The Designated Veteran extension, as we clarify in our glossary entry on the topic, is a comparatively new addition to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Settlement. It permits gamers with seven, eight, or 9 years of NBA service, who would usually be eligible for a most beginning wage of 30% of the cap, to qualify for a “super-max” contract that begins at 35% of the cap, a degree usually reserved gamers with 10+ years of expertise.
A participant who has seven or eight years of NBA service with one or two years left on his contract turns into eligible for a Designated Veteran extension if he meets the required efficiency standards and hasn’t been traded since his first 4 years within the league. A Designated Veteran contract will also be signed by a participant who’s technically a free agent if he has eight or 9 years of service and meets the required standards.
The efficiency standards is as follows (solely one of many following should be true):
- The participant was named to an All-NBA crew and/or was named the NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr in the newest season, or in two of the final three seasons.
- The participant was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most up-to-date seasons.
Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Cities have all signed super-max extensions this offseason. Jokic certified for his Designated Veteran extension when he earned his first MVP award in 2021, whereas Booker and Cities grew to become eligible after they made All-NBA groups in 2022.
There aren’t as many apparent candidates to fulfill the Designated Veteran standards in 2022/23, however there are nonetheless a handful of gamers price keeping track of. Right here’s a have a look at some super-max candidates to observe throughout the ’22/23 season:
Jaylen Brown / Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Brown has by no means made an All-NBA crew, however he was an All-Star in 2021 and acquired All-NBA votes in 2022, so he may very effectively be within the combine in 2023.
Brown’s scenario is an fascinating one — he’s unlikely to signal a regular contract extension earlier than reaching free company as a result of the utmost elevate (20%) on his 2023/24 wage ($30,723,214) would fall effectively in need of his projected most wage for the 2024/25 season as a free agent.
Assembly the super-max standards would change that equation, making Brown eligible for a much more substantial elevate on a DVE. However would the Celtics be keen to decide to a five-year super-max contract for his or her second-best participant? The NBA hasn’t issued a cap projection for ’24/25 but, but when we assume a $143MM cap (a $10MM bump on the projected $133MM cap for ’23/24), a five-year DVE that begins in 2024 could be price $290MM+.
Tatum, in the meantime, made the All-NBA First Crew in 2022, placing him in an excellent place to maximise his earnings.
As a result of he’ll solely have six years of NBA service below his belt on the finish of the 2022/23 season, Tatum gained’t have sufficient expertise to signal a super-max extension subsequent offseason. But when he makes one other All-NBA crew, he will have met the efficiency standards, having earned All-NBA honors in two of the three years earlier than he features the required service time for a DVE.
That’s what occurred with Jokic — he met the efficiency standards in 2021, however couldn’t signal his super-max extension till he met the service time standards in 2022. One other robust season from Tatum may put the Celtics ahead in the identical boat.
Pascal Siakam / Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
Siakam and VanVleet aren’t among the many NBA’s prime tier of superstars, however they’re actually within the second or third tier. Siakam has truly already earned two All-NBA nods, making the Second Crew in 2020 and the Third Crew in 2022, whereas VanVleet made his first All-Star crew earlier this 12 months. An All-NBA spot for both of them in 2023 would make them super-max eligible subsequent offseason.
In fact, even when one or the opposite qualifies for a DVE, I’m considerably skeptical that the Raptors would supply Siakam or VanVleet a full super-max deal. These contracts are usually reserved for franchise gamers, and Scottie Barnes could also be on observe to turn into that man in Toronto.
It nonetheless is sensible for Siakam and VanVleet to attend to see in the event that they turn into super-max eligible earlier than they signal extensions. Assembly the efficiency standards would give them a ton of additional leverage after they negotiate their subsequent contracts, even when the Raptors aren’t keen to go the DVE route.
Each Siakam and VanVleet have two years left on their respective contracts, although VanVleet may attain unrestricted free company in 2023, since his ultimate 12 months is a participant possibility.
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
An All-Star in 2020, Ingram would want to take one other large step ahead to turn into a official All-NBA candidate. And that gained’t be straightforward if Zion Williamson‘s return and a full season of CJ McCollum lower into his scoring numbers.
As is the case with the Raptors and Siakam/VanVleet and the Celtics and Brown, it’s additionally unclear whether or not the Pelicans could be keen to place a super-max supply on the desk for Ingram even when he qualifies, since he will not be the participant the crew is constructing round.
Nonetheless, Ingram – who has averaged not less than 22.7 factors per sport in every of the final three seasons – is price mentioning as a result of he’d be eligible for a four-year super-max contract extension that begins in 2025/26 if he had been to make an All-NBA crew in 2023.
The rookie scale extension recipients
Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Zion Williamson have all signed five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extensions this offseason that undertaking to begin at 25% of the 2023/24 cap. Primarily based on an estimated $133MM cap, these offers could be price $192.85MM.
Nevertheless, all three extensions embody Rose Rule language. That is one other type of the super-max — in contrast to the Designated Veteran contracts, which begin at 35% of the cap as a substitute of 30%, a participant who meets the Rose Rule standards receives a beginning wage price 30% of the cap moderately than 25%.
The efficiency standards for a Rose Rule wage improve are basically the very same as for a Designated Veteran bump, however should be achieved by the tip of the participant’s four-year rookie contract. Meaning Morant, Garland, and Williamson must make the All-NBA crew in 2023 with a view to improve the projected worth of their respective extensions to $231.42MM over 5 years — an All-NBA berth in 2024 or 2025 could be too late.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider hyperlink) writes, whereas Morant and Garland will earn the Rose Rule bump in the event that they make any of the three All-NBA groups, it’s unclear if that’s the case for Zion as effectively or if he must make the First Crew to qualify for the 30% max.
Of those three gamers, Morant – who was an All-NBA Second Teamer in 2022 – is one of the best guess to be a part of that group of 15 once more subsequent season.
The remainder
Whereas there are different veteran gamers who may technically qualify for the super-max this season, none are notably compelling candidates. Jamal Murray would meet the efficiency standards with an All-NBA nod, however that’s quite a bit to count on from the Nuggets guard, who missed your entire 2021/22 season resulting from a torn ACL.
Pacers large man Myles Turner is an intriguing darkish horse candidate, since he’s able to getting into the Defensive Participant of the Yr dialogue, and successful that award would make him super-max eligible. However the odds of him staying with the Pacers all season, incomes DPOY honors, after which signing a super-max cope with Indiana as a free agent are… slim, to say the least.
Ben Simmons, Dejounte Murray, and Domantas Sabonis are among the many gamers who can not qualify for a DVE as a result of they’ve been traded whereas on their second contracts. Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are amongst those that don’t have sufficient service time below their belts but and would want to earn an All-NBA spot in 2024 to qualify — and once more, that might hinge on them remaining with their present groups, which seems more and more unlikely for Mitchell.
