Wizards, Celtics would be foolish to extend Wall, Thomas to super max deals
By Dan Knitzer
NBA: Why the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics should stay away from committing big money to John Wall and Isaiah Thomas, respectively
When word broke that John Wall was not committing to a four-year, $170 million extension, D.C. fans were horrified, and scared. But they should’ve been elated. The Wizards are already so far over the cap – due to Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi’s contracts – that they probably won’t be able to re-sign Otto Porter (without creating more of a financial mess), much less add depth to their paper thin roster.
This is the effect of the new collective bargaining agreement’s Designated Player Veteran Exception, which undermines previously agreed to contract durations. It also puts front offices in the awkward position of either giving arbitrary raises, or risk alienated their players, even if these same front offices had the foresight to offer these star players then-max contract extensions one summer before they had to – to provide said players with contract security.
I just took my girlfriend on a six day cruise to Jamaica, that cost $400 per night. If the travel agency offered to extend the cruise to a total of 10 days, but wanted to up my fee to $800 per night, I would have politely told them to #$&! off.
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(That anecdote was completely fictional, and I have never been on a cruise, but I found it an appropriate metaphor for this situation).
John Wall’s rookie extension has him under contract through 2019, for just over $37 million the final two years. And even that has the team over the cap the next two years.
Committing over $130 million for just two more years of John Wall’s service – and that is if he doesn’t insist on a fourth year player option – is the epitome of shortsightedness. Their five highest players are already scheduled to earn a combined $77.3 million next season, so Wall’s (unnecessary) pay raise of approximately $15 next season would bring them to within $10 million of the total salary cap.
This is not a Paul George situation. Wall has two more guaranteed years on his contract, and plays for a team whose best years are not clearly in the rearview mirror. They should not give him a team-crippling pay raise, and if he takes this as a slight, so be it (even Paul George still has sky-high trade value).
Washington’s funeral buddies in Boston have a similar front office dilemma created by the new CBA. Isaiah Thomas, who is slated to earn just over $6 million next season, is also eligible for this super max extension – though not quite as much money as John Wall, because he has been traded multiple times.
The problem with extending a small, 28-year-old point guard is not just that he may rapidly decline before the deal ends; it also means they cannot fully build around him while he is still in his prime.
Part of Thomas’s appeal is his cheap contract. If Thomas gets a max contract extension – upping his 2017-2018 salary by over $25 million – the Celtics can forget about extending role players like Marcus Smart, let alone adding Gordon Hayward as a free agent. Their depth will consist entirely of rookie contracts and Jae Crowder – not a bad predicament, but one that ups the stakes, and makes the next 3-4 year period a championship or bust era.
Part of the Celtics’ strength is their ability to take on other teams’ bad contracts. They could likely get a productive, but overpaid big man – like Jonas Valanciunas, or even Gortat – without giving up any useful players. But not if they are paying Thomas and Al Horford over $60 million each year for the foreseeable future.
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2018 is the year the Celtics could have the best cheap, deep rotation in the entire NBA. Even if they can’t sign a star free agent of Hayward’s caliber, Thomas at $6 million plus a one-year rental may be enough to finally challenge Cleveland’s supremacy. Sadly, Isaiah Thomas should not be part of Boston’s long-term plan, and certainly not at $40 million per year.