2016 NBA Free Agency News & Updates: Top 3 NBA Stars Who Need To Live Up To Their Massive Paydays
The 2016 NBA free agency started more than two weeks ago and it has been filled with surprises and disappointments. Within the short period of time, almost 100 contract agreements have been finalized. Now that it has slowly trickled down, sports analysts are already pointing out the names of NBA free agents who emerged as winners, losers.
Some NBA stars got what they truly deserved while other free agents seemed to be underpaid with their new contracts. Moreover, a lot has been expected to those NBA stars who are about to receive massive paydays during the 2016-2017 NBA season and they must be pressured by now. Here are the three NBA stars with the most to prove in the next season.
1. Bradley Beal
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According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein revealed that the NBA star inked a five-year $128-million contract with the Washington Wizards. Although Beal is one of the promising NBA players at present, some sports analysts said that the 23-year-old basketball star appeared to be overpaid with his new contract, considering that he has a long list of injuries since his NBA draft in 2012.
According to Pro Sports Transactions, Beal has already missed more than 19 games in his entire career. He needed to prove that he can stay uninjured in the next season and perform better in the court to live up to his $26-million salary per year.
2. Joakim Noah
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN posted on Twitter that Noah and the New York Knicks sealed a four-year contract worth $72 million. Although the 31-year-old center was one of the best defensive players when he was with the Chicago Bulls, he also had his share of offensive woes that pulled down the team.
"Even when he was on the floor, his level of play was severely hampered by the combined effects of advancing age, nagging injuries and diminishing skill set," Adam Fromal of the Bleacher Report wrote. "He's being paid like a star, and the Knicks need him to perform like one."
3. Dwight Howard
Howard is off to the Atlanta Hawks after he sealed a three-year $70.5-million agreement, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Howard used to be one of the fan favorites because of his goofy and fun personality.
Mike Budenholzer, coach and team president of the Hawks, told The New York Times that Howard can have a huge positive impact to the team. He believed that Howard can take the team to another level. Given these expectations, the 30-year old center has to work harder considering that in the past years, his image was arguably tainted with negativities, including injuries and tabloid reports.
