NBA Contract Bonanza: Who won?

Pascal Siakam, 4-year, $130 million extensio

Who wins: Siakam

We start off the NBA Contract Bonanza with Pascal Siakam. Question is of course, is he worth $130 million over four years right now? Probably not. Will he be? If you saw his opening night performance then you would likely say yes.

The issue here is the Raptors are in a position to need this move. With Kawhi Leonard off to LA to vie for a ring with Paul George, they needed to lock Siakam up. Masai Ujiri is a great GM, and not only knows the young man has the talent to be great. He is betting on it. The Raptors overpaid Siakam now based on what they hope he will do in future years.

If Siakam reaches his full potential, this contract goes from overpaid to a bargain very quickly. But for now, Pascal is the big winner here. The Raptors overpaid Siakam now based on what they hope he will do in future years. In the NBA with this is just how the system works.

Jaylen Brown, 4-year, $103 million extension

Who wins: Jaylen

Danny Ainge has a crystal ball, or he really loves to gamble. With Jaylen Brown coming off a disappointing third year in the NBA, Ainge rewards him with a monster extension. It seems like an odd move for a general manager of Ainges ilk. Even if Jaylen can turn things around and find the form he had in the 2017 playoffs. There is no way this ends up a good contract.

Let’s go back to that 2017 playoff run where Jaylen along with Tatum seemed to find themselves. Did Brown really do more than at any point that season? He averaged 14.5 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals. During that Celtics playoff run, he averaged 18 points per game and 4.8 rebounds. Even at his peak form in those playoffs is Brown worth $103 million? Apparently, Danny Aings thins he is. Or he is expecting one hell of a jump in year four.

In the end, Ainge chose to put all his chips in on Jaylen. If it pans out, he will once again look like a genius. As of right now, this is an awful deal that could get worse if we’ve seen the best of Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown got paid and won this deal without question.

Bradley Beal, 2-year, $72 million extension

Who wins: Wizards and Beal

Let’s all be honest about this one. With the NBA contract bonanza coming to a close, any extension with Beal was a win. With a terrible roster in place, the Wizards began to sell Beal on being the centerpiece of a rebuild months ago. After initially looking as though nothing would happen, the Wizards were able to convince Beal to sign a two-year deal. This deal gives the Wizards a chance to continue selling sell Beal by showing him. If the Wizards can prove, they can build a championship-caliber roster Beal stays. Don’t do it, and he walks after the deal is up.

Beal came to Washington via the number three pick in the 2012 draft. Washington wanted his shooting ability next to the slashing John Wall. While the two formed a great backcourt over the next few years as the Wizards became a perennial playoff contender. The problem was that it is all they ever became. Just good enough to not get better. Wall tore up his knee and everything fell apart. During this time, Beal went from sidekick to superstar. Now this organization is set to make him the centerpiece of the rebuild. They have two years to show it.

This deal is a win for both sides. The Wizards get the chance to prove they can build a winner around Beal before he can test free agency again. Beal’s paid and has the freedom in two years to do it again in any NBA city he wants if the Wizards fail to improve. This move is the definition of a win-win.

Buddy Hield, 4-year, $94 million extension

Who wins: Kings

The drama is over in Sacramento with the new contract for Buddy Hield. The question is, was it worth it? For the Kings, it would seem so as they came away with the lowest future star four-year deal of the bonanza. Quite possibly for who could end up the best player. In Hield’s case, it seems strange to settle for a ‘low’ number after such a fuss. Especially after a fantastic breakout campaign last season.

After being selected by New Orleans with the sixth overall pick, expectations were high for Hield. But then came the chance to pair Boogie Cousins and Anthony Davis together. New Orleans decided to make Hield the centerpiece of that trade. In his first full season with the Kings, Hield was a solid contributor. Then in his second season in Sacramento, Buddy seemed to find his place next to De’Aaron Fox. He blossomed into the 20 point scorer that Sacramento was looking for when they made the trade.

Hield got what he wanted, and the Kings get a great player, so everyone is happy, I am sure. But at the end of the day, Sacramento looks like they got the better end of this deal, especially if Hield continues to drop 20+ a night.

Dejounte Murray, 4-year, $64 million extension

Who won: Spurs

This deal was on the way to being much higher if Murray didn’t lose a season to an ACL injury. Murry is another in a long line of end of the bench San Antonio players to turn into a viable NBA player. In this particular case, it looked like Murray was on his way to Tony Parker’s successor at the point. While he is still young and has every chance to pick up where left off, money was definitely left on the table.

