The deadline for rookie-scale extensions from the 2022 NBA Draft class passed Monday, granting ascending stars and key role players with shiny new deals. Our NBA experts, Ben Pfeifer and Mat Issa, analyzed and graded each of the extensions. Let’s dive into it!
Paolo Banchero: Five Years, $241 Million
Longtime followers know I’ve monitored Paolo Banchero’s career diligently and haven’t been shy about my doubts with him as a player. He’s a stiff mover with a shaky jumper and a questionable understanding of what a good shot diet should look like. His playoff outbursts can be largely attributed to a stroke of good fortune.
Those concerns, though, speak more to my thoughts of his ceiling as a player. His physical gifts and indomitable will to get into the paint give him a great floor. Barring injuries, it is unlikely Banchero’s appearance in the 2024 All-Star game will be his last, which means giving him a rookie max extension is a no-brainer.
Where my issue resides with this deal is the fifth-year player option the Orlando Magic agreed to. It would be one thing if there were a precedent for it but both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s deals didn’t include this stipulation. So, why did Orlando give Banchero one?
If Banchero leaves the Magic for nothing in 2030 or Orlando is forced to trade him before it reaches its full potential, this deal will be at least partially to blame. -Mat Issa
Grade: D
Jalen Williams: Five Years, $240 Million
The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t hesitate to extend Jalen Williams after a breakout third season, where he made an All-Star and All-NBA Team alongside a Finals win. Williams will earn the maximum possible 25 percent of the league cap and approximately $48 million annually, ranking him around the 31st-most expensive player in the NBA.
He’s already outplayed that value easily, establishing himself as one of the league’s best young, two-way players. Williams was a superstar defensive player last season, dominating on the perimeter and even at center when needed. Per 75 possessions, he averaged career-highs in points (23.8), rebounds (5.9) and assists (5.7). Key playoff moments, including a 40-point NBA Finals game, further prove his superstar value.
The 24-year-old Williams is already one of the league’s best players with plenty of room to grow as a ball-handler and close-quarters finisher. This is immediately one of the best deals in the league. As Williams grows and the league cap inflates over the years, this contract will go down as a major bargain. -Ben Pfeifer
Grade: A
Chet Holmgren: Five Years, $241 Million
Some people may see Chet Holmgren get the auto-max treatment and wonder why he is being held in such high regard. But I think this is the biggest no-brainer outside of the Jalen Williams deal (man, the Oklahoma City Thunder are so good).
Between the regular season and playoffs, Holmgren has only played 147 NBA games his first three seasons. But he’s already established himself as one of the league’s very best interior defenders. As a rookie, he ranked in the 91st percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus before following that up with a 98th percentile showing last year.
On top of that, he’s an above-average shooter among centers (career 37.2 percent from three), can attack closeouts and pull up for midrange jumpers like a guard. That’s the recipe for a future top-10 player in his prime.
Of course, there is a world where injuries and physicality slow Holmgren down and he merely settles in as a low-end All-Star. But even in that doomsday scenario, this looks like a pretty nice piece of business. -Mat Issa
Grade: A+
Jabari Smith Jr.: Five Years, $122 Million
I’d say I like Jabari Smith Jr. and still have hope he blossoms into a high-level starter. The game of basketball loves size and shooting, and judging by Smith’s 7-foot-1 wingspan and career 80.5 percent free-throw clip, those are two areas he excels.
But while I think Smith can be a great starter, it hasn’t happened yet. Despite his stature, he struggles to generate a high volume of shots at the rim (ninth percentile rim frequency among bigs) and still doesn’t look comfortable putting the ball on the floor (fourth percentile assist-to-usage ratio). As for his defense, he’s versatile and has great tools but hasn’t been an X-factor on that end through 212 regular-season games (69th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus).
Smith has shown enough to warrant a rookie extension but did he really need to get as much money as someone with a more decorated resume, like, say, Christian Braun? I get Smith’s vitals give him a higher ceiling than Braun’s but there has to be a point where we stop fawning so much over what could happen and start indexing on what already has happened. -Mat Issa
Grade: C+
Keegan Murray: Five Years, $140 Million
A reeling Sacramento Kings franchise made the shrewd decision to lock up one of its few cornerstone players, inking Keegan Murray to an extension worth approximately $28 million annually. Many have criticized this contract, though, accusing the rudderless Kings of dipping into their pocketbooks for a solid but non-star player.
Murray had his worst statistical season as a pro in 2024-25, posting career-lows in points per game (13.3), relative true shooting percentage (minus-2.1) and 3-point shooting (34.3 percent). His confidence as a scorer seemed to wane as Sacramento’s winning infrastructure from just a few seasons ago crumbled around him.
We shouldn’t forget the player Murray was in 2022-23 on a far more competent Sacramento team. For better or worse, Murray is a heavily context-dependent player whose best traits (outside shooting, off-ball scoring, defensive versatility) are most valuable on great teams. He hasn’t depreciated significantly as a player since then but his context has.
Alongside some offensive regression, Murray has improved defensively each season, forced to harbor an immense defensive load for a putrid Kings defensive roster. He’s a much more dangerous rim protector than he was as a rookie, posting career-highs in block rate (2.5 percent) and opponent rim efficiency differential (minus-9.1 percent) on contests.
