The Wildest Cross-Sport Contract Comparisons from 2025 NBA Free Agency
NBA free agency hasn't been as wild this year as it once was, although teams have still collectively shelled out more than $2 billion between signings and extensions. Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was the latest to cash in with his historic two-year, $145 million extension.
The NBA's latest collective bargaining agreement is largely to blame for the lack of free-agent fireworks. The Brooklyn Nets were the only team to enter free agency with enough salary-cap space to offer a max contract to an external free agent. However, that hasn't stopped some teams from handing out eye-popping deals.
It's one thing for All-Stars like Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden to earn roughly $40 million annually. But Memphis Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama, who has started 71 games across his four NBA seasons, landed a three-year, $52.5 million deal. Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, who has never even sniffed an All-Star Game, bagged a three-year, $84.1 million extension after picking up his $19.5 million player option in 2026-27 as part of the deal.
That got us thinking…how would those contracts translate to other sports? Who's the best NFL or MLB player earning roughly the same as some of these NBA players on their new deals? Are they better values from a dollar-by-dollar perspective? The overall answer may not surprise you, but the names featured here certainly will.
With that in mind, let's dive into some of the wildest cross-sport contract comparisons in the wake of NBA free agency.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
1 of 7
Contract terms: Five years, $240 million ($48M AAV)
NFL comparable: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ($45M AAV)
MLB comparable: New York Mets RF Juan Soto ($51M AAV)
When Jaren Jackson Jr. missed out on being named to an All-NBA team this year, it put the Memphis Grizzlies in a bind. They could offer him only 140 percent of what he's earning in 2025-26 ($23.4 million) as the starting salary of an extension, which limited them to a four-year, $146.8 million deal in total.
Had Jackson decided to test free agency next summer, he could have signed a five-year, $287.1 million deal with the Grizzlies (based on the current $165 million salary-cap projection for 2026-27) or a four-year, $212.9 million deal with any other team. But the Grizzlies never let it get to that point.
Instead, they agreed to renegotiate his contract and sign him to a five-year, $240 million maximum extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. William Guillory of The Athletic noted it's the most expensive contract in franchise history.
Only two MLB players are earning more than Jackson on a per-year basis: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani ($70M AAV) and New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto, who signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract in free agency this past offseason. Soto got off to a slow start this year, but the four-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion has started heating up as of late.
Eleven NFL players—all of whom are quarterbacks—are currently topping Jackson's $48 million annual salary. One player who isn't? Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who's in the midst of a 10-year, $450 million contract that he signed in July 2020.
Since inking that deal, Mahomes has won two Super Bowls and was named the 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player. He nearly guided the Chiefs to the first three-peat in NFL history this past season.
The Grizzlies can only hope Jackson leads them to similar success in the coming years.
Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors
2 of 7
Contract terms: Three years, $84.1 million ($28.1M AAV)
NFL comparable: Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt ($28.0M)
MLB comparable: Boston Red Sox SP Garrett Crochet ($28.3M AAV)
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl wasn't a free agent this offseason, but that didn't stop him from cashing in.
Poeltl is under contract for $19.5 million this coming season and has a $19.5 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign. In exchange for preemptively picking up that option, the Raptors rewarded him with an additional three-year, $84.1 million extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
If you include his 2026-27 player option as part of the value of his new contract, his $26 million AAV would put him in the range of Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. But if you just look at the annual value of the new years on his deal, he has even loftier cross-sport company.
Pittsburgh Steelers edge-rusher T.J. Watt is one of the NFL's best defensive players. The four-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and has been in the top four of voting for that award in five of the past six seasons. He has 108.0 career sacks in only 121 regular-season games, and he ranked third among 211 edge-rushers in Pro Football Focus' grading system last year.
Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet signed a six-year, $170 million extension in March after arriving in an offseason trade a few months earlier. The Red Sox likely have no regrets about that contract thus far, as Crochet has dazzled with a 2.34 ERA and an MLB-high 144 strikeouts in his 18 starts.
For roughly $28 million, you can have one of the best pitchers in MLB, one of the best defensive players in the NFL, or a fringe-top-10 center in the NBA. Raise your kids to become basketball players, folks.
Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 7
Contract terms: Five years, $125 million ($25M AAV)
NFL comparable: Philadelphia Eagles RT Lane Johnson ($25M AAV)
MLB comparable: Houston Astros LF Jose Altuve ($25M AAV)
Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid had a $15.0 million player option for the 2025-26 season that he was a lock to decline ahead of free agency. Instead, the Timberwolves agreed to give him a new five-year, $125 million contract with a player option in 2029-30, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
If the Wolves structure Reid's new contract with standard 8 percent annual raises, he will earn roughly $21.5 million this coming season, which will be nearly 14 percent of the salary cap. That's a hefty chunk of change for a player with only 74 career starts across his six NBA seasons, although the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year has been an integral part of a Timberwolves team that's fresh off back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances.
Reid's $25 million AAV would go farther in other sports. Four NFL players are earning exactly that much, including Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith and star right tackle Lane Johnson, the latter of whom is a six-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro and a two-time Super Bowl champion. Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil is also earning exactly $25 million annually.
Eight MLB players have a $25 million AAV as well, including St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (a three-time All-Star) and Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (a two-time All-Star). Perhaps the most notable of that bunch is Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who won AL MVP in 2017 and helped guide the Astros to two World Series rings in the past decade.
The 35-year-old Altuve is well past his prime, whereas Reid should be just entering his. Still, it's wild that someone as accomplished as Altuve is earning as much annually as a career backup like Reid.
Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies
4 of 7
Contract terms: Three years, $52.5 million ($17.5M AAV)
NFL comparable: Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce ($17.125M AAV)
MLB comparable: Seattle Mariners C Cal Raleigh ($17.5M AAV)
In case the Naz Reid comparables didn't break your brain, this should do the trick.
Memphis Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama is fresh off a career year in which he averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in only 25.5 minutes per game. He was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but the Grizzlies rewarded him with a three-year, $52.5 million contract before letting the market set the price for him, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The 24-year-old is on the upswing, so the Grizzlies are paying him for what they expect him to become over the next three years, not what he's done so far. Still, they're paying $17.5 million per season for someone who has started only 71 games over the past three years and barely averaged double-digit points over that span.
This salary range is where the difference between the NBA and other sports becomes especially stark. Six NFL players have an AAV of exactly $17.5 million, most of whom are offensive linemen. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion, is slightly below that ($17.125 million).
The same goes in MLB, where three players have an AAV of $17.5 million. That includes Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads MLB with 33 home runs and has an AL-high 71 RBI as well. The man otherwise known as "Big Dumper" just earned his first All-Star nod this season.
In MLB, $17.5 million can get you a home run masher. In the NFL, it can get you one of the greatest tight ends of all time. And in the NBA, it can get you…a backup big man?
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
5 of 7
Contract terms: Four years, $60.6 million ($15.2M AAV)
NFL comparable: Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry ($15.0M AAV)
MLB comparable: Chicago Cubs RF Kyle Tucker ($16.5M AAV)
All things considered, the Atlanta Hawks have had a phenomenal offseason. They acquired Kristaps Porziņģis as part of the Boston Celtics' ongoing fire sale, they hoodwinked the New Orleans Pelicans into giving up an unprotected 2026 first-round pick during the NBA draft, and they found a way to make use of their $25.3 million Dejounte Murray trade exception before it expired on July 7.
Rather than sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker with their $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, the Hawks arranged a sign-and-trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for him, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. That enabled them to spend the majority of their MLE on a one-year, $11 million deal for sharpshooter Luke Kennard.
Alexander-Walker is a strong two-way reserve guard for Atlanta. He won't supplant Trae Young or Dyson Daniels in the Hawks' starting lineup, but he could play alongside either of them whenever the other rests. Still, he averaged only 8.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game with the Timberwolves over the past two seasons. Even with the NBA's salary cap skyrocketing due to its new national TV deals, he's earning a huge chunk of cheddar for that level of production.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer is the only MLB player who's earning exactly $15.5 million annually, but there are plenty of players in the $15-16 million range. That includes Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna ($16.25M AAV) and Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker ($16.5M AAV), both of whom have at least three All-Star nods on their career resumes.
