2021-22 NBA PAL Rating and Value Rating: performance and contract value

Two scores from 0 to 100. PAL Rating measures the season's performance against regulars in the same group (guards, forwards, centers): 50 is the median regular. Salary never enters it. Value Rating answers a different question: for what the player costs, does the return come in more or less than expected?

WAR, in wins →Payrolls →

Top guard

100PALLuka DončićDAL · Elite Top forward

100PALGiannis AntetokounmpoMIL · Elite Top center

99PALNikola JokićDEN · Elite

Value Rating is only computed for the most recent season.

The scale — PAL Rating

90–100 Elite
80–89 Excellent
70–79 Very good
60–69 Above average
40–59 Around average
20–39 Below average
0–19 Very poor

The scale — Value Rating

90–100 Exceptional value
75–89 Very good contract
55–74 Good value
45–54 Fair value
25–44 Poor return
0–24 Very poor return

Regulars only

#	Player
1	Luka DončićDAL · PG · 22	100	—	—	15.9	99	99	97	43	97	90
2	Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL · PF · 27	100	—	—	20.0	100	100	100	8	98	99
3	Stephen CurryGSW · PG · 33	99	—	—	11.9	100	97	87	100	74	73
4	Kevin DurantBKN · PF · 33	99	—	—	13.0	99	99	99	94	54	63
5	Nikola JokićDEN · C · 26	99	—	—	26.5	99	97	99	78	93	99
6	Trae YoungATL · PG · 23	98	—	—	13.0	97	100	100	94	28	2
7	Jayson TatumBOS · SF · 23	98	—	—	13.0	98	97	89	93	73	59
8	Dejounte MurraySAS · PG · 25	97	—	—	11.9	95	78	98	19	99	93
9	Jimmy ButlerMIA · SF · 32	97	—	—	10.8	97	94	98	19	56	91
10	Joel EmbiidPHI · C · 27	97	—	—	17.6	97	99	95	88	78	84
11	Chris PaulPHX · PG · 36	96	—	—	10.8	98	62	99	23	41	94
12	Kristaps PorziņģisWAS · PF · 26	96	—	—	5.9	93	95	77	58	93	83
13	Devin BookerPHX · SG · 25	95	—	—	9.7	94	95	72	80	69	66
14	Ja MorantMEM · PG · 22	95	—	—	10.5	95	98	93	18	91	63
15	Brandon ClarkeMEM · PF · 25	95	—	—	5.4	96	92	69	4	92	86
16	Rudy GobertUTA · C · 29	95	—	—	9.7	95	88	3	20	97	73
17	James HardenPHI · PG · 32	94	—	—	10.0	91	90	95	57	93	75
18	Domantas SabonisSAC · PF · 25	94	—	—	8.6	95	93	88	11	100	56
19	Donovan MitchellUTA · SG · 25	93	—	—	9.7	90	96	81	87	52	60
20	Paul GeorgeLAC · PF · 31	93	—	—	4.3	82	89	91	87	48	90
21	Robert WilliamsBOS · C · 24	93	—	—	9.2	93	50	48	44	59	97
22	LaMelo BallCHA · PG · 20	92	—	—	8.9	86	84	94	89	95	78
23	Draymond GreenGSW · PF · 31	92	—	—	4.9	87	21	95	5	81	100
24	Jrue HolidayMIL · PG · 31	91	—	—	7.8	96	82	89	45	73	82
25	Pascal SiakamTOR · PF · 27	91	—	—	9.7	94	86	92	24	78	72
26	Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOKC · PG · 23	90	—	—	7.3	86	93	90	22	66	88
27	Gary Payton IIGSW · SG · 29	90	—	—	4.9	93	81	5	6	94	99
28	Otto Porter Jr.GSW · PF · 28	90	—	—	4.9	89	37	61	67	90	93
29	Isaiah HartensteinLAC · C · 23	90	—	—	5.4	88	59	88	63	31	95
30	Kyrie IrvingBKN · PG · 29	89	—	—	3.8	87	94	75	96	35	51
31	DeMar DeRozanCHI · PF · 32	89	—	—	8.4	92	98	94	50	22	15
32	Darius GarlandCLE · PG · 22	88	—	—	7.6	92	91	96	82	13	26
33	Jaylen BrownBOS · SF · 25	88	—	—	5.9	86	96	86	70	45	41
34	Andre DrummondBKN · C · 28	88	—	—	3.2	48	24	50	16	99	93
35	Fred VanVleetTOR · PG · 27	87	—	—	9.5	90	71	80	92	42	84
36	Wendell Carter Jr.ORL · PF · 22	87	—	—	4.6	88	78	70	16	97	47
37	Desmond BaneMEM · SG · 23	86	—	—	7.3	88	89	41	99	75	74
38	Mike ConleyUTA · PG · 34	86	—	—	7.3	89	66	84	71	31	79
39	Khris MiddletonMIL · SF · 30	86	—	—	5.1	81	88	93	96	34	36
40	Bam AdebayoMIA · C · 24	86	—	—	7.3	80	76	78	35	54	88
41	Tyrese HaliburtonIND · PG · 21	85	—	—	8.4	79	64	90	68	44	81
42	Robert CovingtonLAC · PF · 31	85	—	—	3.0	75	22	3	80	65	98
43	Zach LaVineCHI · SG · 26	84	—	—	7.0	76	95	58	78	49	10
44	Jaren Jackson Jr.MEM · PF · 22	84	—	—	2.7	68	71	5	52	71	92
45	Hassan WhitesideUTA · C · 32	84	—	—	3.2	76	54	10	12	90	76
46	Jordan PooleGSW · SG · 22	83	—	—	4.6	68	92	54	95	29	48
47	Cameron JohnsonPHX · PF · 25	83	—	—	5.7	85	79	50	100	31	54
48	Patrick BeverleyMIN · PG · 33	82	—	—	4.6	83	14	69	20	89	98
49	Obi ToppinNYK · PF · 23	82	—	—	3.2	90	84	53	28	75	49
50	Karl-Anthony TownsMIN · C · 26	82	—	—	11.9	86	93	86	97	39	41

How it's calculated

Like the NHL: within each group, the line linking latent PAL (the standard score, before the percentile) to the log of salary gives the level expected for that salary; the gap to the expected level becomes the Value Rating, 0 to 100. Our salaries start with the market season (2026-27): in the offseason, Value Rating compares the last season played with today's contract.

Data: Basketball-Reference and ESPN; salaries updated daily.