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The Best Bargain Contract On All 30 NBA Teams

By Gerald Bourguet

January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7, right) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, left) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7, right) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, left) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here’s a look at the most valuable bargain contract on every team in the NBA.

NBA
January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7, right) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, left) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

If we’ve learned one thing from the history of professional basketball, it’s that it takes a staggering amount of talent, chemistry and luck to win an NBA championship.

You’ve got to have star players; that’s why we remember the all-time greats like Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. You’ve got to have chemistry; that’s how we remember teams like the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that won 72 regular season games en route to a title, or the 1985-86 Boston Celtics, who went 40-1 at home en route to a title.

And you’ve got to have luck; it’s why champions are rarely remembered for overcoming a major injury.

Related Story: The Greatest Player In Every Franchise's History

But all too often, the financial side of things gets lost in all these discussions about championship-caliber teams. In this era where free agency, salary cap rules and collective bargaining agreements have become more prevalent than ever, general managers have nowhere to run and hide after signing an underwhelming player to an overwhelming deal.

For the most part, we all can agree on the star players that deserve the max-level contracts. But what about the under-the-radar moves that can make or break teams with depth, chemistry and other hidden value?

Bearing that in mind, it’s time to take a look at the best bargain contracts in the NBA right now, putting each team’s most cost-effective value in the spotlight. As a rule of thumb, we’ll be avoiding rookie-scale contracts since those are typically set in stone, and we’ll try to avoid expiring deals since they open up the possibility for contract extensions or leaving in free agency.

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