Is a $17M Contract for a Rookie Really Worth It? The Data Behind Durant’s Rise and the System That Left Paul Behind

The $17M Question No One Asks

I grew up in South Side alleyways where contracts aren’t signed with hype—they’re signed with grit. My father, a Black educator, taught me: ‘Stats don’t care who you know. They care what you do.’ So when I saw DeMarre D’Angelo Russell sign his $17M extension, I didn’t cheer—I analyzed it.

The league doesn’t reward charisma. It rewards efficiency.

The Paul Problem

Paul George was traded for draft picks and future assets—not because he was bad, but because the system didn’t fit him. He was too smart for the old playbook. His mid-range fade? It wasn’t gone—it was ignored by algorithms that still think size matters more than skill.

We call it ‘the All-Star Trap’: paying for minutes while letting true value rot.

Data Doesn’t Lie—Narratives Do

Look at usage rates: Durant averages 28 points per game on 54% true shooting—but only 26% of his team’s total offense comes from isolation plays.

Paul? His usage rate is 34%. He creates chaos—and that’s why he got paid to be forgotten.

The real question isn’t who deserves more money. It’s whether we’re rewarding players—or protecting systems built to silence them.

The New Playbook Is Written in Code

This isn’t basketball anymore—it’s data science wearing jersey fabric. We can visualize efficiency better than emotion.

If you want to give a rookie a starting role? Then measure his impact—not his highlight reel.