The NBA season starts in one week, but league executives are focused on a Monday deadline for rookie extensions, a day before the 2026-27 regular season tips off. So far this offseason, five players have signed rookie extensions: Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Keyonte George and Brandin Podziemski. That pace is well below the average of 11 rookie extensions signed per year since 2023, but activity is expected to pick up in the coming days. Of the 34 players who landed rookie extensions over the past three seasons, 17 signed on deadline day.
The focus is on six of the 16 eligible players. Charlotte's Brandon Miller stands out. The Hornets view Miller and Kon Knueppel as the franchise's new foundation after offseason trades of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Miller rebounded from an injury-plagued 2024-25 season, posting career highs in 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage and free throw attempts while averaging more than 20 points per game for a second straight season. His camp views Amen Thompson's five-year, $208 million extension with Houston as a comparable, though Thompson played at least 60 games in each of his first three seasons and earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2025.
Dallas center Dereck Lively II presents a different case. When healthy, Lively ranked 17th out of 138 players in offensive rebounding percentage and fourth in defensive rebounding percentage in 2024-25. However, durability is the central concern: he has played 98 games in three seasons and missed all but seven games last season after two foot surgeries. He was not cleared for full 5-on-5 work during training camp.
The deadline also brings Oct. 19, when veterans with two years remaining on their contracts must be extended, and when rosters must be trimmed to 15 players on standard contracts. Monday's decisions could reshape plans for several franchises across the league.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing