Holiday Discount Shopping: Athletes who are a massive bargain for their teams

The cost of acquiring and retaining top talent is only going up, but sometimes franchises are able to secure significant value on a relatively meager contract. While agents constantly look to drive up the price, these bargains can help a team fill in the roster if an important player is being paid less than market value. We’ll take a look at great discounts in the major sports, rookies excluded.

One of the most valuable assets in sports is a top-tier quarterback on a rookie contract. In most cases, these signal callers were drafted with a premium first round pick, but Purdy was selected with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. This makes him arguably the greatest value in professional sports, as the 49ers look to make another deep run in the NFL playoffs.

When the Knicks offered a lucrative free agent contract to Brunson during the summer of 2022, many thought they were crazy. Sure, Brunson showed he was a nice compliment to Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks, but there were doubts about his ability to be a lead guard. He’s exceeded all expectations by leaps and bounds, making the pact a solid deal for New York.

Allen is still playing at a high level when most receivers start to experience a decline. What makes this more impressive is the Chargers’ lack of depth at receiver in 2023 due to injury. Teams know that Allen is going to get the ball early and often, yet they still have trouble denying him the football.

One of the biggest problems the NBA has tried to mitigate in recent years is load management, where players often miss games for nebulous reasons. Bridges isn’t one of those players, as he hasn’t missed a tilt in his six-year NBA career. It’s a huge advantage knowing that one of your best players will be out there every single night.

The 49ers have had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, and they struck old with Warner. Considered to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL, Warner’s athleticism allows him to stay with pass catchers and crunch running backs at the line of scrimmage. San Francisco nabbed him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

While other teams try to replicate Atlanta’s model, there isn’t a team in baseball who locks stars in early with bargain extensions any better than the Braves. They’ve done it again with Olson, who led MLB in home runs last year with 54. He figures to be a cornerstone for the franchise for many years to come.

At this point and time, Alcantara’s future as a dominant pitcher in not known, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. However, having a former Cy Young award winner under contract at a tidy $11 million per year is a great building block for Miami. The franchise is hoping that he’ll return to his sensational 2022 form.

Markkanen appeared to be the prototypical modern day NBA prospect coming out of the University of Arizona. It took him a few years to realize his potential, as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers all gave up on him. The Jazz are incredibly happy to have the Finnish star, who has taken his game to new heights.

There are other receivers who receive more attention and acclaim than Evans, but few in NFL history have been more consistent than Tampa Bay’s top pass catcher. He’s eclipsed over 1,000 yards receiving every year of his career, and going to do it again in 2023 barring injury. Evans has also maintained this level of production with several different quarterbacks.

The Kings are an ascending NBA team, and a shrewd signing of Monk has helped their development. He wasn’t exactly a hot commodity after so-so campaigns with the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers. Monk has really found his stride as a sixth man in Sacramento, and is relied on to give the team’s second unit a spark.

He may have been a bit of a late bloomer, but Gonsolin has become an integral part of the Dodgers’ starting rotation. He had a stellar 2022 season, where he went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA. He had a bit of a down 2023, but still reflects a major value for a team that often opens the wallet for high priced talent.

Other than Patrick Mahomes, Kelce is part of the nucleus that drives Kansas City’s offense. The team has been especially frugal with the wide receiver unit since the Tyreek Hill trade, which has boosted Kelce’s importance on the team. As the primary pass catcher, Kelce has still been able to get open and make contested catches during big games.

There’s something to be said for championship DNA, and Looney has it through his experience in Golden State. Other centers are more athletic and talented than Looney, but his understanding of how to contribute and fit in with the Warriors has been invaluable. He’s become a dynamic rebounder in the last couple of seasons.

It didn’t seem like all that long ago when Muncy was a young prospect who was uncertain to fit into Los Angeles’ plans. Now approaching his mid-thirties, he’s become a veteran that the team has relied on to race out to successful regular season campaigns. It’ll be interesting to see if he ends up being a Dodger for life.

For a player who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last six seasons, and eight times overall in his career, $14 million is a nice price to pay for Jordan, who is a likely future Hall of Famer. He’s become one of the most respected players in the NFL, and is a source of energy and knowledge in addition to the pass rushing ability he brings each week.