Bobby MarksCloseBobby MarksESPNFollow on XTim BontempsCloseTim BontempsESPN Senior WriterTim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.Follow on XOct 16, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Trae Young focused on Hawks, not contract extension (0:46)Trae Young voices his excitement for the roster the Hawks have put together this season. (0:46)
The NBA season begins Tuesday, but that isn’t the only thing on the minds of league executives in the coming days.
The deadline for rookie extensions (and for veterans signed past this season) is 6 p.m. ET Monday, roughly 24 hours before the Houston Rockets travel to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to tip off the 2025-26 season.
Of the 15 players from that class who remain extension eligible between now and Monday, how many will also land long-term deals with their current teams?
Keep in mind, 14 out of the 25 players who signed rookie extensions in 2023 and 2024 signed on the last day eligible. And by Monday, teams will also have to reduce their rosters to 15 on standard contracts.
What I would offer: Five years, $125 million. The contract would remain flat at $25 million per season. Factoring in the new contract for Daniels, and Young’s player option, Atlanta would be $26 million below the luxury tax and comfortably beneath both aprons. — Marks
Will it happen?: If last year’s negotiations with Johnson are a guide — where the two sides haggled over it and then got a deal done right before the deadline — then this one probably will go right up to Monday’s deadline. The guess here is something gets done, but landing on a number both sides agree on could be difficult. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Braun has become an integral part of Denver’s operation, helping the Nuggets win their first NBA title as a rookie and then stepping into the starting lineup last season in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s spot at shooting guard. He’s the one clear long-term building block the Nuggets have. Watson, meanwhile, is a pogo-stick athlete who also brings an interesting skill set alongside Nikola Jokic, making him appealing for a long-term deal. — Bontemps
Will it happen?: Braun’s deal feels most likely to happen. He’s too important to what Denver is trying to do, and cost certainty on his deal ahead of restricted free agency next summer will be critical. Though Watson is an intriguing player, given how Zeke Nnaji’s extension has aged for the Nuggets, it would be a bit surprising if Denver does a similar thing with Watson now, particularly with how their finances look going forward. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Ivey was showing signs of improvement before an unfortunate leg injury cost him the final few months of last season. His skill set could pair nicely with Cade Cunningham in the backcourt moving forward. For Duren, the argument is simple: He’s a 21-year-old who averaged a double-double in his first season under J.B. Bickerstaff, and both sides hope he can continue to improve this season and beyond. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Eason is an analytical darling who has been consistent for the Rockets since being drafted No. 17 in 2022. Though it’s likely he again comes off the bench this season, combo forwards with his skill set and ability to disrupt play at both ends are highly valued, and Houston has shown an ability to continually get its young core players locked into good contracts. — Bontemps
What I would offer: Four years, $80 million. The apron era has taught teams to prioritize their own pending free agents and balance future finances. With Amen Thompson eligible to sign an extension next summer, it is hard to justify an average salary of $20 million or more for a player coming off the bench. — Marks
Will it happen?: This feels as if it will get done eventually. With Eason’s injury history, locking in some long-term financial security makes sense. Houston has locked up its young players under general manager Rafael Stone, so expect the Rockets to continue to do so. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said over the summer that Mathurin, the first single-digit draft pick the Pacers have had in a couple of generations, was going to be a starter with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season. For a team that tends to keep its talent in-house, getting a deal done with Mathurin could make sense. — Bontemps
Why it might not: Mathurin’s minutes and production should increase this season with Haliburton out. But can Indiana afford to pay the wing starter money when $80 million is already committed to Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell next season? Mathurin came off the bench in 60% of games played in the past three seasons. An extension would also put Indiana over the luxury tax and near the first apron in 2026-27. — Marks
What I would offer: Four years, $68 million. Mathurin’s production over the past three years should warrant an extension that pays an average of $17 million. The wing is one of four players of his draft class to score at least 3,000 points and he averaged 16 points for a second time in his three seasons in 2024-25, while leading all reserves in postseason points. But as we mentioned above, playing time next season and the Pacers’ payroll have to be taken into consideration. — Marks