Dejounte, as stated above, came to the Spurs at the end of the first round in the 2016 draft. Tell me if you heard this one before. His first year was spent learning the way the Spurs do things and developing his game. In his second season, he began earning minutes and produced so well that he took the starting point guard role from Tony Parker. With a strong season behind him, it felt like a breakout was on its way in 2018. Murray would never get the chance as an ACL tear took his season and a potentially huge payday. Murray may still become a great starting point guard for the Spurs, but the big payday will be four years later now.

This deal may be injury-related for Murray. Get the guaranteed money now in case of another injury. The offer from the Spurs is low but fair based on what he has done in the NBA so far. Thanks to an ACL injury, the Spurs win again and get a potential all-star point guard on the cheap. At this point, is it really a surprise?

Taurean Prince, 2-year, $29 million extension

Who won: Both

The Nets sent Allen Crabbe, there No. 17 pick in the 2019 NBA draft and a 2020 lottery-protected first-round pick to the Hawks for forward Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick. Trading Crabbe was how the Nets were able to create enough cap space for two max players. The bonus is the Nets get a solid starter/bench player that shouldn’t require the ball in his hands.

Prince spent the last three years with the Atlanta Hawks. His best season came in 2017-2018 as he played all 82 games averaging 14.1 points per game. Prince brings a fluid three-ball and is a willing defender to a system he knows. Kenny Atkinson runs a similar system to Mike Budholzer after coaching with him in Atlanta. Prince is the perfect role player for this system and star-studded team.

The Nets get a strong role player, and Prince cashes in at a fair value. This deal, much like Bradley Beal’s deal, is also a trial run of sorts. The Nets have both a player in place to keep the small forward position warm for Kevin Durant and the chance to see if Prince can be a crucial role player in 2021. This contract leans toward a win for the Nets, but the price is fair, so both the player and team win here.

Joe Ingles, 1-year, $14 million extensio

Who won: Ingles

Ingles gave the Jazz another solid season as the starting small forward in his age 31 NBA season. He is a popular player that has produced over the last two years as a starter. He is also likely moving to the bench with the signing of Bojan Bogdanovic. The Jazz gave Joe this extension for two reasons. He is still a productive player, and he has been a good soldier with all the changes made this past offseason. It might not be the best reason, but Utah has always valued its own.

Joe Ingles came to Utah in 2009 after going undrafted and being waived by the LA Clippers. During his first three years with the Jazz, Joe never exceeded 24 minutes a night as a backup role player. Then in 2016-2017, he moved into the starting lineup after Gordon Hayward left for Boston. Joe flourished into a solid player on both ends of the floor for a playoff team. He will now move back to the bench as a key role player on what the Jazz hope is a championship-caliber team after their trade for Mike Conley and the mentioned signing of Bogdanovic.

The Jazz gave Ingles what will likely end up a terrible extension, and they don’t care. Ingles said it when he signed ‘Nowhere else I’d want to be’ and obviously the Jazz feels the same. Joe wins this based on his age and the value of the contract, but this one was more than just an extension. Ingles is a big part of who the Jazz are, and that is worth every penny to the organization.

Domantas Sabonis, 4-year $77 Million extension

The Pacers are a team that clearly values depth over superstar talent. Or they clearly lack the ability to land the LBJ, Leonard types much like other small-market teams. When that is the case, you hand out contracts to guys that show the potential to at least be an all-star in the NBA. The Sabonis deal is that contract.

Sabonis came to the Pacers via the Paul George trade that also gave the Pacers Victor Oladipo. While all the focus was on Oladipo exploding onto the scene. Sabonis has steadily become a solid contributor over the same timeframe. With Thaddeus Young off to Chicago, the Pacers will lean on Sabonis and hope that he continues his start to the new season. If Sabonis is even close to the 20 points game nine-rebound averages, he has shown through two games this year the Pacers may have to claim to win the Paul George trade big time.

In the end, the Pacers feel they have a player that can help them get closer to being a championship team. Sabonis receives fair market value for his contributions. This one feels like a fair trade-off for both club and player at this point. Now, if Sabonis continues his strong play, the Pacers will win this one easily.