The 2023 NBA free agency has been very busy for a lot of players around the league.
We’ve seen some teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets make big moves.
Some players agreed to huge deals, extending their contracts or joining new teams while also getting a lot of money.
Tyrese Haliburton first agreed to a five-year, $260 million deal with the Indiana Pacers.
Lonzo Ball did the same just hours later, agreeing to the same type of deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Largest contracts in NBA history:
$276M — Jokic
$260M — LaMelo
$260M — Hali
$251M — BealThe only quarter billion contract players ever. pic.twitter.com/QpWe6dDkTr
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 1, 2023
In doing so, these two players made history, joining an exclusive club with only two other players in it.
Ball and Haliburton are two of the four players to have a quarter-billion dollar contract in NBA history.
They join the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and Bradley Beal, who signed $276 million and $251 million deals, respectively.
Many fans showed their disagreement with this situation, claiming that some of these players haven’t shown enough to get this type of contract.
Only one of them belongs
— KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE (@qhstz2k) July 1, 2023
Only one is worth that much money
— Teddy D🦁 (@teddy_d23) July 2, 2023
They’re still young and developing their games, and their teams value their services.
These deals can be explained based on the expectations both Ball and Haliburton carry.
The Hornets hope that Brandon Miller can unlock Ball’s total potential, while the Pacers are confident that Haliburton is their current and future star.
Of course, a big contract doesn’t always translate into big performances, but they surely hope that Ball and Haliburton can prove them right.
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