The Highest Paid Free Agents of 2023
It’s been nearly a week since the 2023 free agency period opened, and since then, we’ve seen multiple high profile players ink big money contracts. While there remain several “big fish” still in the pond, several mid-tier stars put pen to paper early on in the process, and secured the bag for 2023 and beyond.
In this article, we’re reviewing the top three highest-paid free agents of 2023 thus far.
Jerami Grant
Surprise! The highest-paid free agent so far this offseason is Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers.
In a move virtually no one saw coming, Grant inked a 5 year $160M contract with the Trail Blazers this summer. Portland is facing uncertainties with Damian Lillard on the trade front, and they also had to match the offer sheet from the Dallas Mavericks for Matisse Thybulle. But even those in Grant’s inner circle likely didn’t see this type of term or AAV coming.
Grant was the third-best player Portland had last year – averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, on 40.1% shooting from three (a career-high). With Lillard potentially gone before the start of the 2023-2024 regular season, it’s expected Grant will play a bigger role over the next five years.
But with the Trail Blazers preparing to tear their roster down to the studs, dishing out a big money contract over a 5 year term was perplexing to say the least. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe are all in line for big minutes this season. And evidently the Portland front office wants Grant to be the de facto “veteran presence” on the team.
But at the end of the day, who was Portland bidding against?
Fred VanVleet
Speaking of deals that drew mixed reactions from a teams fanbase…
VanVleet, a former NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, is heading to Houston after agreeing to a $128.5M three-year contract with the Rockets.
FVV became the fourth undrafted player to earn an NBA All-Star selection after averaging 20.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds during the 2021-2022 season. In his final season in Toronto, FVV averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 69 starts. He led the league in deflections, which makes him vital to a Rockets team which hasn’t reached the playoffs since the James Harden era. And while he isn’t as explosive as Harden as a scorer, his activity on the defensive end of the court will help a Houston squad that needs to improve in their own end of the floor this season.
Advanced stats will show that the 29 year old took a boatload of shots last season, many of which may have been ill advised. But the Rockets have far more shooters than the Raptors, which likely means that FVV won’t be expected to carry the offensive load as much as he did in Toronto.
Kyrie Irving
Many believed Kyrie Irving would reunite with LeBron James in Hollywood this summer. Instead, he re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a new three-year deal worth $126M dollars. The Mavs previously acquired Irving off a trade with the Brooklyn Nets last February, and clearly weren’t sold on the idea of losing him to free agency, even if his addition resulted in them missing the playoffs last year.
Across 20 regular-season games last season, Kyrie Irving averaged 27 points, six assists, five rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 39.2% three-point shooting. Many analysts thought Irving and Luka Doncic failed to co-exist in 20 games which led to the Mavs missing the play-in tournament. However, recent reports suggest it was actually Doncic who wanted Kyrie back in Dallas for another run this year. A request the front office ultimately obliged.
A Luka, Kyrie backcourt is a scary proposition if they can make it work. The real question is whether Jason Kidd can scheme up an offense that will keep his two ball dominant guards happy for a full 82 game schedule.
The Other 100M Dollar Earners
Other players who received 100-million-dollar contracts so far in the 2023 free agency include Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets, Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards, Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Of the four, Green’s contract became the most talked about because of the uncertainties surrounding the Warriors’ future prior to the Chris Paul trade. When Jordan Poole was ultimately sent to Washington, many observers believed Green’s return to San Francisco was merely a matter of time.
Since then, the team has added Cory Joseph and Dario Saric to help round out their roster as they try to extend the championship window of their Big 3 in Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.