Sixers contract value: Significantly underpaid
Furkan Korkmaz ($5.7 million underpaid)
The flip side to max players not living up to contracts is rookie-scale players typically exceed value if they contribute to their team. This is particularly true for Furkan Korkmaz, who had a very up-and-down season. Korkmaz nearly fell out of the rotation midway through the season before getting hot and solidifying his spot in the rotation.
Making only $1.8 million this season, Korkmaz has played at the level of a $7.5 million player. With Korkmaz entering free agency this offseason, it will be interesting to see if he gets that much money. The Sixers should let Korkmaz walk if he demands more than the $7.5 million, but he would be decent value if he is willing to sign for less.
Seth Curry ($7.1 million underpaid)
Seth Curry is on a very team-friendly contract, making only $7.8 million despite playing like a $14.9 million player. Curry’s deal is even more of a bargain when you consider how much of a premium teams pay for high-level shooting. Getting a 45% three-point shooter for the long term was a great piece of business by Daryl Morey.
While he is certainly not a perfect player, Seth brought much-needed spacing to the Sixers’ offense and allowed Embiid to flourish with more room to attack. Curry is signed for the next two seasons at a similar number as well. Because of his fit with the stars and affordable contract, Curry should be a lock on this team for the next few seasons.
Matisse Thybulle ($7.7 million underpaid)
Matisse Thybulle is on the second year of his rookie deal, meaning he gets paid only $2.7 million despite playing like a $10.4 million player. Getting an all-NBA level defender on this cheap of a contract is amazing, and Thybulle is young enough that he will continue to improve. If Thybulle can round out his offensive game to not be as much of a liability, this contract will be a massive steal and one of the best in the NBA.
Side note: This exercise really shows the value of hitting on your draft picks. Getting contributing players on rookie deals can really take a team to the next level. Great rookie deals allow a team to properly pay or even overpay stars.
Shake Milton ($8.7 million underpaid)
Similar to Thybulle, Korkmaz, and Maxey, Shake Milton contributing on a rookie deal has been amazing value for the Sixers. Milton is making only $1.7 million but has played like a $10.4 million player. Basically, the Sixers have gotten midlevel exception production out late first and second-round picks like Milton and Thybulle.
Another player with a roller-coaster season, Milton played like a sixth man of the year candidate before getting hurt midway through the season. Milton still provides a spark off the bench and has rebounded to 35% from three after an inconsistent shooting start. Because Shake still has an additional two years on his contract at very low numbers, Milton should be a staple of the team going forward.
Dwight Howard ($12.4 million underpaid)
The 2020-21 winner of most underpaid on the Sixers goes to… Dwight Howard? If I had to make a preseason guess on who would be the most underpaid, Dwight certainly would not have been my pick. How is it possible that a 35-year-old backup center could provide that much surplus value?
Surprisingly, Dwight was one of the most steady players on the Sixers roster this season. The 16-year vet tied for the Sixers’ lead at 69 out of 72 games played and brought rebounding, defense, and toughness to every game. Sure, Dwight had some strange and head-scratching moments, but the future Hall-of-Famer vastly outplayed his measly $2.6 million contract. Playing like a $15 million player at age 35 shows how special Dwight is.
Daryl Morey, get this man a frosty, it’s the least you can do for all the value Dwight has provided this season.