Heading into the 2026-27 season, 27 players from the 2026 draft class are on two-way contracts, and that group includes a mix of undrafted rookies and second-round picks with a real shot to work their way into standard NBA deals.
Most of those players will spend plenty of time in the G League as rookies, but the two-way route still gives them a path upward. Of the 27, 14 went undrafted, while 13 were selected in the second round. The highest-picked rookie on a two-way deal is former Purdue guard Braden Smith, who went No. 38 overall.
Three names stand out as the best bets to make the jump this season.
At Chicago, Awaka arrives after going undrafted and signing as a free agent. The 6-foot-8 forward gave Arizona a steady senior season, averaging 9.3 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 58.7% from the field in 20.8 minutes per game off the bench.
His appeal is straightforward: he rebounds, he finishes plays, and he brings a skill set that can translate into useful minutes. With the Bulls entering a new era under first-year general manager Bryson Graham and first-year head coach Tiago Splitter, Awaka has a chance to fit into the group the organization wants to build around going forward.
Brown got drafted, but not by much - San Antonio took him at No. 44 after a senior season at Duke that featured 4.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He profiles as a defender who can help on the margins, and that matters on a Spurs roster that still needs more depth at one of its thinner positions. If Brown looks sharp in training camp, carries that into the preseason and makes noise early with San Antonio’s G League affiliate, he could put himself on the fast track to a standard contract.
Cooper is another undrafted player with momentum after landing in Memphis and turning heads in Summer League. In nine games across Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, he posted 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 57.5% from the floor.
At Michigan State, the senior center averaged 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a block per game, hitting 58.4% of his shots. His clearest opening may come if Zach Edey, who has dealt with injuries throughout his NBA career, misses time again in 2026-27.
If that happens, Cooper could get real chances with the Grizzlies - and a chance to turn a two-way deal into something more.
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Spurs Preseason Puts Three Rotation Players Under Real Pressure
The Spurs preseason opens Oct. 8, and it arrives with more than the usual tune-up feel for a team still sorting out its rotation. Keldon Johnson, DeAaron Fox and Harrison Barnes all enter camp with real questions attached to their roles, making these early exhibition games feel more like an audition than a warmup. Johnson is still looking to answer for a stretch that left his standing less secure than it used to be, while Fox is expected to show he can bounce back from a disappointing season.
Barnes, meanwhile, is back on a one-year deal and likely fits as a depth piece unless the season takes a different turn. For San Antonio, that makes the preseason more than a chance to get legs under the roster - it is a first look at how the Spurs want to deploy veterans who could shape the season in different ways. If those roles do not settle quickly, the front office may have more options, and more decisions, than it would prefer this early. [Read more 🡒]