Photo Credit: Associated Press
As the Cavaliers and Warriors continue their quest for the title, every other team in the NBA is forced to reflect on the season that was and look toward the future.
The Pistons and Bucks are already making moves, as the two teams completed a trade that sends Caron Butler and Shawne Williams from Detroit in return for veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova. However, before we focus on next year, we can gain insights from last season by assessing which players provided the most (and least) value to their teams compared to their salaries.
Paying guys like LeBron James, Chris Paul and James Harden big bucks is, ironically, a small price to pay when it returns MVP-caliber production. Conversely, though, shelling out eight figures to guys who only performed at league-average levels can really hurt a team’s chances at success.
The chart below shows players who appeared in at least 25 games plotted by their 2014-15 player efficiency rating (PER) as well as their salary.
While judging strictly by PER isn’t a foolproof method—since it would lead you to believe Amar’e Stoudemire was worth his $23.8 million salary despite being nothing more than a solid role player—it allows us to make direct comparisons from player-to-player regardless of how much play time they’re getting. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the tiers of value from the 2014-15 season.
Group 1: The Mega-Bargains
Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Salary: $5.6 million
PER: 30.8
The former No. 1 overall pick dominated the NBA landscape in the third season of his rookie contract. His PER of 30.8 led the league, he guided the Pelicans to the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and he managed to get his name entered in the MVP conversation. New Orleans should lock him up to a max contract extension as soon as possible.
Kawhi Leonard, Spurs
Salary: $2.8 million
PER: 22.0
The 2014-15 season was the last in which San Antonio could take advantage of Kawhi Leonard’s (relatively) dirt cheap rookie contract. The restricted free agent will no doubt be back via a max contract next season. If he continues to improve following a Defensive Player of the Year campaign, he’ll be worth the hefty price hike.
Hassan Whiteside, Heat
Salary: $769,881
PER: 26.2
After not playing in the NBA for two full seasons, Hassan Whiteside made the NBA community wonder why every team in the league passed on his potential. The towering 7-footer finished second in the league in blocks per game behind “The Brow,” and sixth in the Association in PER. The kicker? He’s under contract next season as well for less than $1 million. This is poised to be one of the best contracts in basketball again next season.
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Salary: $10.6 million
PER: 28.0
When you can lock up a future MVP award winner at a discount as a result of ongoing ankle problems, there’s not much to complain about. That’s part of the reason why Warriors GM Bob Myers took home Executive of the Year honors for 2015. Curry had questions about his health, which knocked down his stock as a player, but he’s proving now that he’s worth a max contract and more.
Other notables: Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Andre Drummond, Kyrie Irving
Group 2: They Made How Much?
Rajon Rondo, Celtics/Mavericks
Salary: $12.9 million
PER: 13.5
The ornery point guard likely lost a lot of money for his woefully inconsistent 2014-15 season. His true shooting percentage (a figure that accounts for free throws and three-pointers) was a paltry 44.8 percent. That ranked Rondo No. 356 out of 366 qualified players.
Nic Batum, Trail Blazers
Salary: $11.7 million
PER: 13.1
In theory, Batum should be in the prime of his career at 26 years old. He’s consistently been one of the league’s best swingmen—knocking down outside shots and playing disruptive defense—but his offense fell off the map.
Batum shot a career-worst 40 percent from the field and a career-low 32.4 percent from three-point territory. If he doesn’t bounce back next season, when he’s owed $12.2 million, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Portland move on from their longtime small forward.
Lance Stephenson, Hornets
Salary: $9 million
PER: 8.8
Stephenson appeared to be the next big star on the NBA’s horizon when he was suiting up for the Indiana Pacers. Charlotte picked him up via free agency, and now Hornets fans are left to wonder if the MonStars stole his talent.
The 2-guard’s shot chart looks like a crime scene. He shot the ball atrociously from all over the court throughout the season as his confidence tanked. He’s under contract through next year before a team option in 2016-17. Don’t expect that to be picked up if his struggles continue.
Other notables: Channing Frye, Arron Afflalo, Trevor Ariza, Joe Johnson