Which NBA bigs are worth a max contract?

[Mr October]

Zach Randolph, Tyson Chandler, Nene Hilario, Kevin Love.  One can also gamble on Roy Hibbert, Deandre Jordan and McGee.

Kevin Love, mos def. Good call.

Kevin Love is a very good player. But I think he falls into the "Al Jefferson nice numbers on crap teams" pit until proven otherwise.

Rebounding is a niche skill I place above good hands around the rim. Love is a max guy in my book, but PosImpos says, he's probably an "after guys are on the team" max guy.

I can see the 3rd guy idea, ala Ray Allen getting 17-18 million per year in Boston for 3 years. At that point you are willing to overspend for the luxury of a 3rd star-level player to play with your superior stars.

[Yogi]

Zach Randolph, Tyson Chandler, Nene Hilario, Kevin Love.  One can also gamble on Roy Hibbert, Deandre Jordan and McGee.

Kevin Love, mos def. Good call.

Kevin Love is a very good player. But I think he falls into the "Al Jefferson nice numbers on crap teams" pit until proven otherwise.

True it's easier to shoot like 45% from three-point land on a crap team... wait.  A lot of people have had close to 50-40-90 seasons on crap team right?  no... Well he must be terrible at offensive boards when he goes against the best rebounders in the other teams... He's number one? shoot... Well he's just been a flash in the plan and he can't do it consistently.  What?  longest double-double streak in history?  ... Well he's probably soft right?  He was suffering from a groin injury when he set that record?...   
Still he shouldn't get a max contract.  Lets give it to Chris Bosh he earned his max contract playing for the great Toronto Raptors.  What?  The Raptors suck?  Then he must have led the league in rebounding and broken NBA records in Toronto being as skilled as he is right?...   

[JSD]

Zach Randolph, Tyson Chandler, Nene Hilario, Kevin Love.  One can also gamble on Roy Hibbert, Deandre Jordan and McGee.

Kevin Love, mos def. Good call.

Kevin Love is a very good player. But I think he falls into the "Al Jefferson nice numbers on crap teams" pit until proven otherwise.

Rebounding is a niche skill I place above good hands around the rim. Love is a max guy in my book, but PosImpos says, he's probably an "after guys are on the team" max guy.

I can see the 3rd guy idea, ala Ray Allen getting 17-18 million per year in Boston for 3 years. At that point you are willing to overspend for the luxury of a 3rd star-level player to play with your superior stars.

Yeah, pretty much. I just think Love is more like a 2nd guy... Still, it depends on how good the ace is.

Can we settle on 2.5 type of guy?

[mgent]

Deserves max after this season:
Dwight
Amare

Deserves max but not 5-6 years:
Dirk
P Gasol
Griffin (hasn't earned it yet)
KG (1 year)

Could get max from dumb GM:
Aldridge
Brook Lopez
Love
Randolph
David West
Bosh
Jefferson
David Lee
Bogut
Bynum

On the edge:
Beasley
Scola
Boozer
Millsap
Josh Smith
Horford
Brand
Odom (as a starter)
Duncan

Possibility of moving to next tier:
Chandler
Nene
Kaman
Hibbert
M Gasol
Noah

Let me know if i missed anyone.

[StartOrien]

I'd add Greg Monroe and Derrick Favors to the list of players who COULD move to the next tier. DeMarcus Cousins is better than both of them, but too dangerous.

[OsirusCeltics]

Deserves max after this season:
Dwight
Amare

Deserves max but not 5-6 years:
Dirk
P Gasol
Griffin (hasn't earned it yet)
KG (1 year)

Could get max from dumb GM:
Aldridge
Brook Lopez
Love
Randolph
David West
Bosh
Jefferson
David Lee
Bogut
Bynum

On the edge:
Beasley
Scola
Boozer
Millsap
Josh Smith
Horford
Brand
Odom (as a starter)
Duncan

Possibility of moving to next tier:
Chandler
Nene
Kaman
Hibbert
M Gasol
Noah

Let me know if i missed anyone.

