Pacers: Ranking Domantas Sabonis among other 2019 rookie extensions

The Indiana Pacers extended Domantas Sabonis at nearly the last possible hour. With about two hours remaining on the deadline to extend rookie contracts, the Indiana Pacers and Sabonis agreed to a four-year $74.9 million contract (excluding bonuses) for an average annual value of about $18.7 million.

It was rumored that the Pacers were listening to trade offers centered on Sabonis prior to giving the extension. Certainly, it felt like the idea of starting him and Myles Turner would be a forced fit, but at the final hour the Pacers got a deal done.

As far as things go with Sabonis, things could not have turned out any better in his first season since signing the extension. Sabonis was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career and averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists.

He established himself as a useful part of the first unit and has been the first man to come off the floor so he could get run at the top of the second and fourth quarters with the second unit. The way Sabonis operates in the second unit is as the offensive centerpiece, much akin to Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets.

Sabonis leads the team in touches and passes and has been the foundation all season long, especially with Victor Oladipo out for much of the season.

Eight other players got rookie-scale extensions prior to the 2019/20 season along with Sabonis. His standout season has made his look like one of the best.

But stacked up against the likes of players like Pascal Siakam and Ben Simmons, is it the best?

Let’s rank them!

For clarity, values of contracts within exclude bonuses. Our rankings here are also not of which player is the best, but rather, which contract is the best. Talent and production matters, but bang for your buck is the idea here.

Buddy Hield’s extension is looking a bit questionable

Four years, $86,000,000 (21,500,000 per year)

Buddy Hield’s contract extension (or near non-extension) was one of the most talked about things on the day of the deadline.

Hield is a positive offensive player, but not necessarily a multi-level scorer. 3-and-D feels like his selling point, and while he has more selling points than Nicolas Batum, he doesn’t feel like a player who can take over any given game.

Hield attempts a minuscule amount of shots outside of at the rim and beyond the 3-point line. Nearly 60 percent of his field goal attempts are 3-pointers, and 70.9 percent of those attempts are assisted.

His 3-point accuracy has taken a step back from last season with an increase in attempts. His scoring also has dipped despite gaining more minutes per game.

Hield has work to do on the defensive end but has the potential to grow into a solid defender given his frame with the right effort.

Of the nine extensions, Hield has the seventh best PER this season with the fifth-highest annual bill.

His inability to create for himself and impact in multiple areas on offense combined with the high price point here makes him rank last.

Taurean Prince’s deal was the most affordable, but least impactful

Two years, $25,300,000 (12,650,000 per year)

Taurean Prince’s contract isn’t too bad. $12.65 million per year these days is affordable. The Nets have problems coming up in the near future, though with Prince and Caris LeVert’s extension (more on that later) both kicking in next year in addition to massive amounts of money going toward Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Brooklyn has the talent, for sure, but they need more hands on deck to get things done. Filling out their roster when they’re so strapped for cash might be difficult, and over 10 million per year to Prince might not help the team do that.

Prince has the potential to employ strong defense for the Nets and, though a streaky shooter, certainly can hit some shots and establish an outside game to space the floor for Brooklyn.

At just two years, this won’t hinder the Nets for too long, but it’s a bit of a head scratching move. We’ll have to wait and see how Prince pans out, but his PER of 9.2 this year is the worst of the extended rookie contracts.