The new CBA makes it especially punitive to overpay the wrong player, so you can’t pay a 6th man like a starter, which is what the Raptors may be doing with Immanuel Quickley and what the Detroit Pistons need to avoid with Jaden Ivey.
Ivey is eligible for an extension but it doesn’t look like one is coming, as the Pistons don’t want to do what the Raptors did, which is commit big long-term money to a guy who has yet to prove himself as an NBA starter.
Quickley is a good player, but arguably had his best season as a bench player for the Knicks, which could be his ultimate role.
The Raptors hope not, as they have already committed big money to Quickley, who will make $32.5 million per season through the 2028-29 season, so they are paying him like a starter even though he’s not a true point guard and has never even averaged 30 minutes per game over a full NBA season.
The Raptors now have a ton invested in five players in Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. It could work out for them, but the Raptors have little financial flexibility after investing star money in players who are not stars.
This is exactly what the Pistons want to avoid.
Detroit Pistons: Financial flexibility is more important than ever
The Pistons already have Cade Cunningham locked into a max deal, which is exactly what you have to do if you get lucky enough to land a franchise player.
But the new CBA makes the rest far more challenging, as you not only have to find second and third stars on team-friendly deals but then fill out the rest of the roster with impact players on value contracts, like the Pistons did brilliantly last season with Malik Beasley.
Giving Jaden Ivey that kind of money before he has proven himself could land the Pistons in the exact position as the Raptors, with a team full of guys who are getting paid like stars but haven’t really earned it on the court yet.
It’s a tricky needle to thread, as you want to reward players and maintain continuity, but it’s not going to be easy when they all get raises at the same time.
The Raptors have bet on continuity to go with the addition of Brandon Ingram, and it may be enough to compete for a playoff spot in the mediocre Eastern Conference, but if it doesn’t work out, they will have several players on questionable deals that won’t be easy to move.
Championships are built as much behind office doors as they are on the court, and finding value contracts is now the key to building and maintaining a title-contending roster.