The incentives of a contract season have led to some of the most thrilling and terrible basketball I’ve ever seen. Remember when we thought Marcus Morris should make an All-Star team? Remember Terry Rozier hijacking the offense for 20 minutes per game? The range of outcomes here are miles apart, which makes it all the more interesting how well Dennis Schröder plays this next season.
Nerlens Noel has long been the name most closely associated with turning down money and never seeing a big payday. The bet-on-yourself gambit gets a bad rap because people tend to only recognize stories of failure.