Six lesser-known free agents could significantly impact contending NBA teams in summer 2026.
Championship contenders need role players. The NBA's championship race can shift when stars like Austin Reaves, Jalen Duren and LeBron James sign new contracts this summer. However, high-priced players aren't the only ones capable of strengthening a team. Role players and specialists also play a crucial role in building a winning roster. Identifying and signing the right ones can help contenders fill gaps in their rotations. These players can step up during injuries or provide flexibility across different playoff matchups as the postseason progresses.
Six underrated free agents stand out as potential targets when the market opens later this month. None of them appear in Bobby Marks' top 20 free agents list for this year, but each could make a meaningful difference in the right situation. Last year's list successfully predicted Luke Kornet and De'Anthony Melton as valuable role players, though it also included Chris Paul and Malcolm Brogdon, who did not live up to expectations. Success isn't guaranteed, but these six players warrant attention.
Collin Gillespie didn't receive enough recognition for his breakout 2025-26 season. Entering the campaign, the undrafted guard had played 57 games total and scored 281 career points. This season, he played 80 more games and scored 1,012 points, nearly quadrupling his previous total. Gillespie's game is defined by efficiency, averaging three assists to one turnover. He's also an excellent 3-point shooter, ranking among the league leaders in accuracy.
Gillespie's efficiency extends to his three-point shooting, where he made at least 40% of his threes on at least seven attempts per game this season. His catch-and-shoot three-point percentage reached 46%, ranking third among 121 players with at least 200 attempts. Despite standing at just 6-foot-1, Gillespie works hard on defense, making him a tough target for opponents. Phoenix performed better with him on the court offensively and defensively throughout the season.
Advanced metrics view Gillespie favorably, though some projection systems remain cautious due to a small sample size. xRAPM ranks his per-possession impact in the 91st percentile among all players, while estimated plus-minus places him in the 88th percentile. Now entering his age-27 season, Gillespie deserves an eight-figure annual salary and could thrive in a supporting role on a contender.
John Collins' five-year, $125 million contract expired in summer 2026, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time. He originally signed the deal in August 2021 after a strong two-way performance helped the Hawks reach the conference finals. Since then, Collins has been evaluated more for his contract than his actual play. Five years and two trades later, he remains a player worth pursuing.
Collins is an efficient scorer, making 40% of his threes over the past two seasons. He excels as a finisher at the rim and remains a solid defender with positional versatility. The main concern about Collins is his availability, as he has reached 70 games only once since his rookie year. He spent two seasons in Utah without playing a meaningful game before joining the Clippers ahead of their 2025-26 collapse.
Matisse Thybulle remains a defensive specialist despite limited offensive production. His availability has been a recurring concern, but he played at least 1,200 minutes in each of his first five seasons before missing significant time in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Thybulle ended the most recent season healthy, appearing in 31 of the Trail Blazers' last 32 games across regular season, play-in and playoffs.
Thybulle's lack of offensive impact is offset by his elite defense. Estimated plus-minus ranks him as the eighth-most impactful defender in the NBA, between Dyson Daniels and Marcus Smart. His ability to force turnovers is unmatched, leading all players this century (minimum 3,000 minutes) in career steal rate. Over the past two seasons, his steal rate reached an incredible 5.6%.
The following table compares Thybulle's steal rate to other elite guards since 2000 with at least 3,000 minutes played:
| Player | Steal Rate |
| --- | --- |
| Matisse Thybulle | 3.8% |
| Brevin Knight | 3.4% |
| Tony Allen | 3.4% |
| Dyson Daniels | 3.2% |
| Speedy Claxton | 3.1% |
| Ausar Thompson | 3.1% |
| Mookie Blaylock | 3.1% |
| John Stockton | 3.1% |
| Gary Payton II | 3.1% |
| Pablo Prigioni | 3.1% |
| Chris Paul | 3.1% |