With more than $1.8 billion spent in contract values over the first couple of weeks of the NBA offseason it was easy to find a handful of players that were significantly overplayed. However, there were also a number of very reasonable deals that looked even better when compared to the bigger contracts handed out. Here is a look at the four best value signings in NBA free agency this offseason.
Zaza Pachulia, Golden State Warriors
1 Year, $2.9 Million
One of the immediate reactions to the Warriors signing Kevin Durant was that they wouldn’t be able to afford anybody else to fill out the remainder of the roster. It didn’t take long to dispel that notion with Pachulia the first to join Golden State at a discount price. Pachulia signed a one-year, $2.9 million deal that is well below market value in order to have a chance to win a ring with the Warriors this season. Remember, this is a team that lost a bunch of depth up front as Festus Ezeli and Andrew Bogut in free agency.
As for Pachulia, he was supposedly just a filler for the Mavericks last season after they whiffed on DeAndre Jordan, but he proved to be a solid center. He had a PER of 16.26 while averaging 8.6 points and 9.4 rebounds last year. That’s arguably his best season in almost 10 years.
Pachulia could actually be a solid fit at the center position and there is no doubt it’s clearly one of the best value deals of the free agent period to this point.
Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets
5 Years, $120 Million
The Hornets avoided taking a major step backwards as they kept their core intact. They re-signed Batum and Marvin Williams, and its Batum’s contract in particular that stands out as being an outstanding value. The veteran forward thrived in Charlotte a year ago when he quietly averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. The Hornets took a lot of flack for acquiring him for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson, but he proved to be an excellent fit.
The fact that the Hornets were able to bring him back for less than the maximum makes his contract one of the better value deals and will keep Charlotte trending in the right direction this coming season.
Seth Curry, Dallas Mavericks
2 Years, $6 Million
The fact that Curry couldn’t land more than $6 million over two years absolutely baffled some people in NBA circles. Many people felt he should have been able to sign for at least $5 million annually. The Mavericks do provide a clearer path to more playing time and Dallas could very well end up being the perfect fit for Curry to establish a more defined role with an NBA team. The playing time is key for him as he didn’t get an adequate chance to shine; if he does in Dallas, that could lead to him getting a bigger contract next time around.
The Mavericks landed a 25-year-old guard with immense potential and a nice stroke from beyond the arc. It won’t be a surprise if the value of this contract leaves fans scratching their heads both now and down the road. He can fit in either as a backup point guard to Deron Williams, which means he’ll get healthy minutes, or he could play some shooting guard as well.
Arron Afflalo, Sacramento Kings
2 Years, $25 Million
A lot of people assumed Arron Afflalo would be back with the New York Knicks. While he’s not a spectacular star, he managed to perform relatively well playing next to Carmelo Anthony. He didn’t require many touches, he didn’t play with an ego and he was solid at the defensive end. That’s what makes Sacramento’s swooping in here that much more impressive.
The Kings found a solid fit at the shooting guard position in Afflalo, who averaged 12.8 points on 44.3-percent from the field with the Knicks a year ago. Afflalo proved that he could still start in the NBA and at 30 years old, the two-year deal makes perfect sense. Sacramento didn’t break the bank to land Afflalo either and that his contract an excellent value deal. They could have paid a lot more for a quality shooting guard.