There isn't a single NFL player who's earning exactly $15.5 million on average, but there are plenty of players right below it. The most notable one may be Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who signed a two-year, $30 million extension in May. Henry is one of only nine tailbacks ever to run for 2,000 yards in a season, and he finished this past season with 1,921 rushing yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns.
If both stay healthy, here's guessing that Henry will have a slightly bigger impact on winning next season than Alexander-Walker will.
Dennis Schröder, Sacramento Kings
6 of 7
Contract terms: Three years, $44.4 million ($14.8M AAV)
NFL comparable: Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp ($15M AAV)
MLB comparable: San Diego Padres CF Jackson Merrill ($15M AAV)
NHL comparable: Edmonton Oilers C Leon Draisaitl ($14M AAV)
After dealing star point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Sacramento Kings entered the offseason in desperate need of a point guard. Having combo guard Malik Monk masquerade as one worked as a short-term solution after the trade deadline, but it wasn't a permanent answer.
The only problem was that outside of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Fred VanVleet—all three of whom re-signed with their current teams before free agency began—there weren't any high-level starters on the free-agent market. Instead, the Kings wound up agreeing to a three-year, $44.4 million deal with Dennis Schröder, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Schröder split his time between the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons this past season. He averaged 18.4 points, 6.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game during his 23 starts with the Nets, although he struggled with the Warriors and was largely a backup in Detroit.
For the same $15 million annual salary that Schröder is set to earn over the next three years, the Seattle Seahawks landed wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who won the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award in 2021. The 31-year-old's production has tailed off over the past few seasons in large part due to injuries, but he led the NFL with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns only three years ago.
In MLB, San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill is about to begin his nine-year, $135 million extension next season. Merrill, who finished ninth in the AL MVP race as a rookie and second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, looks like one of baseball's brightest young up-and-coming stars.
NHL fans might note that we have yet to compare any of the NBA contracts signed this summer to a hockey player's deal. That's because Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is the NHL's highest-paid player with a $14 million AAV. The three-time All-Star has led the Oilers to back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final and won the Hart Memorial Trophy (the NHL's equivalent of MVP) in 2020-21.
Schröder is a serviceable stopgap for the Kings, but he's nowhere near as accomplished as Kupp or Draisaitl, nor does he have the upside of Merrill.
Luke Kornet, San Antonio Spurs
7 of 7
Contract terms: Four years, $40.7 million ($10.2M AAV)
NFL comparable: New York Giants QB Russell Wilson ($10.5M AAV)
MLB comparable: Detroit Tigers SP Tarik Skubal ($10.15M AAV)
NHL comparable: Vegas Golden Knights C Jack Eichel ($10M AAV)
We might have saved the best for last.
In his eight NBA seasons, Luke Kornet has started only 58 of his 353 regular-season games and has never averaged more than 7.0 points or 5.3 rebounds per game in a season. That didn't stop the San Antonio Spurs from coming to terms with him on a four-year, $40.7 million contract using a majority of their $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Kornet will provide depth behind Spurs wunderkind Victor Wembanyama and could even play alongside him in double-big lineups. The soon-to-be 30-year-old isn't likely to take a massive leap at this stage of his career, but the price on backup centers is going up around the league, as evidenced by the new deals for Clint Capela (three years, $21.5 million) and Kevon Looney (two years, $16 million) as well.
Kornet's $10.25 million average salary might only pay for a backup in the NBA, but it's enough to land a megastar in other sports. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner—and the current favorite for the award this year as well—is earning only $10.15 million this year after he avoided arbitration in January.
In the NHL, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel has been earning $10 million flat for each of the past eight seasons. The four-time All-Star helped guide the Buffalo Sabres to the 2015-16 Stanley Cup as a rookie, as he led the team in both assists (20) and points (26) during their playoff run.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson is in the tail end of his career, but he's potentially strong value on the one-year, $10.5 million contract he signed as a free agent this offseason. The 10-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion should be a massive upgrade over the flotsam that the Giants have been trotting out under center ever since Eli Manning retired following the 2019 season.
Skubal, Eichel and Wilson earning roughly the same annual salary as Kornet is further proof that you should raise your kids to play basketball.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
