The NBA preseason is almost over, and some players are probably getting a little nervous right now. Most teams already know who's going to be on their opening-night roster, but there are still a few spots available, and some guys who have played really well might end up getting waived anyway.
Teams have until October 19 to finalize their rosters, and with only 15 standard contracts and three two-way spots available, there's just not enough room for everybody. And honestly, some of these players have done pretty much everything they could to earn another chance.
Just look at Cam Christie, who averaged 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in two preseason games with the Clippers, but still got waived yesterday . And the latest cuts came in the latest hours, when the Knicks decided to waive Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks, and Ochai Agbaji . Bradley had even scored 10 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting against the Timberwolves, while Eubanks suffered a torn pectoral muscle after competing for the team's final roster spot.
And they probably won't be the last ones. Here are five more players who have impressed this preseason but could still lose their jobs before opening night.
I don't really understand why the Warriors would want to get rid of Charles Bassey right now, especially after how well he's played this preseason. But his contract isn't fully guaranteed, and that's probably the biggest reason he could still end up getting waived.
Bassey signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal during the summer, but only $1.4 million is guaranteed. That's not a lot of money by NBA standards, and the Warriors could still make a change if they decide they need another player before the regular season starts.
But looking at his preseason numbers, I'd definitely keep him. Against the Trail Blazers on October 7, Bassey finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in 24 minutes, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Then he had 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks against the Lakers on October 13.
He also scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against the Clippers, so this isn't just one good game. Bassey has been getting rebounds, blocking shots, and finishing almost everything around the basket, which is exactly what the Warriors need from their backup center.
And it's not like he's never played well before. Last season, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in five games with the Warriors, while putting up 20.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks across 17 G League games with Santa Cruz.
The problem is that Golden State already has Draymond Green, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg in its frontcourt . Porzingis being out indefinitely actually helps Bassey quite a bit, and I think that should be enough to keep him around. He's only 25 years old, he's been playing really well, and the Warriors aren't exactly loaded with healthy centers.
Still, with only part of his salary guaranteed, I wouldn't be completely surprised if they decided to waive him. I wouldn't agree with it, but it's definitely possible.
Imagine getting drafted 13th overall, barely getting a chance to prove yourself, and then having to fight for a two-way contract just two years later. That's pretty much what's happening with Devin Carter , and I honestly think he deserves a better opportunity after what he's shown with the Celtics .
Carter had a really good game against the Cavaliers on October 8, finishing with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in just 24 minutes. He shot 5-for-9 from the field, made all six of his free throws, and Boston outscored the Cavaliers by 22 points while he was playing.
For a guy trying to earn a contract, that's about as good as you can ask for. He wasn't just scoring either, because the rebounds, assists, and steals were all there, and that's the type of production that made him such an interesting prospect coming out of Providence.
The Kings selected Carter with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but injuries and limited playing time made his first two seasons pretty disappointing. He was eventually traded to the Hawks in June 2026 before getting waived, and now he's trying to stay in the NBA with Boston .
The Celtics gave him an Exhibit 10 contract, which basically means he has to earn his spot before the regular season starts. Boston already has Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and several younger guards, so I don't think Carter has much of a chance of getting a standard contract right now.
His best option is probably one of the Celtics' two-way spots, because that would allow him to spend time with the NBA team while getting regular minutes in the G League. And after seeing what he did against the Cavaliers, I'd definitely give him that opportunity.
But Boston hasn't promised him anything, and the front office could decide to use the position on another young player. That's what makes his situation so frustrating, because Carter has played well, he's still young, and he was a lottery pick just two years ago.
I think he should stay, but if the Celtics decide they want someone else for that final spot, Carter could be looking for another team before the season even begins.
Scoring 18 points on 70.0% from the field sounds like a pretty good way to keep your job, right? Well, apparently it's not that simple for Vladislav Goldin, because the Heat have one of the most crowded frontcourts in the league right now.
Goldin was awesome against the Timberwolves on October 10, finishing with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in 23 minutes. He made 7 of his 10 shots, hit a three-pointer, and went 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, which is a pretty impressive performance for someone fighting to stay on a two-way contract.
He also had 6 points on 3-for-4 shooting against the Raptors earlier in the preseason, and I like that he's been taking advantage of the minutes he's getting. He doesn't need 15 shots to score, and he's already shown he can finish around the basket against NBA competition.
Goldin went undrafted in 2025 after playing college basketball at Florida and Michigan. He was part of that Florida Atlantic team that reached the Final Four in 2023, so he's already had some experience playing important games before starting his professional career.
But the Heat are a completely different team now . Giannis Antetokounmpo arrived during the offseason, Bam Adebayo is still there, and those two are obviously going to play most of the important frontcourt minutes when they're healthy.
Giannis averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season, while Adebayo put up 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. With those two on the roster, I really don't see Goldin getting many opportunities outside of injuries or games that are already decided.
And there's another issue. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has already pointed out that Goldin could be the "most vulnerable" of Miami's three two-way players, which means his contract situation is far from guaranteed.
