Point guards are getting their props, and rightly so
Free agency wasn’t even 24 hours old and more than US$1 billion had been committed to them
Point guards got paid.
Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.
Free agency wasn’t even 24 hours old and more than US$1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170-million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141-million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.
There’s never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there’s still plenty more left to be signed.
“I’m a leader in my own way,” Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune.
“I’m never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It’s not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates better — I’m that lead by example type. I like to keep it direct.”
He was duly rewarded. So were many of his position-mates.
The extensions for Lillard and Murray mean they won’t be seeing free agency for years to come, and proves how much Portland and Denver value those guys. Lillard’s extension shouldn’t have surprised anyone, and given what the market value is setting up to be for point guards the fact that Denver locked up the Kitchener native shouldn’t be a shocker, either.
“Jamal will be a huge part of our future,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said entering the off-season. That’s clear now. D’Angelo Russell’s sign-andtrade that will send him to Golden State will see his salary start at $27 million next season and land him just over $117 million over four years.
Malcolm Brogdon isn’t a traditional point guard, and he still got $85 million from four years from Indiana.
Terry Rozier could get $58 million over three years from Charlotte, where he’ll replace Walker — who made $58 million, total, in eight seasons there.
Ricky Rubio got $51 million for three years from Phoenix.
Patrick Beverley finally got his deserved payday, a $40-million, three-year agreement to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Wow,” Atlanta’s supertalented point guard Trae Young tweeted as deals started flying about. “This is crazy.” Don’t worry, Trae. Your day is coming in about three years.
Chris Paul got a $159-million, four-year deal last summer from Houston, and from there most of the other point guard signings in free agency were for relatively little money.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry were among the big point guard deals in 2017 — and they went head-tohead this year in this year’s NBA Finals.