I like the separation. The "Dumb GM" section is very true. Alot of teams would throw money at a play for have just one productive season, or excelled because he was the only good player on a bad team

But I wouldn't never throw Max contract money at Noah though

[Mr October]

Zach Randolph, Tyson Chandler, Nene Hilario, Kevin Love.  One can also gamble on Roy Hibbert, Deandre Jordan and McGee.

Kevin Love, mos def. Good call.

Kevin Love is a very good player. But I think he falls into the "Al Jefferson nice numbers on crap teams" pit until proven otherwise.

True it's easier to shoot like 45% from three-point land on a crap team... wait.  A lot of people have had close to 50-40-90 seasons on crap team right?  no... Well he must be terrible at offensive boards when he goes against the best rebounders in the other teams... He's number one? shoot... Well he's just been a flash in the plan and he can't do it consistently.  What?  longest double-double streak in history?  ... Well he's probably soft right?  He was suffering from a groin injury when he set that record?...   
Still he shouldn't get a max contract.  Lets give it to Chris Bosh he earned his max contract playing for the great Toronto Raptors.  What?  The Raptors suck?  Then he must have led the league in rebounding and broken NBA records in Toronto being as skilled as he is right?...   

At least Bosh has lead his team to a few 40+ win seasons. Kevin Love has lead his team to about 20 wins per season so far. At some point the numbers need to translate into wins if you want to make a run at a championship.

Again, I think Love is a really good player (just like I think/thought Ray Allen is a very good player in my earlier analogy). However, I wouldn't want to start building my team with Love as a max player. I'd only do that if the ace player were someone like Lebron James.

[Mr October]

Zach Randolph, Tyson Chandler, Nene Hilario, Kevin Love.  One can also gamble on Roy Hibbert, Deandre Jordan and McGee.

Kevin Love, mos def. Good call.

Kevin Love is a very good player. But I think he falls into the "Al Jefferson nice numbers on crap teams" pit until proven otherwise.

Rebounding is a niche skill I place above good hands around the rim. Love is a max guy in my book, but PosImpos says, he's probably an "after guys are on the team" max guy.

I can see the 3rd guy idea, ala Ray Allen getting 17-18 million per year in Boston for 3 years. At that point you are willing to overspend for the luxury of a 3rd star-level player to play with your superior stars.

Yeah, pretty much. I just think Love is more like a 2nd guy... Still, it depends on how good the ace is.

Can we settle on 2.5 type of guy?

Sure! And I like his game and hope he keeps improving so that he is a year in year out lock as an all star.

[Yogi]

How does a player lead his team to victory?  Kevin Love has done above and beyond what you can ask from any single player.  It's up to the rest of the wolves and the coaching staff to step up. 

[2short]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents about kevin love
he's the real thing, you would love to have him on your team if your center was an offensive minded mid range guy, gasol say
he doesn't have the whole package like griffin but he is far far better than al jefferson
maybe not THE player you build around but I would love him on the celtics as a pf when we build around rondo
if we don't trade him for a can of soup as soon think 

[Who]

Max Contract Players

• Dwight Howard
• Kevin Garnett
• Pau Gasol
• Dirk Nowitzki

Borderline Max Contract Players

• Chris Bosh
• Blake Griffin (more in a year or two than today)

Valued Around $15 Million

• Amare Stoudemire
• Tim Duncan
• Carlos Boozer
• Andrew Bynum (borderline - still establishing consistency)

$13-$15 Million

• Joakim Noah
• LaMarcus Aldridge

$11-13 Million

• Lamar Odom
• Zach Randolph
• Andrew Bogut
• Tyson Chandler
• Al Horford
• Brook Lopez
• Josh Smith (borderline)

$8-$11 Million

• David West
• Paul Millsap
• Luis Scola
• Kevin Love
• Anderson Varejao
• Serge Ibaka
• Marc Gasol
• Al Jefferson
• Samuel Dalembert
• Marcin Gortat
• Brendan Haywood (borderline)
• Kendrick Perkins (borderline)

