Black Friday bargains: Whose contract provides the best bang for the buck?
Ah, Black Friday. A timeless, cultured tradition that sees North Americans remember they absolutely need that new 60-inch television, a day after being thankful for what they already have.
But despite those massive "sale price" stickers, not every television turns out to be the perfect deal. Like a deep-pocketed team owner with a marquee NBA free agent, you may quickly come to find that the quality doesn't come as advertised, or it completely breaks down on you once your money is gone.
So when do you know for sure you secured a deal? Well, we can't help you on TVs, but some NBA stars are definitely outperforming their contracts right now.
Without factoring in artificially limited rookie-scale deals and players with a signed extension yet to kick in (Rudy Gobert and John Wall, for example), here are three players providing their teams with amazing value:
3. Jeremy Lamb
Current contract: 3 years, $21 million
Free agency: 2019
Whatever wasn't working for Lamb before, he's certainly fixed it. Prior to this season, the 25-year-old - a complementary piece in the 2012 swap that sent James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets - had never averaged double-digit scoring over a full campaign.
Having stepped into the Charlotte Hornets' starting lineup in place of the injured Nicolas Batum, though, Lamb has capitalized on the opportunity by playing some of the best basketball of his career, scoring 16.5 points on 40.9-percent shooting from three and grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game.
If Batum returns to full health, Lamb likely will have to revert to a bench role, though if his performances remain consistent, that's a problem the Hornets are happy to have.
2. Tyreke Evans
Current contract: 1 year, $3.29 million
Free agency: 2018
A former Rookie of the Year, Evans has struggled to find his groove after a stellar debut season. After languishing with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, however, he's having a renaissance with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Through 17 games so far - all off the bench - Evans is averaging 17.9 points, the second-best output of his career after his first season. Compare his numbers with a fellow swingman like Khris Middleton, who's earning $14.1 million this season and $13 million the next two, and the value Evans provides becomes that much more apparent.
Per 100 possessions:
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | Blk | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evans | 31.9 | 9.3 | 6.4 | 0.6 | 50.2 | 41.7 |
| Middleton | 26.5 | 7.6 | 6.1 | 0.1 | 45 | 32.2 |
1. Kemba Walker
Current contract: 4 years, $48 million
Free agency: 2019
At $12 million a season, Walker is arguably the best bargain in the entire league.
In today's open market, the 27-year-old floor general would easily command a nine-figure deal, as demonstrated by those given to similar point guards Kyle Lowry (3 years, $100M) and Mike Conley (5 years, $152M). Both were older than Walker is now when they signed their current contracts.
In 17 games thus far, Walker is averaging 23 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.6 steals with a 26.6 usage percentage. Those numbers compare favorably to both Conley's and Lowry's respective outputs per game in the final seasons of their previous contracts:
| Player | Season | Pts | Ast | Reb | Stl | USG% | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conley | 2015-16 | 15.3 | 6.1 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 22.4 | 19.4 |
| Lowry | 2016-17 | 22.4 | 7 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 24.9 | 22.9 |
Unfortunately for Walker, he will need to get through one more season after this one before he can finally cash in on his market value.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)