Why NBA Teams Should Take More Advantage Of Cheap Centers

The center position has seen a financial downfall in recent years, a practice that isn’t about to change any time soon unless said center is of All-Star caliber.

Back in the day, teams spent wildly on finding a good man in the middle. Raef LaFrentz signed with Dallas for $70 million. Erick Dampier received $73 million from the Golden State Warriors. Even an aging Ben Wallace signed for $60 million with Chicago.

Those numbers may look modest now, but these were astronomical figures when they were signed, due to the salary cap being less than half of what it is today.

As such, teams would often base their organizational direction on defense, specifically defensive front lines, because they were devoting that much money to it anyway. Spending your cap space on a nasty front court that would fight, scrap, and claw for every rebound and defend the rim was a valid option.

Since then, the price of centers has diminished. To the point where one might wonder if teams have gotten the memo.

The nasty front line

Ivica Zubac just signed a contract extension worth $33 million over three seasons, effectively $11 million a year. Mo Bamba, a Top 5 pick by Orlando in 2018, wasn’t even tendered a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He’s expected to command in the area of $10 million per year year, which stands in stark contrast to a decade ago, where he would likely have earned about 15-20% of the salary cap.

In short, centers have gotten so cheap that teams are seemingly not taking advantage of the ability to build a front line that would wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Unlike the past, teams needn’t choose this direction out of financial necessity. They can now choose it because they can afford it.

Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard signed minimum contracts last offseason, and it’s not a farfetched idea that both sign for similar value this summer. So for any team that has spent the vast majority of its money on elite guards and wings, now might be the time to go for depth up front.

The Chicago Bulls are in need of rim protection, and given the likelihood of Zach LaVine returning, they mostly have the perimeter sorted. Why not use the non-tax MLE on Bamba and try to convince Whiteside to sign on for further insurance?

Being able to rotate interior defenders when needed, especially in the playoffs, can be worth gold. And if that only costs the organization around $12 million (assuming the Bamba/Whiteside scenario materializes) for two players – under 10% of the cap – why not make use of it?

The obvious counterpoint would be positional flexibility, and the need to have players guard in space. Old school centers simply aren’t as impactful as they used to be, and the need has shifted from guarding the rim to guarding the floor.

This is entirely true, and those defenders earn way more than a true, typical center. Draymond Green isn’t walking through that door for anything less than $25 million, nor is he likely to ever be available.

So instead, teams have tried to use lesser players to fill that need. Players like Mo Harkless and Taurean Prince. And sure, it works. Up a to a point. But those players will always lack the sheer size unmatched of the old true center, who will send shots back if you get within five feet of the rim.

Building a defense off constant rim protection, assisted by perimeter pressure, is not a bad starting point, especially if the money devoted to the idea are minimal. And of course, teams will need buy-in from those players as a deep rotating front line won’t necessarily offer great minutes totals to each player.

No set blueprint

If you’re thinking the above is an old school mindset, you aren’t wrong. However, the situation today, compared to years past, are incomparable due to the difference in compensation.

The league today is overwhelmingly diverse in how teams play, and how they construct their roster.

The Atlanta Hawks, who have All-Star point guard Trae Young under contract, just decided they needed another All-Star point guard and traded for Dejounte Murray.

The Miami Heat are starting two non-shooters in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, which for most teams is a complete non-starter, and they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are.. Well, no one’s sure yet, but it sure looks intriguing with all that length they’ve gathered.

The point is, there is no set blueprint for success. Teams build in varying ways, and ultimately it’s about fit, chemistry, coaching, health, and a million other factors. There isn’t a rule or proof that a throwback Detroit Pistons-esque front court emulation wouldn’t be able to assist a team in winning a title.

And given that centers can be had for so little, now might be time to test that theory out.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.