With just a handful of NBA games left this regular season, the focus has turned to playoff seeding and postseason awards. The ballots have gone out to NBA media members for their consideration, and those with votes (I am not one of them) have a lot to consider because player salaries are often tied to those awards.
Jayson Tatum is a great example of that. Before the season, he signed a five-year, $163 million contract that can grow to $195 if he makes an All-NBA team this year. The mechanism for that is commonly known as the "Rose Rule," and it allows teams to offer players on a rookie contract up to 30% of the salary cap in an extension instead of 25%.
The question for Tatum right now is whether he's going to make it.
He has certainly been good enough. His 26.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game match up with most of the candidates and put him into the pool of players up for one of the six forward spots available. But there's more that goes into the voting. Here's a look at the pool of players and the hurdles ahead of Tatum.
The direct competition
Paul George
Khris Middleton
Kevin Durant
Anthony Davis
The indirect competition
James Harden
Trae Young