These 4 NBA free agents earned a huge new contract in the playoffs

With all but four teams eliminated, now is a great time to look back at some pending NBA free agents who boosted their stock in the playoffs. This year, more than other years, was a golden opportunity for players to change their free agency outlook, since there aren't a ton of high-end free agents, but there are a lot of teams with cap space. 

Let's dive into four free agents who just earned big contracts this summer.

Tobias Harris

Is there anyone better in the NBA at securing a massive contract than Tobias Harris? Despite never being an All-Star, Harris has amassed over $300 million in his career. Well, he might have earned another big deal after a strong playoff showing. 

Harris averaged 18.1 points in the playoffs, which is a notable uptick from his 13.3 ppg average in the regular season. Impressively, Harris notched eight straight games with 20 or more points. Ultimately, concerns about the Detroit Pistons' lack of secondary creation proved to be correct, but Harris almost rewrote this narrative. Sure, Harris disappeared in Game 7, shooting 0-for-6 from the field, but he did more than enough to earn another hefty contract. 

With Harris turning 34 this summer, a long-term deal would be unwise. Still, two years ago, he earned a two-year, $52 million deal with the Pistons. While this move was widely mocked, Harris has been central in the Pistons' remarkable transformation, and his contract has aged well. 

Given Harris' importance to the Pistons and that they aren't completely hamstrung by the cap, bringing him back on a similar deal would make sense. Still, the Pistons might opt to make some big moves, paving the way for Harris to sign elsewhere. I could totally see a young team such as the Chicago Bulls or Utah Jazz throwing an expensive short-term deal at Harris, much like Detroit did in 2024.

Ayo Dosunmu

Ayo Dosunmu didn't have a massive statistical leap, but his 43-point performance in Game 4 of the first-round might be enough to secure a big deal. It's also worth noting that a calf injury hindered Dosunmu's second-round impact. 

Had he continued his trajectory from the first-round where he averaged 21.8 points, Dosunmu may have earned a truly shocking deal. Still, the bigger picture is that Ayo proved that he is an elite complementary guard with the ability to scale up when needed, and this archetype will get you paid.

Likewise, the Minnesota Timberwolves need a guard with Dosunmu's versatile skill set. After losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in last year's offseason, the Wolves must do whatever it takes to re-sign Dosunmu. Since they have Dosunmu's bird rights, they can do so, but this will likely push them into the tax aprons. 

Dosunmu can sign a three-year $52.4 million extension with Minnesota before free agency officially starts. This seemed like a realistic possibility before the playoffs. Now, though, it's fair to believe that he'll land a contract worth upwards of $20 million a year. If the Wolves don't retain him (which would be a mistake), the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers could offer Dosunmu a bigger deal with the chance to play for a competitive team.

CJ McCollum

I don't know about you, but I'll always remember CJ McCollum in the first-round of these playoffs. Specifically, the first three games, in which he averaged 27 points. This, of course, included a game-winning shot in Game 3 and a 32-point outing in Game 2.

McCollum might not have been able to replicate this magic for the remainder of the series. However, he showed that he still has plenty left in the tank, and he vindicated the Hawks getting him back as the centerpiece of a Trae Young deal (something that was widely mocked at the time). 

Much like Harris, McCollum will turn 35 before the start of next season, so a long-term contract wouldn't be wise. Still, a two-year deal worth $50 million or so in total doesn't feel too rich. McCollum's masterful pick-and-roll abilities and three-level scoring make him an ideal point guard for the Hawks. 

If Atlanta wants to use its cap space elsewhere, though, the Pistons strike me as a perfect landing spot for McCollum. 

Rui Hachimura

Rui Hachimura is one of the most underrated role players in the league. Perhaps I should have said "was" because the playoffs gave Rui the national spotlight that he deserves. Hachimura averaged 17.5 points and shot a blistering 56.9 percent from beyond the arc. His fantastic shooting actually helped him become the all-time leader in playoff 3-point field goal percentage.

With Luka Dončić not playing at all in the playoffs, Hachimura showed that he can scale up to provide more shot creation in addition to his knockdown shooting. Having a lights-out shooting with solid secondary creation and on-ball defense chops is necessary alongside Luka. Frankly, with some of the league's most cap space, there's no reason for LA not to bring Hachimura back, as they try to build a true title contender. 

Hachimura's previous three-year $51 million contract put him just below the $20 million a year mark. After such a strong playoffs, though, it's fair to expect that Hachimura will clear this $20 million a year threshold in his new deal.  

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