Every offseason, we compile a list of "99 Cent Store" free agents who may prove to be a solid bargain given their projected price and reputation around the league.
Over the Golden State Warriors' incredible run, Kevon Looney has played a sizable role as a rotation player and spot starter. Back in 2018, hardly anyone could have expected that. Looney had barely gotten time, peaking at 13.8 minutes per game. Our store viewed him as a potential value, and he turned out to be exactly that after signing for a modest $1.5M that summer (and $4M the following year.)
Gary Payton II made the list back in 2020. At the time, Payton was listed in the "clearance rack" section, which is the lowest level of the store reserved for players who are on the margins of the NBA and may not even land a guaranteed contract. The column argued that Payton may have some value to a roster given his excellent defense.
Payton has far surpassed the 99 Cent Store expectations for him and has proven to be an excellent fit on these Golden State Warriors. His ability to guard multiple positions has allowed the Warriors to play "small" more often, and his energy and athleticism on offense gives him some value on that end as well. Payton played a huge role in the NBA Finals and helped the Warriors snatch another title.
Of course, Looney and Payton aren't the only former 99 Cent Store alums to have value.
In the initial column back in 2018, Fred VanVleet and Joe Harris were both flagged as "featured items" -- players that were expected to be underrated at less than $10M a year. At the time, both VanVleet and Joe Harris hadn't established themselves as starters yet. Their teams signed them for under $10M per year (FVV for about $9M, Joe Harris for $8M) and saw a great return on that investment. Eventually, they became known as good starters and signed for much bigger contracts.
The next year in 2019, Seth Curry was another "featured item" that proved to be a bargain. At the time, Curry hadn't gotten reliable starts despite his stellar shooting. Curry signed for about $7.5M per season and ended up yielding great value on that contract. He only started 51 total games before 2019, but has started the vast majority of his games since then.
That same year, we highlighted wings Justin Holiday and Reggie Bullock as potential 3+D starters. The NBA market did not agree -- signing Holiday for $5M a year and Bullock for only $4M (partly injury related.) Over the last two seasons, both Holiday and Bullock have started the majority of their games.
One of our bigger success stories came with Christian Wood, who at the time was in the "clearance rack" section and fighting for his NBA life. The Detroit Pistons took a flier ($2M) on the productive G-Leaguer, and saw him experience a breakout season once Blake Griffin left town. Wood became a well-paid starter after that (and may still be a bargain at $13M a year.)
Of course, there have been PLENTY of misses along the way as well. We tend to highlight about 10-15 players every offseason and the majority don't move the needle at all. It's also gotten harder and harder to find diamonds in the rough, as NBA GMs have gotten smarter and more analytical over the years. Our results have been decent lately but nothing remarkable (with Chris Boucher and Jarred Vanderbilt among the highlights.)
Given that, we may need some help.
Who do you think should be on the shelves at the 99 Cent Store this offseason?
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento