The NBA’s 20 Worst Contracts

With the Trade Deadline been and gone, the issue with trading some of those bad contracts hampered some teams.  Who has the least tradeable contract?  Or has the least production per dollar.  So we decided to rank the 20 worst contracts in the NBA.

The dollar amount is guaranteed money including this season until the end of their contract.

1. Joakim Noah  $55,590,000 until 2019-20

How could Joakim’s contract not be the worst in the NBA?  This was one of those !@#$% moments when it was confirmed.  Noah was far from being the Defensive player of the year when he signed with the Knicks, we all knew this was bad, very bad from the start.  I mean in his last season in Chicago he shot at 38% from the field and less than 50% from the line.  His rebounding and even his passing was there but he only played 29 games for the Bulls.  This has carried on to only 53 games played for the Knicks in the last season and a half.  And for this money he should be playing like a Top 10 Center.  After his suspension, Noah and the organization have come to an agreement that he will not be involved in team activities for the foreseeable future.

2. Chandler Parsons $72,331,773 until 2019-20

The Grizz, not really known for splashing out, signed Chandler Parsons to a 4 year/$94m contract in the crazy 2016 offseason and for that money, Parsons has only played in 60 out of a possible 137 games for them. In a Grizzlies uniform, Parsons per game stats are 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 40% from the field and 33% from 3. In fact, he is being paid roughly $89,000 per point scored!

3. Luol Deng $54,000,000 until 2019-20

I like Luol Deng, he played a vital role on the very good Bulls teams not so long ago, he just got old very fast as soon as he hit his 30s (he’s only 32).  He now provides little on the court in terms of production averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 boards last season, which is a lot better than his 13 minutes played in total for this season.  Stretch provision looks like the best option for the Lakers coming into the next offseason.

4. Evan Turner $53,606,557 until 2019-20

I hated this signing when it first happened. Signing a player who needs to ball to be efficient and doesn’t stretch the floor to play alongside a team whose two best players need the ball to be efficient. It was never going to work. Turner is the poor mans Iguodala but gets paid more than him. Go figure.

5. Miles Plumlee $37,500,000 until 2019-20

 

Wow, this Plumlee brother had some great luck.  Signed a 4-yr/$50M deal in August 2016 with the Bucks.  The magical offseason of giving away money.  I mean in the previous season he had averaged 14 minutes, 5 points and 4 rebounds.  He was in for a bigger role for sure, that never happened.  The numbers got worse.  Only 45 games in 2016-17 with the Bucks, 11 mins, 2 boards and 2.5 points per game.  He miraculously got traded to the Hornets and the numbers dived again.  Not even an average backup, Miles is getting way overpaid at $12.5 million a year.

6. Ian Mahinmi $48,055,846 until 2019-20

In 2016 (sensing a pattern?), the Wizards signed Ian Mahinmi to a 4 year/$64m contract, a deal that early 2000s Mark Cuban would’ve been proud of. Remember when Cuban would give nearly any 7-footer big money? Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop etc. Anyway, Mahinmi got a $16m/year deal off the back of a 9 point, 7 board campaign a season earlier. The big Frenchman then went on to miss 51 games of his first season in Washington.

7. Allen Crabbe $56,322,500 until 2019-20

Allen Crabbe was sought after by the Nets twice, first offering him the big money first when he was a restricted free agent but Portland matched.  Most thought this was a crazy offer and gave the Nets a pass, especially as Marks had made some savvy moves.  Then he was acquired via trade after the Blazers wanted to save some money, waking up to the crazy amount they had payed a role player to remain on their roster.  Still young enough but plenty of guys can do what he does at a much more cheaper rate.

