Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton received questions about the same topic more often than he could remember this summer: money, money, money.
As NBA salaries rise, the spotlight also turns to those earning the biggest salaries — a club that players like Haliburton, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Memphis’ Desmond Bane will soon enter for the first time as their rookie contracts end. down.
These four players all signed extensions this summer that will take effect next year; The deals for Haliburton, Edwards and Ball are guaranteed to be worth at least $205 million with a chance to reach around $260 million if they qualify for supermax-level salaries. Bane’s is guaranteed around $198 million, with around $8 million more available in incentives. Add it up, and these four players together could earn around $1 billion over the life of these new deals.
And now comes the next challenge: living up to the expectations that come with so much money. There are players with higher salaries, even players with bigger extensions – for example, Boston’s Jaylen Brown signed one who could be worth $304 million this summer. But for players like Haliburton, Edwards, Ball and Bane, it’s a new chapter.
“When I got the deal, you’re like, ‘What’s the next step?’ and you realize you have to prove it,” Haliburton said. “The Pacers organization invested a lot in me, a lot of time and obviously a lot of money. The only way I can repay that is to make them believe that They made the right choice, today and in 20 years.
To put the rookie extensions of this era and the magnitude of the salary escalation into perspective, consider that Stephen Curry’s first extension after his rookie contract was worth $44 million in total. Haliburton, Edwards, Ball and Bane will average that much annual salary for the foreseeable future starting with the 2024-25 season. (Edwards will make about $13.5 million this season, Ball about $11 million, Haliburton about $6 million and Bane about $3.9 million.)
Earn that amount of money – the value of contracts in the league has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to the billions pumped into the league’s coffers each year thanks to the media rights deal, and it is expected that wages will continue to rise in the years to come – surely comes with pressure. . But they say they feel no new pressure; at least not yet.
“I never really worry about that kind of thing,” Ball said. “Growing up, my dads always said pressure was like finding your next meal, finding where to sleep, stuff like that. I’m pretty lucky. I just have to worry about playing well. I really don’t have any problems.
All four players seem to be thriving. Haliburton and Edwards played for USA Basketball in the World Cup this summer and will be considered for next summer’s Olympic team. Haliburton, Edwards and Ball have been All-Stars before, and together the four players averaged 22.7 points, 6.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last season.
Bane is the only one of the four not to be a lottery pick; he was the last selection in the first round of the 2020 draft. And he just keeps getting better, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
“The league teaches you a lot of things on and off the field and he’s willing to ask questions,” Jenkins said. “It doesn’t matter what dollar signs his contract is or what his stat line is. He’s always trying to improve because ultimately he wants to win at the highest level.
Extensions are not life-changing money. They represent money that changes lives. Edwards looked at his family when asked about the enormity of the deal he agreed to this summer, saying “they’re probably more excited than me.”
Edwards made one thing clear: His goal has always been to take care of his family. Now it’s covered, and the Timberwolves fully believe he’ll take care of the team as well.
“At this level of commitment, it’s more about the person than the player,” Minnesota president Tim Connelly said this summer when announcing that Edwards had signed his extension. “You don’t do that unless you trust the person. And he is everything we want to be. His positivity, the energy he brings to his teammates, to us as coaches and scouts, it’s invaluable.
Haliburton insists he will not succumb to the heavy expectations. He wants the burden that comes with such a big deal and the pressure that comes with being the face of his team.
“I deserved this. I wouldn’t say no,” Haliburton said. “I just want to prove my people right, prove the doubters wrong and most importantly prove myself right. I always wanted to be here and now that I’m here, I have to prove it now. I want to be an All-Star again. I want to be All-NBA. I want to win in the playoffs. And I believe all of this can happen.
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