A year ago, many of the NBA’s top free agents decided to sign short-term contracts in order to reach the open market again in 2019.
As we noted last August, seven of the 15 players on our list of top 50 free agents of 2018 signed one-year contracts or two-year deals with options. All seven of those players, led by Kevin Durant, found themselves in search of new contracts this summer, with many of them opting for longer-term deals this time around.
By contrast, all 15 players in our list of 2019’s top 50 NBA free agents signed multiyear contracts this summer. Unless they’re unexpectedly released in a year, none of those players will hit the open market again in 2020.
Kawhi Leonard will have the ability to become a free agent again in 2021, since his new three-year contract with the Clippers has a third-year player option. However, the rest of this year’s top 15 free agents all signed four- or five-year contracts and won’t be free agents again before 2022.
It’s an interesting change in direction for top free agents after we’d become accustomed to superstars like Durant and LeBron James going year to year in order to maximize either their earnings, their flexibility, or both. A “one-plus-one” contract (a two-year deal with a second-year option) could have been a viable option for several stars this summer, but no top free agents chose to go that route.
In total, as our tracker shows, 20 NBA free agents signed long-term (four- or five-year) contracts this offseason. That figure doesn’t include Jalen Lecque, an undrafted free agent who signed a four-year deal with the Suns, since Lecque wasn’t a veteran free agent and his agreement more closely resembles a rookie contract. Our list also doesn’t include Nikola Mirotic, whose new three-plus-one deal is with Barcelona rather than an NBA franchise.
Still, that leaves 20 veteran NBA free agents who signed for four or five years this summer, a major jump from 2018, when just 11 players signed those long-term deals.
Here’s the full list:
- Klay Thompson (Warriors): Five years, $189.9MM.
- Tobias Harris (Sixers): Five years, $180MM.
- Khris Middleton (Bucks): Five years, $177.5MM. Fifth-year player option.
- Kevin Durant (Nets): Four years, $164.3MM. Fourth-year player option.
- Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks): Five years, $158.3MM. Fifth-year player option.
- Jimmy Butler (Heat): Four years, $140.8MM. Fourth-year player option.
- Kemba Walker (Celtics): Four years, $140.8MM.
- Kyrie Irving (Nets): Four years, $136.5MM. Fourth-year player option. $1MM+ in annual unlikely incentives.
- D’Angelo Russell (Warriors): Four years, $117.3MM.
- Al Horford (Sixers): Four years, $109MM. Fourth year is partially guaranteed. Total guarantee of $97MM.
- Nikola Vucevic (Magic): Four years, $100MM.
- Harrison Barnes (Kings): Four years, $85MM.
- Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers): Four years, $85MM.
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz): Four years, $73.1MM.
- Brook Lopez (Bucks): Four years, $52MM.
- Terrence Ross (Magic): Four years, $50MM. $1MM in annual unlikely incentives.
- DeAndre Jordan (Nets): Four years, $40MM.
- Maxi Kleber (Mavericks): Four years, $34MM. Fourth year is non-guaranteed. Total guarantee of $25MM. $475K in annual unlikely incentives.
- Seth Curry (Mavericks): Four years, $32MM.
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers): Four years, $28.5MM. Fourth-year team option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dear lord middleton is a massive overpay….horford, and zubac are overpaid too but to a lesser degree.
I agree about Middleton and Horford but 4/28.5 for a player with as much potential as Zubac seems reasonable to me
Horford is a future Hall of Famer still playing at a high level. I’d take him at half the guarantee of a Middleton or Harris.
If Al Horford goes to the HOF…really what on earth makes you think he has had a HOF career?
How is Middleton an overpay but Klay Thompson isn’t? Both are All-Star caliber players yet Middleton isn’t coming off a major injury and is 3 years younger than Thompson. I know Klay has a bit longer track record than Khris but he’s also plays in a larger market and has been surrounded with more talent up every year he’s been in the league.
If you believe Middleton’s contract is an overpay then Klay’s should be as well. He’s coming back from a major injury and is 3 years older than Khris. I realize Thompson has been putting up all star caliber numbers for a longer period of time but he’s also had better rosters than Khris up until last season. I just can’t see how Klay making $40MM+ when he’s 34-35 is a smart move by GSW but paying Middleton $40MM when he’s 32 isn’t. Especially when his teammate will still be under 30
They didn’t really have anyway to replace him if they didn’t give him the max and he left. They could have kept Brogdan, but that would have been a big drop off.
While the below players are fine NBA players, I believe they are overpaid and will be non ideal contracts by end of Year 2:
-Kris Middelton
-Harrison Barnes,
-Bojan Bodanovic
-Seth Curry
-DeAndre Jordan
-Al Horford
Thoughts?
Ehh they all seem pretty close to me. Barnes isn’t great but at least it decreases in value. NBA teams are just raking in money, so players make a lot.
Seth makes 8 mill a year, but the average team spends about 120 million on 12 guys.
Elton Brand broke the process…if Middleton, Barnes & Bodanovic are overpays….then please explain how Harris is not? Did you just leave him off your list or do you think that was money well spent?
ke-Agree. I think Harris will have a better year than last if only because Butler is gone. Nothing against Butler, but he occupies a similar space.
Great salaries. Definitely, no regular employees on daily, weekly or monthly wages.
Hordord is a darn good player but he will be old quick and his fit in Phily isn’t great either. Can see that deal not looking very good quite quickly. I can see it looking messy after a year or two and then philly almost blowing its winning window. Then it’ll have to decide to trade either Embid or Simmons