Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant and Miami Heat forward LeBron James headline the 2013-2014 All-NBA First Team. The MVP winner and runner-up were the only players to receive more than 600 points from the panel of voters, garnering 625 and 623 points, respectively. Joining Durant and James on the First Team are Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls (551 points), Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers (540 points), and James Harden of the Houston Rockets (502 points).
This is the eighth First Team selection for James, fifth for Durant, and fourth for Paul. Noah and Harden captured First Team honors for the first time in their careers. Durant was the lone player to appear on all 125 first-place ballots; James was named to 124.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry led all vote-getters on the All-NBA Second Team with 489 points and 65 first-place votes. The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (350 points), Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love (237 points), Houston Rockets’ Dwight Howard (226 points), and San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker (210 points, 14 first-place votes) round out the Second Team.
Charlotte Bobcats center Al Jefferson received the most points (191) among All-NBA Third Team members. This is the first time in his career that Jefferson, a 10-year veteran, earned All-NBA honors. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers (171 points), LaMarcus Aldridge (159 points) and Damian Lillard (115 points) of the Portland Trailblazers, and Goran Dragic (115 points) of the Phoenix Suns. This is the first All-NBA selection for Lillard and Dragic, too.
Of particular interest is the selection of George, who was also named to the All-NBA Third Team last season. By making an All-NBA Team he qualifies for the so-called “Derrick Rose Rule,” earning a $7 million bonus in the process that was a corollary of the five-year maximum contract extension he signed with the Pacers last summer.
The Rose Provision states that a player who signed a maximum extension is entitled to a substantial raise should he win an MVP, start in two All-Star Games, or make multiple All-NBA teams before the new contract kicks in. George’s extension begins next season. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls – the rule’s namesake – and Griffin were the first players to qualify for this stipulation.
Though the final terms of George’s contract are unknown, his raise could complicate Indiana’s financial prospects going forward. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shares unique insight on that development below:
But the Pacers also may be feeling good about how this is playing out because some artful negotiating saved them an additional $11 million George could have earned. Indiana also may end up with an extra $1.8 million in space below the luxury tax this summer that could be valuable as it looks to re-sign Lance Stephenson while staying out of the luxury tax next season.
Knowing that George had a good chance of making the All-NBA team again, the Pacers pre-emptively negotiated a provision that would limit the bonus. Instead of giving George 30 percent of the salary cap, as he was eligible for by making the two All-NBA teams, the Pacers and their franchise star agreed to 27 percent. This was the first time this type of deal had been agreed to. In return, the Pacers gave George an opt-out clause in 2018 so he can become a free agent sooner if he chooses.
Also of note, Russell Westbrook — who dazzled during OKC’s playoff run to the Western Conference Finals — was not named to a single All-NBA team, but only appeared in 46 regular season games this season, severely hindering his inclusion with so many deserving candidates who didn’t miss so much time.
Carmelo Anthony, who missed out on the playoffs for the first time in his career this past season, was also noticeably absent from the All-NBA lists. The snub could provide some excellent motivation for whichever team he ends up with this summer if he opts out of the final year of his Knicks deal.
After missing playoffs for first time and not making All-NBA Teams, I think Carmelo Anthony will dominate next year (wherever he's playing).
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 4, 2014
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