Not every NBA contract is a disaster. For every overpaid vet dragging down a cap sheet, there’s a front office somewhere quietly winning the offseason with value deals.
In a league obsessed with max contracts and superteams, these five players are delivering serious bang for the buck in 2025 — and they might just swing a playoff series or two.
Trent made $18.6M just two seasons ago. Now? He’s playing next to Giannis for barely a vet’s exception and hitting a career-best 42% from three. The Bucks landed one of the best value shooters in the league — again.
He lit up the Pacers for two 30-point games in the playoffs, and Milwaukee re-upped him at just 2.39% of the cap. In today’s CBA crunch, that’s robbery. He’s the definition of a modern bargain: spacing, effort, and playoff shot-making — all without breaking the bank.
Why #1:
The Lakers were almost left center-less. Then they landed Ayton for pennies on the dollar after a Portland buyout. He’s only 26, still puts up double-doubles, and brings size the Lakers desperately needed.
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Yes, he’s been frustrating. Yes, Portland paid him not to play. But if he locks back into the rim-running, screen-setting, Finals-ready big we saw in Phoenix? This deal will look like a masterstroke.
Why #2:
From overseas to overlooked to overdelivering – Yabusele finally made good on his 2016 first-round promise. After shining in Philly during a lost season and showing out in the Olympics, he landed with a contender.
New York was thin behind McBride and Robinson. Yabusele’s switchable defense and 38% from deep bring a badly needed frontcourt spark. For a team chasing another ECF run, this was a quietly huge signing.
Why #3:
Back in Denver, and back where he belongs.
Brown was a perfect Jokic-sidekick during the 2023 title run, and the Nuggets just got him back on a minimum deal. Injuries and trades derailed him in Indiana and Toronto, but this is a classic “get-right” scenario.
If he regains even 75% of his form from that championship season, Denver’s bench gets a serious two-way jolt – for under 2% of the cap.
Why #4:
Houston went all in on Kevin Durant and needed a reliable 3-and-D wing to patch the hole left by Dillon Brooks. Enter DFS — a guy who shot 41% from deep and brings playoff-tested defense.
Here’s the kicker: only two years are guaranteed. For a wing rotation with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, Finney-Smith is the veteran glue guy who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. Just ask the Lakers — they wanted him back and got outbid.
Why #5:
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