2019 NBA SEASON PREVIEW
Unpacking the Hidden Details Behind the NBA’s Newest 2019 Contracts
Not every newly reported NBA deal is as it seems. What’s hiding behind the numbers?
FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE SUMMER, WELL OVER $1 BILLION WAS SHELLED OUT TO NBA FREE AGENTS AROUND THE LEAGUE. In fact, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, Kevin Durant, and Kristaps Porzingis alone hit $1 billion in new contract money. That’s $1 billion to six players. Fourteen players signed nine-figure contracts, and 38 of them signed deals worth at least $10 million a year.
But not every contract is as it appears, and many times the details get lost in the reporting. Some deals are not fully guaranteed, others contain player or team options, and many of the contracts aren’t actually worth anywhere near the amount of money reported when the news breaks.
Let’s don our NBA-onomics hats and dig into the contract numbers for 10 newly signed free agents. For each signing, we’ll announce the headline you remember from the summer, then break down the real details below…
