Thunder's Attempted Salary Dump is Further Proof the Super Max Contract Extension is Bad

The "super max" contract structure has taken over the way NBA free agency plays out. Each year, teams and pundits are less focused on how much salary cap room a team has and more focused on how many "max slots" they have to keep and add the stars necessary to compete with the league's emerging super-teams.

The super max structure is, in most cases, a bad contract extension that can uproot the base of an otherwise-promising roster. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a prime example.

The structure of the super-max contract is relatively simple: teams are able to re-sign eligible veterans to a deal worth up to 35% of the salary cap, with an 8% escalation in salary each year of the deal.

The problem with this structure mostly lies in the back-loaded nature of these deals.

Russell Westbrook, who signed a super-max extension with the Thunder back in 2017, is under contract through 2021, with his salary increasing each year. This increasing salary will accompany an inevitable decline in Westbrook's abilities as he battles father time.

Beyond that, each passing year will further close the Thunder's championship window as they become increasingly handcuffed by the financials of the deal. The fact that the team is trying to shed salary in the form of three valuable pieces of their roster is evidence of just that.

As a result of this, more and more players may be willing to take less than the super-max to re-sign with their team if it means they can build a championship-caliber roster, just as Kemba Walker announced he would consider doing with the Charlotte Hornets.

With NBA teams like the Warriors manipulating the salary cap to retain multiple all-pros, less-talented teams cannot afford to give B-level stars the super-max extension.