What is $3 Million?

A guide to the players available at $3 million or less in MLB, The NFL, and The NBA.

Recently in my sports marketing class at Central Washington University we discussed average salary in the four major sports leagues. A young lady in my class was surprised at how low the average NFL salary was in comparison to the other leagues. This was a shocking reality I had had to come to grips with in the seventh grade. Internal struggle led me to the simple numbers of the situation. Being one of twelve per roster in the NBA has the benefit of a large median salary.

After attempting to iterate what I just wrote verbally to the class, I left with the feeling that the class still honestly had no idea how massive the scale of the disparity between the major sports actually is. With out further adieu I will show you what a stack of monopoly money was worth last season in all three leagues. *A note for hockey fans: I’m sorry NHL. At least ESPN has your back.

RusseLL Wilson & Kawhi Leonard

What else can you say about a QB who has seen two Super Bowls in three NFL seasons? How about thank god he is short. Questions about size let Wilson slip to the third round and has him playing at an extremely friendly salary under $900 thousand. Wilson is currently negotiating a new contract.

The 2014 NBA Finals MVP is playing for $2.9 million this season. Still on his rookie contract, Leonard expects a significant raise this offseason. For now the Spurs enjoy Kawhi’s above average play for about $2 million less than the NBA league average.

SmoakVS

AngryJustin Smoak gave Seattle sports fans a half season that included a .202 batting average and seven home runs for $2.9 million. Angry Doug Baldwin gave an unforgettable interview as a cardboard cut out and led the Seahawks in receiving yards. A shocking “doo-doo on the Patriots” TD and dance was also included for $3 million.

Jerryd Bayless

D.J. Augustin

The 2008 NBA Draft gave basketball fans Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love in the top five. It also gave NBA hardcores two of the greatest journeyman point guards of all time. Augustin went at nine to the then Bobcats of Charlotte while Bayless was immediately traded from Indiana to Portland, in a way foreshadowing the frequent flier careers of both. Each check in at an even $3 million. Augustin

Bayless

The 2013-14 NBA season gave fans in Phoenix the glory of both Morris twins for $3 million each. Now in the 2014-15 season they both make much more, but what a run it was for Suns while those

rookie contracts lasted.

Markieff & Marcus:The Morris Twins

MaicerIzturis

BruceChen

JoseTabata

These are 60% of the $3 million even player last year in the MLB. Izturis and Chen are classic examples of teams “taking a flier” on

a player, which means low expectations but hoping that perhaps they

can revert to a season gone by and thus be a $3 million value. Tabata is another example of the Yankees fleecing a team out of

established talent with a can’t miss prospect from their massively overrated farm system. (See also Freddy Montero). (See also Russ

Davis)…ect.Instead what you usually get in both cases is what you see here: Limited games, modest numbers, and inability to stay relevant. 1. Izturis: 11 games/.286 Batting Avg./35 at bats/1 RBI/0 HR

2. Chen: 2-4 Win, Loss/7.45 ERA/In 48 1/3 innings 3. Tabata: 80 games/.282 BA/174 at bats/17 RBI/0 HR

Baseball Bargains In 2014

Bryce Harper$2,150,000

100 games/.273 BA/352 AB/ 32 RBI / 13 HR

Kyle Seager$540,100

159 games/.268 BA/590 AB/96 RBI/25 HR

So dynamic is the NFL game that rookie contracts now house most NFL statistical leaders.1. Demarco Murray- NFL’s leading rusher-$1,406,0002. Leveon Bell- Most yards from scrimmage-$1,527,6003. Julius Thomas- Dynamic tight end-$779,5864. Luke Kuechly- NFL’s leading tackler-$2,105,265