The NBA salary cap situation has completely transformed the outlook of contracts around the association in less than a year. Two years ago there were a number of experts that argued there was no such thing as a bad contract. Fast-forward two summers later and it’s clear that isn’t true with a number of teams now dealing with the burden of terrible deals. Those bad contracts have made the good deals around the association look even better with a number of teams in favorable situations after finding value in an overpriced market. Here is a look at the NBA’s best contracts for the shooting guard position.
Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs
“People keep saying that I took less. I think I took what I was worth.” Those were Green’s words after he agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with the Spurs in 2015. The deal looks a lot worse for Green now when you consider that Kent Bazemore signed for $70 million over four years and that Chandler Parsons was handed $94.4 million over four years. However, the contract looks outstanding for San Antonio. Green is the Spurs’ second-best defender and owns a career 40-percent average from beyond the arc. With two years left on his contract at a total of $20 million, there is no doubt Green has the best value contract in the NBA among shooting guards.
Jonathon Simmons, Orlando Magic
Simmons might not be the perfect fit with Orlando but it’s hard to argue against the value of his contract. Simmons averaged just 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game last season but he was efficient in San Antonio and could work out if he is able to continue to develop as an NBA shooting guard. We saw a glance of what he could do when he got big minutes.
Simmons is a strong perimeter defender and he will see a lot of time defending point guards. The Magic need offense but they won’t complain about the defensive acumen and work ethic they have acquired with Simmons. It also helps that Simmons is signed for three more years for a total of $18 million with no guarantee for the 2019-20 season. It will definitely be interesting to see how he fares at a discount price in Orlando over the next two seasons.
Tony Snell, Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks gambled when they handed a four-year, $46 million contract to Snell this past summer. However, it could pay of f big time if he can continue to defend at a high level while knocking down three-point shots on the perimeter. Milwaukee is desperate for three-point shooters and Snell’s career-high 40.6-percent three-point shooting average looks good on paper. He is also a hard worker that isn’t high maintenance either. The Bucks believe he is the perfect fit. Snell’s reasonable contract makes him worth the risk.
Rodney McGruder, Miami Heat
There aren’t many outstanding contracts left among NBA shooting guards but McGruder qualifies based on his ultra-low rate. Miami will pay McGruder just $4.8 million over the next three seasons. He started 65 games last season. The 26-year-old needs to improve his shooting from beyond the arc after hitting 33.2-percent of his attempts last season. He also needs to do a better job capitalizing on handoffs and finishing at the rim. That said, McGruder’s contract is such a low-risk that Miami can afford to be patient and hope he will continue to develop as a depth player over the next couple of seasons.
Norman Powell, Toronto Raptors
Powell only has one year left before he hits restricted free agency. However, the Raptors have to be happy with his development and the fact that they own his rights beyond next season. Powell is set to earn $1.47 million next season and then will become an RFA next summer. The 26-year-old is set to take another step forward after averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists last season and Toronto can afford to be patient with him as he develops behind DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. Powell has the potential to be a quality starter in the NBA. It will be interesting to see what kind of deal the Raptors can lock him in with in the summer of 2018. At the very least, Toronto has an understanding of the current salary cap climate before having to ink Powell to an extension.
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