NBA free agency hasn’t been as wild this year as it once was, although teams have still collectively shelled out more than $2 billion between signings and extensions. Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was the latest to cash in with his historic two-year, $145 million extension.
The NBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement is largely to blame for the lack of free-agent fireworks. The Brooklyn Nets were the only team to enter free agency with enough salary-cap space to offer a max contract to an external free agent. However, that hasn’t stopped some teams from handing out eye-popping deals.
It’s one thing for All-Stars like Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden to earn roughly $40 million annually. But Memphis Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama, who has started 71 games across his four NBA seasons, landed a three-year, $52.5 million deal. Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, who has never even sniffed an All-Star Game, bagged a three-year, $84.1 million extension after picking up his $19.5 million player option in 2026-27 as part of the deal.
That got us thinking…how would those contracts translate to other sports? Who’s the best NFL or MLB player earning roughly the same as some of these NBA players on their new deals? Are they better values from a dollar-by-dollar perspective? The overall answer may not surprise you, but the names featured here certainly will.
With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the wildest cross-sport contract comparisons in the wake of NBA free agency.