The NBA offseason belong to max contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and in 2026, it won’t be any different. Big names such as LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Jalen Duren, and Trae Young will headline until their next big deal gets signed.
But championship teams are built around the players who outperform their contracts and make winning plays that don’t always show up in the box score.
Just look around the league.
The 2026 NBA champion New York Knicks didn’t win because of Jalen Brunson alone. They won because players throughout the roster embraced roles, defended, rebounded, spaced the floor, and sacrificed numbers for team success.
That’s what makes this free-agent class fascinating. While the top names dominate the conversation, there are several under-the-radar players who could provide value relative to their contracts.
Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players in 2026 offseason.
10. Ziaire Williams
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 2-Year, $15 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 10.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Ziaire Williams is one of the most intriguing bets in free agency. At 6’9″ with elite athletic tools, he still possesses the physical profile teams dream about when searching for modern wings.
While consistency has been a challenge throughout his career, Williams has shown encouraging progress as a perimeter shooter and complementary offensive player. He shot 34.3% from deep this season but showed enough with his scoring at 10.2 PPG overall.
Defensively, the upside remains significant. His length allows him to disrupt passing lanes, contest shots, and switch across multiple positions. In an NBA obsessed with versatile wings, Williams is a low-risk, high-reward signing that often pays huge dividends off the bench.
9. Dean Wade
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $25 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 5.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Dean Wade may never make an All-Star team, but he consistently does something NBA executives love: he helps teams win. The veteran forward has become one of the league’s most impactful role players despite averaging modest counting stats.
Offensively, Wade doesn’t need touches to be effective. He has developed into a reliable floor spacer, knocking down 36.2% of his three-pointers last season while providing positional versatility. At 6’9″ and 228 lbs, he can play either forward spot and stretches defenses well.
Championship contenders should be lining up for his services. Every playoff team, including the Los Angeles Lakers, needs players willing to do the dirty work, defend multiple positions, and fit alongside stars.
8. Collin Sexton
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 2-Year, $29 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 15.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Collin Sexton is one of the easiest players to overlook and one of the hardest players to stop when he gets rolling. Because he has spent much of his career on rebuilding teams and smaller-market franchises, his production rarely gets the national attention it deserves.
Yet Sexton has built a resume that includes a 24.3-point-per-game season in Cleveland and four years averaging between 18 and 20 points per game.
Even during the 2025-26 season split between Charlotte and Chicago, he averaged 15.4 points while shooting 48.5% from the field and an impressive 40.1% from three-point range.
Sexton hasn’t proven to be a defensive stopper yet, but any team needing bench scoring should look at Sexton immediately. He can almost certainly be a contender for Sixth Man of the Year in the right system, and expect the Timberwolves to look at his signature strongly this summer.
7. Mitchell Robinson
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $38 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 5.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Mitchell Robinson is one of the most impactful defensive centers in the upcoming free agency period, even though he rarely receives national attention. At 7’0″ with a 7’4″ wingspan, Robinson changes games without needing plays called for him.
His elite rim protection, offensive rebounding, and ability to finish around the basket make him one of the NBA’s premier role-playing centers. After helping the Knicks win the 2026 NBA Championship, Robinson enters free agency as one of the most valuable non-star players available.
He just completed a four-year, $60 million contract and is expected to generate significant interest on the open market. He won’t get the same amount of money since the game has gone even faster since his last contract, but Robinson will have an NBA team soon.
6. Anfernee Simons
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $40 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 14.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Anfernee Simons is a free agent who could end up looking like a massive bargain three years from now. Because he bounced between teams during the 2025-26 season and saw his role fluctuate, his value around the league feels lower than it should be.
Yet this is still a 27-year-old guard who has averaged more than 20 points per game in two seasons and owns one of the smoothest jump shots in basketball. Even in a reduced role this season, Simons averaged 14.3 points while shooting 38.5% from three-point range and 89.6% from the free-throw line.
