Three NBA players who won't live up to their next contract

No one on this list is going to be a bad NBA player. 

Quite honestly, any player in the NBA is already "good" at the sport of basketball. That's not the debate. The debate is about how good a player is versus how much money should be going to that one player. 

If a player is so good, think LeBron James or Michael Jordan in their prime, no one bats an eye over how much they're asking for. They're good enough to get you to a championship series by themselves. They just need some help.

So, if you have a solid player who gets money that James or Jordan would've gotten, and they need substantial help to get to a conference or NBA Finals game, are they worth that same kind of money? That would be a no. Everyone on this list could be a major contributor to a championship-winning team if they were in a different role.

These aren't the leaders of a championship-winning squad and, despite that, are going to be paid like they are. That means their contracts will make it difficult to build around them and, if things go sideways, their contracts will make them hard to move in possible trades. That is why they're on the list today.

Three players who will not live up to their next contract's expectations

Trae Young — The Washington Wizards have apparently agreed to a four-year, $212 million deal (roughly $53 million per year) with Young. That's a massive sum of money for a player who already had one franchise decide wasn't good enough to lead them to an NBA title. 

If he's going to make that much in year one, which may not happen due to how contracts stagger money owed to later parts in the year, Young would be in the range of the 12th highest-paid player in the NBA. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would say Young is a top-10 player. He may not even be a true No. 1 option on a team, and the Wizards just paid him to be one. 

Can he lead the Wizards to the NBA Finals? It seems unlikely, but anything is certainly possible. Still, it seems like a lot for an undersized, banged-up, gun-slinger of a shooter who isn't a proven winner.

Jalen Duren — It's a bit unfair to claim the shine is off Duren's career after a single, bad playoff run with the Detroit Pistons. However, the playoff run did showcase his limitations. 

Duren will likely make north of $30 million a year on his next deal despite those offensive limitations. He is a good rebounder, a solid defender and a nice rim-runner, but when building an NBA roster, you have to spend the most money on the talent that can do the most things. 

Duren's limited, and if he isn't running in transition, he can't really help offensively. He's a good player in this league, but he's closer to your third or fourth starter than he is to a No. 1 or a No. 2. If an NBA team gives him a huge contract, then it's likely the team he lands on will require him to be more than he can be, and that may tank the team's possible future. 

Austin Reaves — The idea that Reaves is a No. 1 or even a No. 2 on an NBA championship team is something many people are debating.

Reaves is already 28 years old and in the prime of his career. He's an All-Star caliber player, but he's looking for All-NBA money. There are rumors that Reaves could make as much as $40 million a year with his next deal, which would throw his true value out of whack. 

While he's a good all-around offensive player, part of why he's been so well-thought-of with the Los Angeles Lakers was because he was out-earning his original contract, which ranged from $12 million to $13 million a year. If the new rumored price is legitimate, many doubt he can live up to those expectations. 

He's a bit small for a modern NBA guard, and he isn't known for his defense. So you'd need another guy who can help you out with that lack of physicality on defense. Reaves could be a No. 2 guy on an NBA championship team, but not if that team isn't built yet. If you're still looking for expensive pieces, Reaves's style of play and pending massive contract will prohibit you from being able to build out your roster properly.