04-28-2024, 12:58 PM
(04-28-2024, 09:51 AM)DallasMaverick Wrote: https://hoopshype.com/salaries/
Alright, here’s a question:
Who’s getting a good return on their payroll investment?
Boston?
Denver?
Dallas?
OKC?
Orlando?
Define "good return". For me it is the title(s). OKC and Orlando might be fun to watch, but their rookies will get new deals at some point and those cheap teams can quickly become expensive. It remains to be seen if they are good enough for serious contention or if the changes will need to be made. The future looks great for both. Very good foundation and a lot of assets and flexibility moving forward. Still, the moves that will likely follow will need to be successful. They are probably far from a finished product.
Boston and Denver certainly did extremely well building their teams around the stars. I think you can't do much better than Boston in terms of putting the right pieces around your stars. So if they fail, the only thing they can do really is either to change the coach or the star(s). Denver already won last season so they imho got best return on their investment. That team is locked for at least another season after this one so plenty of hope they can put more rings on their fingers.
Success wise Dallas is at the same level as OKC and Orlando but they have far less flexibility moving forward and one star is on the wrong side of 30. Far more pressure for every move to be a plus in order to be successful.
If I take another measure - bad salaries.
Boston - Brown is probably not a super max level star, but other than that I could not really complain about any of their players being overpaid. Once you get into bird rights trap you often end up (over)paying your own players to avoid losing them.
Denver - not really much to complain about. MPJ is perhaps a bit overpaid (similar decision as Boston did with Brown) but his fit for this team is ideal.
OKC and Orlando - nothing to complain about. Two successful teams with most of their players still on their rookie deals. Decisions about next deals for this guys and deciding who is a long term piece of the puzzle will be crucial. Memphis was in a similar position two season ago. They are no longer cheap and don't look much more like a real contender than they did 2 years ago.
Mavs. THJ is definitely overpaid for what he can contribute to what the team needs. Those 18 millions could definitely be better spent elsewhere. One could argue Maxi and Green (his new deal kicking in next season) are not really positive value deals. Their best versions from this season are worth those deals, problem is they are far too inconsistent and injury prone to really make those deals look as bargains. Of course, if Mavs go all the way, perception changes big time and every player is worth every cent.