Kyrie Irving earned the second nod of his career on an All-NBA team this week, sharing a spot in the backcourt with Damian Lillard on the All-NBA Second Team after putting together one of the best individual campaigns of his career during the regular season. Here’s a full look at the top 15 players selected by voters for the NBA’s best in 2018-19.
First Team
Guard: James Harden, Rockets (500)
Guard: Stephen Curry, Warriors (482)
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (500)
Forward: Paul George, Thunder (433)
Center: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (411)
Second Team
Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (306)
Guard: Kyrie Irving, Celtics (195)
Forward: Kevin Durant, Warriors (358)
Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Raptors (242)
Center: Joel Embiid, Sixers (372)
All-NBA Third Team
Guard: Russell Westbrook, Thunder (178)
Guard: Kemba Walker, Hornets (51)
Forward: Blake Griffin, Pistons (115)
Forward: LeBron James, Lakers (111)
Center: Rudy Gobert, Jazz (89)
The financial implications of the All-NBA selections have grown significantly in recent years after a revamping of the collective bargaining agreement in 2017. Now, whether a player is eligible for a supermax contract is primarily based on season-ending awards and if a player is a homegrown talent. Let’s first examine the rules behind the ‘supermax’ before looking at the implications for some free agents (and other potential Celtics targets) during the summer of 2019.
What is a supermax contract?
It’s essentially a rule created by the league that is supposed to give elite players added incentive to stay with the team they've played for since their rookie deal. If a player is eligible for a supermax, said team can offer them up to five percent more of a starting salary for their new contract or via an extension, a contract they won’t be able to get from any other franchise.
Who is eligible for a supermax?
In order to be eligible for a supermax, you have to meet one of three different pieces of criteria.
1. Be named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season or in two in the past three seasons.
2. Be named MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.
3. Be named Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season or in two of the past three seasons.
Additionally, a player is no longer eligible for a supermax if he is traded from his original team after the first four years of his career (i.e. after his rookie contract expires). For that reason, players like Kawhi Leonard and Irving will not be eligible for a supermax contract this summer despite reaching the All-NBA criteria since they were traded to their new teams recently. The rule is designated to reward homegrown talent, which Irving and Leonard were not.
Even though the Celtics aren’t directly involved in any supermax decisions this summer, the results of the All-NBA awards could have some wide-ranging implications on the trade market this summer based on whether some players do (or don’t) have added incentive to stick with their original team thanks to a potential supermax offer. Let’s take a closer look at the fallout and whether it could factor into the C’s long-term plans.
Bradley Beal: The Wizards' shooting guard would have been eligible for a supermax extension if he made an All-NBA team but he fell just short, finishing just 17 points behind Kemba Walker for the third-team selection. The Wizards may be at a crossroads with the 25-year-old guard as they enter an offseason in which they could elect to hit the reset button. While the front office remains without a top decisionmaker after Ernie Grunfeld was fired, there’s no question that the Wizards have a bloated payroll and are closer to the bottom of the league than contending, particularly with point guard John Wall expected to miss next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
One of the few promising assets that are left on the Wizards roster is Beal, who has two years left on his current deal for nearly $56 million. This offseason could be one of the last great chances for the Wizards to maximize the return on Beal due to the remaining length of his current deal and the fact that it’s going to be hard for them to go fully into tank mode with an All-Star on the roster.
There could have been some incentive for Beal to stay in Washington if he was eligible for a supermax contract from the Wizards but this week’s results take that factor out of the equation. Instead, the climate in Washington makes him a likely candidate to be shopped this summer according to multiple league executives and it’s fair to assume the Celtics will get involved in that bidding if they miss out on Anthony Davis or lose Irving in free agency. It will be a heavy asking price for Beal (likely Brown and Smart as a starting point) but it’s an option that may not have been available to the C's if Beal had found himself eligible for a supermax
More All-NBA supermax implications
Damian Lillard: The homegrown Blazers star is now eligible for a supermax extension after making the All-NBA second team. Multiple reports indicate that he will sign one this summer, which will take him off the trade market for one year.
Kemba Walker: The Hornets can now offer him 35 percent of the cap (instead of 30 percent) on a five-year deal, which would be worth about $30 million more over the length of the deal (five years, $220 million). Given that the Hornets are capped out and the team didn’t even make the playoffs last year with Walker, it’s highly unlikely that the Hornets would offer him this type of deal. Walker is expected to draw heavy interest from New York and Los Angeles teams this summer after the top tier of free agents make their decisions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The likely MVP won’t be able to sign an extension until next summer (with one year left on his deal) but he’s eligible now for a supermax deal after finishing on the All-NBA team for two straight years. This will give him plenty of added financial incentive to stay in Milwaukee over the long haul and potentially keep his name out of the free agency rumors decade for much of the next decade if he opts to extend.
Klay Thompson: The sharpshooting guard came up just short of the All-NBA third team as well, which will keep his contract max to the standard 30 percent. The Warriors will be able to offer him a bigger raises (eight percent) and an extra year than other suitors this summer but there won’t be a major financial incentive to stay in the Bay Area.
Other NBA News and Notes
- Ryan Saunders lost the interim tag on his head coaching gig with the Wolves this week, which opens up a nice opportunity for the 33-year-old son of Flip Saunders to help lead the Wolves franchise back towards the playoff picture. The tougher task now for new general manager Gersson Rosas will be adding the right talent despite having salary cap space clogged up by Andrew Wiggins’ deal.
- I can’t imagine many superstars that would want to step into the mess that is the Lakers front office after Magic Johnson threw Rob Pelinka under the bus this week on First Take. LeBron James is going to have to do an incredible job selling big names on playing with him and overlook the sideshow on the upper layers of the organization even after Magic departed.
- Blazers wasted no time in rewarding their key pieces after a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals with Terry Stotts and Neil Olshey getting rewarded with extensions despite getting swept by the Warriors last week. Given the fact they were without Jusuf Nurkic all postseason, getting out of the first round has to be considered an impressive accomplishment.
- Kevin Durant looks unlikely to play for the first two games of the NBA Finals next week, while DeMarcus Cousins is questionable as he rehabs from a quad injury. If Cousins does return, I’d expect the Warriors to use him very lightly since they seem to have found their rhythm defensively without the slow-footed big man on the floor. Playing guys like Kevon Looney more has helped them put together six straight wins. Meanwhile, I bet Durant gets kept on ice until he’s needed (series is tied or Warriors fall behind).