We all know the feeling of walking into a store and finding a genuinely nice item in the clearance section that’s unquestionably worth more than pricing suggests.
(This writer still remembers the $4 pair of Levi’s found at a random Marshall’s in downtown Chicago that got 20 years of use.)
As it turns out, NBA teams are not so different. While they’re handing out mega-contracts, plenty of organizations have still found significant value in unexpected places, to the point where signed players become borderline All-Stars and thus major building blocks.
During free agency last summer, a new slew of bargains were found.
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons
1 year, $6 million
The Pistons must be kicking themselves for not offering Beasley a deal that ran longer than one year, as the 28-year-old is putting up 16.7 points per game in just 28 minutes, while canning 41.8% of his 9.3 nightly triples.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard is one of the most dynamic and efficient long-range shooters in the NBA this season and is playing a crucial role in giving the youthful backcourt of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey space to operate.
Some will point to Beasley as, primarily, a one-trick pony, and that claim isn’t without merit. However, when you’re that good at one of the most important skills in all of basketball, you could easily justify a much larger salary than $6 million, which occupies just 4.27% of the salary cap.
Looking at the above production, would anyone even bat an eye if Beasley signed a three-year deal worth $50 million next summer?
That’s not to say that type of offer will be out there, given how few teams actually have cap space, but it underlines just how absurdly team-friendly his deal is.
Tyus Jones, Phoenix Suns
1 year, $2 million
How on Earth did Jones end up being on the market for so long that he had to settle like this?
Yes, he probably could have signed for more, preferring destination over financial gain, but the league still ignored him during the opening of free agency. And as has become a sad tradition, if your name is not included in the initial cycle of signings, odds are good you’ll have to settle for far less than your market value suggests.
Jones, one of the safest ball-handlers and playmakers in the NBA, surprisingly was not a part of that first cycle, and thus ended up with fewer options than he’d hoped for.
In no way should that happen again next summer, as the 28-year-old is once again one of the most stable point guards in the game.
His 12.3 points, 6.4 assists and 43.6% shooting from downtown on 5.3 attempts per night should already be enough to get teams’ interest. When you then factor in his 1.2 turnovers per game and overall ability to lead an offense, he should have a nice market.
If not, that’s not an indictment of him but rather the market. Young teams in need of stability should actively seek him out.
Buddy Hield, Golden State Warriors
4 years, $37.7 million ($21 million guaranteed)
When you lose a franchise staple in the form of Klay Thompson, it’s almost impossible to envision finding a replacement, especially when your finances are a bit all over the place.
Yet for the Warriors, they managed to find one of the most dynamic shooters in the NBA who can mimic quite a few of the sets that used to include Thompson.
Hield, who’s averaging 12.6 points and connecting on 39.3% of his 3-pointers, occupies just 6.25% of the salary cap this season, which is the new reality of NBA contracts.
Many will look at his raw compensation of $8.7 million and deem it a lot of money. For mortals, it certainly is. For a productive NBA player who plays 22.5 minutes per night and is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league over the past decade, it’s a steal.
Hield is who he is at this stage. The 32-year-old will drain 3s off the catch at a ridiculously high rate, he’ll rebound some, and on the flip-side, he’ll struggle as a playmaker and defender.
However you slice it, that’s worth 6.25% of the cap in today’s game. Of his shots, 68.9% are from downtown, so he isn’t a player who fails to understand where he’s most useful. That self-realization, combined with an ability to play off others, is why you pay him.
The fact the Warriors could also cut bait and pay him just $21 million for two years of service also makes this deal a strong bargain.
Derrick Jones Jr., Los Angeles Clippers
3 years, $30 million
This will be a bit controversial, as some raised an eyebrow when Jones left the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić to go where he wouldn’t be spoon fed to the same extent.
In short, there was some risk involved. Could the 27-year-old survive offensively without an elite playmaker flanking him? Is there even a place in the NBA for a guy who’s an inconsistent shooter?
In 30 games this season, all as a starter, Jones has quieted a lot of those concerns. The 6-5 wing-big has survived perfectly fine without Dončić, even averaging a career-high 10 points on efficiency that’s far higher than last season in Dallas.
Jones is shooting 37.5% from downtown and has found the stroke at the free-throw line, shooting an unexpected 88%. His shot selection looks significantly more seasoned, and his defense remains effective.
For someone who occupies just 6.77% of the cap, that’s a win. Jones is playing just a smidge under 25 minutes per game, meaning he’s playing a crucial role and helping the Clippers continue to exceed expectations.
Even if he has to eventually give up his starting spot to Kawhi Leonard, Jones is likely to remain an invaluable piece for the Clippers at a price point that’s growing increasingly team-friendly.
Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets
2 years, $6.7 million
Look, Westbrook divides the waters more effectively than Moses. He’s arguably the most polarizing player in NBA history, as his stats tend to significantly outweigh his actual influence.
At 36, that’s as true as it’s ever been.
But even so, there’s just no way we can ignore a player who’s as productive as Westbrook when he’s earning a veteran’s minimum.
He’s putting up 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game in Denver in just 26.2 minutes, as his role as a relentless firecracker is the same as it’s always been.
For a Nuggets bench that’s historically struggled to produce with any type of regularity, this was at least a fair attempt at changing things up, especially after losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back summers.
The Nuggets have generally struggled, and Westbrook’s inconsistent defense and shot-making have received plenty of attention. But that was going to be the case regardless.
For someone occupying just 2.35% of the cap, it’s impossible to not call that a bargain — warts and all.
Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
3 years, $27 million
Some will object to this, given that Smith isn’t playing more than 15.4 minutes per game for the Bulls this season.
The counter to that would be a look at his production.
Smith, who’s earning just 6.10% of the salary cap this year, is putting up 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in those limited minutes, while having upped his 3-point rate considerably.
The 6-10 center is rebounding better than ever before, and despite inconsistent minutes, he checks in with a streamlined role and keen understanding of what to do.
The Bulls, who seem to not fully realize what they have on their hands, should frankly play Smith more, given how he’s also a superior rim-protector to Nikola Vučević while being a comparable offensive performer.
With the Bulls likely to pivot off some of their older players — Vučević being included in that group — it could just be a matter of time before Smith gets the chance to turn an already team-friendly deal into one of the biggest bargains in the NBA.
