Jason Maxiell

[...] In comparison, 36 such players have signed within those parameters in 2013. And in contrast to 2008, those names are often established quality role players who aren't quite stars and who rightly aren't being paid like it. At the top end, players like Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Brandon Jennings, Jarrett Jack, Jeff Teague and Carl Landry are all getting acceptable prices, perhaps $2 million annually less than they would have done five years ago. At the bottom end, established role players like Marreese Speights, Tony Allen and Chris Kaman are getting paid adequately for their useful role player production. And unlike in 2008, those deals like Kaman's are not too long. See also Greg Stiemsma, Tyler Hansbrough, Mike Dunleavy Jr, Dorell Wright and Randy Foye, none more than three years in length, some as short as one.

The exact parameters employed here are somewhat arbitrarily chosen, I admit. However, a comparison of some particular players to have been involved in both markets sheds light on the market fluctations. Despite being much the same player, many individuals received very different paychecks. Ellis received $66 million in 2008 and $25.08 million in 2013. Calderon received $45 million in 2008 and $29 million in 2013. Jason Maxiell received $20 million in 2008 and $5 million in 2013. And while Martell Webster received $20,112,000 for four years in 2008, he only received ... well, OK, maybe not him, as he received $21,990,500 for another four years this summer.

[T]he amnesty clause (that we're having to pretend will exist here, but which almost certainly will exist in some form) will further expand the range of available talents. A lot of decent players are going to become available, not because they can't play the game, but because they can't justify their contract. A lot of the candidates are obvious and inevitable, some perhaps less so. Here's a potential list:

- Detroit: Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Jason Maxiell and Charlie Villanueva - Joe Dumas's plan for the new-look Pistons appeared to be piling as many duplicate players onto a roster as possible, and hopefully overpaying them in the process. Didn't work. Hamilton and Gordon have been busy killing each other's value, value further killed by the helpful guiding hand of recently fired John Kuester, who had absolutely no idea what to do with any of them. Maxiell is coming off an absolutely terrible season in which, seemingly awash with apathy, he decided to no longer attempt rebounding and sported a PER of 9.4. And Newhouse has taken the rebounding apathy even further, sporting a lower rebounding percentage than Landry Fields last season and wasting a decent start by slowly electing to do little else but take three pointers.¹⁷ The four are owed a combined $96,380,000 over the next three seasons, are barely tradeable, and are barely helping Detroit. Pick your poison.