wizenheimer
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Stephen Curry $48,070,014
Russell Westbrook $47,559,433
John Wall $47,345,760
LeBron James $44,474,988
Kevin Durant $44,119,845
Bradley Beal $43,279,250
Giannis Antetokounmpo $42,492,492
Damian Lillard $42,492,492
Paul George $42,492,492
Kawhi Leonard $42,492,492
Klay Thompson $40,600,080
Kyrie Irving $38,917,057
Khris Middleton $37,948,276
I don't believe there are any set rules for gauging this. But factors that need to be considered are age-of-player/which-contract/eligibility-when-signed. The standard progression (cap-factor) goes: rookie scale (mandatory scale)--->rookie-extension (2nd contract-25%)---> 3rd contract (30%)--->4th contract (35%).
within the framework of those steps is the allowance for players to hit specific thresholds and jump a grade from 25%-->30% or 30%-->35%. Dame hit those thresholds and when he signed his rookie extension he was eligible for 30% of cap instead of 25%. That's when he 'gave-back' money to the Blazers so they had more operating room, and settled for 27.5%. Dame is now in his 3rd contract and last summer, when he signed his super-max extension, he was a 10 year vet which would have made him eligible for 35% anyway
I'm not sure who True is, you probably meant JRue. But the rest of those guys you mentioned are all in various stages of their rookie extensions. Meaning their max initial salary was set at 25% of the cap (unless any hit the thresholds for that grade raise, like Dame, and I don't think any did) Comparing their rookie extension to Dame's 3rd contract is apples/oranges. I believe all will be eligible for the grade bump in their 3rd contract, meaning they could get 35% of cap instead of 30%
Devin Booker has already signed his 3rd contract as an extension:
Jamal Murray will certainly sign for 35% if the Nuggets win the championship. He might even sign and extension this summer. Same for Donovan Mitchell. SGA has hit the threshold but he was only in the first year of his extension this season
that's why I posted other players and their salaries as a comparison. They are Dame's peers in terms of years of experience and accomplishment. And they have salaries similar to Dame
you kind of have to look at contract progressions. For instance, Dame vs Bradley Beal:
the difference is that Beal signed a 5 year max contract last summer that had a base salary starting at 35% of the cap. Dame signed a two year extension that was based upon a max raise of the final year of his existing deal. Different standards and the timing of Dame's extension is a common method top players for possibly exceeding 35%. Dame's may or may not exceed 35% because the new CBA has a smoothing provision for that giant influx of media money that will arrive before the 2025 off-season (that didn't happen in 2016)
but good players almost always get the same max deals as their age/experience peers. Compare Dame & Giannis:
the only difference is that Dame was drafted a year earlier than Giannis and he 'used' that extra year to leverage his extension. it's almost certain Giannis will get an extension by opting out of that option year and signing an extension. I think he'll be eligible for that in July
but other guys who are in the same draft class have the same extensions:
(Doncic & LaVine had better advisors than Trae because those option years will allow them to get a big raise a year earlier)
or:
by the way, notice how none of these guys are signing deals for less than their max as a favor to their teams, but apparently, Dame is an asshole because he didn't
