Andrew Buller-Russ
NBA contracts come in all shapes and sizes, from Stephen Curry’s agreement with the Golden State Warriors that pays an average of $54.8 million per season, to those earning the league minimum at just under $1 million per season.
Nikola Jokic, as a two-time MVP and reigning NBA Finals champion, is obviously much closer to Curry than he is to the unproven players in the league. Jokic is the NBA’s third highest-paid player in the league, raking in an average of $52.8 million per season after inking a five-year, $264 million extension last July.
Still, one metric, Hoops Hype’s ‘Real Value’ measure has Jokic as the NBA’s most underpaid player. Jokic may be set to earn roughly $46.9 million next season after taking home $33.6 million during his championship year, but the Real Value stat places his actual value at $70 million. In turn, they suggest Jokic’s contract is the best in basketball.
Hoops Hype describes Real Value as a metric that examines a player’s productivity over the past three seasons, with added weight factoring in the most recent season, including playoff play.
Interestingly, their three most underpaid players are all on a max contract, with Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, two annual MVP candidates, ranking second and third on the list.
Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Desmond Bane, and Anthony Edwards were some of the other players on the list who have yet to sign a second contract in the NBA. You can view the full list here.
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