After four players signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions relatively early in the NBA’s condensed offseason, six more players eligible for rookie extensions completed deals in the final 24 hours or so before Monday’s deadline.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]
All six of those 11th-hour deals were worth well below the max, ranging from $40MM to as much as $80MM. Contracts in that range are generally trickier to negotiate than maximum-salary extensions — it’s fair to assume the Magic spent more time weighing how much to offer Jonathan Isaac, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, than the Celtics did thinking about what to offer Jayson Tatum.
With that in mind, we want to get your thoughts on the six non-max rookie scale extensions signed in 2020, all of which will take effect in 2021/22. They are as follows:
- OG Anunoby (Raptors): Four years, $72MM. Includes fourth-year player option.
- Derrick White (Spurs): Four years, $70MM. Includes $5MM in incentives.
- Jonathan Isaac (Magic): Four years, $69.6MM. Includes $10.4MM in incentives and Exhibit 3 injury protection.
- Luke Kennard (Clippers): Four years, $56MM. Includes $8MM in incentives and a fourth-year team option.
- Markelle Fultz (Magic): Three years, $50MM. Includes $3MM in incentives and partial guarantee in third year.
- Kyle Kuzma (Lakers): Three years, $40MM. Includes third-year player option.
While White’s and Isaac’s contracts were initially reported as being worth $75MM and $80MM, respectively, it’s actually Anunoby who received the highest overall guarantee. His fourth-year player option also probably makes his contract the most player-friendly overall, though you could make the case that he deserves it — unlike a number of other players on this list, he hasn’t dealt with ongoing injury issues since entering the NBA, and has a clear-cut role as a three-and-D weapon who still has room for improvement.
White will be able to match Anunoby’s $72MM total across four seasons if he’s able to play at least 70 games in each year of his deal. His other incentives will be harder to reach, but $18MM per year is still a a strong investment in a player who came off the bench for much of the 2019/20 campaign.
Isaac and Fultz both have injury histories, but the Magic protected themselves in each case. They included games-played incentives and injury language related to Isaac’s knee in the forward’s contract, and are only on the hook for a small partial guarantee ($2MM) in the third year of Fultz’s deal.
The Clippers took a similar approach with Kennard, who missed much of the 2019/20 season with knee issues — in addition to having to earn a series of annual incentives, he only has three guaranteed years on his extension, which features a fourth-year team option.
As for Kuzma, he joined Anunoby as the only other player in this group to get a player option on the final year of his extension, which works in his favor — he’ll be able to hit the open market in advance of his age-28 season if he outplays this contract. Of course, he also got the lowest per-year commitment of any of these six players, so even if he doesn’t live up to the deal, it shouldn’t be a major albatross.
What do you think? Which of these contract extensions do you think represents the best value from a team perspective?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Is none of the above an option? I don’t like the value of any of these deals. Some are worse than others, but all of them will require a leap of faith because none of these players are worth those salaries as of today.
It’s one thing to gamble on a draft pick successfully joining the NBA, but these teams are gambling large salaries that these guys can become stars. They are not All Star salaries, but $15-19 MM a year on the current cap means you expect these guys to be above average starters and none of them are that right now. It’s just a big gamble.
People think kennard was a steal?
Not a steal, a “best value”. Clips did not need steals; they have the talent, but need it organized better.
Getting playmaking wing Kennard (and cheaper Batum, BTW) allows the Clips to change their offense in a way that works to the stars’ advantage. The pace better favors Kawhi & PG. When they’re on, the Clips will advance.
Of course he has a greater chance of injury, if Detroit was honest and not saving him for the trade. (Rumor is he was planning to hold out for that amount and the Pistons balked.) But if the Clips are not going to trade their Lou/Pat, someone needs to represent slowing down effectively or else they won’t change from last year’s mess.
Consideration for winning is what some player evals lack that are all about individual talent.
Top 3 players
Real value 4 year $40 million
Market value 4 year $70 million
Harrell gets 2 year $18 million
How much are these guys better than Harrell？
Decent question but Harrell was not an RSC case. See DXC about them.
I think Montrezl got himself in trouble by signing cheap to stay on with the Clippers in 2018. That team later changed around him.
In a sense hiflew is right, all RSC figures are inflated.
Lonzo probably will wish he got one… he may not beat out Bledsoe in NOLA, and have to sell himself in free agency as a backup.
Kuzma has the best value. White/OG toss-up. Kennard wont play enough for that contract to really provide more value than a min salary guy or rookie contract. Fultz still can’t shoot and will probably get injured. And Isaac is the worst of all. I would have let Fultz and Isaac go to RFA and matched if you really wanted them.
All of the contracts are risky, so have to go with the one that has the highest upside: Fultz. After that I’d say Kuzma.
By comparison – injury vs healthy
Kuzma is underpaid by $15 million
3 injury guys received handsome pay checks
Fultz
Isaac
Kennard
Kuzma’s deal definitely represents the best value from a team perspective. I know everyone will hate on Kuzma and whatever basketball skills he may or may not possess but all these other teams overpaid on these extensions. If the Lakers had gone to RFA with Kuzma he would have ended up getting an overpay from some desperate team that the Lakers would have had to match or let him walk away and get nothing in return a la the Kings and Bogdanovic. Locking Kuzma up at $13 million allows the Lakers to either get a productive bench player if Kuzma can pull it together and learn to maximize his opportunities with Lebron and AD on the court. If not it gives them a very tradeable piece at a salary that can be flipped for a player that better fits their team.
I would rather invest 18M a year in Anunoby than 13M in Kuzma, but Kuzma’s contract is certainly not terrible either, especially since it’s the cheapest. It’s somewhat unfair though that he got more than KCP.
You assume other teams would snatch him. Homer flaw, overrating your own scrubs.
The Spurs game Derrick White 70 million????? Love how clowns go off about how the Lakers overpaid Kuz even though he got the least of this group.
Yeah the least. Money talked.
OG is getting paid on potential mostly. Had his first solid yr last yr. 18 mill a yr really. He’s a good D player, with potential. With career stats of 23 mins, 7.8 pts,
3.6 reb, .480% FG, .362% 3PT .650% FT. That’s not worth 18 mill a yr. Like I said he is getting paid on potential. Raptors are gambling here, betting on him.
For me the worst is clearly Fultz’s. After betting on Isaac staying healthy and fully recovering from his injury (a bet that is defensible), the Magic decide to invest in another injury-prone player who has not showed anything special at the highest level. This is not only gambling on potential, but on several-years-ago college potential. A head-scratcher, to say the least, and the culmination of a forgettable Magic’s off-season.
By far the best is Fultz… not even close!!!
Value is relative when you’re talking RSC extensions. The idea is usually to retain a still developing player at a fixed price vs being subject to the RFA market in a year. It’s not about getting good $ value for past or current production. Part of their salary is an insurance policy against a massive offer sheet next year.
Issac and Anunoby are no brainers because they’re solid starters (currently) with the upside of stars. White and Kennard, although both are too good to lose, don’t carry the same offer sheet risk. In Kennard’s case, I wouldn’t mind paying more (because it won’t be all that much more) if he stays healthy and has a breakout year. I would not have extended Kuzma because I don’t see any offer sheet risk. I don’t have a feel for Fultz’s situation, but I was surprised that the Magic felt the need to extend. If he morphs into a high end PG, they’ll be very happy they extended.
“offer sheet risk”
Gee, logic.