The NBA bargains — strong Contract Value Index grades on below-market salaries.
In a tax-and-apron league, the bargain contract is the cheat code. This page surfaces the NBA’s best of them: the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the board sitting on below-median salaries.
Rookie-scale stars headline the list, but the real edge often hides in the mid-tier — a role player or a re-signed veteran delivering starter value at a backup price. The grading treats them the same way: outsized return for what the team is paying.
For a contender, every name here is breathing room under the tax line — value the front office can build a rotation around without breaking the books.
The 11 NBA bargains below cost just $3.5M per year combined, led by value at G — a fraction of what their grades would command on the open market.
Salary figures are average annual value. Cuts and releases are excluded — the Contract Value Index is not a valid signal on a non-contract move. Grades reflect value to the team, not raw talent.
Below-median NBA salaries earning the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades. Ranked by grade quality, then by how little the team is paying.
| # | Player | Avg / Yr | CVI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah Robinson-Dallas Mavericks | $119K | A A |
| 2 | Lawson LoveringMemphis Grizzlies | $119K | A A |
| 3 | Tony BradleyIndiana Pacers | $119K | A A |
| 4 | Spencer JonesDenver Nuggets | $559K | A A |
| 5 | Christian KolokoMemphis Grizzlies | $119K | B B |
| 6 | Adama BalG · Memphis Grizzlies | $121K | B B |
| 7 | Trevon ScottF · Brooklyn Nets | $121K | B B |
| 8 | Charles BasseyC · Golden State Warriors | $550K | B B |
| 9 | Jahmir YoungG · Miami Heat | $550K | B B |
| 10 | Tolu mightF · Detroit Pistons | $550K | B B |
| 11 | Christian KolokoAtlanta Hawks | $559K | B B |
A contract lands here when a team is getting one of the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the board while paying below-median money — the bargains a smart front office locked in. These are the closest thing to a free win on the salary ledger. Read the full methodology.