2022-23 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 · 23	100	—	—	17.8	99	99	98	29	99	88
2	Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL · PF · 28	100	—	—	14.6	99	100	99	1	99	94
3	Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOKC · PG · 24	99	—	—	15.1	98	97	78	36	64	96
4	Jimmy ButlerMIA · PF · 33	99	—	—	15.7	100	96	98	39	68	97
5	Nikola JokićDEN · C · 27	99	—	—	23.8	99	97	99	82	86	99
6	Stephen CurryGSW · PG · 34	98	—	—	12.7	97	98	81	100	90	53
7	Kevin DurantPHX · PF · 34	98	—	—	10.5	98	99	91	92	52	87
8	Damian LillardPOR · PG · 32	97	—	—	13.2	100	100	94	98	66	13
9	Jayson TatumBOS · SF · 24	97	—	—	13.8	96	98	90	87	81	73
10	Joel EmbiidPHI · C · 28	97	—	—	17.3	97	99	95	73	56	93
11	Tyrese HaliburtonIND · PG · 22	96	—	—	11.9	96	86	100	88	28	76
12	Kawhi LeonardLAC · SF · 31	96	—	—	9.5	97	94	89	88	63	83
13	Donovan MitchellCLE · SG · 26	95	—	—	13.5	95	96	65	96	57	77
14	LeBron JamesLAL · PF · 38	95	—	—	10.8	95	95	100	37	77	61
15	Anthony DavisLAL · C · 29	95	—	—	10.8	95	95	82	37	80	84
16	James HardenPHI · PG · 33	94	—	—	10.8	94	81	97	80	91	71
17	Lauri MarkkanenUTA · PF · 25	94	—	—	8.9	94	97	39	97	87	16
18	Kyrie IrvingDAL · SG · 30	93	—	—	9.5	91	94	79	91	69	56
19	Ja MorantMEM · PG · 23	93	—	—	10.3	93	93	96	6	93	64
20	Paul GeorgeLAC · SF · 32	93	—	—	6.2	89	88	92	91	47	71
21	Domantas SabonisSAC · C · 26	93	—	—	14.6	93	84	97	63	88	56
22	Devin BookerPHX · SG · 26	92	—	—	7.8	92	95	79	51	64	45
23	Brandon ClarkeMEM · PF · 26	92	—	—	3.5	84	86	36	10	92	92
24	Jrue HolidayMIL · PG · 32	91	—	—	7.6	93	74	89	73	78	60
25	Julius RandleNYK · PF · 28	91	—	—	10.5	91	91	86	60	93	21
26	Desmond BaneMEM · SG · 24	90	—	—	6.8	90	88	63	94	76	57
27	Kyle AndersonMIN · PF · 29	90	—	—	5.9	87	25	88	28	60	100
28	Nic ClaxtonBKN · C · 23	90	—	—	7.8	90	65	54	7	54	95
29	Derrick WhiteBOS · SG · 28	89	—	—	7.0	89	55	64	72	48	93
30	Evan MobleyCLE · PF · 21	89	—	—	6.8	86	70	58	0	94	95
31	Jalen BrunsonNYK · PG · 26	88	—	—	9.5	88	90	88	66	21	29
32	Pascal SiakamTOR · PF · 28	88	—	—	9.2	92	84	96	24	80	47
33	Jaren Jackson Jr.MEM · C · 23	88	—	—	5.9	86	82	24	86	10	97
34	Chris PaulPHX · PG · 37	87	—	—	6.8	85	36	95	47	58	89
35	Aaron GordonDEN · PF · 27	87	—	—	5.7	93	82	81	2	85	54
36	Fred VanVleetTOR · PG · 28	86	—	—	7.8	83	48	87	81	32	87
37	Malcolm BrogdonBOS · PG · 30	86	—	—	5.7	79	80	66	92	82	62
38	Cameron JohnsonBKN · PF · 26	86	—	—	3.8	90	78	66	89	38	75
39	Walker KesslerUTA · C · 21	86	—	—	5.7	84	59	27	10	76	82
40	Darius GarlandCLE · PG · 23	85	—	—	7.3	87	83	93	83	3	27
41	Draymond GreenGSW · PF · 32	85	—	—	4.3	85	16	93	7	78	96
42	Trae YoungATL · PG · 24	84	—	—	9.2	84	91	99	57	9	6
43	DeMar DeRozanCHI · SF · 33	84	—	—	7.0	83	89	94	36	13	62
44	Kevon LooneyGSW · C · 26	84	—	—	5.4	82	5	90	24	90	59
45	Delon WrightWAS · PG · 30	83	—	—	4.6	86	18	61	33	84	99
46	Brandon IngramNOP · SF · 25	83	—	—	4.1	78	90	95	72	40	32
47	De'Aaron FoxSAC · PG · 25	82	—	—	7.3	82	93	86	14	51	30
48	Trey Murphy IIINOP · SF · 22	82	—	—	6.2	81	81	34	98	4	76
49	Mitchell RobinsonNYK · C · 24	82	—	—	4.6	76	12	16	1	69	90
50	LaMelo BallCHA · PG · 21	81	—	—	3.8	64	70	93	89	92	37

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.