National Basketball Association

Reggie Jackson, Deandre Ayton primed for big offseason paydays after postseason dominance

Updated Jun. 29, 2021 12:48 p.m. ET

The NBA playoffs are often seen as an opportunity for star players to enhance their legacies and for teams to become immortalized as champions.

While that remains true, the postseason is also a chance for those who might not be stars – at least financially – to enhance their profiles and potentially earn a significant payday come season's end.

And so far this postseason, a handful of players have potentially made themselves a lot of money.

It starts with LA Clippers guard Reggie Jackson.

Jackson had a solid regular season, averaging 10.7 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 43.3% from 3-point range, but those numbers pale in comparison to his production this postseason.

In 17 playoff games, Jackson has averaged 18.1 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 49.2% from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range, helping guide the Clippers to their first-ever Western Conference finals.

Jackson, who played this season on a one-year deal worth $2.3 million, is also playing 32.5 minutes per game for the Clippers this postseason, and as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the consensus is that his pockets will get a little fatter, considering he's scored 20 or more in nine games so far this postseason.

On Monday, Jackson scored 23 with the Clippers on the brink of elimination in Phoenix. In Games 5 and 6 of the West semifinals, Jackson scored 22 and 27, respectively, against the top-seeded Utah Jazz.

Just last postseason, Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope saw their wallets get thicker as a result of strong play during deep playoff runs for their respective teams.

Grant played a major role in the Denver Nuggets overcoming two consecutive 3-1 deficits to reach the Western Conference finals, and he then signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Pistons over the summer.

This past season, he averaged a career-high 22.3 points – he's a career 10.7 points per game scorer – and it raised his profile to the point that he will now compete in the Tokyo Olympics with Team USA.

For his part, Caldwell-Pope averaged 10.7 points and made timely shots from beyond the arc during the Lakers' run to the 2020 NBA Finals before signing a three-year, $39 million deal with the team this past offseason.

At the same time, while players can benefit from impressive postseasons, it comes with potential risk for their teams as well.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro averaged 16 points last season as a rookie while helping the franchise reach the NBA Finals, showing promise as a potential franchise cornerstone.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, Herro was floated in a potential trade package for James Harden, but a deal never materialized.

Now, after a disappointing 2021 postseason in which Herro averaged just 9.3 points, the Heat will likely have to retain him, with his value taking a significant dip from where it was the previous offseason.

The young breakout star of this postseason appears to be 22-year-old Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, who is averaging 16.6 points and 11.4 rebounds while shooting 70% from the field. He's a major reason why the franchise is one win from its first Finals appearance since 1993.

Kevin Huerter , 22, in just his third year, is in a similar position with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 11.4 points and shooting 38.2% from 3-point range while helping the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals.

Both players are in the third year of their rookie contracts and are eligible for extensions this offseason.

The postseason: where legacies (and money) are made.

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