Is Grayson Allen’s Contract Undervalued?

He’s probably not your favorite player. But is Grayson Allen creating value for the Bucks far beyond the size of his current contract?

Polarizing, most hated, and in the eyes of some, misunderstood. Regardless of how NBA fans feel about Grayson Allen, he has solidified himself as an essential piece that keeps the Milwaukee Bucks offense running smoothly with the absence of Khris Middleton due to injury.

Consequently, Allen is coming off of back-to-back playoff scoring highs for his entire career in Games 3 and 4 of the Bucks’ playoff series against Chicago — and in both contests, he outplayed Bulls All-Star and All-NBA candidate DeMar DeRozan along the way.

With more playing time, Allen will hope to showcase his skills on the court to convince the Bucks that his hot hand is much more than a small sample size oddity, and that he deserves a more significant role on the team. So, just how valuable is the Bucks’ Grayson Allen contract dollar for dollar?

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Grayson Allen Salary and Contract Details

All dollar figures via Spotrac.

Age: 26
Active contract length: 4 years
Total value: $7,049,040
Average annual value (AAV): $1,762,260
2021-22 salary: $4,054,695 (team option)

Upcoming extension (2022-2024) length: 2 years
Total value: $18,700,000
AAV: $9,350,000

How Much Does Allen Make Per Postseason FG?

It’s a bit of an off-the-beaten-path method of comparison, but bear with us for a moment:

• Allen is averaging 13.0 points per game on an incredible 64% shooting. With his salary of $4,054,695 and 19 made field goals through four playoff games, Allen is operating at a clip of $213,405 per bucket.
• Nikola Jokic — for comparison purposes, he leads all playoff scorers with at least three games played with 31.3 points — makes a salary of $31,579,390. Considering his 49 made field goals, Jokic gets paid $644,477 per score.

Yes, it’s a small sample size. But if we’re talking about on-court value, there’s no denying that Grayson Allen is creating it.

Where Does Allen’s Salary Rank Among NBA SGs?

2021-22 Grayson Allen Stats

Regular season averages

Points: 11.1
Rebounds: 3.4
Assists: 1.5
FG percentage: 44.8%
3-point Percentage: 40.9%

Postseason averages (through 4 games)

Points: 13.0
Rebounds: 3.0
Assists: 0.3
FG percentage: 63.3% (No. 4 in NBA as of April 26)
3-point Percentage: 61.1% (No. 2 in NBA as of April 26)

Postseason stat lines (four games)

Game 1 (Home): Minutes: 18 | Points: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rebounds: 3
Game 2 (Home): Minutes: 21 | Points: 3 | Assists: 1 | Rebounds: 1
Game 3 (Away): Minutes: 24 | Points: 22 | Assists: 0 | Rebounds: 6
Game 4 (Away): Minutes: 28 | Points: 27 | Assists: 0 | Rebounds: 2

Is Grayson Allen Underpaid?

So far, Allen is proving that he can step into a scoring role and excel. His price point takes a leap to an AAV above $9,000,000 when his extension kicks in next year, which may be considered a bit steep for a player who is only averaging 27 minutes per game and scoring 11 points. But as long as Middleton remains out, the former Duke Blue Devil has a tremendous opportunity to prove his value.

So, is he underpaid? Insofar as any player who performs well on a rookie scale contract is underpaid, well, yes. The key is ultimately what he continues to do once that two-year, $18,700,000 deal begins in 2022-23. But if recent returns have shown us anything, it’s that Grayson Allen is capable of being far more on the court for a contending team than a divisive rule-breaker.

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