The 2026 NBA Free Agency Awards
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The KCP Award For Biggest Overpay Of A Role Player- Sandro Mamukelashvili
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While Mamu had one of the most underrated seasons with Toronto last year, his signing with LA suggests that he will not only be a starter but also the assumed replacement for Rui Hachimura, which makes me question how the team actually views him.
In Mamu’s lone season in Toronto, he proved himself as an offensive connector, and he will be joining a system that should give him much easier scoring opportunities.
However, if he is meant to slot next to Kessler instead of backing him up, that gives LA a clear defensive weakness. Rui was never an All-NBA defender, but he was a connective piece on both sides of the ball, and I doubt Mamu brings that same energy. This is all before even getting into the deal's financials.
Going into free agency, I—and many others—expected Mamu to land a $5–7 million contract, but he got roughly double that and significantly more long-term money.
Mamu is a good player, but this feels like a team overextending what a player actually brings. It is clear this team is meant to be built in a similar form to what the Mavericks with Luka were; it feels like overpaying for the people who would fit this idea.
The Sam Presti Award For Best Trade- Kawhi Leonard to Toronto
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It feels like nostalgia is hitting Toronto. Following what can be described as a turbulent stint at best in LA. Kawhi returns to the team he brought glory to seven years ago. There are obvious concerns with his injuries and age, but his arrival raises this team’s ceiling from a fun play-in group to a true playoff team that could become a contender.
Beyond Kawhi, players like Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Jamal Shead bolster the defense around him. Kawhi is still a great defender, but he no longer has the same ability to lock up one guy all game.
On offense, he fills a similar role to why Houston went out and got Kevin Durant: a reliable end-of-game scorer they can lean on in crunch time.
I think Toronto is close to being a real contender, but there are still clear flaws that make it a bit worrying. Their starting center and their bench are the primary concerns. Jakob Poeltl is on a less-than-ideal deal that looks even more like an overpay after his lackluster playoff performance.
Their bench, while a major reason for their regular-season success, fizzled out due to a lack of reliable scoring and shooting — issues that only worsened with Mamukelashvili’s departure.
Toronto has a real chance to bring a title back to the North, but there are still a few pieces to fix before we can realistically expect to see them there.
The Morning-After Award For Biggest Regretful Move-Walker Kessler To LA
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While I like the fit of Walker Kessler in LA, the price they paid to acquire him means his on-court fit isn’t the only thing you have to consider.
Giving Luka Dončić his long-term rim protector is a great move, and the salary is not as bad as I assumed. However, the draft capital given up leaves LA in a position where contention feels far away. After the Kessler trade, they now have no tradeable first-round picks over the next seven years and still have a clear hole at the wing.
Right now, this team feels like it’s just guards and a center, with no true point-of-attack defender to guard players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Jamal Murray. You could argue they have the salary to acquire one of those types of players, but they no longer have the assets to address the other weaknesses on the roster.
Kessler definitely makes the team better, but it also feels like they sacrificed one part of the roster to fix another.
The Mitch Kupchak Award For Worst Free Agency-Denver Nuggets
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Denver has been operating in free agency at a disadvantage. The hope this offseason was to shed salary to create room to re‑sign Peyton Watson, but they haven’t even seemed to attempt to move those contracts.
Reports have indicated they’ve rebuffed offers for players like Cam Johnson. Moves like that show that, even though they’re negotiating from an obvious position of weakness, it’s a situation created by their own mistakes.
Signings like the Christian Braun extension, instead of extending Watson, leave them with no real path to improving this roster around Nikola Jokić. Beyond the contracts, they’ve also traded away so many first‑round picks that they no longer have the draft capital to attach to dump salary.
Denver is at a disadvantage, which, while unfortunate for Nikola Jokić, is ultimately due to the team’s own mishandling.
Best Free Agency Signing-Marcus Smart To Houston
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While not getting the same kind of attention as other signings, Marcus Smart's return to his hometown has been the best move of free agency so far. In L.A., while he struggled at times with his shooting, his defensive impact was never in question. Smart is going from a team that relied heavily on his defense because of a lack of other reliable defenders to a team built on its defensive identity.
Throughout the Lakers’ series against Houston, every time the momentum swung to the Rockets, it felt like Smart was always there to make a steal or hit a three to swing the game back. For Houston, this deal brings in a much-needed veteran presence, especially after the burner controversy that hung over the team during the back half of the season.
He not only adds leadership but also fits nicely next to a hopefully ascending Reed Sheppard. Offensively, he’s another guard who can run the offense alongside Reed Sheppard and Fred VanVleet, who is coming off a torn ACL.
If this deal doesn’t end up working out, there’s only one more year left on his contract, and at a price that’s easy to move. While Houston still needs a few more moves to look like a true contender, the franchise is clearly headed in the right direction and hopefully moving closer to that level.