A handful of NBA teams still have two-way openings on the board, and the list is a little more crowded than it looks at first glance.
Right now, 14 teams have at least one two-way spot available, according to the 2026/27 tracker. A few of those jobs are believed to be essentially claimed already, but the paperwork hasn’t been finished yet.
The teams with open two-way slots are the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings.
The Knicks stand out as the only club with all three two-way spots still open. They also still have Tyler Nickel unsigned as a second-round pick, though he could still choose to go back to college after a recent federal court ruling opened up an extra year of NCAA eligibility.
Denver is the only other team with multiple openings. The Nuggets have two two-way spots available, and they also have an unsigned second-round pick in forward Bryce Hopkins.
The rest of the league’s teams on that list have one opening each, though some of those deals appear close to being done. Former Nuggets guard Jalen Pickett is expected to land with the Clippers, ex-Michigan State big man Carson Cooper has a deal lined up with the Grizzlies, and undrafted free agent big man Rafael Castro is expected to sign with the Bucks.
Memphis still has one wrinkle to sort out before Cooper’s two-way deal can be completed. The Grizzlies are at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract, so they need to clear a roster spot first. They also have Richie Saunders as an unsigned second-rounder, but the plan there remains unclear for the former BYU star, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
There are a few other unsigned second-round picks who could wind up on two-way contracts too. That group includes Braden Smith of the Pacers, Lajae Jones of the Warriors, Vsevolod Ishchenko of the Mavericks, Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Timberwolves and Malique Lewis of the Bucks. Ishchenko and Lewis spent last season overseas and could end up as draft-and-stash players, though that hasn’t been confirmed.
And there’s one more route teams can use if they want to keep developing a player: an Exhibit 10 contract can be turned into a two-way deal if the player stands out in training camp, as long as he remains eligible for a two-way spot.
In Other News...
Isaiah Stewarts Exit Comments Put Pistons Fans In An Awkward Spot
Isaiah Stewarts move from Detroit to Memphis in late June was a straightforward basketball deal on paper, with the Pistons landing three future second-round picks. But the bigger story has been the way Stewart has talked about the end of his run in Detroit, where he described last season as bittersweet and made clear there was more going on than just the box score and the roster math. For Memphis, it adds another layer to a trade that was already about more than draft capital.
Stewart also opened the door to his thoughts on former teammate Jalen Duren, whose contract situation with the Pistons remains unsettled. He called that situation tricky, but also made the case that Duren has shown enough to justify the price tag he is seeking. For Pistons fans, it is an uncomfortable reminder that one departure can spill into the next conversation, especially when the former player is still weighing in on the teams future. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Will Circle One Blazers Game For Tiago Splitter
The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to get their full schedule soon, and there is already no shortage of dates worth circling for Memphis fans. One of the biggest will be Ja Morants first return to Memphis after he was traded in June for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, a matchup that will naturally carry extra emotion and attention whenever it lands on the calendar.
Portland also has its own reasons to keep an eye on the seasons early shape after the playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, a result that sharpened the sense of rivalry between the two sides. And there is another layer for league-watchers to track involving interim coach Tiago Splitter, whose next stop now sits with the Chicago Bulls, leaving one more wrinkle to follow once the Blazers schedule finally drops. [Read more 🡒]