Section 1: Introduction

NBA fans frequently discuss the values of players’ contracts, throwing around the terms “overpaid” and “underpaid” as they debate whose contracts are the best and worst. The purpose of this blog is to objectively rank NBA contracts for just the 2018-19 season, basing it off of how much money the players were paid relative to their production. In the NBA, the goal is to win games, and players provide value by contributing to those wins. While it is difficult to precisely distribute the credit for all of a team’s wins to each individual player, the win shares* statistic is the best available metric. If a team wins 50 games, then the sum of its players’ win shares will be 50. For example, if one player had 10 win shares, it would mean that he accounted for 10 of the teams 50 wins. Additionally, all win shares can be broken into offensive win shares and defensive win shares in a 50/50 split, with each type having the same weight.

*All win share data used is from basketball reference.

Section 2: Methods for Collecting Data

In the 2018-19 NBA season, there were 588 players who were on some type of contract at some point. However many of these players were on non-guaranteed and/or 2-way deals with the G-league, and many didn’t do anything significant. To rank NBA contracts, most players needed to be filtered out.

2.1: Contracts that were Excluded

Players on rookie contracts were not considered because rookie-scale deals limit how much money players can make, and the best valued contracts would mostly just be rookies who, despite making the maximum they could, were still making much less than other players who had already finished their rookie deals. The other main contracts excluded were those of all players on a minimum salary or less. This filters out all small and/or insignificant contracts. These were the minimum contract values for the 2018-19 NBA season:

2.2: Minimum Requirements for Players to be Considered

Since players were being measured by the total amount of wins they added to their team, it didn’t make sense to include players that didn’t play much. The minimum requirement was 1,000 minutes played in the season (about 25% of all minutes in the season). 

Section 3: The Results

In total there were 158 players that met the qualifications, and their contracts were ranked just by how much they got paid for each win share they produced. The more a player got paid per win share, the worse their contract was in terms of value to the team. In the table below, #1 is the worst contract and therefore most “overpaid” player, while #158 is the best contract and most “underpaid” player.