Why an extension could get done: Phoenix has already shown a commitment to Williams by sending out two first-round picks — the No. 29 pick this past June, plus a 2029 first-rounder — to get him from the Charlotte Hornets. So, with that investment already in the bag, getting Williams on a long-term contract with the franchise would make some sense. — Bontemps
Will it happen?: It’s hard to see it happening, even with the investment in draft capital the Suns put in to get Williams. He’s a talented lob catcher, but since he’s already dealing with injury issues out of the gate and has played in only 106 games in his career, this seems as if it will be a wait-and-see situation. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Sharpe was general manager Joe Cronin’s first draft pick in 2022, and will play this season — his fourth in the NBA — at just 22 years old. He’s also a 6-foot-6 multifaceted wing who averaged 18.5 points last season. Add that up, and it’s easy to see why Portland would want to keep him as part of its program moving forward. — Bontemps
Why it might not: Cap flexibility next offseason. Even after trading for Jrue Holiday and then signing Damian Lillard, Portland has $129 million in salary. The salary cap is projected to be $166 million. But Sharpe has a $25.2 million cap hold as a free agent, meaning Portland is already over the cap. The Blazers would have to let Sharpe walk in free agency to free up room. — Marks
Will it happen?: The bet here is this one gets done. The Blazers have added veterans to augment their young core, but Portland has expressed a belief that it can build upon its strong second half from last season. Keeping Sharpe and building on that momentum moving forward is part of that plan. — Bontemps
Why an extension could get done: Getting Kessler’s extension done would allow the president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge, to ink a player who was a key part of the Rudy Gobert trade three years ago and keep him with the franchise through the end of the decade. It would also ensure Utah’s rebuild would be anchored by a player who has shown dominant rim protection prowess under coach Will Hardy. — Bontemps
Why it might not: Getting selected outside of the lottery and then outplaying your first-round contract comes with a downside. Because Kessler was selected with the 22nd pick in 2022, his free agent cap hold next season is a modest $14.7 million. That means if the Jazz signed Kessler to a starting salary of $25 million for next season, they would then lose $10 million in cap flexibility. Including the Kessler hold, Utah projects to have a minimum of $50 million in room. — Marks
What I would offer: Five years, $116 million. The extension would be a win-win for both sides. For Kessler, the $20 million starting salary next season ranks in the top 15 among all centers. The Jazz, on the other hand, would lose only $4 million in cap flexibility next summer. — Marks
Will it happen?: This one is unlikely. Both sides have signaled it won’t happen, and Kessler’s low cap hold for next summer without an extension will make him a valuable trade option or a valuable player for the Jazz to retain and build around as they begin to move into the next phase of their rebuild under Ainge. — Bontemps
Heading into this season, we’ve already seen several players from the 2022 draft class sign extensions with their teams. Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. — the first, second and third picks in that draft by the Orlando Magic, Thunder and Rockets, respectively — signed long-term deals with those teams in July. As did Jalen Williams (No. 12 by OKC) this offseason and Nikola Jovic (No. 27 by the Miami Heat) last month. On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings and Keegan Murray (No. 4) settled on a five-year, $140 million pact, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Why an extension could get done: Daniels is a huge success story for Atlanta. He came to the Hawks last summer as part of the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans and became the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season while leading the league in steals (229, the most in a season by any player since Gary Payton in 1995-96). The Hawks were able to get a deal done at the deadline with Jalen Johnson last year, and it wouldn’t be hard to see them find a way to get one done for Daniels. — Tim Bontemps
Why it might not: His agent, Daniel Moldovan, is using the five-year, $150 million extension Jalen Suggs signed last year as the comparison for Daniels, while also assessing Trae Young’s uncertain future in Atlanta. Daniels was named first-team All-Defense, finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and increased his offensive production from 5.8 to 14.1 points. But Young has a $49 million player option next season and has been eligible to sign an extension since mid-June. — Bobby Marks