NBA Fantasy contract-year climbers: Fourth-year players to draft

Brandon Miller is primed for a breakout fourth season in Charlotte.

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When looking for diamonds in the rough in the middle and late rounds of your fantasy drafts, it’s important to look at ways the players could be extra motivated. Young players being rewarded large raises for improved play can certainly be a motivating factor. Enter contract extension season! The entire first round of the 2023 NBA Draft is eligible for contract extensions, as they enter their fourth seasons. A couple of players from this draft class have already received their extensions this summer, such as Victor Wembanyama. The rest of these players will either receive lucrative long-term contracts or will be eligible for restricted free agency after the 2026-27 season. Either way, there is a lot to play for and those are the players you may want to round out your rosters.

Brandon Miller – Charlotte Hornets

Currently ranked No. 42 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings

Miller along with Kon Knueppel will capitalize on the extra minutes and ball handling that LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leave behind with their trades out of Charlotte. Miller has averaged over 20 points per game in each of his last two seasons, impressive for a wing who is still only 23. His PPG could climb with the extra touches, as well as his rebounds and assists per game. A young player who could put up a big game or two a week as he continues to improve is perfect for the High Score format. Miller could become a fantasy star and the No. 1 scoring option on an ascending Hornets squad this season.

Keyonte George – Utah Jazz

Currently ranked No. 60 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings

George is coming off a breakout third season where he averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game. Like all other first rounders from the 2023 NBA Draft, he is now eligible for a massive contract extension. Despite reported talks, that deal hasn’t come yet. If that continues, George should be highly motivated to put up a similar, if not better season in 2026-27. George firmly established himself as the starting point guard a year ago and with Utah seemingly ready to attempt a run to the playoffs, expect George to see an uptick in minutes. With Jaren Jackson Jr., Darryn Peterson and Lauri Markkanen surrounding George, the 22-year-old should set a career-high in assists per game for the fourth straight season. A young player with room to grow at a scarce position available around the sixth round? Sign us up.

Ausar Thompson – Detroit Pistons

Currently ranked No. 82 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings

Thompson didn’t take the big jump statistically that his twin brother Amen Thompson did in Houston last season. Amen received a lucrative five-year contract extension with the Rockets, while Ausar is still waiting for his big payday to arrive. The good news for Ausar’s production is his Detroit Pistons didn’t add much scoring punch this offseason. The most notable transactions this summer were losing Tobias Harris to San Antonio and replacing him with John Collins. The opportunity is still there for Thompson to take a step forward offensively. His defense alone continues to keep him on the court. At the price range he’s going, around the eighth round in drafts, he’s worth the gamble, especially in leagues that do not dock you for his lack of 3-pointers like High Score.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks

Currently ranked No. 100 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings

Jaquez Jr. stuffed the stat sheet off the bench for the Miami Heat last season, which was good enough to finish second in the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year race. After being shipped to Milwaukee in the package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaquez Jr. now has his best NBA opportunity to put up big numbers. After averaging 28.3 minutes per game and coming off the bench in 74 of his 75 games last season, Jaquez Jr. enters the season as the favorite to win the starting small forward position for the Bucks. Even rebuilding teams need players to score and Jaquez Jr. should certainly do that.

GG Jackson – Memphis Grizzlies

Currently unranked on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings

As a second round pick in the loaded 2023 NBA Draft, Jackson will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season unlike the other players on this list. He has a tremendous opportunity ahead of him to become one of the Grizzlies most impactful players this season. Entering training camp, it is a wide open Grizzlies rotation. Jackson is looking to capitalize after finishing last season strong. Over his final 23 games, Jackson averaged 17.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG on just 25.7 minutes per night. While he has Jerami Grant and Cameron Boozer to compete with for minutes at the forward positions, there should still be plenty of playing time for all three to put up respectable fantasy numbers. Jackson is a player to keep an eye on in deeper leagues only for now.

Dereck Lively II – Dallas Mavericks

It’s easy to forget about Lively II after he played in just seven games last season but he should split the center minutes in Dallas with Daniel Gafford. Lively II is worth a look in very deep leagues. In formats where field-goal percentage is critical, like category leagues, Lively II is worth consideration towards the end of your drafts. Both Lively II and Gafford have developed a lengthy injury history in Dallas, so the one that stays healthy is the one you would want to invest in as the season draws closer.