On Thursday, the Associated Press announced the official All-NBA teams. The teams consist of 2 guards, 2 forwards, and 1 center, and there are three such teams. This year, the selections carried a lot of weightage as all-NBA teams decide how much money players can earn. Here are the teams:
First Team: Steph Curry, James Harden, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic
Second Team: Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid
Third Team: Kemba Walker, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Rudy Gobert
The main reason why this year's all-NBA teams were so important is because of the super-max contract. Instated after Kevin Durant left the Thunder for the Warriors in 2016, the super-max contract is a 5 year deal that gives players anywhere from 40-50 million dollars per year. However, there are some criteria to be eligible for this deal. A player must meet one of the following criteria:
1. Be named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season or both seasons before it
2. Be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season or both seasons before it
3. Be named NBA MVP in any of the three previous seasons
With all this, a player needs to also have given 7 to 8 years of service with the same team that drafted him, or be on the same team that he was on after being traded during his rookie contract (like James Harden). For example, Kawhi Leonard would have been eligible for the super-max last season, but he forced his way out of San Antonio. Right now, four players have the super-max: Steph Curry, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
Now, we will look at the significance of this year's teams. Let's start with the players that were affected in a good way, starting with Kemba Walker. Kemba is the heartbeat of the extremely mediocre Charlotte Hornets, and is going to get rewarded big. By making the third team, he becomes eligible for the super-max deal. Given that he is a free agent this summer, teams will likely throw him lots of money to convince him to sing with them instead of Charlotte. However, there is a big question surrounding whether or not the Hornets will even offer the super-max to Kemba. The contract would take up 30% of their cap space, and they already have terrible contracts like Nicolas Batum. Giving Kemba this deal will mean that the Hornets will continue being a mediocre team with no other stars. Kemba has said he wants to compete, and Charlotte isn't the place to be.
Next: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The MVP favorite is also eligible for a super-max extension, but only next season (he didn't make all-NBA in 2016-2017). Whether or not he signs that deal is much less of a question. The Bucks are competing for a championship this year, and have given Giannis anything and everything he wants. The system is perfect, and Giannis fits in excellently. Giannis is so good that he might match all-three super-max criteria. He has completed the all-NBA part, is favored for MVP, and is a finalist for DPOY.
Damian Lillard also can get the super-max next offseason after making the second team this season. He will also certainly resign with Portland. The Blazers proved they could compete, and made it to the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors might fall apart next season, and this could be the perfect time for Portland to seize the throne, with Dame and CJ in the midst of their primes.
Finally, Rudy Gobert became eligible for the extension next season too. He might be one of the most underrated players in the game, and somehow does not have a single all-star nod. Probably the best and most terrifying defensive stalwart in basketball, Gobert deserves every penny. he will almost definitely sign the deal and has not shown any signs of wanting to leave Utah. On to the bad!
The first player that missed out on some good money is Klay Thompson. The Warriors sharpshooter was excluded off the All-NBA team in favor of Russell Westbrook. Thompson was visibly upset and shocked when told about his snub in an interview, and will miss out on the money. This increases the chances that he leaves Golden State in the offseason as they do not have as much of an advantage over other bidders now.
Next up is Bradley Beal. His snub from the team (also because of Russ) means that he too misses out on a super-max. This is a good thing and a bad thing for the Wizards. They already have John Wall on a super-max, and getting Beal on one too means that they are in a tight cap situation. On the other hand, with Wall injured, the Wizards have to do something with Beal or else risk losing him.
To cap off the losers, we have Karl Anthony Towns. Although not at super-max level yet, Towns misses out on a 32 million dollar incentive in his contract. Towns might be the biggest snub, and arguably had a better season than Gobert and Embiid.
As you can see, the All-NBA teams carry much more importance after the super-max. However, the criteria might need to be a bit more intense, as there could be as many as 10 super-maxed players in the league. The contract is still extremely effective, as players do not want to leave their teams in free agency if this deal is in sight.
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