Sure it’s fine for the warriors. But why I say it’s a bad contract is because you normally get better value for a 30 million dollar player. Take the 5 guys right above him and below him in salary:JeremyG wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 6:15 pmSign me up for it, too! (Finally we agree! Lol)Split T wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 5:10 pmI think your position is wrong because you’re talking up Wiggins like he’s some example of success. He’s not. He had one of the 5 worst contracts in basketball until this year. Now it’s just a regular bad contract. You don’t max someone because they had a good finals game.JeremyG wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 4:03 pmSo? Sarver owes it to us to pay ridiculous luxury tax fees. Why aren’t we demanding he do it instead of calling for Ayton to be traded?Split T wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 3:19 pmBecause JeremyG pointed out they are both former 1st overall picks that a lot of people didn’t think were worth the max.The Bobster wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 2:19 pm
Will Wiggins ever average 10 rebounds a game? Or shoot 60% in a season? (okay, how about 50%?)
Why are we comparing a 6'7" small forward to a 7' center?
Problem is Wiggins spent most of his max contract being considered one of the worst contracts in basketball. He’s now providing positive play, but he’s going into the last year of the deal.
I don’t think it’s a good comparison because it took until the 4th year of his max contract before he was actually useful. Also Minny had to attach a pick to him to move him. Also, he was a much worse player than Ayton is right now.
Yes Wiggins is showing that players can find a way to contribute later in their careers, but that’s never been the problem with Ayton. Nobody doubts that. We all know he can contribute, it’s about what he’s contributing. Right now what this team needs most is more on ball creation. Paying Ayton 30 million a year makes finding on ball creation very difficult.
It’s also important to point out that the Warriors willingness to pay ridiculous luxury tax fees is a huge part of this. Wiggins costs them a ton and they are willing to pay for that luxury. The suns could conceivably pay Ayton 30 million a year to be a 4th option, but Sarver would have to be willing to pay ridiculous luxury tax fees.
All this is to say, that I don’t think there’s a good comparison to be made about the Wiggins situation and the Ayton situation.
And your argument that Ayton is already better than a max player has become is supposed to hurt my position how exactly? We already know we can get great games in the Finals from DA, at a much younger age than Wiggins. The man had 22 points and 19 rebounds in his first ever Finals game at the age of 22 freaking years old, for goodness sakes!
My point is I wouldn’t want Wiggins at the max. Even now that he’s shown usefulness. I would rather have Ayton at the max. That doesn’t mean I’d want either, but given a choice I’d take Ayton for sure.
As for Sarver. It’s pointless to pretend he might change and be willing to pay crazy luxury tax fees. If he’s willing to and still add more salary to get a 3rd creator, I’d be perfectly fine maxing Ayton.
So for the record, I’d be all for maxing Ayton, as long as we also upgraded Crowder to Barnes or Grant and then upgraded Shamet/Payne to Eric Gordon. Or similar upgrades, while also paying Cam J and not losing CP3, Book, or Mikal.
Sign me up for
Paul/Booker/Bridges/Grant/Ayton with
Holiday/Gordon/CamJ/Wainright/Saric off the bench.
I don’t think Wiggins is a bad contract, especially for the Warriors. If he’s helping them win a championship, then it’s a great contract.
Same with Ayton. If you have to pay him the max, even if you don’t consider him to be a max player, in order to keep the team together and keep your young core and compete for championships for years to come, then it’s not a bad contract. Both Sarver and Jones have claimed that the luxury tax is not a concern. Let them put their money where their mouth is.
Booker, KAT, Simmons, Murray, Embiid, Siakam, Love, McCollum, Paul, and Jokic.
You’d maybe take him over Simmons and Love and just because Simmons wouldn’t play. So that’s like 15th percentile in level of play for his salary.