It seems like NBA All-Stars are consistently getting higher and higher contracts. This year Damian Lillard, who agreed with the Trailblazers on a four-year, $191 million contract, set the record for highest NBA contract of all time. The max contract has bloated to immense amounts. One NBA executive questioned how many NBA players are actually worth this contract, laying out what defines a player worthy of a max.
“A former player who is now a front-office executive says a “max guy” is, ideally, “a leader in the locker room and on the floor. [Someone] I’m confident and comfortable giving the ball in late-game situations. He’s leading my organization on and off the court where we need to go. Guys that I played with, guys that I continue to watch, I want them to get as many dollars as possible. But when we talk about that term—’max guy’—how many of those guys, realistically, are there?”
This offseason, a few max contracts have already been handed out. Few could argue that players like Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James should be awarded such high contracts. They are among the top five players in the league. But is Khris Middleton worthy of one? Tobias Harris?
Whatever your take on the situation, these guys are getting paid more than ever before. Long contracts with high paydays have become normal for guys who show signs of even being borderline All-Stars. We can only wait and see if these contracts turn in to gems as the player blossoms or disasters if the player performs below expectations.
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