All along, we wondered what kind of contract JaVale McGee would get now that he was a restricted free agent for the Denver Nuggets. Finally, we have our answer. The Nuggets will pay McGee $44 million over the next four years, according to Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.
This price, frankly, doesn't surprise me. McGee had been seeking a deal similar to the one DeAndre Jordan got with the Clippers last year, and that's ultimately what he received. In that sense, this is fair market value, though the market itself isn't really a true market because of all the price ceilings and other factors.
This also means we now have an obvious point of comparison for the next four years between McGee and Nene. Nene will make $52 million over four years, an even $13 million per season. McGee will make $44 million over four years, which averages out to $11 million per season. Is Nene going to be worth $2 million more per season than McGee? Time will tell.