As the 2026 NBA offseason quiets down (until LeBron decides his next destination), it’s time to take stock of some of the more intriguing deals that have been made this summer.
This doesn’t necessarily mean large or small contracts, but rather cost expectation, compared to reality, as well as some trades.
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Let’s get into it.
Look, when I saw that hit the news feed, I was 100% sure it was a typo, and that the “4” was supposed to be a “6.”
Man, $15 million for Champagnie, who is one of the better 3&D wings in the league, is dirt cheap. He’s improved every single season, has become a better rebounder and playmaker, and his ability to play off star power is nothing short of championship-caliber.
He’s the type of player you can easily envision making clutch plays and winning a title despite being the fifth option in the starting unit. His 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds might appear modest, but it’s anything but.
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His impact is significantly higher than his raw line, and I wouldn’t have batted an eye if he had received over $20 million per year given his particular set of skills.
All right, so I’m doing something here that might be irresponsible, but I’m giving Chicago the benefit of doubt — due to new leadership — and approaching this from a more creative perspective.
The Bulls only took on money for those two, and given that Powell is a strong scorer who’s averaging just $22.5 million per year over the next two seasons, he’ll be easily movable before the trade deadline.
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Claxton is a tougher sell, seeing as he’s been a great rebounder, but his defense has slipped in recent years. But he’s still highly switchable on that end of the floor, and his contract declines in value.
If good teams identify Powell and Claxton as difference-makers, the Bulls could end up flipping them for assets, which they’d basically get for free, because they didn’t relinquish anything to get those players onto the roster.
Kevin Huerter gets $27 million over three years
The last time Huerter was a good shooter, and thus displayed one elite NBA skill, was in the 2022-2023 season, when he canned 40.2% of 4.7 3-ball attempts per game.
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Since then? He’s shot 33.6% on 1,057 attempts from long-range, which is below league average.
Huerter also played just nine minutes per game in the playoffs for the Pistons, averaging 1.2 points per game, which makes this all the more confusing.
Because he doesn’t have a single elite skill at this level, you have to wonder what it is the Pistons bought into here. A $9 million salary in this new economy isn’t going to wreck the cap, but nevertheless, it seems wildly optimistic to give Huerter anything that exceeds the minimum.
What an absolute steal by the Hawks. Wiggins, a fluid 6-foot-7 wing, can create his own offense, shoot off the catch and is generally an underrated offensive player whom the Thunder should have utilized more, especially over Lu Dort when their offense started to stagnate.
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Now he’s on the Hawks for the price of just two measly second-rounders and will provide Atlanta with a boost off the bench or as a spot starter.
His 9.4 points in just under 22 minutes might not wow you, but he played on a deep team and wasn’t heavily featured. In Atlanta, that could easily change — and frankly should change.
We’ll see how the Hawks implement him, but he’s going to add a significant boost to their offense.
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