There is a widely held perception that players in the final years of their contracts play exceptionally well in order to maximize their earnings. Well fantasy basketball owners should pay attention to which players are in their contract years, and make mental notes.
That’s why we have created an All Contract-Year team. Here you’ll find a starting five of players you might want to pay extra attention to during your draft, as well as some useful reserves.
Point Guard: Mike Conley
The Grizzlies point guard is one of the more underrated players in the entire league, but his scoring and assists have been consistent over the past several seasons. Where Conley has improved most is his 3-point shooting, very critical in many fantasy leagues. His scoring and assists were slightly down last year, but he did up his 3-point percentage to 38.6 percent.
He also has averaged more than two steals a game before. With the incentive of a max deal in a landscape featuring a rising cap, he might kick it into high gear on D more often.
Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade
Do you think that the Heat superstar is over the hill? That at 33 years old, he’s done as an elite contributor for a full season? Think again. Wade may have a lot of wear and tear on his body, but he’s a three-time champion, and 33 is still not ancient.
A huge season – and more importantly, a healthy one – likely nets Wade an enormous contract this summer. While he’s played fewer games in the last four seasons than he had been in the years prior, his rates have remained at the top of his position. He isn’t ready just yet to cede his spot as the top shooting guard to the likes of young guns like James Harden and Klay Thompson. “Flash” has more to offer.
Small Forward: Kevin Durant
This isn’t cheating. Of course, it doesn’t take much skill to take KD, but in a contract year, you can forget about his previous injury history and feel comfortable snagging him No. 1 overall.
No player in the NBA – not even LeBron James – brings Durant’s production to the table. Durant’s a four-time scoring champion, and a 40 percent shooter from 3-point range. He has the ability to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from deep, and 90 percent from the free throw line while contributing in the assist and rebound categories.
He’s also improved a great deal defensively, and might start showing increases in his blocks and steals.
Power Forward: Al Horford
Once upon a time the Hawks big man was a 17 and 10 guy. He was injured for most of the 2013-14 season, and showed signs of life last year. With a full season under his belt again, Horford should come close to his peak production again.
Encouraging signs? A constantly improving free throw percentage is one place to start. An improving percentage on shots 16 feet and further? Horford’s adapting to the modern game better than most dominant big men do.
Center: Joakim Noah
Noah wasn’t very good to fantasy owners last year, but now he’s healthy, and he has something to prove. Noah won’t ever be a scorer, but 7.2 points per game was a complete fluke borne of his myriad injuries. He was able to maintain his rebounding numbers (11.3 per game, 3.3 offensive boards) and his blocks.
By drafting Noah, you’re hoping for an uptick in the blocked shots, and more ferocity near the rim on the offensive end that will up his 44 percent mark from the field.
Reserve Guard: Eric Gordon
Gordon is a guy who can return a value in the top three rounds. At his best, he’s good for 20-plus points per game, and he’s capable of being lights-out from beyond the arc; last season he shot 44 percent from deep.
He’s also capable of shooting 25 percent from deep (nine-game sample size), and he’s good for at least one injury a year. Gordon has never made it through more than 65 games.
Contract years have a Wolverine-like effect on guys sometimes though. If Gordon can play in 75-plus games, he will be a high-end source of shooting and scoring and open looks. Thanks Anthony Davis!
Reserve Forward: Nene
Nene is another high-risk big man. He sure can be a stat stuffer, shooting upward of 60 percent in his prime. He misses a ton of games each year, however, and never rebounds enough for your liking.
Defense and rebounding are usually measures of effort though, and when a new contract is in the offing, effort tends to go up. Nene can play a disgustingly scary two-man game with PG John Wall if he is in shape, and big men tend to get paid disproportionately, so Nene will be humming along.
Reserve Center: Al Jefferson
Jefferson’s scoring and rebounding were down last year as Charlotte floundered from Day 1. Don’t expect that again with a payday on the line. Jefferson is the arguably the most offensively gifted center in the NBA, and he has even better than 20 and 10 upside.
Hopefully he puts his extra effort toward his performance on the offensive glass. Even though he has averaged double-digit boards in several different seasons, offensive rebounding has never been his forte.
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