Fantasy Basketball: LeBron James, Jalen Duren among notable free agents

Fantasy Basketball: LeBron James, Jalen Duren among notable free agents

Offseason moves are another aspect of the pre-draft process that fantasy managers need to consider. New faces in new places, either via free agency or trades, significantly impact the outlooks of players, whether it's the one being moved or the teammates around him. Here are ten potential free agents (unrestricted, restricted and player or team option) whose statuses will affect fantasy basketball in 2026-27.

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G James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers

Harden has a player option worth just over $42.3 million for the 2026-27 season, and his time in Cleveland has been a success so far. In 26 regular-season games, with the Cavaliers going 19-7, The Beard averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.1 three-pointers in nearly 34 minutes.

While Harden isn't the prolific scorer that he was during his prime, he's still a capable playmaker who has shot 43.5 percent from three since joining the Cavaliers. Plus, their current rotation has a wealth of offensive options that were bound to lessen Harden's influence as a scorer. And availability has not been an issue recently, with Harden playing at least 70 regular-season games in each of the last three seasons.

G Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

Like Harden, Reaves has a player option for next season, worth just under $15 million. Given the production, especially this season, he's due for a major payday this summer. Injuries limited Reaves to 51 appearances in 2025-26, but he was highly productive when on the floor, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 34.5 minutes per game.

His fantasy outlook for 2026-27 will be affected by what happens with LeBron James, but last summer signaled a shift from James to Luka Dončić as the franchise's focal point. If LeBron isn't in the fold, Reaves becomes an even better fantasy prospect in Los Angeles.

C Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Duren essentially bet on himself going into the 2025-26 season, not agreeing to a rookie extension before the October deadline. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer, and the first-time All-Star stands to strike it rich. Duren appeared in 70 games for the Pistons, averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.2 minutes. Whether you're talking about points or category leagues, Duren was a top-50 player on the team that finished the regular season with the best record in the East. He didn't have a top-50 ADP last fall; that won't be the case ahead of the 2026-27 season.

G Trae Young, Washington Wizards

Injuries limited Young to 15 games this season, five after being traded to the Wizards in January. He has a player option for next season worth just under $49 million, and remaining in Washington either on that deal or a reworked contract would significantly affect the fantasy values of multiple players. Young being in the mix eliminates most of Bub Carrington's redraft league value, and he wasn't the best option in those formats down the stretch, even with increased playing time.

Wings like Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Will Riley will have to take on more responsibilities defensively, but each could benefit as finishers with Young running the show. This can also be said for Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr, although there are questions regarding how those two bigs will fit alongside each other. Young will remain an early-round draft pick, regardless of league format.

F LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

James, who will turn 42 in December, has not yet decided whether he'll play next season, so we'll operate as if he's definitely playing. As an unrestricted free agent, what would his market be, with the age countering the lengthy list of achievements. Does he stay with the Lakers on a reduced deal, freeing up more money for Austin Reaves? Does James head elsewhere with designs on winning a title for a fourth different franchise? Given the skill set, he can fit in just about any system, even if the fantasy ceiling is lower than it was in seasons past.

F/C Kristaps Porziņǵis, Golden State Warriors

When healthy, Porziņǵis can be an excellent fantasy asset, especially in category leagues. However, availability is a major concern, with injuries including a lingering illness, limiting the Warriors' forward/center to 32 games this season between Golden State and Atlanta. Porziņǵis averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers in 24.0 minutes per game, shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the foul line.

After entering the 2025-26 season with a Yahoo! ADP just outside of the top-50, Porziņǵis is highly unlikely to reach those heights next fall. A healthy KP can be a top-50 fantasy player, if not better, but the recent issues making a risky player to commit an early-round pick on.

C Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder will have some decisions to make this summer, as starters Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort have team options for the 2026-27 campaign. Limited to 47 games, iHart has a team option for next season worth $28.5 million. In those appearances, the 7-footer averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 24.2 minutes, shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 61.0 percent from the foul line.

Hartenstein's abilities as a rebounder and facilitator make him a solid center option, especially for those punting free-throw percentage. If he were to move on this summer, Jaylin Williams is someone whose fantasy value would receive a boost if the Thunder were to stick with a two-big lineup; Cason Wallace or Ajay Mitchell would benefit if the Thunder decided to slide Jalen Williams to the four.

G Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets

VanVleet, whose player option for next season is worth $25 million, has not played this season due to a torn ACL suffered just before the start of training camp. Unfortunately, the injury kept fantasy managers from seeing how a partnership between VanVleet and Kevin Durant would work, with the latter's offensive gravity likely making it easier for the former to find quality shots.

Even with VanVleet shooting 37.8 percent from the field in 2024-25, his lowest percentage since his rookie season, the Rockets guard was still a top-75 player in category leagues. He's capable of remaining a highly valuable guard in fantasy basketball next season, especially if playing alongside Durant.

G/F Norman Powell, Miami Heat

Powell was on a roll to begin his first season with the Heat, averaging 23.0 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting in 45 games before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, injuries limited his availability and productivity after the break, pushing the Heat wing's season-long fantasy value outside of the top-50. Powell will be an unrestricted free agent, and uncertainty in Miami may place him in a holding pattern.

Do the Heat make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is not eligible to sign an extension with the Bucks until October? If so, what would Milwaukee's asking price be? Does Powell even wait to see how that situation plays out before deciding on his future? At his best, Powell can offer excellent fantasy value, but there are some unknowns for fantasy managers to consider.

C Nikola Vučević, Boston Celtics

Vučević, who will be an unrestricted free agent, moved from a starting role to the bench when he was traded from Chicago to Boston. A fractured finger suffered in early March limited him to 16 regular-season appearances with the Celtics, with Vooch recording averages of 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers in 21.1 minutes. Fitting into a new rotation is never easy, and the injury did Vučević no favors. However, his fantasy value as a reserve does not come close to what he can offer when starting. And Neemias Queta's emergence makes it incredibly difficult for Vooch to start in Boston in 2026-27.