NBA: 4 Players In Line For A Big Payday
It’s all about the money. A couple good seasons in a row followed by one really good season is almost a surefire way to get paid in today’s NBA money chaos.
Below, we have five players who are in line to get a hefty check this offseason:
In a world that makes sense, Jarrett Jack would be a full-time starter. But on the Golden State Warriors, he comes off the bench. He does play in crunch time (leads team in fourth quarter minutes).
Jack averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists in 29.7 minutes per game during the regular season. His stats per 36 minutes–15.7 points and 6.7 assists–give teams a short sampling of what his production would equate to if he received full-time starter’s minutes.
Additionally, he was a part of Golden State’s four best offensive lineups (60-minute minimum), per NBA.com.
Among the teams that could be in the market for Jack include the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Bobcats, Utah Jazz and possibly the Milwaukee Bucks, reports Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are a pair of teams that could look to add him as bench depth.
In late April, Jack was quoted saying he wanted to stay with the Warriors, via NBA.com. He even understood the fact that he would still serve as Stephen Curry’s backup. Thompson’s latest report, however, indicates that Jack, who turned down an extension in January, could test the free-agent waters.
If there’s one thing we do know, it’s that Jarrett Jack will get paid.
Josh Smith and Paul Millsap, the top two free-agent power forwards, will get paid. If teams are searching for a solid alternative with a cheaper price tag, though, J.J. Hickson is their man.
In 29 minutes per game, Hickson averaged 12.7 points on 56.2 percent shooting and 10.4 rebounds. Over a 36-minute basis, those would average out to 15.8 points and 12.8 rebounds. If Hickson was alongside someone not named LaMarcus Aldridge, he could be even better.
The knock against Hickson is his size. At 6’9″, he’s a shade undersized to man the power forward position, kind of like Millsap. This could cost him some coin in free agency, but not a ton.
The Blazers probably won’t look too far into retaining Hickson because they’re reportedly (per Oregonlive.com) looking to go bigger, pairing a legitimate center up with Aldridge to fully optimized his offensive capabilities. Hickson doesn’t fit that description.
Hickson’s possible landing spots remain precarious. But at just 25 years of age, he will be a highly coveted commodity on the market once the big boys are taken off the drawing board.
Al Jefferson is one of the last remaining traditional centers in the NBA. (NBA.com photo)
Al Jefferson’s skill set is unique in that traditional centers like him are becoming extinct, but this could benefit him. And just for clarification, traditional centers are becoming extinct in favor of shooting big men.
Anyway…
Synergy Sports ranks Jefferson as the 46th-best post-up player in the NBA and considering that nearly half (45.7 percent) of his offensive opportunities hinge on post-ups, that’s a fairly decent ranking.
Jefferson did average 17.8 points in 2012-13, which actually is his lowest per game output since 2009-10. But in his defense, he didn’t have much of a supporting cast, as Mo Williams was a constant question mark, playing in only 46 games. With that, Utah was left with a combination of Jamaal Tinsley, Earl Waton and Alec Burks. The word “formidable” doesn’t come to mind and there was certainly a shortage of guards who could properly set Jefferson up like, well, former Jazz point guard Deron Williams.
With Enes Kanter on the rise and Derrick Favors ready to claim his starting spot, Al Jefferson’s days in Utah seems numbered.
After practically being a no-show in 2011-12, averaging just 12.8 points per game, David West bounced back in 2012-13 to average 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 33.4 minutes.
It’s easy to overlook West because he’s never been elite in one specific area and he lacks the athleticism that appeals to the masses. Throw those two caveats on top of a poor 2011-12 campaign and you wouldn’t figure that he’s going to get paid this coming summer, especially since he’s getting up there in age (he will be 33 next year).
But, he will. There’s becoming a greater need for shooting big man, and West can provide plenty of that.
(Shot Chart From 2012-13)
You probably figured out that green is good and yellow is average. In that case, West wasn’t a bad shooter from any specific location inside the 3-point stripe.
Additionally, West is a solid defender. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked as the 11th-best post-up defender in the league and 22nd best spot-up defender, not to mention that he guarded those situations the most.
West’s solid defense was a near-perfect fit with the Indiana Pacers:
Tim Duncan has the NBA's best defensive rating. Roy Hibbert, Paul George, David West are 2, 3, 4. Yeah, Indiana is pretty good defensively.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) April 14, 2013
Given West’s age, it’s unlikely that he’s going to garner a long-term contract. But a shorter contract with a higher annual value is certainly not of the question.