Simons hasn’t found a permanent home yet, but for any team needing scoring and floor-spacing off the bench, he is the perfect option for a mid-level deal. No doubt, teams ranking near the bottom in three-point rankings need to consider the 6’3″ combo guard as soon as possible.
5. Ayo Dosunmu
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $45 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 14.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Ayo Dosunmu feels like a player on the verge of a major breakout. The athletic combo guard has steadily improved every season while expanding his offensive arsenal. He showed it in the playoffs for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 15.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 4.1 APG on 42.5% from deep.
His ability to play both guard spots makes him particularly attractive in today’s positionless NBA. As his offensive responsibilities increased, so did his production and the Timberwolves ended up getting a huge steal before the playoffs.
The biggest development has been his perimeter shooting. Early in his career, defenses were comfortable helping off him. That’s no longer the case.
As his three-point consistency continues improving, Dosunmu’s ceiling rises dramatically. The 26-year-old has a lot of time to grow into a starting-caliber player and his contract demands should reflect that.
4. Collin Gillespie
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $45 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 12.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Collin Gillespie is a point guard that winning organizations always discover before everyone else does. The former Villanova standout has established himself as an incredibly efficient backup guard who understands how to run an offense without making mistakes.
In some teams, he is a valued starting-caliber point guard and he proved that with 58 starts for the Phoenix Suns. In a league where turnovers can swing playoff games, Gillespie’s decision-making stands out immediately.
His shooting is his biggest selling point. Gillespie connected on 40.1% of his three-point attempts while showing the ability to hit catch-and-shoot opportunities, movement threes, and late-clock jumpers.
What elevates his value is the complete package. He competes defensively, communicates well, and can generate assists. As one of the best floor generals in free agency, Gillespie will be getting paid soon.
3. Quentin Grimes
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 2-Year, $30 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 13.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Quentin Grimes has developed into one of the league’s most dependable two-way guards. While bigger names receive attention, Grimes continues doing exactly what coaches ask: defend, shoot, and provide energy.
Those qualities become even more valuable during the postseason when every possession matters. That’s why the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the teams interested in Grimes’ services.
His three-point shooting has become a talking point, averaging 36.6% for his career so far. But Grimes has established himself as a reliable scorer capable of hitting open looks while also creating enough offense to punish closeouts.
Defensively, Grimes remains one of the better perimeter defenders available. He competes against larger wings, chases around screens, and enjoys making an impact in whatever minutes he’s given.
Every contender wants guards who can survive playoff basketball. Grimes has already proven he can do exactly that, and that’s why the Philadelphia 76ers will be frustrated if they lose him.
2. Tari Eason
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 3-Year, $70 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 10.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Tari Eason plays basketball at one speed: full throttle. The Houston Rockets love what Eason brings to the game as a defensive stopper and excellent rebounder, which is why they will try to retain him in restricted free agency.
Eason’s contributions rarely dominate headlines but frequently change the outcomes of games. For one, Eason is a nightmare for opposing offenses.
His length, activity level, and instincts allow him to guard multiple positions while creating chaos in passing lanes. He posted 1.2 SPG and has a knack for pulling the ball out of opposing players and kickstarting fast breaks.
What makes Eason especially valuable is that his production doesn’t require touches. He doesn’t need to score, but he needs to improve upon his 35.8% three-point mark that he showed last season.
Still, Eason is the most underrated NBA free agent behind one player who might have All-Star potential
1. Peyton Watson
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
Expected Contract: 4-Year, $90 Million
2025-26 Season Statistics: 14.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Peyton Watson is exactly the player championship teams need. He impacts games without needing plays called for him, bringing energy, athleticism, and defense every night.
At 23, he is only getting better and he showed it with his breakout season for the Denver Nuggets. No doubt, the Nuggets find themselves in a dilemna with regards to retaining Watson.
Defensively, Watson has become one of the most versatile forwards in the league, posting solid defensive numbers (0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG). Coaches love players who solve multiple problems simultaneously.
The offensive game is still evolving, but the flashes are becoming more frequent. Given his age and defensive impact, there’s a strong argument that he deserves much more attention than he’s currently receiving.
