NBA Free Agency 2026: Winners and Losers From Day 1 After LeBron James’s Decision, Kawhi Leonard Trade

James and Leonard are both leaving Los Angeles, headlining the first day of free agency that came and went without a huge signing.

LeBron James’s Lakers departure and Kawhi Leonard’s trade to the Raptors headlined the first day of NBA free agency. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Knicks captured the NBA championship just over two weeks ago. The 2026 NBA draft came and went last week, with the Wizards, Jazz and Grizzlies nabbing potential superstars that they hope will reshape their franchises. And on 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, NBA teams were officially able to begin negotiations with free agents.

Of course, some of the defining moves of the offseason began happening before that official marker. Draymond Green reportedly decided against opting into his Warriors deal Monday, freeing up the franchise to potentially add major pieces as they gun for another title with Green and Steph Curry ... maybe even LeBron James, who on Tuesday made official that he will not return to the Lakers. Later Monday night, the Grizzlies traded Ja Morant, at long last, to the Trail Blazers—a fascinating fit for the embattled star guard.

The James news was the first big splash of Tuesday. The 41-year-old superstar will be playing again next season, which will be his 24th in the Association, but he informed Los Angeles the franchise can move on without him after eight seasons together and he will be suiting up in a different uniform next season. According to Shams Charania, the Lakers expressed a desire to bring back The King but James opted to move on.

Chris Mannix’s NBA Notes: Could LeBron James’s Next Team Include Anthony Davis?

Shortly thereafter, a news break of a similar magnitude occurred—although it was several measures less surprising. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Clippers are nearing an agreement with the Raptors that would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and a haul of draft picks. The rumor mill had strongly connected Leonard with both his hold teams in the last few days and now it seems another superstar talent is on his way out of Los Angeles.

Which players and teams improved their standing just hours into the opening of free agency and which still have work to do? The Sports Illustrated staff breaks it all down.

Winner: LeBron James enjoyers 

Fans of LeBron James get to watch him for at least one more NBA season, though it won’t be with the Lakers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He’s back. LeBron James will return for a record 24th NBA season; we just don’t know who he’ll play for yet. He won’t return to the Lakers after an eight-year run in Los Angeles as he weighs options on where to go for the next—and presumably final—stage of his historic career. Maybe he joins Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State, maybe he creates the Heat’s next iteration of the “big three” with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, or maybe he makes a triumphant return home to Cleveland for a third stint with the Cavaliers.

There’s the potential that James goes to a dark-horse suitor, but no matter where he lands, another season is a huge win for LeBron fans. He was undecided on his future throughout his 23rd season, already a record for the most by any NBA player. With a presumption that James would want and would have some sort of farewell, it was hard to believe that the disappointing four-game sweep to the Thunder in the second round would be his final time on an NBA court. But, he left the possibility open as he said he would take some time to weigh his future, whether that was retirement, a return to the Lakers or a new home as an unrestricted free agent.

The ageless wonder isn’t done yet, though, which makes for a captivating free-agent decision and a potential retirement tour for one of the greatest to ever do that. If next season is his last, that is.

Loser: Instant gratification

No offense to Ousmane Dieng, but his free agency news wasn’t near the top of the list of anticipated deals for most basketball fans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If you were hoping for big deals to break as soon as the NBA’s negotiating period for free agency began, don’t hold your breath. The days of a slew of deals getting announced at 6:01 p.m. ET are long gone. The first deal that ESPN’s Shams Charania broke after the negotiating window opened at 6 p.m. ET was Ousmane Dieng’s three-year contract to return to the Bucks, which came more than 20 minutes past the hour. Then it was DeAndre Jordan’s return to the Pelicans. The first move that saw a player go to a new team was Tim Hardaway Jr. inking a one-year deal to join the Heat, announced by Charania at 6:32 p.m.