[Yogi]

Deserves max after this season:
Dwight
Amare

Deserves max but not 5-6 years:
Dirk
P Gasol
Griffin (hasn't earned it yet)
KG (1 year)

Could get max from dumb GM:
Aldridge
Brook Lopez
Love
Randolph
David West
Bosh
Jefferson
David Lee
Bogut
Bynum

On the edge:
Beasley
Scola
Boozer
Millsap
Josh Smith
Horford
Brand
Odom (as a starter)
Duncan

Possibility of moving to next tier:
Chandler
Nene
Kaman
Hibbert
M Gasol
Noah

Let me know if i missed anyone.

I think Bynum will soon challenge Dwight as the best true center in the league.  The kid's like 22.  He's been unlucky with injuries but he'll be alright.  I don't think it's a big risk to give Love, Aldridge or Z. Randolph a max contract.  Those guys will give you a very efficient 20-10 consistently.  
Notable exceptions (at least on the edge )... Shame on you for not including Perk.  Marcin Gortat, D. Jordan, McGee, Serge Ibaka, Jermaine O'Neal (he's only 32!) Jamison, Varejao, Gallinari, Bargnani, Shawn "The Matrix" Marion, Gerald Wallace, Greg Oden and Yao Ming (if he doesn't retire).  

[mgent]

Deserves max after this season:
Dwight
Amare

Deserves max but not 5-6 years:
Dirk
P Gasol
Griffin (hasn't earned it yet)
KG (1 year)

Could get max from dumb GM:
Aldridge
Brook Lopez
Love
Randolph
David West
Bosh
Jefferson
David Lee
Bogut
Bynum

On the edge:
Beasley
Scola
Boozer
Millsap
Josh Smith
Horford
Brand
Odom (as a starter)
Duncan

Possibility of moving to next tier:
Chandler
Nene
Kaman
Hibbert
M Gasol
Noah

Let me know if i missed anyone.

I like the separation. The "Dumb GM" section is very true. Alot of teams would throw money at a play for have just one productive season, or excelled because he was the only good player on a bad team

But I wouldn't never throw Max contract money at Noah though

Yeah or bad teams that would overpay a decent or injury-prone player on a good team in an attempt to bring some wins to their team(s).  I almost put "really dumb GM" in parentheses after Bynum.

[LooseCannon]

How does a player lead his team to victory?  Kevin Love has done above and beyond what you can ask from any single player.  It's up to the rest of the wolves and the coaching staff to step up. 

Does Love do anything to make his teammates better?  A guy with monster rebounding stats, a credible three-point shot, and a reputation for no defense just makes him a better Troy Murphy and not a guy you build a team around.

[Mr October]

Max Contract Players

• Dwight Howard
• Kevin Garnett
• Pau Gasol
• Dirk Nowitzki

Borderline Max Contract Players

• Chris Bosh
• Blake Griffin (more in a year or two than today)

Valued Around $15 Million

• Amare Stoudemire
• Tim Duncan
• Carlos Boozer
• Andrew Bynum (borderline - still establishing consistency)

$13-$15 Million

• Joakim Noah
• LaMarcus Aldridge

$11-13 Million

• Lamar Odom
• Tyson Chandler
• Brook Lopez
• Zach Randolph
• Andrew Bogut
• Al Horford
• Josh Smith (borderline)

$8-$11 Million

• David West
• Paul Millsap
• Luis Scola
• Kevin Love
• Anderson Varejao
• Serge Ibaka
• Marc Gasol
• Al Jefferson
• Samuel Dalembert
• Brendan Haywood (borderline)
• Kendrick Perkins (borderline)

Just for the heck of it, who still gets those dollars if you signed them to a 5 year deal like in the OP?

The only part of your list i dont agree with is the 11-13 crew. I see most of them as 10 per year. Horford and (if he bounces back to full health) Bogut are definitely worth 12 though. Love is also probably worth 12.

edit: Just Noticed Noah. 12 absolute tops for him too.