Three weeks into the 2025-26 season, small-sample bursts of excellence are already pointing to players who could have consequential summers. The list below highlights 12 contract-year performers chosen with two constraints: no former All-Stars or All-NBA players, and no players whose team options are effectively guaranteed. Each entry summarizes what the player has shown this season and the likely contract implications.
STARTERS
Austin Reaves | Los Angeles Lakers 2025-26: 31.1 PPG (48.9 FG%), 9.3 APG, 37.8 MPG Contract: 2026 player option ($14.9M) Reaves has taken a major step as both a scorer and a creator, rising into the league’s scoring conversation and posting a 50-point outing as an undrafted guard. He’s been especially prolific when key teammates have missed time, averaging double-digit assists in those games and producing a 16-assist performance. Salary-cap constraints limit what the Lakers could pay if they negotiate an early extension, so Reaves is likely to decline his option and test unrestricted free agency, where a five-year max with L.A. or a multi-year big offer from cap-rich teams are possible outcomes.
Norman Powell | Miami Heat 2025-26: 23.3 PPG (46.7 FG%), 4.
