The 2023 draft class has reached extension season, and that contract clock adds another layer to the fantasy board for 2026-27. First-round picks from that class can sign new deals now; if they do not, restricted free agency awaits after the season. Victor Wembanyama has already secured his extension, while several other young rotation pieces enter camp with a major financial season in front of them.
Contract-year targets from the 2023 draft class
The opportunity angle matters as much as the contract leverage. Charlotte has moved LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, Utah is aiming to push toward the playoffs, Detroit has not added much perimeter scoring, and Memphis opens camp with forward minutes available.
Quick facts
- Brandon Miller is No. 42 in the overall points rankings and could inherit a larger scoring role in Charlotte.
- Keyonte George, ranked No. 60, posted 23.6 points and 6.1 assists last season for Utah.
- Ausar Thompson sits at No. 82 and has a path to more offensive responsibility in Detroit.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., No. 100, arrives in Milwaukee after finishing runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year.
- GG Jackson and Dereck Lively II are outside the top 150 rankings, making them deeper-league watches.
Miller has already cleared 20 points per game in each of his first two seasons, an impressive scoring baseline for a 23-year-old wing. With Ball and Bridges no longer in Charlotte, Miller and Kon Knueppel should handle more possessions and playmaking responsibility.
That should raise Miller’s ceiling beyond just points. More touches could create gains in rebounds and assists, and his ability to spike individual scoring nights makes him particularly useful in high-score formats. He enters the season with a chance to become Charlotte’s primary scorer.
George took a major step in his third Utah season, averaging 23.6 points with 6.1 assists while locking down the starting point guard job. He remains without an extension despite reported discussions, leaving the 22-year-old with added incentive entering 2026-27.
Utah’s expected playoff push should also mean a heavier minute load for George. With Jaren Jackson Jr., Darryn Peterson and Lauri Markkanen around him, George has the personnel to push his assist average to another career high. He is being valued around the sixth round despite playing one of fantasy’s thinner positions.
Thompson did not make the same statistical leap as twin brother Amen Thompson, who received a five-year extension from Houston. Ausar still has his own deal pending, but Detroit’s offseason left room for him to grow into a bigger offensive role.
The Pistons lost Tobias Harris to San Antonio and replaced him with John Collins, without dramatically changing their scoring hierarchy. Thompson’s defense already keeps him in the rotation, and an eighth-round price makes him a reasonable upside swing in formats that do not punish his limited 3-point production.
Jaquez spent nearly all of last season in Miami’s second unit, coming off the bench in 74 of 75 appearances while averaging 28.3 minutes. His all-around production helped him finish second in the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Now in Milwaukee as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Jaquez gets a clearer runway to volume. He enters camp as the leading candidate for the Bucks’ starting small forward spot, and his scoring should have room to expand on a rebuilding roster.
Jackson faces a different contract path as a 2023 second-round selection. He can become an unrestricted free agent after 2026-27, making this season important as he tries to establish himself in Memphis’ open rotation.
He closed last season well, putting up 17.9 points and 5.3 rebounds over his final 23 games despite playing only 25.7 minutes per night. Jerami Grant and Cameron Boozer will compete with him at forward, but there appears to be enough court time for all three to produce. For now, Jackson is a deeper-league target rather than a standard-draft priority.
Lively is the late-round center case after appearing in only seven games last season. Dallas is expected to divide its center minutes between Lively and Daniel Gafford, making either player’s health central to the rotation.
Lively is best viewed as a very deep-league option, with additional value in category formats where field-goal percentage carries weight. Both Dallas centers have accumulated notable injury histories, so the player available for regular minutes could become the more useful investment as the season nears.
SEO Title: 2023 NBA Draft Extension-Year Fantasy Targets for 2026-27
SEO Description: Brandon Miller, Keyonte George, Ausar Thompson and other 2023 NBA Draft players enter 2026-27 with contract leverage, rotation opportunity and fantasy upside.
