The recent trend of lucrative extensions in the NBA comes at a time when the league is looking to sign a new broadcasting deal. Set to come into effect in 2025, the new deal will result in a huge increase in the salary cap starting from 2025. This has resulted in some huge contracts already being offered by franchises, which includes Anthony Davis’s recent 3-year extension, which will see him earn a whopping $62,000,000. Following the announcement, Shaquille O’Neal expressed his shock on Instagram, comparing AD’s salary with the overall salary cap of $59,000,000 that was in effect in 2013-14.
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With the NBA becoming a bigger league on a more global scale year after year, player compensations will logically increase. The trend was vastly different back in Shaq’s era when contracts worth half of what Anthony Davis will earn were rare. The highest annual salary O’Neal himself ever netted was back in his final year with the Lakers. Shaq earned $27,696,430 in 2004-05 and left for the Heat the following season.
Shaquille O’Neal Marvels at Anthony Davis’s New Annual Salary
For the 2013-14 season, the NBA’s overall salary cap was $59 million. This is $3 million less than what Anthony Davis will earn via his new contract.
Davis’s extension will kick in at the start of the 2025-26 season, by which time the new broadcasting deal is expected to be announced. Back in 2014, the NBA signed a 9-year deal with ESPN and Turner was worth $24 billion. It resulted in an immediate increase of $24 million in the overall cap space.
The NBA is expected to aim for a three-fold increase in that figure this time around, according to Forbes. This means that rather than being viewed as an expensive contract for an injury-prone All-Star, the Davis contract might turn out to be a bargain. Take a look at the tweet by tragicpatek below.
The franchise obviously views the player as an integral part of the future, and might only be overpaying due to a lack of precedent. The next few years can be expected to throw in a range of similarly lucrative deals. Still, Lakers legend O’Neal was left surprised and reposted a post by Sports Center with the following caption on his Instagram stories:
“$59,000,000 2014 Salary Cap, $62,000,000 Anthony Davis’s Annual Salary”
Considering his constant criticism of Anthony Davis alongside co-panelist Charles Barkley, it is likely that there is some disapproval here.
Shaquille O’Neal Thinks He Would Have Earned $400 Million in 5 Years
Davis is not the only player whose salary Shaq has discussed on social media. There is little doubt that a part of him wanted to be paid the big bucks himself.
Last year, Shaq had expressed jealousy of Damian Lillard’s $122 million, 2-year deal. He was more gracious towards the youngster Tyrese Haliburton and his $260 million deal.
O’Neal’s latest comparison also suggests that he believes he would have earned comprehensively more in today’s age. Shaq had claimed that he would have gone for $400 million in 5 years, a figure that admittedly, may be a bit too expansive for even the current era.
