The first-round side of the 2026 NBA Draft is officially buttoned up. Mexican forward Karim Lopez, taken 21st overall, signed his rookie scale deal with the Grizzlies on July 29, becoming the last first-round pick to formally join the team that drafted him.
The second round is a different story.
Nine players from that group still haven’t signed their first NBA contracts, leaving the league’s 2026 draft class with a noticeable gap. The unsigned names are Richie Saunders of the Grizzlies, Braden Smith of the Pacers, Tyler Nickel of the Knicks, Bryce Hopkins of the Nuggets, Lajae Jones of the Warriors, Vsevolod Ishchenko of the Mavericks, Narcisse Ngoy of the Clippers, Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Timberwolves, and Malique Lewis of the Bucks.
Some of those situations already look headed away from an NBA roster. Ngoy, for one, had committed to Auburn for the 2026/27 season and said he was surprised when the Clippers drafted him in June. After the draft, he and Los Angeles were said to be talking through the options, but the expectation is that he’ll suit up for Auburn and operate as a domestic draft-and-stash player.
There’s precedent for that kind of path. No. 39 overall pick Jack Kayil, whose rights belong to the Knicks, recently signed a multiyear deal to remain in Germany with ALBA Berlin. Ishchenko and Lewis are also viewed as candidates to land in Europe or Australia in 2026/27, though nothing has been confirmed for either player.
Saunders’ case is more complicated. Players selected as high as No. 32 usually sign three- or four-year NBA deals and often get multiple guaranteed seasons, but the former BYU standout isn’t in a normal spot.
He tore his ACL in February and could miss a significant part of his rookie year while recovering. Memphis is also dealing with a roster crunch, so there may not be an easy opening on the standard roster anyway.
Because of that, Saunders could start on a two-way contract and move up later. It also wouldn’t be a shock if he opens the season on a G League deal and then lands a standard contract after the trade deadline, when the Grizzlies may have more room and his recovery could be close to complete.
Indiana appears to have a clearer path for Smith. The Pacers waived guard Ethan Thompson recently, which opened a two-way spot for the former Purdue guard. Before the draft, reporting indicated Indiana intended to sign the 6’0″ point guard to a two-way deal.
Nickel’s future is still unsettled. At least two reports have said the former Vanderbilt sharpshooter is expected to begin his NBA career with the Knicks, while two others have suggested he may return to college for another season after a federal court ruling gave him an extra year of eligibility. The NCAA has appealed that ruling, and even if Nickel goes back to school, New York would still hold his NBA rights as a domestic draft-and-stash prospect.
The Knicks, Nuggets, Warriors, and Timberwolves are all said to be weighing tax and apron implications as they decide whether to sign Nickel, Hopkins, Jones, and Kaufman-Renn to standard deals or two-way contracts. That choice matters.
A second-round pick on the rookie minimum counts $1.36MM against the cap, while a veteran’s minimum deal carries a $2.45MM hit. For teams operating near a hard cap or trying to keep their tax bill under control, that difference can loom large.
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