On the eve of free agency, the ?What?s he worth?? question is basic and far-reaching in the NBA.  Each team must make that evaluation ? especially those general managers with cap money available.

Many factors are relevant ? age, size, position, potential, box office appeal ? but none of these criteria are more important than actual production.  That is to say, the player?s on-court performance.

While many fans and general managers have disdain for statistics in player evaluation, stats have their place.  Basketball stats have not reached the level of baseball?s (and they won?t because of fundamental differences between the games), but stats still have their place in analyzing basketball players.

While statistics themselves are objective measures, what the stats truly mean about a player is subjective.  With free agency scheduled to begin July 1, I offer the following statistical analysis and my own interpretations.  Whether you agree ? well, that?s up to you.

My Salary Formula (? Kevin J. Broom 2002 ? All rights reserved) is a variation on the father of basketball stat formulas, the Tendex.  I use a modified version called the Player Production Average, which is points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks ? missed field goal attempts ? missed free throw attempts ? turnovers ? personal fouls, all of which is divided by games played.  The SF takes it a step further by calculating a player?s percentage contribution to the average team?s production using the PPA, then comparing that percentage contribution to the salary cap.  Then, I add in a bonus or penalty based on winning percentage, and voila ? an approximate player value in NBA dollars.

Salary Formula Top 25 ? based on per game performance

1. Kevin Garnett ? $14,930,634
2. Tim Duncan ? $14,348,535
3. Dirk Nowitzki ? $13,322,752
4. Shaquille O?Neal ? $13,236,951
5. Tracy McGrady ? $12,759,281
6. Kobe Bryant ? $12,702,631
7. Chris Webber ? $11,591,441
8. Jason Kidd ? $10,568,539
9. Shawn Marion ? $10,468,811
10. Ben Wallace ? $10,207,615
11. Jermaine O?Neal ? $9,967,561
12. Paul Pierce ? $9,687,386
13. Karl Malone ? $9,633,392
14. Allen Iverson ? $9,420,129
15. Steve Nash ? $9,205,703
16. Elton Brand ? $9,171,129
17. Gary Payton ? $9,031,059
18. Steve Francis ? $8,753,336
19. Peja Stojakovic ? $8,642,356
20. Jamal Mashburn ? $8,603,920
21. Stephon Marbury ? $8,576,785
22. Shareef Abdur-Rahim ? $8,469,343
23. Michael Finley ? $8,429,643
24. Sam Cassell ? $8,319,833
25. Pau Gasol ? $8,296,412

Lost Production Top 10 ? this is a player?s total production vs. his per game average, and is a simple measure of how much production his team lost due to injury or suspension (all numbers in millions)

1. Grant Hill ? $5.08
2. Vince Carter ? $3.16
3. Michael Olowokandi ? $2.83
4. Eddie Jones ? $2.73
5. Wally Szczerbiak ? $2.63
6. Baron Davis ? $2.62
7. Marcus Camby ? $2.60
8. Dikembe Mutombo ? $2.43
9. Mike Bibby ? $2.42
10. Shaquille O?Neal ? $2.42

Top Five Rookies

1. Yao Ming ? $7,129,335
2. Amare Stoudemire ? $5,860,374
3. Carlos Boozer ? $4,881,576
4. Caron Butler ? $4,877,051
5. Drew Gooden ? $4,747,893

They?ll Get The Max?

?But are they worth it?  According to the Salary Formula?, neither Jason Kidd or Jermaine O?Neal are worth the maximum salaries they?re eligible to receive under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  As a nine-year veteran, Kidd could receive up to 30-percent of the salary cap.  Against a $42 million cap (as is being reported), that?s a first-year salary of $12.6 million.  O?Neal, having completed his seventh season could get the same amount.

The formula says neither is worth the seven-year, $121 million contract each could command by re-signing with their original teams.  Signing with another team ? say San Antonio ? would net a six-year deal worth $94.5 million.

Here?s what Kidd should get, according to the salary formula:
- Stays with New Jersey ? 7 years, $101.7 million
- Departs via free agency ? 6 years, $79.3 million

Jermaine:
- Stays with Indiana ? 7 years, $95.9 million
- Departs ? 6 years, $74.7 million

Other Prominent Free Agents

Below, are starting salaries generated by the Salary Formula, and then the contract each player could expect to receive assuming standard raises according to the CBA.

Elton Brand ? $9,171,810
- Stays: 7 years, $88.3 million
- Goes: 6 years, $68.8 million

Brad Miller ? $7,693,799
- Stays: 7 years, $74 million
- Goes: 6 years, $57.7 million

PJ Brown ? $7,619,621
- Stays: 3 years*, $25.7 million
- Goes: 3 years, $25.1 million

* - Given Brown?s age, he?s unlikely to get a deal for more than three seasons.

Jason Terry ? $7,362,682
- Stays: 7 years, $70.8 million
- Goes: 6 years, $55.2 million

Gilbert Arenas ? $6,925,831
- Stays: the most Golden State can offer is the mid-level exception, which will be between $4.8 and $4.9 million
- Goes: 6 years, $51.9 million

Juwan Howard ? $6,050,655
- Stays: 7 years, $58.2 million
- Goes: 6 years, $45.4 million

Richard Hamilton ? $5,874,967
- Stays: 7 years, $56.5 million
- Goes: 6 years: $44.1 million

Radoslav Nesterovic ? $5,755,334
- Stays: 7 years, $55.4 million
- Goes: 6 years, $43.1 million

Andre Miller ? $5,485,758
- Stays: 7 years, $52. 8 million
- Goes: 6 years, $41.1 million

Lamar Odom ? $5,297,617
- Stays: 7 years, $50.9 million
- Goes: 6 years, $39.7 million

Michael Olowokandi ? $5,052,275
- Stays: 7 years, $48.6 million
- Goes: 6 years, $37.9 million

Corey Maggette ? $5,005,551
- Stays: 7 years, $48.1 million
- Goes: 6 years, $37.5 million

Have questions about a particular player or how the Salary Formula works, please send them to me at kevinbroom@realgm.com.

Kevin Broom is a Senior Writer with RealGM and a frequent contributor at WizFans. He can be reached at KevinBroom@RealGM.com.