Free agency is always a pivotal time in the NBA. When stars leave, they can often change the landscape of the entire league. However, more often than not, the players that have been hugely successful with a team, be it team or individual success, end up re-signing with the same teams and collecting a paycheck that their performances have earned for them.
NBA salaries in the current era have been spoken about quite a bit in recent times, with Shaquille O’Neal weighing in on the size of contracts players receive in today’s game compared to what they did less than 2 decades ago. But the league’s consistent growth and new avenues being opened up have their rewards, and free agency in 2022 has proved that.
Despite the window having opened up on July 1, and the likes of James Harden yet to sign their deals, 10 free agents in this window have already signed contracts worth a total of $1.69 billion, a staggering number. Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bradley Beal, and Zach LaVine have all signed deals that will see them earn upwards of $200 million over the lifetime of the contracts.
Ja Morant is another player approaching that territory. His deal with the Grizzlies will see him earn more than $190 million. And it’s not just the league’s best that have secured massive contracts for themselves. Jalen Brunson’s move to the Knicks will see him get paid upwards of $100 million, while Anfernee Simons has also signed a 9-figure deal.
The total amount paid out in this season’s free agency could surpass $2 billion across the league, which is hard to wrap the brain around. Players deserve to make as much money as their talent brings in, and it’s always great to see a player secure a well-deserved huge contract. The crazy thing about it is, with the way things are shaping up, these deals might get dwarfed by a lot very soon in the future.