That was the start to an eerily quiet night, no offense to Luke Kennard’s decision to join the Suns and Dean Wade signing with the 76ers, both impactful moves that will help each team significantly next season. That said, we did get the blockbuster trade that sent Kawhi Leonard back to the Raptors plus James’s decision to leave the Lakers ahead of free agency. Beggars can’t be choosers, but free agency certainly isn’t what it used to be, at least not right out of the gate.

Winner: Lakers

It may have been a formality, but the departure of LeBron James means the Lakers are now officially Luka Dončić’s in every conceivable way. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Lakers probably would have been happy to welcome James back, but also likely aren’t too sad to see him move on. Once L.A. landed Luka Dončić in February 2025, this moment was almost certain to come. The franchise has firmly shifted to building around its young star, and that was never more evident than its decision to hand a max deal to Dončić’s running buddy Austin Reaves. Now, armed with a boatload of cap space, GM Rob Pelinka has the unenviable task of putting together the perfect roster around those two without a ton of options out there. Good luck, buddy. 

As for the franchise as a whole, it’s hard to see LeBron’s tenure in L.A. as anything but a success. He led the team to a title in 2020, months after the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, which is something no one in Los Angeles will ever forget. After Bryant tore his Achilles in April 2013, the Lakers began looking for his replacement as the face of the franchise. It searched in vain until James opted to sign up for the gig on July 9, 2018. He has carried the team’s banner ever since and handled some really hard years with class. 

The two sides have now walked away from each other in one of the cleanest superstar splits we’ve ever seen. That’s a massive win for a Lakers franchise that has been filled with near-constant drama over the last few decades. 

Loser: Jaylen Brown

The Celtics’ decision to float Jaylen Brown as a trade piece in their failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his future in Boston uncertain. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So … what happens now? The Celtics have clearly been exploring moving on from Jaylen Brown and have failed to find a market to suit their expectations. It could be that they deeply overestimated his value and, in the process, lost their chance to move him. Could he still move? Sure, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a fit across the league. That leaves Brown stuck in Boston with a franchise that is clearly keen to move him.

The 29-year-old is coming off his best season. He averaged career-highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.1), while carrying the load for the Celtics as Jayson Tatum rehabbed from a torn Achilles. Now that Tatum is back, it appears Boston has chosen to build a contender around him. I’m sure moving the more than $183 million owed to Brown over the next three seasons appeals to the franchise, but finding someone to take on that cash will prove to be a challenge. 

Could there be a rapprochement between the two sides? Sure. But for now, Brown is in no man’s land, attached to a franchise that would clearly like to move him but without anywhere else to play.

Winner: Raptors

No photoshop necessary: Kawhi Leonard is heading back to the Raptors, seven years after leading the franchise to a title. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Raptors landed the biggest piece to move on Tuesday by reportedly landing Kawhi Leonard in a deal with the Clippers. By doing so, they have announced themselves as ready to compete in the Eastern Conference. Toronto finished fifth in the conference at 46–36 in 2025–26, then took the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. It’s a team ready to make a jump, and the fact that they were able to land Leonard while retaining Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles and Immanuel Quickley is pretty incredible. 

Former first-rounder Gradey Dick is gone, but he only averaged 14.0 minutes per game this season. Brandon Ingram is gone but will be replaced by Leonard in the starting lineup, and the two first-rounders the Raptors are sending L.A. should be late-round picks if this all works out. Meanwhile, Leonard is coming off his best season since the 2019–20 campaign, as he averaged 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 32.1 minutes over 65 contests. Yes, he’s 35 but can still get it done for a few more years. 

Toronto is much better now than it was at the start of the day. It is a team that can now contend for the NBA Finals.

Loser: Jalen Duren

After a rough run during the 2026 NBA playoffs, restricted free agent center Jalen Duren finds himself in a contractual standoff with the Pistons. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Pistons have become one of the offseason’s most fascinating teams because of the moves they haven’t made yet. All-Star big man Jalen Duren is a restricted free agent and is rumored to have interest in steering himself out of Detroit through a sign-and-trade deal.

