First Take

As we cope with rising inflation, you want to know what else has been inflated? NBA player salaries.

In the first week of NBA free agency, some players have already signed contracts worth north of a quarter-billion dollars. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets inked an extension to stay in Denver for five more years. At the end of the deal, Jokic is projected to have earned at least $264 million.

Even mediocre players far less productive than Jokic are cashing in at an astronomical rate. Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks posted modest averages of 8.5 point and 8.6 rebounds per game last year. New York decided to sign Robinson for $60 million over the course of the next four years.

It just makes me wonder what past basketball stars would have made in this era. Someone like Wilt Chamberlain would probably have been offered majority ownership of an NBA franchise for crying out loud.