The data that will make NBA Free Agency 2026 one of the best in history?

This year, the NBA's 2025 Free Agency hasn't had much of a story. Although it hasn't ended yet, there haven't been any surprising moves. In fact, the most memorable signing came last February when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The main reason has been the limited number of franchises that have had salary cap space to add free agents.

However, that will change next year. Up to 9 NBA teams will have enough salary cap space to make big signings in a summer where players like LeBron James or Trae Young will become free agents.

The teams that currently would have this space are: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards.

The context helps explain this sudden expansion of liquidity. For the 2025-26 season, the salary cap experienced a 10% increase, with an additional 7% increase projected for the 2026-27 season. Additionally, fewer contract extensions with veterans have been signed this season, which will free up more room for the following summer.

The contrast with 2025 is evident. Only 3 teams had actual salary cap space: Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Milwaukee Bucks.

• The Nets used it for a strategic move to acquire Michael Porter Jr. via trade.
• The Grizzlies used it to renegotiate and extend the contract of their second star, Jaren Jackson Jr.
• Milwaukee Bucks surprised the market by waiving Damian Lillard using the "stretch provision" clause and then acquiring Myles Turner.

Historically, the NBA has experienced cycles of salary cap abundance and restriction. Between the 2013-14 and 2019-20 seasons, an average of 17 teams per year had salary cap space. Since then, the average has plummeted to 5.1, limiting big free agency moves and concentrating negotiating power in a few franchises.

If the projections hold, the next preseason could mark a return to the high-tension summers in the NBA, where the early days of Free Agency were pure chaos.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El dato que hará de la Agencia Libre NBA 2026 ¿una de las mejores de la historia?