With the NBA season almost upon us, we are nearing the conclusion of the period where players can be signed to extensions on existing deals. This is what we saw the Golden State Warriors do over the weekend, as they raised a few eyebrows by signing both Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to new, long-term contracts.
Poole receiving $140 million over four seasons was especially big, as he has worked his way from the G-League to becoming an NBA champion and the early favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Wiggins can feel vindication too, going from an afterthought with the Minnesota Timberwolves to an integral part of this iteration of a dynasty.
So which NBA players will be next up to receive a hefty payday like Poole?
There are always those few who manage to snag contracts for themselves that are deemed too much money or will surely handicap the franchise they play for. Worse still there are those such as DeAndre Ayton, who saw an offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers matched by his team the Phoenix Suns. Ayton now remains in Arizona and hasn’t seemed thrilled about it.
The following are three players who will receive big money when their current contract ends. Two of them are unrestricted free agents next summer, while the third has a player option for next season but could forgo the guaranteed money to renegotiate his current deal. Finally, there is no Russell Westbrook. He may get a new deal somewhere else next season, but his days of making crazy, long-term money are over.