Knicks, Celtics and Nuggets Still Have Multiple Two-Way Slots to Fill
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The NBA’s two-way contract market remains fluid, with 12 teams still carrying at least one vacancy as the 2026/27 season approaches.
The defending champion New York Knicks have yet to use any of their three two-way positions. Boston and Denver each hold two open spots, while nine additional clubs have one available slot apiece: the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.
Assuming reported agreements for Jamarion Sharpe (Clippers), Carson Cooper (Grizzlies) and Rafael Castro (Bucks) are finalized, those 12 franchises would control 16 total two-way openings.
Ten second-round selections from the 2026 draft remain unsigned and could fill some of those roster places. Financial positioning is also influencing decisions: the Knicks sit just below the second tax apron, the Celtics are near the luxury-tax threshold and the Nuggets are already above the second apron. Although two-way contracts are non-guaranteed and exempt from the salary cap, those clubs may still weigh whether to convert certain draftees to standard deals for added roster flexibility.
Memphis, already at the offseason limit of 21 players, cannot finalize Cooper’s expected two-way pact or sign No. 32 pick Richie Saunders—who is recovering from a torn ACL—until it frees up roster spots.
Player movement typically accelerates in the weeks before Opening Night, when individuals on Exhibit 10 agreements compete with current two-way signees for the final three slots. Last preseason, undrafted center Moussa Cisse turned an Exhibit 10 invitation from Dallas into a two-way contract and later secured a standard two-year deal with the Mavericks.
Source: Hoops Rumors