Duren’s camp and the Pistons are reportedly far apart on contract negotiations which seems to have put the two sides at odds after a breakout campaign which helped Detroit win 60 games and earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Since Duren was named third team All-NBA last season, he can earn up to 30% of the cap from Detroit, which the franchise isn’t willing to meet after a significant postseason dropoff.

ESPN and Andscape’s Marc Spears reported that the Pistons have offered what they believe is the most lucrative contract possible for Duren just ahead of free agency. It speaks volumes that the two sides have yet to agree upon a deal. Spears also noted that Detroit has no interest in completing a sign-and-trade and would match an offer sheet Duren signs with another team.

The most any other team could offer is four years for $177 million, which the Pistons seemingly are comfortable matching. The issue is that Duren seems to want more than that, which only Detroit can give to him unless the franchise agrees to a sign-and-trade. The Pistons hold all the leverage since the All-Star center is a restricted free agent. A messy situation that continues to unfold for last year’s best team in the East. 

Utah’s Walker Kessler is in a similar situation as he currently meets with teams as a restricted free agent for the Jazz. Like Duren, he has a real market elsewhere, likely for a higher dollar amount than his current team wants to give. Danny Ainge holds the keys there, though. 

Two of the biggest fish left on the market are in a difficult position.

Winner: Bronny James 

LeBron James’s decision to wait until Tuesday to make his decision to leave the Lakers helped ensure his son Bronny’s contract with the Lakers was good for 2026–27. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Tuesday morning, Spotrac’s Keith Smith pointed out that Bronny James’s 2026–27 contract with the Lakers for $2.3 million became fully guaranteed on Monday. That’s a day before the free agency negotiations began and LeBron’s monumental decision to leave Los Angeles but return to basketball for the upcoming season. Bronny’s contract is but a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things for the Lakers and he’s actually carved out a solid role as an impactful depth piece. However, it’s fair to wonder whether the franchise would’ve made a decision to waive him with LeBron’s decision in mind. 

That could’ve either opened up tiny bit more cap space or let Bronny try to find a new opportunity, potentially with his dad at his next stop in the waning moments of his career. Bronny does bring the Lakers more value than his contract as a bench player who can come in and defend and knock down shots when called upon, but the timing of LeBron’s decision coming right after his son’s contract guarantee was peculiar. Unless the Lakers waive him and eat the minor cost, it’s a win for Bronny to continue making an impact in L.A. without the spotlight of LeBron’s dwindling career.

Loser: Also Bronny James

Bronny James will be on his own with the Lakers without his father, who was pretty clearly instrumental in the team drafting him with the No. 55 pick a few years ago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The flip side of Bronny’s Lakers contract being guaranteed for next season is that he and LeBron will likely become opponents for the first time. Although his role slightly increased last season, we’ve yet to see Bronny on an NBA team that doesn’t include LeBron. More significantly, what would it look like should the two play against one another? 

As LeBron weighs his options, among the rumored suitors are the Warriors as well as his former teams, the Heat and the Cavaliers. James landing in Cleveland or Miami would mean the father and son would only play against each other twice per season. If LeBron goes to Golden State, double that. We’ve seen the two check into games together at the same time as they became the first father-son duo to play together in league history. LeBron even connected with Bronny on an alley-oop in the playoffs last season, too. But, what if Bronny is on the receiving end of a signature LeBron chasedown block as his rival?

That would be quite the scene, but would probably make for an awkward conversation at the dinner table.

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NBA free agency live tracker

Key dates for the 2026 NBA offseason

• June 30, 6 p.m. ET: NBA teams allowed to negotiate with free agents.
• July 6, 12:01 p.m. ET: NBA teams permitted to begin signing free agents.
• July 3–19: NBA Summer League (July 3, 5–6 in San Francisco; July 4–6 in Sacramento; July 4, 6–7 in Salt Lake City; July 9–19 in Las Vegas)
• October 9: First confirmed preseason game (Rockets vs. Mavericks in Macau)
• Late October: Regular season begins

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