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Rockets, Bulls, Spurs: Championship caliber contracts: 1995-1999

By N.B. Lindberg

San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott (L), Mario Elie (C) and Tim Duncan watch from the bench as the Spurs lose to the New York Knicks during game three of the NBA Finals 21 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won the game 89-81. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/ROBERT SULLIVAN (Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott (L), Mario Elie (C) and Tim Duncan watch from the bench as the Spurs lose to the New York Knicks during game three of the NBA Finals 21 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won the game 89-81. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/ROBERT SULLIVAN (Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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NBA (Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport)
NBA (Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport) /

1998 NBA Champion: Chicago Bulls
Season Salary Cap: $26,900,000
Championship-Caliber Contract: Scottie Pippen & Toni Kukoc

Scottie Pippen is the godfather of being underpaid on a second contract. By 1998 Pippen was the Bulls 6th highest-paid player, behind the likes of Luc Longley in salary. His $2.775 million salary took up a modest 10 percent of the cap. It cannot be overstated that the Bulls’ second Three-peat was largely made possible by Pippen’s unbelievable contract. In a year where Pippen only played 44 regular-season games, his 9.5 Win Shares, valued at $6.133 million, 22.8 percent of the cap, still led the Bulls in surplus-value.

Kukoc was a nice piece at a decent cost but he still wasn’t even as valuable as Pippen in 30 more games. His 9.4 Win shares were valued at $6.068 million, 22.56 percent of the cap, but he was paid $4.56 million, 16.9 percent of the cap. His insertion is to highlight just how good Pippen’s contract was because it needs to be stated again, Pippen was the reason the Bulls won three straight championships from ’96 to ’98.

Related Story. 50 greatest NBA players not in the Hall of Fame. light

The Last Dance makes it seem like the Bulls would have won the ‘99 Championship, but I have my doubts. First, while Michael Jordan was still the best player in the league, he made $33 million, 123 percent of the salary cap in ‘98. Due to the NBA’s soft salary cap, bird rights, and no maximum contract Jordan was able to be paid more than 19 teams’ entire payroll. Going into ‘99, presumably, MJ would have continued to make more than the salary cap and Scottie Pippen was hell-bent on getting paid. The Bulls really couldn’t roll it back for a title defense unless they wanted to give two guys blank checks.

The Bulls dynasty had run its course by ‘98. Pippen would have had to see his salary increase by almost $9 million to stick around. MJ was 35 going on $35 million. Rodman was washed. Kukoc might have been a good second option? The truth is, the ‘99 Bulls were going to be significantly worse than the ‘98 Bulls. The Bulls dynasty had gone as long as Scottie Pippen’s contract would allow it. It was good it ended when it did.