Are LeBron James, Doncic worth mega contracts according to 'RPM wins' per every million?

A recent analysis calculated the worth of all NBA players based on ESPN's RPM Wins per million dollars of salary for each player. The analysis calculates how much value a player is providing for their contract based on the number of games they have won. ESPN's RPM Wins stands for Real Plus-Minus Wins. 

Also read | NBA salary cap could face $30 million reduction as league's COVID-19 hiatus continues: LeBron James contract

Are NBA stars like LeBron James really worth their million-dollar contracts as per the RPM wins per million stat?

As calculated by a Reddit user, ESPN's RPM Wins stats for every player calculated with regard to their salary show if a player is worth their contract. The calculation was done while including players with a minimum of $1 million salary and who has contributed at least 0.75 RPM Wins during the 2019-20 season. The stats indicate that Charlotte Hornets' Devonte Graham tops the table with 3.37 RPM Wins for a salary which is just under $1.5 million. The numbers were calculated with the help of the ESPN's official RPM Wins stats. A higher RPM Wins per million indicates the player is worth more with regards to his contract. 

Also read | LeBron James contract, annual salary, accomplishments and lucrative endorsement deals: LeBron James contract

Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam, who is under a $130 million contract, ranks third after Duncan Robinson. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is placed 53rd with 0.295 RPM wins per million. James was supposed to earn $37.4 million from his $153.3 million four-year contract with the LA Lakers.

Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry, who was this season's highest-paid player with a $40.2 million salary, is not included on the list as he played only five games this season, out of which the Warriors lost four. Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo and Lakers Kyle Kuzma rank ninth and 10th with 0.883 and 0.820 RPM wins per million respectively. Dallas Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic is ranked 15th with 0.761 RPM Wins per million.

Reigning NBA MVP and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokoumpo ranks a few spots above James with 0.432 RPM Wins per million. Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young and Lakers' Alex Caruso also rank above James with 0.505 and 0.473 RPM wins per million respectively. Houston Rockets James Harden ranks below James with 0.276 RPM Wins per million with his 4-year, USD $171.1 million contract. Russell Westbrook, who is the second-highest-paid player in the league with a $38.5 million salary, has 0.156 RPM Wins per million. 

Also read | Luka Doncic contract, salary and the NBA star's mega deal with Jordan Brand: Luka Doncic contract

What are ESPN's RPM Wins?

As per reports, the RPM is the NBA player's average impact on the court in terms of net point differential per 100 offensive and defensive possessions. The stat was created by former Phoenix Suns consultant Steve Ilardi and Jeremias Engelmann and is based on Engelmann's version of the Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus stat. As per ESPN, RPM Wins is a stat that provides an estimate of the 'number of wins each player has contributed to his team's win total on the season'.

RPM Wins also include the player's number of possessions played along with his Real Plus-Minus. Currently, Giannis' RPM Wins is the highest at 11.16, followed by James at 11.04. Harden, who ranks third with 10.42 RPM Wins, is the only other player with double-digit RPM Wins.

Also read | NBA players likely to owe NBA more than $420,000 after recent pay cuts: NBA salary cap, LeBron James contract, Luka Doncic contract

(Image source: AP)