We're not quite at the one-quarter mark of the 2025/26 NBA season, but several of the investments that clubs made in free agents over the summer are already paying off in a major way.
Only three free agents got more overall guaranteed money this past offseason than the $100MM Josh Giddey received on his new four-year deal with the Bulls, but Giddey is putting up All-Star caliber numbers in Chicago, making that $100MM commitment look like a potential bargain for his team.
Similarly, Clippers guard James Harden didn't come cheap in free agency -- he's earning $39.2MM in the first season of his new two-year contract. But Harden is playing even better than he did when he earned All-NBA honors last season and is one of the only reasons the struggling Clippers have been competitive at all. The team is getting outscored by an ugly 13.6 points per 100 possessions when he's not on the court. Even at nearly $40MM, Harden has outplayed his salary so far.
While Giddey and Harden are among the well-paid free agents making good on their new deals, we're focusing today on a group of players who flew more under the radar over the summer, having signed for the veteran's minimum or something close to it. It wasn't major news when these five players agreed to terms with their respective teams, but they're well on their way to securing more lucrative paydays when their current deals expire.
Let's dive in...
