This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Las Vegas • Rodney Hood's mental preparation for the summer of money began in earnest almost two years ago.
But like many of the players, many of the fans, and many of those remotely associated with the NBA, mentally preparing for the current free-agent financial boon and seeing it unfold proved to be two different things.
Hood — the rising third-year shooting guard for the Utah Jazz — admitted shock at the dollar figures, and a bit of surprise at the some of the lasting effects of the money players are getting. And Derrick Favors — on the first night of free agency — tweeted out the eyes emoji, indicating that he's aware of how much money players have been awarded since July 1.
Indeed, the first two weeks of free agency were startling, even to those who braced for the salary cap rise. The contracts, and the money involved, are simply something never seen before in the NBA, or any sport.
"It's crazy," Hood said. "Just to see some of the money that's going around, it's just crazy. But I can't blame anyone for getting paid. But just seeing guys who were eighth and ninth men on their teams, that's just a lot of money. It's eye-opening for sure. And the fact that the cap is gonna rise in another couple of years is just amazing."
The salary cap, bolstered by the copious amounts of money the league is receiving in its new television deal, is set at just over $94 million for the 2016-2017 NBA season. In the 2005-2006 season, the cap was at $61.7 million.
Simply put, because of the TV deal for the league — valued at $24 billion — there's so much money to go around that a lot of it will go to the players. The result? Guys have drawn sums of money that seem out of whack with their current standing in the league. On the first night of free agency, Timofey Mozgov, who could barely get off Cleveland's bench during the Cavaliers' run to the NBA title, was given a $64 million dollar deal over four years from the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Sunday, the Miami Heat were forced to match a $50 million dollar offer sheet that the Brooklyn Nets extended to reserve guard Tyler Johnson. And the Portland Trail Blazers had to match Brooklyn's $74.8 million dollar sheet to Allen Crabbe, who, you guessed it, was a reserve last season.
Mike Conley is a fine point guard, one of the better ones in the league. But when the Memphis Grizzlies gave him a $153 million dollar contract over five years, he became the highest paid player in NBA history. And Conley, a very good player, has never won a championship, has never made an All-Star game, and has spent chunks of the last two seasons on the injury list.
While there is concern around the league over the dollar figures, many see the money boon as a good thing. It signifies the health of the league, some say. And it sends a message that the league is growing — on and off the floor.
"I think every generation of players can't believe the money that's being made by the next generation of players," New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "The endorsement deals, the shoe deals, the TV deals, they have changed the game and the money tremendously. The salaries have gone up, the stakes have gone up. I think it's sustainable, because it's truly a global game. I think our athletes are the most recognizable athletes in the world, with the possible exception of soccer. So when you think about how global the game truly is, I don't see it slowing down at all."
Figuratively and literally, the rich were able to get richer this summer. Had the salary cap not jumped by over $10 million for next season, the Golden State Warriors probably would've still been able to pair Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. But doing so probably would've cost the Warriors a lot more than Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes. But with the cap rise, Golden State essentially had room for three huge contracts (Durant, Green and Thompson), all while being able to accommodate Stephen Curry at $12 million and Andre Iguodala at $11 million.
The result? The Warriors have put together a team that's more talented and more potent than the team that just won 73 games and advanced to game seven of June's NBA finals. If that's a worry around the league, it's a legitimate worry. Golden State was able to add a top five overall player to a team already holding arguably three of the top 15 players in the league.
"There's never going to be parity among all 30 teams," Gentry said. "But there should always be enough parity that there should be enough competition among teams every single year."
And then there are the players who are slogging through current contracts. The emoji Favors sent out as money was being handed out wasn't an accident.
When asked about his impending free agency that's two years away, Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas had this to say to the Boston Globe: "They'd better bring out the Brinks truck. They paying everybody else, I gotta get something."
Suddenly, the $16 million the Jazz are paying Gordon Hayward next season — remember how much Utah fans thought that number was? — seems like a bargain. Suddenly, the $11 million Favors will receive next season — there is a possibility of an extension and restructuring here, however — seems dirt cheap for his kind of talent.
Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey was able to avoid overspending this offseason, signing Joe Johnson for $11 million a year, and trading for George Hill's $8 million dollar contract, along with Boris Diaw. But if the Jazz want to retain Hayward and Favors, they will certainly have to pay top dollar. And Hood, Dante Exum and Trey Lyles aren't that far behind.
The money boon in the NBA is certainly real. Rumored for years, the reality hit this July. And the financial windfalls don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
"God is good," Favors said with a laugh in reaction to free agency. "Teams are going to be a lot tougher this year because of all the money. A lot of guys switched teams. We're just going to have to be very good, go out and compete and play well."
twitter: @tjonessltrib —
Show me the money
• Nic Batum, Charlotte Hornets: Five years, $120 million
• Al Horford, Boston Celtics: Four years, $113 million
• Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat: Four years, $98.4 million
• Chandler Parsons, Memphis Grizzlies: Four years, $94.4 million
• Harrison Barnes, Dallas Mavericks: Four years, $94.4 million
Three important free-agent deals
• Kevin Durant moves from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors.
• Al Horford moves from the Atlanta Hawks to the Boston Celtics.
• Chandler Parsons moves from the Dallas Mavericks to the Memphis Grizzlies.