With training camps set to open in a few weeks, several notable players remain unsigned or are still working through contract talks. Limited cap space across the league has slowed negotiations and left multiple veterans and restricted free agents in limbo.
Russell Westbrook
The league’s all-time leader in triple-doubles is expected to join his sixth team in seven seasons. Westbrook, who finished seventh in 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year voting with Denver, is not returning to the defending champion Thunder. League sources view the Sacramento Kings as the front-runner for the 36-year-old guard, who would likely come off the bench alongside new addition Dennis Schröder.
Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State has offered a two-year, $45 million contract containing a team option for the second season and a requested waiver of his no-trade clause. Kuminga, recently back from a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has declined the proposal and is open to taking his $7.9 million qualifying offer. His representatives are seeking a three-year, $82 million deal. No progress has been reported with the Oct. 1 deadline approaching.
Ben Simmons
Simmons is one of nearly 75 players who finished last season on a roster but remain unsigned. Forty-one rookies on standard contracts have displaced many veterans, and several teams are up against the first or second apron. The Lakers, for example, cannot add anyone until Jan. 18 despite having an open roster spot. Of the 442 players under contract, 393 have guaranteed deals, leaving Simmons without an obvious landing spot.
Al Horford
Executives around the NBA continue to link Horford to the Warriors, though the unresolved Kuminga situation has delayed any agreement. The 39-year-old center is weighing retirement but is considered part of Golden State’s plans. If signed, he would likely start at center to ease Draymond Green’s regular-season workload while providing passing, defense and floor spacing.
Cam Thomas
Among the four high-profile restricted free agents this summer, Thomas is viewed as the most likely to accept his qualifying offer. The 23-year-old averaged 24 points last season, yet the Nets and rival teams have struggled to pin down his market value. If an agreement is reached in Brooklyn, it is expected to mirror the club’s earlier one-plus-one structures with Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams.
Josh Giddey
The Bulls and Giddey have negotiated for months without a deal. Chicago acquired the guard last summer and saw him average 21 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists after the All-Star break. Giddey is seeking a contract worth roughly $30 million annually, a figure the Bulls have not met while leveraging the league-wide shortage of cap room.
Quentin Grimes
Grimes faces the same restricted-free-agency squeeze as Kuminga, Giddey and Thomas. Philadelphia’s backcourt already features recent first-round picks Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe, along with cornerstone guard Tyrese Maxey. Accepting the qualifying offer would place the 76ers only a few million dollars above the luxury tax, giving them flexibility if injuries again derail the roster.
As October approaches, the combination of tight cap situations and restrictive apron rules continues to stall movement for several of the league’s most recognizable names.
Source: ESPN
