Considering August is one of the only periods of the year when basketball isn’t being played, there’s no better time to look at a different collection of topics…like NBA contracts. The salary cap is one of the biggest separators between collegiate and professional basketball, but it’s unclear if the general masses truly comprehend contract value. People see Karl-Anthony Towns making 53 million per year and assume it’s a quality contract because he’s a talented player who produces. However, it raises the question of “is there equal value in money and ability?” Again, it becomes hazy since someone like Towns is great, but his contract makes building a real contender an uphill battle. So, without including players on rookie contracts, let’s take a look at five of the best contracts in the NBA…
Anthony Edwards (4 years/202 million remaining)
There isn’t a big case to crack here; Edwards is a young, rising superstar who has already locked in his biggest possible deal. Why would a max contract even make this list? Well, he’s still only set to be the 24th highest-paid player in the NBA, slotted behind names like Trae Young, Lauri Markkanen, Jamal Murray, Zach Lavine, Paul George, etc. For a guy who has gotten better each year, coming off the best season of his career, this is actually a bargain for Minnesota. They’ll be able to retain some financial flexibility to bolster their roster around a top-ten player like Edwards. Coming off a season with averages of 27.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.2 SPG with 45/40/84 splits, any team would gladly open its pockets for him.
Trey Murphy III (4 years/112 million remaining)
Although he’s dealt with some injuries during the first few years of his career, it feels like not enough people are talking about Murphy—both as a breakout candidate and one of the best values in the league. After showing a lot of promise, Murphy took a massive leap forward last year. The 25-year-old posted averages of 21.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG with 45/36/89 splits and visibly separating himself as one of the foundational pieces on this roster. Although his shooting percentage took a minor dip, that’s somewhat expected with the increased usage and expanded responsibilities. Given the players making similar money (Nic Claxton, John Collins, Terry Rozier, RJ Barrett), Murphy is on a really favorable deal that should eventually pay dividends.
Aaron Gordon (3 years, 89 million remaining + player option in 2028-29)
Quite possibly the best, most valuable contract in the NBA, Gordon being underpaid on his previous deal makes him an absolute steal for Denver. Granted, his extension will kick in after this season, but the fact that he’s opted in to his player option for roughly 23 million is actually shocking. For reference, Gordon will make nearly the same amount of money this season as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Smart, and Dillon Brooks. Although his per-game averages of 14.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG with 53/44/81 splits might not explode off the page, Gordon’s value is obvious to anyone who watches the Nuggets. He’s a perfect complement to their core pieces with the versatile, switchable game (and improved three-point shooting) to be a real nightmare for opponents.
Herb Jones (2 years, 28 million remaining)
Another guy who probably won’t be recognized by the casual fan, Jones is quietly one of the best values in the league. Due to injuries, he only played 20 games last year. However, folks should anticipate a nice bounce-back year for the elite defender. His averages of 10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 3.3 APG with 44/31/83 splits probably don’t stand out to most. This is largely due to how much value he provides defensively. Last season appears to be a bit of an outlier, but one of the bigger questions surrounding Jones is his ability to maintain respectable shooting numbers. Dropping almost 12 percentage points (41.8% to 30.6%) in a single season is highly uncommon and will likely fall somewhere in between the two figures. If he’s healthy, Jones is more than worth his contract.
Aaron Nesmith (2 years/22 million remaining)
Perhaps we are biased due to watching him closely during his high school career, but Nesmith is becoming a real bargain as a highly energetic 3-and-D piece. Only making 11 million annually, he is paid less than Isaiah Joe, Moses Moody, Jarred Vanderbilt, Matisse Thybulle, and Gabe Vincent. Pretty impressive for a perfect role player who hits shots at a high clip (43% 3P), defends with physicality, and is adaptable to several different personnel looks. Nesmith clearly elevated the Pacers last season, especially in the playoffs, and will likely be even better going into next year.