There’s a time in most every great basketball player’s career when they are considered to be underpaid. Whether on a rookie contract or immediately outperforming a longer-term deal they just signed, it’s par for the course.
There’s a long list of guys who should probably be getting more money than they actually are.
We’ll take a crack and choosing the 10 most underpaid players in the NBA this season.
The following list is based on the 2024-25 salary alone rather than the entire contract:
10. Trayce Jackson-Davis, $1.8 Million
GettyTrayce Jackson-Davis.
2023-24 stats:
68 games
16.6 minutes
7.9 points
5.0 rebounds
1.2 assists
1.1 blocks
70.2% FG
After being drafted 57th overall last season, the expectations for Trayce Jackson-Davis were not all that high. But he forced his way into Golden State’s rotation with his strong play on the glass and in the paint on offense, and he made a difference.
He is also the team’s starting center coming into year two. His father, Dale Davis was an NBA big man from 1991-2007, logging minutes in over 1,000 games. Jackson-Davis learned the tricks of the trade from his pops, who was also an All-Star during the 1999-2000 season.
Making just $1.8 million this year, TJD starts the underpaid list.
9. Buddy Hield, $8.7 Million
GettyBuddy Hield.
2023-24 stats:
84 games
25.7 minutes
12.1 points
3.2 rebounds
2.8 assists
43.6% FG
38.6% 3PT
There has never been a proper way to measure how much a shooter should be paid. Buddy Hield is just the latest name in the conversation. His new contract from the Golden State Warriors will pay him $8 million this year, as he tries to fill the void left behind by Klay Thompson.
A career 40% 3-point shooter, Hield has never had trouble finding his mark. The money he’s making this year feels low with the type of experience he has brought to the table.
He is the second Warrior to make the list, and time will tell just how much value he really has and how much he should be garnering.
8. Sam Merrill, $2.1 Million
GettySam Merrill.
2023-24 stats:
61 games
17.5 minutes
8.0 points
2.0 rebounds
1.8 assists
40.2% FG
40.4% 3PT
Few NBA players have had the path to a breakout season like Sam Merrill. He was an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks as a rookie but quickly moved to the Grizzlies. He was mostly a benchwarmer that season, after a four-year stint knocking down shots at Utah State.
The Grizzlies waived him at midseason in 2022. He got waived by the Kings in the fall of 2022. And suddenly, he burst onto the scene with some monster performances for Cleveland in 2023-24.
He only finished with 8 points per game, but had several occasions scoring more than 20. The injury-riddled team looked for a spark, and he provided it.
He makes just $2.1 million this year as a serviceable perimeter scorer.
7. Kelly Oubre, $7.9 Million
GettyKelly Oubre.
2023-24 stats:
68 games
30.2 minutes
15.4 points
5.0 rebounds
1.5 assists
1.1 steals
0.7 blocks
44.1% FG
31.1% 3PT
Kelly Oubre has not been a player to be in the postseason much in his career. He’s had strong regular-season performances wherever he has gone, from Washington to Phoenix to Golden State to Charlotte, and most recently to the 76ers.
He is making just under $8 million this year after netting just over $2 million a year ago, even signing late into the offseason.
Oubre averaged 15 points per game and proved himself to be a must-start guy in most games. He got a little more money this time around, but as a playmaking wing, the value feels more favorable to the team than the player.
6. GG Jackson II, $1.8 Million
GettyGG Jackson.
2023-24 stats:
48 games
14.6 points
4.1 rebounds
1.2 assists
42.8% FG
35.7% 3PT
Accolades: All-Rookie
Injuries will cost him a good chunk of the first half of the 2024-25 season, but GG Jackson absolutely went off during his first NBA campaign. Listed as a power forward, he proved capable of playing several different positions.
For your second-round pick to average just under 15 points per night proves just how good he really is. He got the chance and didn’t look back. He figures to play a sizable role off the bench once he gets healthy.
Oh, and he’s still only 19. Big money will be coming his way soon enough.
5. Sam Hauser, $2 Million
GettySam Hauser.
