Top Draft Pick Salaries

[youcandoit1687]

Hey I was just wondering what the deal is with such short and small contracts for NBA draft picks. They're only signed for 2 years with 2 more optional, only about 5 million a year, what's the deal with the discrepancy between NFL and NBA contracts? Also, how do they happen so fast?


Thanks to all you NBA experts.

[rubaiyat]

Well I think that's changed recently.

But yeah, generally 1st picks got 3 mill for 4 years...with the last one being an option year (that was generally picked up as the player was a young guy on a cheap contract)

The point was very much to address the unintended consequences of the NFL system. That the 1st rounders would gradually command bigger contracts. This means bad teams invest a huge amount of cap on 50/50 players. If it doesn't work out you are in big trouble.

In the NBA, you might shatter a franchise for a decade if they were to sign #1's to NFL style contracts and he was a bust.