3 highly consequential rookie extensions still on the table

Four class of 2023 first-rounders have secured extensions heading into preseason. There are three highly important ones still looming.

Good morning. The two best defenses in the WNBA are each up 1-0 in the league semifinals? That's crazy. Let's basketball.

With the NBA's final restricted free agency hostage situation resolved, we turn out full attention to ... well, the coming NBA season. But for the spreadsheet jockeys and calculator crunchers among us, we'll also spare some focus on the broader extension market, and specifically the rookie extension market, with the deadline for those looming in two weeks on October 19.

So far, four players from the draft class of 2023 has signed new deals: Victor Wembanyama (at 25% of the cap), Amen Thompson (below the max), Ausar Thompson (way below the max) and Keyonte George (also way below the max). Given the primacy of extensions over free agency these days, there are probably a half-dozen more 4th-year players who could pick up a deal in the next 14 days. But let's focus on the three most consequential such players from a team and league perspective.