NBA Teams Had No Choice But To Extend Their Superstars

Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid are five of the 10 best players in the NBA. This offseason, they have all signed contract extensions worthy of their exquisite talents.

This quintet recently inked deals totaling slightly more than a billion dollars.

I’m always in favor of players getting every last dollar that they can. But looking at these deals, from the team’s standpoint, is frightening. The aforementioned players are all risks because of either durability or conditioning issues.

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Durant has missed large chunks of several seasons with foot and Achilles injuries.

Curry has dealt with ankle problems for his entire career.

Leonard will most likely miss this season after undergoing right knee surgery. He has played in only 576 of a possible 788 regular-season games during his 10-year career.

Both Doncic and Embiid don’t exactly look like they are mirroring Tom Brady and LeBron James when it comes to committing to conditioning.

Embiid’s durability issues make Leonard look like Cal Ripken. The affable, uber-talented 76ers center has played in only 260 of a possible 558 games in his 7-year career. Meaning, he has played in 46.5% of his potential games. Not to pile on, but Tom Brady has played in 10 Super Bowls in 19 full seasons. That’s a 52.6% success rate. Therefore, it is more likely that Tom Brady plays in a Super Bowl in a given year than it is for Embiid to play in a regular-season game.

Now that I have frightened Nets, Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers, and especially 76ers fans, the teams had no choice but to do these deals. Talent like this is nearly impossible to find and when you get it you do everything in your power to keep that talent. Those teams are crossing their fingers that these players remain healthy to make those contracts fair to both sides.

Now, about that extension the Celtics gave Marcus Smart …

John Sapochetti is co-host of the “The Pick & Roll NBA Podcast With Jet & Sap”, which is heard on Full Press Coverage.

Follow him on Twitter @JohnSap25