Grading every NBA rookie extension signed on deadline day

The deadline for players from the 2021 NBA Draft to sign rookie extensions passed on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. EST. Although "rookie extension deadline day" isn't quite as thrilling or unpredictable as trade deadline day, we still saw a surge of action before the deadline passed, including a few young stars signing surprising contracts. Here's each deal that was signed, and a grade for each from both the team's perspective and the player's point of view.

Alperen Şengün: 5 years, $185 million

Şengün and the Rockets waited until the last minute — almost literally — to sign this deal, but it got done, and Houston should feel great about locking down Şengün at this number. Coming off a near-All-Star caliber season in 2023-24, plenty of folks thought Houston's young center would hold out for a max deal or even "bet on himself" as players often do and wait until next summer to sign a deal. If Şengün makes an All-NBA team in 2024-25, he would have been eligible for an even bigger payday next summer. Instead, he elects stability for at least the next six seasons.

It's not as though Şengün made some horrible financial decision; $185 million is a great payday for a 23-year-old center. Still, if he continues the career trajectory he's on now, he might soon feel like he left a few dollars on the table. There are multiple All-Star games in Şengün's future, maybe as soon as this year.

Team grade: A+

Player grade: B

Jalen Johnson: 5 years, $150 million

If you enjoy listening to people talk about what they love, go ask your friend who's a Hawks fan how they feel about Jalen Johnson. They likely won't stop talking for about an hour — and you shouldn't blame them! Johnson had a breakout season in 2023-24 and intelligent people around basketball think he's in line for another breakout this year... and then maybe another. While the Hawks future is a big question mark, Johnson becoming a star feels more like an exclamation point, so Atlanta locking him down now for $30 million a year should soon look like a bargain. For the time being, it's a big payday for someone who hasn't played a full season of high-level basketball, but it's a move Atlanta probably still had to make.

Johnson should be thrilled with this contract. Since a lot of this deal is based on the premise that he will turn into a high-level producer, Johnson should feel good about guaranteeing himself a big check before he's shown exactly how good of a player he can become.

Team grade: B

Player grade: A

Jaden Hardy: 3 years, $18 million

It was a day of huge money deals, but Dallas got in on the action by signing young guard Jaden Hardy to a small three-year extension. Frankly, this deal is a little confusing for Hardy. He's probably going to see a jump in minutes this season, and even if his role stays the same, he would have drawn some looks from other teams next summer. A young, athletic, sharpshooting guard will always be valuable in the NBA, so it feels like Hardy is selling himself short here. This is one of those deals we look at in two years and say "Jaden Hardy is making how much? That's it?"

Team grade: A+

Player grade: D

Jalen Suggs: 5 years, $150.5 million

Oh, how quickly things change in the NBA. Before the 2023-24 season, Suggs was being tagged a bust. But after a career-best shooting season and an All-Defense appearance, Suggs secures a big payday from the Magic.

This is a mutually beneficial deal; Suggs is the best defender on Orlando and ignites the team's high-level play on that end, and Orlando is a perfect team for Suggs play style and personality. It's a big number, sure, but overall this is solid business from both sides.

Team grade: B+

Player grade: A

Trey Murphy III: 4 years, $112 million

The Pelicans roster will probably look a whole lot different in April than it does now, but we can at least be sure that Trey Murphy will still be part of this team at the end of the season. On a team with so much uncertainty heading forward — Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum are both prime trade candidates this year — it makes sense that Murphy wanted to sign this deal now, if for no other reason than being sure he won't be traded for a while. Still... he probably should have gotten a little more money. Murphy is a franchise cornerstone in New Orleans so this feels like a steal for the franchise.

Murphy's teammate Jordan Hawkins seems thrilled about the deal, though. Having rich friends sounds nice.

Team grade: A

Player grade: C

Jalen Green: 3 years, $106 million

If there's ever such thing as a "prove it" rookie extension, this might be it. Green can opt out of this deal after two years, and there's a real chance he decides to do that, so long as he can consistently become the player he was for most of the second half of last year — though that's a big ask.

A shorter deal could be beneficial for either Green and Houston, but probably not both. Houston can move on from Green if he doesn't turn into the player they hope he does. But if he does turn into that player, he's under team control for fewer years and could hit free agency to secure a bigger bag. There's some risk here down the line on both sides, and it feels riskier from the Rockets POV. The important part is that a deal got done — but it's an odd one for the Rockets.

Team grade: B-

Player grade: A-

Corey Kispert: 4 years, $54 million

Will somebody please tell Corey Kispert to believe in himself a little more? What is this contract? The Wizards should give him $100 million solely because he's willing to sign an extension with the Wizards!

Kispert has improved each year in the league and he's one of the few players on Washington you can look at and say, definitively, that's an NBA player. He doesn't have the same ceiling that some of these other guys do, but this is a massive underpay regardless. Even if Kispert never gets any better, he's already a high-level shooter — and he's definitely going to get better! This is perhaps the most confounding deal of the day from a player perspective. Washington's front office must be stunned that it retained Kispert at this number.

Team grade: A

Player grade: D-