The Heat could decide they'd rather use that spot on another guard or wing, especially because they already have enough talent inside. I don't think that would be fair to Goldin after how well he's played, but teams make those decisions all the time.
I'd give him another chance, even if most of his minutes come in the G League. But if Miami wants to add someone at another position, Goldin could be the one who gets waived.
I actually feel pretty bad for Jamaree Bouyea, because he's been playing well this preseason, but the Suns might have to waive him anyway. And it's not even because he's been bad, since Phoenix simply has too many players under contract and needs to make at least one roster cut before opening night.
Bouyea had his best preseason game against the Spurs on October 14, finishing with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal in 28 minutes. He shot 7-for-11 from the field and 1-for-2 from three, which is pretty impressive for someone who doesn't even know if he'll be on the team next week.
He's now putting up 9.3 points and 3.5 assists in around 17 minutes per game across four preseason appearances. He also scored 9 points against the Bulls on October 7, shooting 4-for-6 from the field, so he's been taking advantage of his opportunities whenever Jordan Ott gives him minutes.
And Bouyea actually played quite a bit for the Suns last season, appearing in 46 games and averaging 5.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He even dropped a career-high 27 points with 9 assists against the Thunder in April, showing he can score when he gets enough playing time.
But here's the problem. The Suns exercised his $2.6 million team option for 2026-27, and that salary is still completely non-guaranteed. That means Phoenix can waive him without having to pay the entire amount, which obviously makes him one of the easiest players to move if the front office needs another roster spot.
And right now, Bouyea is basically competing with Haywood Highsmith and Duop Reath for the final spot. The Suns added Reath after Mark Williams suffered his shoulder injury, and they might prefer keeping another center instead of carrying an extra guard.
That's especially tough for Bouyea because Phoenix already has Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Luke Kennard competing for backcourt minutes. Even if he makes the team, I don't see him getting much playing time when everyone is healthy.
I think Bouyea deserves to stay after that performance against the Spurs, but the Suns have to make a decision, and his non-guaranteed contract puts him in a pretty difficult position. He could easily become another player who had a good preseason and still got waived before opening night.
Seth Lundy is another guy who's been trying to prove he belongs in the NBA for a while now, and I like what he's shown over the last few months. The problem is that the Mavericks have a pretty crowded roster , and playing well in the preseason might not be enough to save him.
Lundy had 13 points against the Pelicans on October 14, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. He also finished with 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 22 minutes, which is a nice performance for someone trying to earn a guaranteed contract.
And this wasn't the first time he's scored well recently. During Summer League, Lundy dropped 23 points against the Rockets while making 6 of his 9 three-point attempts, then scored 22 against the Pacers and added 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Heat.
That's three pretty good scoring games in his last outings, and it shows he can make shots when he gets enough minutes. He was already a good scorer at Penn State before the Hawks drafted him with the No. 46 pick in 2023, so none of this is exactly new, but his NBA career hasn't really taken off. He's spent most of the last few years outside regular rotations, and at 26 years old, he doesn't have the same development window as an 18- or 19-year-old rookie.
The Mavericks signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract with no guaranteed money, and his possible NBA salary would be around $2.4 million if he made the team. That's not expensive, but Dallas already has Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, Max Christie, Zaccharie Risacher, and P.J. Washington competing for minutes across the wing and forward positions.
And honestly, where is Lundy supposed to play? Flagg is the franchise player, Risacher is another young player the Mavericks want to develop, and Marshall and Washington already have established roles. Lundy might be a decent outside shooter, but he hasn't shown enough in regular-season games to move ahead of those players.
I think Dallas could probably use another shooter somewhere in the rotation, but carrying Lundy on a standard contract might not be their priority. They could waive him and try to keep him in their G League system instead, which would give him a chance to play more minutes and possibly earn another NBA opportunity later.
Out of everyone on this list, I think Lundy has one of the highest chances of getting waived. He's done enough to get noticed, but that doesn't mean Dallas has a place for him right now.
Honestly, I feel like Charles Bassey and Devin Carter have done enough to stay in the NBA, especially considering the opportunities they've gotten. Bassey has been grabbing rebounds and blocking shots every game, while Carter put together a really good performance against the Cavaliers when he needed it most.
Tony Bradley and Seth Lundy probably have the hardest situations because their teams already have too many players at their positions. Bradley is competing with Wiseman for one of the last spots on the Knicks, while Lundy has to deal with a Mavericks roster that already has too many wings under contract.
Goldin is a little different because he's already on a two-way deal, but even that doesn't guarantee he'll be there all season. Miami has two All-Star big men, and the Heat might decide they'd rather use his spot on a backcourt upgrade.
If I had to pick two players who are most likely to get waived, I'd go with Bradley and Lundy. Both have played well, but their roster situations aren't looking great, and neither has guaranteed money protecting them.
And that's probably the worst part of preseason for players like these. You can score 18 points, make almost every shot, or get a double-double, and still end up without a contract a few days later.
With the October 19 roster deadline coming up, we'll find out pretty soon which teams actually reward these performances and which players have to look for another opportunity.