3.1: Ranking the Contracts

Rank out of 158	Player	2018-19 Salary	Win Shares	Money per Win Share
1	Andrew Wiggins	25,467,250.00	0.6	42,445,416.67
2	Tyreke Evans	12,400,000.00	0.3	41,333,333.33
3	Avery Bradley	12,000,000.00	0.3	40,000,000.00
4	Kent Bazemore	18,089,887.00	0.7	25,842,695.71
5	Allen Crabbe	18,500,000.00	0.8	23,125,000.00
6	Jonathon Simmons	6,000,000.00	0.3	20,000,000.00
7	John Wall	19,169,800.00	1.2	15,974,833.33
8	Jabari Parker	20,000,000.00	1.4	14,285,714.29
9	Austin Rivers	12,000,000.00	1.2	10,000,000.00
10	Will Barton	11,830,358.00	1.2	9,858,631.67
11	James Johnson	14,651,700.00	1.5	9,767,800.00
12	Tim Hardaway	17,325,000.00	1.8	9,625,000.00
13	Dion Waiters	11,550,000.00	1.2	9,625,000.00
14	Victor Oladipo	21,000,000.00	2.3	9,130,434.78
15	Evan Turner	17,868,852.00	2	8,934,426.00
16	Jeff Teague	19,000,000.00	2.2	8,636,363.64
17	Wilson Chandler	12,800,562.00	1.5	8,533,708.00
18	Tyler Johnson	19,245,370.00	2.3	8,367,552.17
19	Otto Porter	26,011,913.00	3.2	8,128,722.81
20	Iman Shumpert	11,011,234.00	1.4	7,865,167.14
21	Alec Burks	11,536,515.00	1.5	7,691,010.00
22	Zach LaVine	19,500,000.00	2.8	6,964,285.71
23	Jordan Clarkson	12,500,000.00	1.8	6,944,444.44
24	Rajon Rondo	9,000,000.00	1.3	6,923,076.92
25	Wesley Matthews	18,622,514.00	2.7	6,897,227.41
26	George Hill	19,000,000.00	2.8	6,785,714.29
27	Tristan Thompson	17,469,565.00	2.6	6,719,063.46
28	Harrison Barnes	24,107,258.00	3.6	6,696,460.56
29	Jeremy Lin	13,768,421.00	2.1	6,556,390.95
30	Nicolas Batum	24,000,000.00	3.7	6,486,486.49
31	Gordon Hayward	31,214,295.00	4.9	6,370,264.29
32	Gary Harris	16,517,857.00	2.6	6,353,021.92
33	Trevor Ariza	15,000,000.00	2.5	6,000,000.00
34	T.J. Warren	11,750,000.00	2.1	5,595,238.10
35	Tony Parker	5,000,000.00	0.9	5,555,555.56
36	Gorgui Dieng	15,170,787.00	2.8	5,418,138.21
37	Chris Paul	35,654,150.00	6.6	5,402,143.94
38	Markieff Morris	8,600,000.00	1.6	5,375,000.00
39	Dennis Schröder	15,500,000.00	2.9	5,344,827.59
40	Robin Lopez	14,357,750.00	2.7	5,317,685.19
41	Evan Fournier	17,000,000.00	3.2	5,312,500.00
42	Jared Dudley	9,530,000.00	1.8	5,294,444.44
43	Russell Westbrook	35,654,150.00	6.8	5,243,257.35
44	Michael Kidd- Gilchrist	13,000,000.00	2.5	5,200,000.00
45	Eric Gordon	13,500,375.00	2.6	5,192,451.92
46	E’Twaun Moore	8,808,685.00	1.7	5,181,579.41
47	DeMarre Carroll	15,400,000.00	3.1	4,967,741.94
48	LeBron James	35,654,150.00	7.2	4,951,965.28
49	Paul Millsap	29,730,769.00	6.1	4,873,896.56
50	Jrue Holiday	25,976,111.00	5.4	4,810,390.93
51	Anthony Tolliver	5,750,000.00	1.2	4,791,666.67
52	Kyle Lowry	31,200,000.00	6.6	4,727,272.73
53	CJ McCollum	25,759,766.00	5.6	4,599,958.21
54	DeMar DeRozan	27,739,975.00	6.3	4,403,170.63
55	Aaron Gordon	21,590,909.00	5.1	4,233,511.57
56	Robert Covington	10,464,092.00	2.5	4,185,636.80
57	Draymond Green	17,469,565.00	4.3	4,062,689.53
58	Ricky Rubio	14,975,000.00	3.7	4,047,297.30
59	Lance Stephenson	4,449,000.00	1.1	4,044,545.45
60	Hassan Whiteside	25,434,263.00	6.3	4,037,184.60
61	Marc Gasol	24,119,025.00	6	4,019,837.50
62	Blake Griffin	32,088,932.00	8	4,011,116.50
63	Jonas Valančiūnas	16,539,326.00	4.2	3,937,934.76
64	Norman Powell	9,367,200.00	2.4	3,903,000.00
65	Stephen Curry	37,457,154.00	9.7	3,861,562.27
66	Al Horford	28,928,710.00	7.5	3,857,161.33
67	Mike Conley	30,521,116.00	8	3,815,139.50
68	Andre Iguodala	16,000,000.00	4.2	3,809,523.81
69	Marvin Williams	14,087,500.00	3.8	3,707,236.84
70	Garrett Temple	8,000,000.00	2.2	3,636,363.64
71	Klay Thompson	18,988,725.00	5.3	3,582,778.30
72	Nikola Mirotić	12,500,000.00	3.5	3,571,428.57
73	Serge Ibaka	21,666,667.00	6.1	3,551,912.62
74	Ish Smith	6,000,000.00	1.7	3,529,411.76
75	Cody Zeller	13,528,090.00	3.9	3,468,741.03
76	Enes Kanter	18,622,514.00	5.4	3,448,613.70
77	Reggie Jackson	17,043,478.00	5	3,408,695.60
78	Bradley Beal	25,434,263.00	7.6	3,346,613.55
79	Bogdan Bogdanović	9,000,000.00	2.7	3,333,333.33
80	Tony Snell	10,607,143.00	3.2	3,314,732.19
