Rookie contracts are four year deals. So kids in their first four years are all playing for that second contract. If a collective could piece together, say, $10M for Stroud to stick around another year, he’d at least have to consider it.
Maybe he flames out? Happens all the time. 10M plus his future 35M rookie contract looks pretty good. Could you live on $45M? Of course, if he comes in and performs, then he will earn many multiples times those numbers.
But no, it’s not a joke.