All-NBA selection/snub could impact players by tens of millions of dollars

[SouBeachTalents]

Interesting article from ESPN. These dudes making or missing an All-NBA team could have a potential swing of up to $80 million

NEXT MONTH ONE OF the most consequential award votes in recent NBA history will be conducted. It will be worth tens of millions of dollars to a handful of players and could have a drastic effect on free agency both this year and into the future.

There are two ultra-important choices coming on this year's ballot. Who will get the third-team guard spots and who will get the third-team center spot. Those answers will swing fortunes.

Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal are all candidates to make third-team All-NBA. Even if they play it cool when asked about it, trust me, it matters to them.

Here's why it matters. If Walker, who was voted in as an All-Star starter, makes the All-NBA team he will hit the jackpot and become eligible for a supermax contract when he hits free agency in July. That would mean up to $220 million over five years if he were to stay with the Charlotte Hornets. If he doesn't make the All-NBA team, the Hornets' best offer could be roughly $190 million. A $30 million swing. And if he were to consider going to another team -- say his hometown New York Knicks -- his limit would be four years and $140 million. A possible $80 million swing based on the judgment of those 100 voters.

Just because Walker, who is having a career year at the perfect time, hits the mark doesn't mean the Hornets would make such an offer. But they'd be under pressure to do so, especially because Walker would certainly draw offers elsewhere. The Hornets are in a tenuous position, where they would be expected to campaign for their player to be honored, but the accomplishment would hurt the bottom line.

Like we said, these are unusual and high stakes.

Thompson is in the same situation. He's having a fantastic defensive season and averaging a career high in points, though an early-season slump has pulled down his shooting averages a little. Also a free agent, he's not expected to leave Golden State, but making the All-NBA team comes with that $30 million in incentive if he wants a five-year deal.

If he got there, it would potentially cost the Warriors tens of millions of dollars in additional luxury tax over the next few years. The Warriors gave the supermax to Curry two years ago. Thompson would have reason to expect the same treatment. No one would blame ownership if they secretly hoped Thompson would just miss out to Walker and it would be Charlotte's issue to deal with.

(As an aside here, Irving will also be a free agent this summer, but he's not eligible for the supermax at all because he was traded from his original team.)

Beal isn't going to be a free agent, as he has two years left on his contract. But if he makes All-NBA, he's eligible to sign a four-year, $194 million supermax extension this summer. If he doesn't make the team, he'd be able to sign for just three years and $111 million, an option he'd probably pass on and head toward free agency in 2021 instead.

The Washington Wizards wouldn't have to offer the extension to him, of course, but after they did for John Wall after he made the All-NBA team two years ago, Beal would likely expect it. The bitter circumstance here is that Beal's candidacy for the All-NBA team is boosted because Wall went down. Wall might've been a candidate for an All-NBA spot had he not needed season-ending surgery in January, and his injury has cleared the way for Beal in some respects.

Then there's third-team center, which is where Karl-Anthony Towns comes in. If Towns makes the third team -- Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are likely locks for the first two teams -- he triggers a $31 million bonus in the contract extension he signed last fall. This is an older rule that has been around for a while, known as the Rose Provision, for players who've signed max contract extensions coming off their rookie contracts.

Three years ago Anthony Davis was in the same position as Towns. If he made the All-NBA team he would've triggered a $23 million clause in his contract. He missed out by three spots -- injuries had limited him that year -- and didn't get the money.

Davis went on to be All-NBA first team the past two seasons -- in other words, if life was fair he'd have gotten that money -- but with his trade demand and the New Orleans Pelicans' choice to slash his minutes, he likely won't make the team this season.

But like with Beal and Walker, it will be up to the voters how much to weigh team success into the honor as none are currently on teams in playoff position.

The point system is 5 points for a first-team vote, three points for second team and one point for third. The highest vote getters in each position group make up the teams.

Voters are selected with a couple weeks left in the regular season and the votes are due the day after the season ends. Votes are collected via a password-protection website conducted by Ernst & Young.

A lot will be up to the voters. It's a significant responsibility. And it's transparent. All the voters and their ballots are made public.

[tontoz]

The Wizards could conceivably have 2 guys on supermax deals and still be irrelevant.

[FireDavidKahn]

The Wizards could conceivably have 2 guys on supermax deals and still be irrelevant.

At least both your players are good. We got one worthy player of a max contract and Wiggins who is now the worst contract in the NBA

[tontoz]

At least both your players are good. We got one worthy player of a max contract and Wiggins who is now the worst contract in the NBA

Have you seen Wall's contract?


2019/20 $38,150,000
2020/21 $41,202,000
2021/22 $44,254,000
2022/23 $47,306,000

[FireDavidKahn]

Have you seen Wall's contract?


2019/20 $38,150,000
2020/21 $41,202,000
2021/22 $44,254,000
2022/23 $47,306,000

Ya but Wall isn't a horrendous player like Wiggins. He at least is able to contribute. Wiggins is basically a below average player on a max contract.

It isn't just the $$$ that makes a bad contract.

[tontoz]

Never paid much attention to Wiggins. I just thought he was just an average player.

Looking at his stats his 2pt % is pretty horrible.