81	Patty Mills	11,571,429.00	3.5	3,306,122.57
82	Kyle Korver	7,560,000.00	2.3	3,286,956.52
83	DeAndre Jordan	22,900,000.00	7.1	3,225,352.11
84	Kyle Anderson	8,641,000.00	2.7	3,200,370.37
85	Maurice Harkless	10,837,079.00	3.4	3,187,376.18
86	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	12,000,000.00	4	3,000,000.00
87	Joel Embiid	25,467,250.00	8.7	2,927,270.11
88	Taj Gibson	14,000,000.00	5.1	2,745,098.04
89	JaMychal Green	7,866,667.00	2.9	2,712,643.79
90	Mike Scott	4,320,500.00	1.6	2,700,312.50
91	Anthony Davis	25,434,263.00	9.5	2,677,290.84
92	Steven Adams	24,157,304.00	9.1	2,654,648.79
93	Danilo Gallinari	21,587,579.00	8.2	2,632,631.59
94	Kevin Durant	30,000,000.00	11.5	2,608,695.65
95	Jimmy Butler	20,445,779.00	7.9	2,588,073.29
96	Kelly Olynyk	12,137,527.00	4.7	2,582,452.55
97	Paul George	30,560,700.00	11.9	2,568,126.05
98	Andre Drummond	25,434,263.00	10	2,543,426.30
99	Doug McDermott	7,333,334.00	2.9	2,528,735.86
100	Marco Belinelli	6,153,846.00	2.5	2,461,538.40
101	Terrence Ross	10,500,000.00	4.3	2,441,860.47
102	Kawhi Leonard	23,114,067.00	9.5	2,433,059.68
103	Wayne Ellington	6,270,000.00	2.6	2,411,538.46
104	LaMarcus Aldridge	22,347,015.00	9.3	2,402,904.84
105	Ersan İlyasova	7,000,000.00	3	2,333,333.33
106	Damian Lillard	27,977,689.00	12.1	2,312,205.70
107	Rudy Gay	10,087,200.00	4.4	2,292,545.45
108	Cory Joseph	7,945,000.00	3.5	2,270,000.00
109	Mason Plumlee	12,917,808.00	5.8	2,227,208.28
110	Kyrie Irving	20,099,189.00	9.1	2,208,702.09
111	Marcus Smart	11,660,716.00	5.3	2,200,135.09
112	Joe Ingles	13,045,455.00	6	2,174,242.50
113	Derrick Favors	16,900,000.00	7.9	2,139,240.51
114	Khris Middleton	13,000,000.00	6.1	2,131,147.54
115	Justin Holiday	4,384,616.00	2.1	2,087,912.38
116	Nikola Jokić	24,605,181.00	11.8	2,085,184.83
117	Tobias Harris	14,800,000.00	7.1	2,084,507.04
118	J.J. Redick	12,250,000.00	5.9	2,076,271.19
119	Langston Galloway	7,000,000.00	3.4	2,058,823.53
120	Fred VanVleet	8,653,847.00	4.3	2,012,522.56
121	James Harden	30,431,854.00	15.2	2,002,095.66
122	Mike Muscala	5,000,000.00	2.5	2,000,000.00
123	Elfrid Payton	3,000,000.00	1.5	2,000,000.00
124	Thaddeus Young	13,764,045.00	6.9	1,994,789.13
125	Eric Bledsoe	15,000,000.00	8.2	1,829,268.29
126	Dewayne Dedmon	7,200,000.00	4	1,800,000.00
127	Dāvis Bertāns	7,000,000.00	4	1,750,000.00
128	Danny Green	10,000,000.00	5.9	1,694,915.25
129	Giannis Antetokounmpo	24,157,304.00	14.4	1,677,590.56
130	Josh Richardson	9,367,200.00	5.6	1,672,714.29
131	Jae Crowder	7,305,825.00	4.4	1,660,414.77
132	Kemba Walker	12,000,000.00	7.4	1,621,621.62
133	Rudy Gobert	23,241,573.00	14.4	1,613,998.13
134	P.J. Tucker	7,969,537.00	5	1,593,907.40
135	Yogi Ferrell	3,000,000.00	1.9	1,578,947.37
136	Lou Williams	8,000,000.00	5.1	1,568,627.45
137	Bojan Bogdanović	10,500,000.00	6.8	1,544,117.65
138	Joe Harris	8,333,333.00	5.5	1,515,151.45
139	Darren Collison	10,000,000.00	6.8	1,470,588.24
140	Nemanja Bjelica	6,500,000.00	4.5	1,444,444.44
141	Jusuf Nurkić	11,111,111.00	7.8	1,424,501.41
142	Julius Randle	8,641,000.00	6.1	1,416,557.38
143	Clint Capela	15,293,104.00	10.8	1,416,028.15
144	Jeremy Lamb	7,488,372.00	5.3	1,412,900.38
145	Alex Len	4,350,000.00	3.2	1,359,375.00
146	Dwight Powell	9,631,250.00	7.5	1,284,166.67
147	Nikola Vučević	12,750,000.00	10.1	1,262,376.24
148	Al-Farouq Aminu	6,957,105.00	5.8	1,199,500.86
149	Marcus Morris	5,375,000.00	4.5	1,194,444.44
150	Jerami Grant	8,653,847.00	7.3	1,185,458.49
151	Seth Curry	2,795,000.00	2.4	1,164,583.33
152	D.J. Augustin	7,250,000.00	6.9	1,050,724.64
153	Patrick Beverley	5,027,028.00	4.8	1,047,297.50
154	Reggie Bullock	2,500,000.00	3.1	806,451.61
155	Ed Davis	4,449,000.00	5.7	780,526.32
156	Montrezl Harrell	6,000,000.00	8.7	689,655.17
157	Brook Lopez	3,382,000.00	6.7	504,776.12
158	JaVale McGee	2,393,887.00	5.9	405,743.56

Wondering what it should take to consider a player overpaid or underpaid? Check out Part 2 to find out!