After signing a massive $24 billion deal with national broadcast partners, NBA commissioner and new Duke Board of Trustees member Adam Silver has overseen a dramatic influx of revenue that has many expecting the league's salary cap to rise from its current $63.1 million figure to $108 million by the 2017-18 season.
Among the biggest beneficiaries—Silver's fellow Blue Devil alums.
With the NBA's free-agency moratorium period in the books, teams were officially free to sign and announce deals with players Thursday morning. The new contracts for former Duke standouts totaled nearly $40 million and saw many jumps in salary.
Mike Dunleavy was heavily courted by the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers, but opted to stay put in Chicago. The former Blue Devil reached a verbal agreement July 1 for a 3-year, $14.4 million contract to stay in the Windy City alongside Derrick Rose and newly resigned Jimmy Butler. One of the NBA's elder statesmen at 34, Dunleavy's ability to shoot from beyond the arc—he shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range last season—and defend his position has made him a valuable commodity around the association.
Former national champion Kyle Singler was able to secure what appears to be a long-term home in Oklahoma City after signing a five-year, $25 million contract with the Thunder. The 6-foot-9 forward was traded to the Thunder in the middle of his third NBA season and can use his length to contribute in multiple ways on the court. Singler also shot a career-high 39.8 percent from deep last season.
Lance Thomas—a teammate of Singler on the Blue Devils 2009 championship team—also found a landing spot for the upcoming season when he agreed to a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the New York Knicks. Although the forward has already played for three teams in his four seasons at the professional level, Thomas will look to make New York his permanent home as the Knicks continue to rebuild their roster.
Forward Luol Deng opted not to test the free agency waters, exercising his player option with the Miami Heat. Deng will receive $10.1 million in 2015-16 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
A pair of former Blue Devils found themselves as teammates after the busy free agency period. Small forward Gerald Henderson and power forward Mason Plumlee were traded to the Portland Trail Blazers from the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, respectively. Henderson passed up the opportunity to be a free agent and instead exercised his player option with the Hornets before the trade, netting him $6 million for the upcoming season.
With many former Duke stars continuing to make their mark in the NBA, the Blue Devils latest NBA-bound talents Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor had the chance to sign their first professional contracts this week. Rookie salaries are set on a scale by draft pick by the NBA and teams are allowed to offer up to a 20-percent raise on the base value.
Okafor is set to receive his scale amount of $3.8 million this season and $3.99 million next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, while Winslow was given a raise by the Miami Heat, who will pay him $2.5 million in his first season in South Beach. Jones' first contract will earn him $1 million this season and $1.1 million next season with his hometown Minnesota Timberwolves.
But not all former Blue Devils have found cashing in on the NBA's revenue boom easy.
Guard Austin Rivers and forwards Elton Brand and Carlos Boozer all remain unsigned at this point. Rivers—who played for his father Doc Rivers on the Los Angeles Clippers this season after a mid-year trade—had a couple of breakout performances in the postseason that could help him to find a suitor as the free agency market dries up.
Boozer and Brand—who are 13- and 16-year NBA veterans, respectively—are both in the twilight of their careers. Boozer has received interest from as many as eight teams including the Clippers, Lakers and Heat. Brand has yet to decide whether he will return for his 17th season.
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