NBA Free Agents 2012: How Much Money Every Big Name Player Is Really Worth

Inevitably, there's almost always a discrepancy between what an NBA free agent receives on the open market and what he's actually worth to his team.

It's not uncommon for a franchise to throw a max contract at a player only to soon find out that they have overvalued him by several million dollars per year. And while it's rare, there are even instances when a team signs a free agent at a discounted rate.

So, with that in mind, let's take a look at how much every big name free agent is really worth in the grand scheme of things.

Eric Gordon

Actual contract: Four years, $58 million ($14.5 million/year)

Estimated worth: Four years, $48 million ($12 million/year)

It's somewhat hard to justify the $58 million offer sheet that the Phoenix Suns signed Eric Gordon to earlier this month. While the 23-year-old guard is a prolific scorer, he's had an injury-plagued career and has only appeared in 80 percent of his team's games once during his four seasons in the NBA.

Gordon benefits from the fact that he's one of the league's best players at a position almost completely devoid of talent: shooting guard. Even still, a $12 million/year contract seems more in line with his abilities, while also factoring in his concerning medical history.

Roy Hibbert

Actual contract: Four years, $58 million ($14.5 million/year)

Estimated worth: Four years, $50 million ($12.5 million/year)

Quality centers are in short supply in the NBA, and Roy Hibbert is arguably one of the five most talented players at the 5 spot in the Association. The former Georgetown product parlayed his skill set and his 7'2" frame into a $58 million offer sheet from the Portland Trail Blazers—a deal that somewhat overvalues his abilities and potential.

Case in point: Memphis center Marc Gasol is slightly better (at least statistically) than Hibbert, and he signed a four-year, $58 million deal back in December. So while the max deal that Portland offered isn't completely unreasonable, it is slightly inflated when compared to deals for similar players.

Jeremy Lin

Actual contract: Four years, $28.8 million

Estimated worth: Four years, $22 million

Jeremy Lin's total value to a team is difficult to gauge thanks to the phenomenon known as "Linsanity."

New York Knicks' beat writer Frank Isola referred to Lin as a "human ATM" due to the millions that the point guard helped generate in terms of ticket sales, advertising and merchandising. But in terms of Lin's on-court worth, he fits in around the $5 million per year range.

Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown voiced his concerns over the Lin offer sheet, saying that he sees the 23-year-old point guard as a "terrific backup in the NBA." And if Lin is truly a reserve, paying him more than $7 million per season is completely unwarranted.

Steve Nash

Actual contract: Three years, $25 million

Estimated worth: Two years, $17 million

The Lakers' point guard play was so uneven last season, $8.3 million per year for Steve Nash is money well spent.

Of course, the elephant in the room is that Nash will be 41 by the time his deal with Los Angeles is up. The third year that the Lakers included in the Nash deal is questionable, but the team is getting one of the league's best point guards at a good value.

Nash averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists (second in the NBA) last season, and is showing little signs of age. With plenty of unproven lead guards getting in excess of $9 million/year on the open market, Nash's contract is one of the more sensible deals this offseason.

Deron Williams

Actual contract: Five years, $98 million

Estimated worth: Five years, $98 million

Can Deron Williams be the best player on a championship-caliber team? That question can be debated for quite some time, but he'll definitely be paid like a superstar over the next five years, and rightly so.

After moving heaven and earth in order to both acquire Williams and re-shape the roster around him, the Brooklyn Nets had no choice but to offer their 28-year-old point guard a max contract. It isn't as if he doesn't deserve it: Williams was ninth in the Association in scoring last year (21.0 PPG), fifth in the league in assists (8.7 APG), and the cornerstone of a Nets' franchise that appears to have a positive outlook going forward.

Kevin Garnett

Actual contract: Three years, $34 million

Estimated worth: Three years, $39 million

If there is any 36-year old player who deserves to sign a three-year deal worth $34 million, it's Kevin Garnett. In fact, he may be slightly underpaid.

After 17 seasons, Garnett is still an amazingly productive player who makes the Celtics a far more effective team whenever he's on the court.

Garnett's per-36 minute averages are almost exactly in line with his numbers from 2008-09—a season in which he made $24.75 million. Even when factoring his age, the future Hall of Famer is probably worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 million per year.