Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Headline What Could Be the Richest NBA Free Agent Class Ever in 2027

The 2027 NBA offseason is still more than a year away, but early projections already point to it becoming the richest free agent class the league has ever seen, headlined by two of basketball’s biggest current stars: Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Both players carry player options for the 2027-28 season worth roughly $62.8 million, and both are widely expected to command contracts that would make them the first players in any of North America’s four major professional sports to earn more than $75 million in a single season. Combined, Jokic and Antetokounmpo have won five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, and both figure to still be playing at an All-NBA level when free agency opens, barring injury.

A market shaped by star power and scarcity

NBA free agency has long operated on a simple principle: teams are willing to back up the proverbial Brinks truck for a single transformative star, even when the odds of actually landing that star and building a championship contender around him are slim. The 2027 class appears built to test that principle at an unprecedented scale, given how many established, championship-caliber players carry either unrestricted free agency or player options that year.

Jokic, who will be 32 in 2027, remains under contract with the Denver Nuggets through his option year, while Antetokounmpo, set to turn 33, holds his option with the Miami Heat, the franchise that acquired him in a blockbuster trade this past offseason. Whether either player ultimately exercises those options, re-signs long-term with his current team, or tests the open market remains to be seen, but their mere presence atop the list ensures 2027 will draw outsized attention across the league regardless of how things unfold.

A deep supporting cast of stars

Jokic and Antetokounmpo are far from alone at the top of the list. Anthony Davis, who will turn 34 in 2027, also carries a $62.8 million player option, this time with the Washington Wizards. Stephen Curry, who will be 39, is set for unrestricted free agency, as is Kawhi Leonard, who turns 36 that year.

Kevin Durant, who will be 39 in 2027, holds a $46 million player option with the Houston Rockets, while Kyrie Irving carries a $42.4 million option with the Dallas Mavericks at age 35. Karl-Anthony Towns, set to turn 32, has a $61 million option with the New York Knicks, and Jimmy Butler, who will be 38, is projected for unrestricted free agency as well.

Rounding out the list of established veterans are Brandon Ingram, holding a $41.9 million option with the Los Angeles Clippers; Jalen Green, with a $36 million option with the Phoenix Suns; Julius Randle, holding a $35.8 million option with the Brooklyn Nets; Rudy Gobert, with a $38 million option with the Minnesota Timberwolves; and Paul George, who carries a $56.6 million option with the Boston Celtics at age 37.

A mix of veterans and rising talent

The 2027 class isn’t limited to established superstars deep into their careers. Two of the league’s younger standouts also appear on the list under team-option rookie-scale contracts: Cooper Flagg, who will be just 20 years old and carries a $15.2 million team option with the Mavericks, and Dylan Harper, turning 21, with a $14 million team option held by the San Antonio Spurs. Both players remain under their teams’ control at that stage, but their inclusion underscores how quickly the league’s next generation of stars is beginning to factor into long-term roster planning across the association.

Other notable names include Zach LaVine, unrestricted at 32; Michael Porter Jr., a restricted free agent at 29; Jrue Holiday, holding a $37.2 million option with the Portland Trail Blazers at 37; Tyler Herro, unrestricted at 27; and Jerami Grant, with a $36.4 million option tied to the Memphis Grizzlies at 33. Additional depth pieces on the list include Josh Hart, Isaiah Stewart and Kristaps Porzingis, each carrying team or player options with their respective franchises at more modest salary figures relative to the class’s top tier.

Why the class matters now

Even though the 2027 offseason remains well over a year away, the sheer volume of star-level talent set to hit the market is already shaping how front offices around the league are approaching roster construction, salary-cap planning and trade strategy in the interim. Teams hoping to create max-level cap space by the summer of 2027, or positioning themselves as attractive destinations for a star seeking a new home, are likely to factor this looming class into decisions made well before free agency actually opens.

The presence of both Jokic and Antetokounmpo near the top of the list carries particular significance given their sustained dominance in recent seasons. Both players have anchored deep playoff runs and remain central figures in their respective franchises’ championship aspirations, meaning any decision either makes about his future would send ripple effects across the league regardless of whether it results in an actual change of team.

For now, the 2027 free agent class remains largely theoretical, built on player options and contract structures that could shift considerably between now and when free agency actually opens. Injuries, trades, and the results of the intervening seasons could all reshape which players ultimately test the market and which choose to remain with their current teams.

Still, with two former MVPs projected to potentially reset the league’s salary ceiling, and a deep supporting class of veteran stars and emerging young talent behind them, early indications suggest the 2027 offseason has the potential to be one of the most consequential in recent NBA history — a summer teams around the league are already beginning to plan for, more than a year in advance.