Next season, Murray’s new deal ranks 62nd in average annual value and 65th in cap percentage (14.5 percent of the league cap). That’s a steal for a player who has already exceeded that value in his career, even if it’s fair to wonder if the Kings can ever make good on Murray’s additive skills on winning teams in the near future. -Ben Pfeifer
Grade: B+
Shaedon Sharpe: Four Years, $90 Million
The Portland Trail Blazers locked in their ascending star wing for far cheaper than most of his top-10 pick peers. Shaedon Sharpe, the seventh pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, had a career year in 2025, averaging 18.5 points, 2.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds on minus-2.4 percent relative true shooting.
He took a notable step as an on-ball creator, weaponizing his elite athleticism to live at the basket (4.8 rim attempts per 75 possessions, 91st percentile) and the foul line (5.3 free-throw attempts per 100 possessions, 82nd percentile). Potent downhill advantage creation is the foundation for Sharpe as a burgeoning star creator.
While Sharpe is undeniably talented, he hasn’t posted efficiency above league average since entering the NBA. He’ll need to continue refining his decision-making, live-dribble playmaking and defensive focus and effort to maximize his value on the offensive end. Impact metrics like Estimated Plus-Minus view Sharpe as a well-below-average NBA player to this point.
His warts and growing pains aren’t uncommon for a 22-year-old wing, especially one with his physical talent and ball skills. He’s still not a locked-in impact player but it’s an excellent bet for Portland to make. For a projected $22.5 million annually, worth approximately 12 percent of the league cap (less than Jusuf Nurkic, Jonathan Kuminga and Kyle Kuzma), this contract could look like a heist as soon as this season. -Ben Pfeifer
Grade: A
Dyson Daniels: Five Years, $100 Million
After two insignificant seasons in the NBA, Dyson Daniels burst onto the scene in 2024-25. He earned the unofficial triple crown, leading the league in steals, earning an All-Defensive Team nod and winning Most Improved Player (OK, that isn’t really a triple crown but it still sounds cool).
His performance last season garnered Daniels a four-year, $100 million extension. I’m happy the dude got paid but I can’t say I love the contract for the Atlanta Hawks. At an average annual value of $25 million, Daniels is earning starter-caliber money beginning in 2026-27.
However, I don’t necessarily see him as a starter on high-level teams (yet). I don’t think Daniels is so much an elite defender as he is an elite turnover creator (99th percentile steal rate). Outside of generating steals, Daniels doesn’t do much else at a supreme level, as evidenced by his unspectacular defensive on-off footprint (61st percentile last year, per Cleaning the Glass).
On offense, he’s a below-average shooter (career 32.7 percent from three) on low volume (18th percentile 3-point rate in 2024-25) and he doesn’t make up for being a mediocre spacer by attacking the basket either (41st percentile rim efficiency).
Don’t get me wrong, Daniels is still a heck of a player and I’m proud of how he’s developed since coming to Atlanta. But, to me, the Hawks just paid a strong bench player/low-end starter like a clear-cut, three-and-D ace. -Mat Issa
Grade: D+
Nikola Jovic: Five Years, $62 Million
Nikola Jovic has always confused me. He’s 6 feet 10 inches with the ability to put the ball on the floor and has a pretty, quick trigger jumper (career 37 percent 3-point shooter on nearly four attempts per game). Yet here he is, heading into his fourth year, and he hasn’t really realized much of what makes him so tantalizing.
Last year was the first time he eclipsed 1,000 minutes for a season but his overall impact was unspectacular (52nd percentile in Estimated Plus-Minus). Jovic is also a below-average defender. Since he’s a big, that puts whoever is trying to construct a roster with him in a serious bind.
As far as the contract goes, at fewer than $16 million a year, Jovic is being paid like a high-level bench player. The version we’ve seen of him thus far isn’t worth that kind of money. But at 22 years old, Jovic has time to grow and the Miami Heat organization is among the best in the league at developing young talent. In theory, Jovic has a similar set of skills to someone like Naz Reid. If that’s where his career arc is heading, this deal will age like fine wine. But that is a relatively big “if.”
The good news is even if that doesn’t happen, $16 million won’t kill you in this day and age. So, this is good medium-risk, high-reward business by the Heat. -Mat Issa
Grade: B
Christian Braun: Five Years, $125 Million
The Denver Nuggets struck gold in drafting Christian Braun, a key rotation piece on multiple great playoff teams, with the 21st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Thus far, he’s the only player drafted outside of the top 12 in his class to ink a deal worth $25 million or more annually. For a Nuggets front office that has struggled to find contributors in the Draft, locking up Braun was an understandable priority.
Last season, Braun posted career-highs in points per game (15.4), relative true shooting (plus-9.0) and 3-point shooting (39.7 percent). As a complementary offensive player and primary defender on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for much of its series against Oklahoma City, he was a key contributor in Denver’s 2024-25 playoff run.
He’s projected to earn approximately 13 percent of the league salary cap next season, ranking him 83rd league-wide behind players like Miles Bridges and fellow 2022 draftees, Dyson Daniels, Keegan Murray and Jabari Smith Jr. While Braun likely doesn’t boast an enormous ceiling beyond what he’s shown, the Nuggets were smart to lock up a projected key core piece for many years to come. -Ben Pfeifer
Grade: A
