10 best NBA contract values for the 2024-25 season

NBA stats keep signing max contracts but as the salary cap goes up, so do the dollar figures. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will collectively earn $100 million beginning with the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are among the top 15 highest-paid players, and Karl-Anthony Towns will make upwards of $61 million in the 2027-2028 season. 

With the NBA’s new media rights deal increasing the league-wide salary cap by 10 percent by 2025-26, it’s important to recognize players on team-friendly contracts offering relief in future expenses and allowing cap flexibility. Here are the 10 biggest contract steals in the NBA, where the player's value far exceeds their salary

10. Coby White: 3-years, $36,000,000

Coby White had a career-best 2024 season, putting up 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. With Lonzo Ball sidelined for another year and Zach LaVine on the shelf with injuries, White was able to fill in the gaps the Chicago Bulls desperately needed. Despite being eliminated by the Miami Heat in a battle for the eighth seed,

White shined, dropping 42 points against the Hawks in a win-or-go-home play-in game. With a projected salary of $12 million heading into the 2024-25 season and the return of Ball and newly acquired Josh Giddey, White’s contract is exceptional if he can maintain his spot in the starting lineup. 

9. Russell Westbrook: 2-years, $6,772,731

Russell Westbrook after a storied career primarily with the Oklahoma City Thunder, has played for five teams in the last six years. After being dealt from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets acquired Westbrook for just $3 million a year, taking the veteran’s minimum. While the Nuggets won’t be getting the triple-double machine of the past, the former MVP will serve as a reliable backup to Jamal Murray off the bench.

8. Cole Anthony: 3 years, $39,100,000

The Orlando Magic have a crowded guard rotation, with young talents like Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, or even Markelle Fultz. Yet, Cole Anthony has been able to stick around and provide valuable numbers, contributing 11.6 points off the bench in 22.4 minutes per game. Despite a modest salary of around $13 million, the Magic will rely on his quickness and tenacity for another playoff push. 

7. Jarret Allen: 3 years, $90,720,000

While $30 million a year might seem steep, the price appears to be the best in the league for one of the best defensive centers. Allen’s 2023 campaign was one of his best, setting career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, and assists. He finished in the top 10 last season for Defensive Player of the Year, proving his ability to work opponents in the paint and effectively crash the boards. Don’t be surprised if his contract value doubles in price by the end of his current deal. 

6. Daniel Gafford: 3 years, $40,182,480 

Daniel Gafford emerged as one of the league’s most valued big men this year, starting in Washington before being shipped to Dallas. After transitioning to power forward man years as a center, Gafford’s athleticism and hustle proved efficient, leading the league in field goal percentage while averaging a career-high 2.1 blocks per game. At just $13 million per year, Gafford’s contract is a steal for a starter as his contributions are widely overlooked. 

5. Naz Reid: 3 years, $41,959,296

Naz Reid became a fan favorite this season, with his name on flags, in politicians' tweets, and even on leg tattoos worldwide. Despite a dominant frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, Reid thrived as a valuable backup, winning the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award and shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range. Reid’s catch-and-shoot offense combined with impressive ball-handling skills for a center, make him worth every dollar of his contract.

4. Payton Pritchard: 4 years, $30,000,000

Projected, set to earn $7.5 million annually over the next four years, has become one of the most solid backup point guards. Pritchard posted career-high averages in every offensive category and played a crucial role in the Celtics’ championship run, scoring in double-digits in four out of five games in the second round versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Pritchard and the Celtics will look to repeat as champions and could be in contention for Sixth Man of the Year. 

3. Miles “Deuce” McBride: 3 years, $13,000,000

Miles McBride began the 2023-24 season as an end-of-the-bench piece, only seeing minutes in blowout games. However, when the New York Knicks traded away Immanuel Quickly and RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, McBride stepped up to the plate and showed no mercy with his 3-and-D playstyle. The young point guard established himself as a certified backup to Jalen Brunson, and his extremely team-friendly contract makes him even more valuable to the Knicks.

2. Tyus Jones: 1 years, $3,003,427

Tyus Jones is one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. He has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (min.100 assists) for three out of the last six seasons, setting an NBA record with a 7.29 last season. Additionally, Jones averaged 12 points per game on 48.9 percent field-goal shooting and 41.4 percent from 3. Shockingly, Jones wasn’t re-signed by his former team and signed for the league minimum with the Phoenix Suns. Surrounded by three All-Star players, Jones is set to improve on his previous numbers, possibly breaking his record.

1. Donte DiVincenzo: 4 years, $46,870,000 

When Donte DiVincenzo signed with the New York Knicks in 2023, league-wide basketball analysts called out the team for overpaying another low-to-mid-tier role player. After entering the starting lineup next to his Villanova teammates, DiVincenzo was destined for success averaging 15.5 points per game on a career-best 40.1 percent shooting from 3.

After dropping a career-high 40 points against the Detroit Pistons, Donte would prove his value in the second round against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 25 points or higher in four out of seven games. Making around $11.5 million annually, his contract is one of the best as the Knicks look to contend once more for an NBA championship.