On July 1st the NBA free agent courtship period began. And all I can say is OMG!!!  This is probably the greatest time, financially, to be a part of the NBA. Players are making some serious coin.

The salary cap has jumped approximately $20 million dollars from this past season so every team is in play. Next season the cap is projected to increase another $12-$15 million, so it’s not over. This is just the beginning.

This season’s big prize is obviously Kevin Durant, who has yet to decide on where he will go. But once considered mediocre players are cashing in. Ryan Anderson, a 3-point specialist has agreed to a 4-yr/$80 million dollar contract, Hassan Whiteside for 4-yrs/$98 million, Mike Conley for 5-yr/$153 million, Timofey Mozfov for 4-yr/$64 million, Nicolas Batum for 5-yr/$120 million, Chandler Parsons for 4-yr/$98.5 million, Kent Bazemore for 4-yr/$70 million.

The thing that all these guys have in common is that none of them have been to an all-star game, none have been elected to All-NBA anything. With the exception of Mike Conley, they are all role players.

And let’s look at Mike Conley. His deal is the richest contract in NBA history! Really?!  Conley hasn’t been an all star, nor has he led the Grizzzlies to an NBA Finals appearance. He’s an outstanding point guard, but $153 million?

But let’s not blame the players, they’re simply cashing in on what they agreed to in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. If these are what the new market rates are, by all means, they should get their money. Baseball has been doing it for years.

Many NFL stars had a lot to say about the new deals, as did many old school NBA stars. But it’s a new day, with an influx of new TV money that is allowing player salaries to balloon like never before. This is what the players union worked towards, and the players are reaping the benefits.