tax. Hartenstein has been a major needle-mover for the Thunder in his two seasons with the franchise. Oklahoma City has drafted a center the past two Junes, but that youth can't yet be trusted to guard elite big men such as Wembanyama and Denver's Nikola Jokic in the postseason. Hartenstein did just that in a seven-game battle against San Antonio in the conference finals. He's needed. -- Anthony Slater How they ace their offseason: While De'Aaron Fox's poor showing in the NBA Finals fueled trade speculation, San Antonio is better off taking a deliberate approach after one of the youngest rosters in the league came so close to a championship. The Spurs got off to a nice start by drafting Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. to bolster their frontcourt depth, but they need to add a proven and versatile power forward to play next to Victor Wembanyama. Game 4's thrilling finish wasn't an anomaly; Knicks forward OG Anunoby exposed this roster weakness all series long by outplaying San Antonio's undersized wings. One move they should make: The Spurs will make the easiest move of the summer by offering Wembanyama a five-year maximum rookie extension that could eventually exceed $300 million. Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will all play on bargain rookie contracts next season, but San Antonio will start feeling the pinch from its lottery luck once Wembanyama's extension kicks in for the 2027-28 season. -- Ben Golliver Powered by NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks rallied in Game 5 to win their first title in 53 years. • Game 5: Takeaways | Box Score | Highlights • Goodwill: Destiny reigns over the 2026 Knicks • Bontemps: Knicks find their NY sports moment • Offseason: Guides for NY, San Antonio • Way-too-early Power Rankings: 1-30 for '26-27 • 'Hoop Collective': Windhorst & Co. talk playoffs How they ace their offseason: When you're the champion, there's a delicate balance of keeping what you have together while knowing the entire league is chasing you and casing your weaknesses. Knicks owner James Dolan might've opened Pandora's box by saying he doesn't want to go into the punitive second apron to keep his team together, indicating backup center Mitchell Robinson could be headed elsewhere. Keeping him in the fold would be more than a show of good faith. It seems imperative that they keep him for his offensive rebounding and interior presence, considering how he guarded Wembanyama, limited the Cleveland bigs and terrorized Joel Embiid en route to the title. At $12.9 million this past season, coming to an agreement shouldn't be impossible. One move they should make: Sign Karl-Anthony Towns to a contract extension this summer. Towns and the Knicks didn't come to an agreement before the start of the season, and it could have hindered their title run. Instead, Towns proved his worth in the postseason, playing some of the most complete basketball of his career. Towns is due $57 million and then $61 million (player option in 2027-28) and wants

NBA free agency 2026: How all 30 teams can ace the...

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