Who can earn an NBA super-max contract for 2023-24 season?

The NBA super-max contract, officially known as the Designated Veteran Player Exception, has been a topic of great interest and speculation in recent years. Through this massive contract, players can earn significantly more money based on their performance and years of service.

Two Boston Celtics players, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, are now eligible for this profitable contract as we start the 2023–24 season.

Brown, a shooting guard, has played in the NBA for seven seasons, rendering him eligible to sign a super-max contract this summer.

The proposed deal, estimated at around $295 million over five years, would commence in the 2024–25 season following his current extension. This substantial sum reflects the significant financial rewards that come with being recognized as one of the league's top talents.

Similarly, Jayson Tatum, a small forward, will qualify for a super-max contract in the summer of 2024 once he has finished his seventh season. Unlike Brown, Tatum does not need to make the All-NBA team in the upcoming season to secure this contract.

An astounding $316 million over five years is the projected value of this contract, surpassing any previous contract in NBA history. No previous contract has surpassed the projected value of $316 million over the five years of this contract.

These contracts highlight the extraordinary financial implications of being named to the All-NBA team at the right time in a player's career. Brown and Tatum's performances and longevity have positioned them for these astronomical deals.

Players who disqualified from NBA super-max contract eligibility

Grizzlies Ja Morant is disqualified from NBA super-max contract.

Several promising young players have missed out on the opportunity to escalate their rookie maximum extensions to lucrative 30% "Rose Rule" deals by not making the All-NBA team this season. Among those who fell short of this distinction are Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans and Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The "Rose Rule" allows players who were eligible for their first career NBA extension to receive 25% of the league's salary cap deal. However, if they had made the All-NBA team the previous season, their contract would have escalated to a more favorable 30% of the cap. Unfortunately for Morant, Williamson and Garland, they were unable to secure that accolade to trigger this salary increase.

Nevertheless, these players still have the opportunity to aim for the coveted 35% super-max contracts in their seventh or eighth seasons. To qualify for an NBA super-max contract, they will need to make the All-NBA team or receive a major award during those seasons.

Although the 30% "Rose Rule" deals were missed by these young talents, they can still obtain substantial financial rewards by performing well and gaining recognition.