2023-24 stats:
79 games
22 minutes
9 points
3.5 rebounds
44.6% FG
42.4% 3PT
Accolades: NBA champion
Sam Hauser earned his way onto the Celtics with a two-way contract in 2021-22 before being converted to a standard one during the following campaign. He has proven himself to be one of the best shooters in the league over the last couple of seasons.
Playing a key role in the team’s title run, he hit 42.4% of his 3s last season and 38% of his playoff attempts.
Hauser did sign a four-year extension that kicks in next year which will pay him roughly $11 million a season. Much deserved for the undrafted wing out of Virginia.
4. Andre Drummond, $5 Million
GettyAndre Drummond.
2023-24 stats:
79 games
17.1 minutes
8.4 points
9.0 rebounds
0.9 steals
55.6% FG
One of the toughest players in the league to gauge value on, Andre Drummond had his latest breakout a season ago, when he’d fill in as a starter for Nikola Vučević. He was a two-time All-Star during the first leg of his career with the Pistons before having his role change several times over since.
He averaged just 8 points and 9 rebounds a year ago in a bench role, but put up 14 points and 18 rebounds per game when he started. He inked a two-year, $10 million contract to be Joel Embiid’s primary backup and fill-in starter.
The numbers that go up when he starts indicate perhaps his salary should be tripled, but he’ll offer good value to the team he spent half-a-season with in 2021-22.
3. Andrew Nembhard, $2 Million
GettyAndrew Nembhard (left).
2023-24 stats:
9.2 points
2.1 rebounds
4.1 assists
0.9 steals
49.8% FG
35.7% 3PT
A guy averaging 9 points and 4 assists usually doesn’t show up in many Top 10 lists in the third spot. But Andrew Nembhard is a bit different. For starters, he hit a massive game-winning 3-pointer against the Knicks in the second-round playoff series a year ago.
He improved his averages to 15-3-5 in the postseason as well while making 56% of his attempts and 48% of his 3s. Nembhard went from second-round pick to playoff hero.
It’s worth noting his extension will kick in one year from now, as he’ll make $18 million in 2025-26. But for now, he’s on the books for just $2 million in 2024-25. Money is coming for Indy’s new star.
2. Dyson Daniels, $6 Million
GettyDyson Daniels (left).
2023-24 stats:
61 games
22.3 minutes
5.8 points
3.9 rebounds
2.7 assists
1.4 steals
44.7% FG
31.1% 3PT
There have been fewer defenders who can control the game like Dyson Daniels with the Pelicans over his first two seasons. He averaged 1.4 steals per game a year ago, and the team found it a lot easier to get stops when he was on the floor. Of course, his role was more limited on a deeper Pelicans team.
He’ll be playing with the Hawks this year, sharing a backcourt with All-Star Trae Young. There is more offensive freedom too for the 21 year old. Coming off a promising run in the Olympics, Daniels has plenty of positive momentum.
A lofty extension may be in his future, but the more likely scenario is Atlanta excepts his $7.7 million team option for 2025-26, and re-ups him some time during the season.
The Dyson show takes center stage in the ATL.
1. Alperen Sengun, $5 Million
GettyAlperen Sengun.
2023-24 stats:
63 games
32.5 points
21.1 points
9.3 rebounds
5.0 assists
1.2 steals
0.7 blocks
53.7% FG
As former No. 16 overall pick Alperen Sengun finishes out his rookie contract in 2024-25, he’ll do so having greatly outperformed it. He morphed into one of the top playmaking centers over the last couple of seasons, showing why it’s so hard to keep him off the floor.
The good news for Rockets fans is that he has already signed his extension, and the deal will kick in next season. $37 million a year sounds perfect for a player who averaged a near double-double with 5 assists and showed playmaking prowess all campaign long.
He looks to rebound from a season-ending injury in 2023-24 and promises to have another dominant year in H-Town.
Think the list should look a little different? Let’s hear which other underpaid NBA players deserve a spot on the list – tell us in the comments.
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