Top 5 Best Value Contracts in the NBA

In the era of the second apron, signing players on good-value contracts is crucial for every NBA team with championship aspirations.

One star player's salary can take up to 35 percent of the salary cap, which puts extra importance on role players and reserves playing above the value of their contract. That being said, some star players take less money to help their team pay its supporting cast more.

From players on the low end of the salary scale to stars who took less than they're worth, let's take a look at the top five best-value contracts in the NBA, not including cost-controlled rookie-scale contracts.

Payton Pritchard

Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Guard
Contract: 4 years (through 2027/28 season), $7.5 million average annual value

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was coming off a career year when he signed his four-year, $30 million contract in the 2024 offseason. He posted career-highs of 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 22.3 minutes per game off the bench in the 2023/24 season, which ended with a Celtics championship.

He raised his game in 2024/25, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists to 1.0 turnover while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range on 7.8 attempts per game. He had the 193rd-highest salary in the league this past season, but those stats earned him the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Pritchard scored a career-high 43 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 12, 2025, shooting 14/20 overall, 10/16 from three-point range, and 5/5 from the free-throw line in just under 43 minutes played. Starting guard Jrue Holiday and forward Jayson Tatum missed the game, and as he has done throughout his career, Pritchard seized the opportunity.

TJ McConnell

Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 4 years (through 2028/29 season), $11.2 million average annual value

TJ McConnell, standing at 6-foot-1, is a prime example of a player who doesn't let their stature affect their play. The 10-year veteran got to the league by outplaying and out-hustling his opponents, and that's the reason he's stayed in the Association for the last decade.

McConnell has spent the last six seasons with the Pacers, averaging 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists to 1.6 turnovers, and 1.1 steals. The craziest part about his game is that he does not rely on three-point shooting to get his points — he enjoys dribbling through the defense to get players out of position and has the vision to find an open man as well as the finishing ability to make an open shot.

McConnell has shot better than 50% from the field in five of his six seasons as a Pacer. His field goal percentage of 51.9% in 2024/25 ranked 22nd in the league, better than many taller players, including Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Alperen Sengun, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Plus, his average shot distance was just 9.1 feet away from the basket, the shortest distance of any guard.

Donte DiVincenzo

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 4 years (through 2026/27 season), $11.7 million average annual value

Three-point shooting is often priority No. 1 in today's NBA, which makes career 38.0% three-point shooter Donte DiVincenzo's four-year, $46.8 million contract seem like a bargain.

He had a few inconsistent seasons early in his NBA career, shooting below 35.0% from deep in his first two seasons, but he was coming off a campaign where he shot a then-career-high 39.7 percent from beyond the arc when he signed this deal with the New York Knicks in 2023/24.

The Knicks acquired DiVincenzo's Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges in the 2024 offseason, setting up what would've been the "'Nova Knicks" along with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. But DiVincenzo recognized he wouldn't have nearly as big a role with Bridges on the roster, which helped lead him to be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He mostly came off the bench in his first season in Minny but averaged 25.9 minutes per game, posting 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals on 39.7 percent three-point shooting.

Luguentz Dort

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Contract: 5 years (through 2026/27 season), $16.5 million average annual value

The best perimeter defender in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Lu Dort has worn many hats in his six professional seasons. He's always been difficult to play against when on defense, but his offensive game improved enough by his third year that he finished that season with an average of 17.2 points, of which Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault loves to remind the public when he's asked about Dort's defensive ability.

Dort averaged that career-high in points in 2021/22, when the Thunder went just 24-58, but he has since become more efficient as he shot the three at an elite level in 2024/25, making 41.2 percent of his 5.8 attempts per game.

The Canada-born wing's career average of 1.0 steals per game may not scream defensive dominance, but he shines in the advanced and hustle stats. He held opponents to 41.9% shooting overall and 32.1% shooting from three, averaged 2.3 deflections, and his 3.5 contested shots per game show that opponents struggled to get shots off against him.

Jalen Brunson

Team: New York Knicks
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 4 years (through 2028/29 season), $39.1 million average annual value

The ultimate superstar value deal, Jalen Brunson's salary takes up less than 23% of the cap in each of the four seasons on his current contract. The Knicks' floor general has received NBA MVP votes in each of the past three seasons, and many of his competitors for that award have salaries that use up to 35% of their team's cap space.

Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists to 2.5 turnovers in the 2024/25 regular season, and in the playoffs, he led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals with averages of 29.4 points, 3.4 boards, and 7.0 assists to 3.1 turnovers.

The former Villanova standout played heavy minutes under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, averaging at least 35 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons, but the team will hire a new head coach this offseason and Brunson's lower-than-expected salary should help the front office build strength in depth.