With the season starting there have been a lot of contract extensions signed over the last week so I am going to break them down.
Warriors sign Moses Moody, 3yrs/$39 million, no options
The value is cheap enough that this contract won’t kill Golden State. However, Moody has yet to make a splash in the league yet. With averages of 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game last season, Moody could become a value role player. The Warriors did not sign Jonathan Kuminga, their other 2021 first round pick, to a new contract.
Pelicans sign Trey Murphy III, 4yrs/$112 million, no options
This should put into perspective how cheap Herb Jones’ 4yr/$48 million deal that he signed in July of 2023. That does not mean this Murphy deal is a bad one because Murphy is really good. Over the past 2 seasons, he has averaged 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from 3. He is an elite 3 point shooter while also being able to dribble and pass and he is a good defensive player, the Pels should want Murphy on their team long term.
Magic sign Jalen Suggs, 5yrs/$150.5 million, no options
Whew! That is big money for Suggs, who I do like but not sure he is worth this price. The defense is elite for Suggs, he has turned into one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. However, the offense is not there yet. 12.6 points and 2.7 assists is not where Orlando wants it to be but his three pointer was way more efficient last year at 40%. This is not a bad deal for the Magic, Suggs is a good player who can become a very good player, it is just higher than I expected it to be.
Mavericks sign Jaden Hardy, 3yrs/$18 million, final year is a team option
I don’t have much to say about this one. Hardy is a solid guard who can dribble, pass and shoot off of the bench for Dallas but he hasn’t had a ton of chances averaging 14.0 minutes per game in his first 2 seasons in the league. I am interested to see if he or Spencer Dinwiddie get the minutes as the third guard off of the bench behind Luka and Kyrie.
Wizards sign Corey Kispert, 4yrs/$54 million, final year is a team option
This is a grand slam deal for Washington. Kispert is good, a career 39% three point shooter, Kispert has diversified his game in past seasons as well, becoming a better passer and being able to put the ball on the deck more. The defense leaves some to be desired but this is a good player and the Wizards need good players. I like this deal a lot for Washington.
Rockets sign Jalen Green, 3yrs/$106 million, final year is a player option
The Rockets signed both of their key 2021 draft picks to new deals so let’s start with Green. Jalen Green flashed big time at the end of last season, averaging 24.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game over the last 23 games of the season. However, that is a small sample size and this is a weird contract. I am not sure how I feel about this. The player option would have been a hard no for me, the team has a lot of control in restricted free agency but you can also see Houston wanting to avoid someone offering a price that they are not willing to go to so just get the deal done now.
Rockets sign Alperen Sengun, 5yrs/$185 million, final year is a player option
This is a max deal without the max money and therefore the ability for this to become a rookie supermax, where the first year of the deal is worth 30% of the cap. Instead, Sengun gets less than the max but a player option. I like this deal for the Rockets, being able to stay away from max money on this deal makes that player option worth it. Sengun is a really good player, his passing from the 5 has become a hub for Houston to create offense and he has also scored at a really high level last season, 21.1 points per game last season, he should only be getting better. The defense and rebounding leave some to be desired but Sengun is good and keeping him was a must for Houston.
Hawks sign Jalen Johnson, 5yrs/$150 million, no options
No options on this deal and a flat contract throughout for Johnson, this is a great deal for the Hawks. Johnson had a breakout season last season and became a huge part of Atlanta’s plan to build around Trae Young. With averages of 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game last season, Johnson has become Atlanta’s second best player after the team traded Dejounte Murray in June. He can score the ball in a bundle of different ways and he plays hard every night, which makes him a plus defender, something the Hawks are always looking for. Johnson has become a really good player who has only gotten better during his career so this should become a really good value deal for the Hawks.
Nuggets sign Aaron Gordon, 3yrs/$109 million, final year is a player option
Gordon opted into the final year of his contract so this deal won’t kick in until 2026-27. Keeping Gordon was a must for the Nuggets and they accomplished that here while keeping their 2025-26 tax bill down. Gordon is the perfect fit with Nikola Jokic. Denver can put him anywhere on the court and he can be effective on offense while being a very good defensive player. While he is not the dunker he once was Gordon is used best in the dunker spot to be an easy lob for Jokic to throw when it’s open.
Timberwolves sign Rudy Gobert, 3yrs/$110 million, final year is a player option
Like the Gordon deal in Denver, this Gobert deal gives Minnesota more flexibility for next season. Unlike the Gordon deal, that comes from Gobert declining his player option. Gobert remains one of the best defenders in the NBA and has found a home in Minnesota after the Jazz traded him there in July of 2022. This is great value for Minnesota, who gets Gobert signed for half the price that Karl-Anthony Towns’ 2022 extension was worth. Good job by the Wolves to keep Gobert at this solid price.
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