Karim Lopez is now officially in the fold, and that leaves the 2026 draft with all 30 first-round picks signed to their rookie scale deals. Lopez, the No. 21 overall pick, finalized his contract with the Grizzlies on Wednesday, becoming the last first-rounder to formally join his NBA team.
The second round has moved much more slowly. So far, 19 of the 30 second-round picks have signed NBA contracts, which means 11 players are still waiting on their first pro deals.
Those unsigned second-rounders are Richie Saunders of the Grizzlies, Braden Smith of the Pacers, Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel of the Knicks, Dillon Mitchell of the Celtics, 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.
Not every one of those names is headed straight into an NBA uniform. Ngoy, for example, had already committed to Auburn for the 2026/27 season and said he was surprised when the Clippers drafted him last month. After the draft, he and the team were reportedly discussing options, but the expectation is that he’ll play at Auburn and operate as a domestic draft-and-stash.
There are also a few candidates who could wind up stashed overseas. Kayil, Ishchenko, and Lewis had already been playing internationally, and they look like the strongest bets to spend 2026/27 in Europe or Australia, though nothing has been confirmed yet.
Saunders’ path is a little different. Players taken as high as No. 32 usually land three- or four-year NBA contracts, often with multiple guaranteed seasons, but the former BYU star tore his ACL in February and could miss a sizable portion of his rookie year while recovering. Memphis also has a crowded roster situation, so there may not be an obvious standard-contract spot for him right away.
A two-way deal feels like a real possibility for Saunders this season, with a standard contract perhaps coming later. It also wouldn’t be a shock if he starts on a G League contract and then gets bumped up after the trade deadline, when the Grizzlies might have more room and his rehab could be close to complete.
Braden Smith’s situation in Indiana is complicated in a different way. Draft-night reporting pointed to the Pacers signing him to a two-way deal, but that plan has been clouded by the fact that Indiana already likes its three two-way players: Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, and Kobe Brown. That could force the Pacers to choose between giving Smith a standard contract to fill their final 15-man roster spot or making room by waiving Thompson, or another two-way player, to open a slot.
The Knicks, Nuggets, Warriors, and Timberwolves are all also weighing roster and financial considerations as they decide whether to sign Tyler Nickel, Bryce Hopkins, Lajae Jones, and Trey Kaufman-Renn to standard contracts or two-way deals. The cap math matters here: a second-round pick on the rookie minimum carries a $1.36MM cap hit, while a veteran minimum deal counts for $2.45MM. For teams operating near a hard cap or trying to keep the tax bill under control, that gap can be a big one.
Boston appears to have the cleanest path. The Celtics have an open spot on their projected 15-man roster and enough room below the luxury tax line to fit Dillon Mitchell on a rookie-minimum deal.
Even so, the expectation is that Boston may leave that 15th roster spot open to begin the regular season to preserve flexibility. The team also has two open two-way slots, and Mitchell could end up filling one of them sooner or later.
In Other News...
Rockets Offseason Just Intensified A Debate Fans Cannot Ignore
The Grizzlies offseason picture keeps getting tied to the same larger Southwest Division conversation, and a lot of it starts with how teams are sorting out their wing and backcourt depth. Memphis has been in the mix around Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but the broader read is that his fit may make more sense elsewhere, which matters for a roster that already has several players competing for time at shooting guard and small forward.
Dylan Harpers latest comments only add another layer to that same theme of roles and patience. The Spurs guard said he is not chasing individual benchmarks in his second NBA season, preferring to get better day by day and learn from each experience, while also making clear he would be fine coming off the bench again as San Antonio builds off its Finals run. For Memphis, the unresolved part is how all of those moving pieces around the division eventually shape the market and the minutes available. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Boozer Just Got The Validation Grizzlies Fans Were Waiting For
Cam Boozers first stretch in Summer League gave Memphis fans a little more reason to believe the front office may have landed a real difference-maker at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft. Taken third overall, Boozer has already flashed the kind of offensive skill set and perimeter defense that can translate quickly, and that early showing has only sharpened the conversation around how much he can matter right away.
The broader rookie class has its own buzz, with names like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson all drawing attention in promising situations. But Boozers start has been enough to put him squarely in the mix for a major first-year impact, and for a Grizzlies team looking for young talent to hit early, that is exactly the kind of validation worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]