Los Angeles Lakers have three of the best bargain contracts in the NBA

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard is averaging 7.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. All modest numbers, but when you delve deeper and look at “Superman’s” advanced stats, they show just what an impact Howard’s had on the court for the Lakers.

Dwight Howard has a 99 defensive rating, a 0.6 value over replacement player rating, 1.9 win shares, and a 6.7 block percentage.

Compare Dwight Howard’s advanced stats to three other big men who fill a similar defensive role for their respective teams as Howard does for the Lakers.

• Steven Adams: 107 DEFRTG, 0.6 VORP, 1.6 WS, and 3.1 BLK%
• Clint Capela: 103 DEFRTG, 0.5 VORP, 2.3 WS, and 5.3 BLK%
• Dewayne Dedmon: 108 DEFRTG, -0.2 VORP, -0.1 WS, and 3.5 BLK%

Howard has performed much better to start the season than all of his counterparts. However, Dwight’s making next to nothing compared to them.

• Howard: $2.6 million during the 2019-2020 season
• Steven Adams: $26 million during the 2019-2020 season
• Clint Capela: $16.5 million during the 2019-2020 season
• Dewayne Dedmon: $13 million during the 2019-2020 season

Imagine what a team like the defensively starved Sacramento Kings could have done over the offseason if they had inked Howard to a minimum contract instead of dropping $13 million on Dedmon. The Kings could have used the extra $10.5 million they saved on signing Howard by employing two of the best defenders in the league, Avery Bradley, and Alex Caruso. The Kings could have offered Bradley $7 million per year ($2.5 million more than the Lakers gave him) and then extended Caruso a contract worth $3.5 million per year, which is $1 million more than he’s making now.

If the Sacramento Kings had Howard, Bradley, and Caruso on their roster to shore up their 22nd ranked defense, they’d probably have a winning record right now, which means the Kings would be on their way towards their first postseason appearance in what seems like forever. Rather, Sacramento is 7-9, and Dewayne Dedmon has been such a non-factor that every week, he looks more and more like another awful signing by our cowbell ringing friends up north.

Every team in the NBA would kill to have this version of Dwight Howard on their squad at the incredibly low price of $2.6 million this season. So, “Superman” has the best bargain contract in the NBA this year.