Value and production is the name of the game in the NBA these days. The dreaded second apron that has taken control of the league since it was implemented in the 2023-2024 season. The Second Apron is essentially where no team wants to be because of the massive tax penalty that comes with it. To break it down, the salary cap this upcoming season is $164,961,000. This number kind of acts as a soft cap, and teams can go over this number until the Luxury Tax line hits at $200,428,000. Once the number gets there, teams start to pay a tax penalty. The first apron is set at $209,015,000, and the second apron is at $221,686,000. The tax penalties in these aprons are huge, and the billionaire owners do not want to pay it. Going into the second apron can be a penalty of over $1,000,000 million dollars. All of that to say, finding a player that can provide production above their value is crucial to winning in the league today. Jalen Brunson took the notorious pay cut to keep the Knicks together, and now Wemby just saved the Spurs 5% of the cap during his next contract. So today, I wanted to go ahead and find the best value contracts in the NBA, that are not rookie deals. I decided to dive into Spotrac and find the five best contracts in the NBA my opinion. So here is what I came up with, and for each guy I’ll provide their current salary for the upcoming season and the total contract that they are on. Appreciate you guys checking it out!

#1 – Jalen Brunson

Salary Next Season – $37,739,521

I mean, you knew it had to be here. As easy as it is to pick, it is one hundred percent the best contract in the NBA based on the production and type of player that Brunson is. Jalen Brunson signed a 4 year, $156.5 Million dollar contract, with a salary of $37,739,521 for the 2026-27 season. For context, the highest paid player in the league next year is Steph Curry at $62,587,158. That means that Jalen Brunson is making just under $25 Million dollars less than Steph next season. The flexibility this gives the Knicks into being able to retain their guys for this last finals run was astronomical to their success. The Knicks dominated and were just the better team against everyone when it was all said and done. Obviously, the Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson to the Celtics this off-season, but that was because Dolan did want to pay the luxury tax (cheepo). Jalen Brunson is the damn man, and set a new precedent to the secret to winning in the NBA, which is taking a little bit of a pay cut.

#2 – Deni Avdija

Salary Next Season – $13,125,000 

If you put my Brunson bias aside, I can see the argument for this being the best contract in the NBA. Deni signed a descending rookie extension contract of 4 years $55 million dollars in the 23’ offseason. This means he has one more year left on this contract at only $11,875,000 for the following season… Deni was absolutely incredible last season, earning his first all star appearance and leading the Blazers to an unexpected playoff appearance. Deni averaged 24.2 PPG, 6.9 REB and 6.7 APG, while shooting it at a 46% clip from the field. Down the stretch of each play in game and play off game, Deni was clearly the guy the offense was running through. To have your best player’s salary at only $13 Mil in today’s game is wild. For context, the first pick in the draft this year, AJ Dybansta is slotted to make $14,748,000 this upcoming year. The Blazers got a guy in his prime on a rookie deal, what a bargain.  Just like the Blazers like it…cheap.

#3 – Payton Pritchard

Salary Next Season – $7,767,857

This dude is just so much fun, and I hope more of the casual eye gets to see it. Payton Pricthard can break you down with some of the shiftiest handles in the league and has the quickest burst to get around any defender. People loved Jason Williams back in the day, and I think Payton Pritchard stepping into a bigger role next year with the Celtics can start to get the love he deserves. I forgot to mention, the dude has some Curry range with his trigger at times too. Now with the mula aspect that makes this all better, this man is only getting $7.7 Mil next year… That is insane value for a starting point guard who can provide the scoring and playmaking as a secondaryish option next to Tatum. He signed a 4 year $30 Million dollar rookie extension in the 23’ off-season. He immediately outplayed that value and continues to do that more than ever now as a true starter. White Chocolate 2.0 (Scoring style), shoutout to the man. 

#4 – Ivica Zubac

Salary Next Season – $20,342,140

Big Zub is going to need to play at a high level to make Pacers fans feel any bit comfortable with the price they paid at the deadline last season. That package included the expiring Benedict Mathurin contract, a 2029 Pacers first round pick, and a 2026 Pacers protected first round pick, that fell to five and gave the Clippers Keaton Wagler. Nevertheless with that in perspective, Zubac is a former all star big man who stands at 7’0 FT. He averaged 14.4 PPG and 11 RPG last year in a down clippers start before he got injured. With players like Walker Kessler now signing for $32 Million dollars, having a veteran of Zubac’s caliber at $20 Mil is a price I would pay everyday of the week. He should help lift the Pacers back into the playoffs and provide them with a different element to their offense that they have not really had before. 

#5 – Tre Jones

Salary Next Season – $8,000,000

Hey don’t come at me with this Bulls bias, because Tre is a floor general that pushes the pace and sees the floor so well, that I would love him on any team he’s on. Tre Jones was actually one of the few contracts that AK found a way to maneuver that actually was pretty good lol. Coming after the Coby and Ayo contract bargains, Tre Jones was given a 3 year $24,000,000 contract by the bulls as he was a part of the Zach Lavine trade (that we actually won lol). Tre is not old, but becoming a vet in this league that many contending teams should try to trade for. Tre is coming off his best season with 14.1 PPG, 3.1 REB, 5.4 APG and always grabbing 1.2 steals a game. Tre can be a budget point guard for any team struggling with the pains of the second apron. In a league that is getting really expensive, Tre provides more than enough value with his production.

That’s all I got for you guys today, appreciate you checking in. The second apron is horrible and needs to be removed, but unfortunately we are going to have to keep dealing with it through 2029 I believe. If there is anyone that I missed let me know on my X account @CouchCoachPete. Go ahead and give the Coach Coaches a follow on X @CoachCoachBlog.