8. Tristan Thompson $52,408,695 until 2019-20

This contract is different because it was done in 2015 but that doesn’t make it any less ill-advised. Thompson WAS an elite defender and a great offensive rebounder. He’s still a DECENT offensive rebounder but he’s a shell of his former self on the defensive end. TT is averaging career lows across the board, while getting paid the same as reigning defensive player of the year and multi-time all-star Draymond Green. Yeah, tell me again the Kardashian curse isn’t real…

9. Omer Asik $33,859,548 until 2019-20

I can’t even remember when I saw this guy play a minute in a NBA uniform.  Was it for the Rockets or Bulls or now the Pelicans or Bulls again?  Asik should be earning a retirement cheque in Europe instead of getting one doing absolutely nothing in the US.  How he has a contract for 2 more seasons, I do not know.  Only $3 million is guaranteed in his last year though (BONUS!)

10. Danilo Gallinari $64,762,737 until 2019-20

Gallo is still a servicable player, however the deal he signed still makes him well overpaid for his production. The Clips are paying the guy $20m a year for the same scoring output as rookies Kyle Kuzma and Lauri Markkanen, Lakers youngster Brandon Ingram and NBA punchline, Austin Rivers. Not to mention, he has only played in 17 of a possible 55 games for the Clips this year.

11. Timofey Mozgov $48,000,000 until 2019-20

The Lakers couldn’t wait until Midnight a couple of years ago to make this the first signing of Free Agency.  And they had to do it “Lakers”style by throwing cash at this man, a lot of it.  Everyone was blown away by the deal he got and why it was the very first deal done that Free Agency, only Mitch Kupchak knows.  At least the Lakers managed to offload him to Brooklyn.  I mean he can still play a bit, but not really great at anything in particular, $16 million a year is a lot of money for your third in the rotation Center.

12. Bismack Biyombo $34,000,000 until 2018-19

I mean, it says that BB’s guaranteed money is only $34m and while that is technically true, he does have a player option in 2019-20 for another $17m so let’s just call it $51m instead. The reason Biyombo is lower on this list is because he is still somewhat productive for what he does. He’s just hella overpaid. Per 36 minutes, Biyombo averages a double double (10 points, 11 boards) and 2.5 blocks, which isn’t terrible. Buuuuuuut, the signing was ridiculously ill-conceived and it still ranks as one of the most untradeable contracts.

13. Brandon Knight $43,893,750 until 2019-20

He’s been called soft and not for all the injuries he has sustained.  He can score effectively when on form but not that efficiently.  He has never played a full season in his six seasons in the NBA let alone he hasn’t suited up at all this year.  And it’s tough paying a guy $14-15 million a year to not play.

14. Pau Gasol $38,700,000 until 2019-20

It’s very rare that the Spurs misfire on one of their signings, but this is one of those occasions. The original plan was Pau would opt out of his contract last season, let the Spurs sign some good players, then resign for a lesser, longer deal. Now I love Pau and he is still serviceable and has the perfect personality for the Spurs but he is a shell of his former self and shouldn’t be getting paid as much as he is.

15. Nicolas Batum $99,130,434 until 2020-21

Always considered a high quality glue guy.  He can shoot, pass, defend and can switch between positions on both ends of the court.  He just seems slower now and nearing 30 with his shooting touch in decline a contract with over $20 million for the next 4 years, is not a contract you want on your books.  Still a very good piece just overvalued.

16. Andre Iguodala $48,000,000 until 2019-20

Iggy has been a vital part of what the Warriors have been doing since they became perennial championship contenders, even winning himself a Finals MVP. However, after signing his extension this offseason just gone, he is struggling mightily. He is averaging career lows across the board; 5.5 points, 3.8 boards, 3.3 assists and shooting woefully from the deep, hitting only 22% of his 3s.

17. Serge Ibaka $64,000,000 until 2019-20

Is this guy really only 28 years old?  Known for his shotblocking which is at a low (1.4 per game) along with his rebounding (6.3 per game), he now doesn’t really have an identity and is looking old.  He should be really playing Center and he can’t with young guys like Poetl or Dinosaur game Jonas beating him out for minutes there.  Still a decent piece but at a $20 million a year pricetag he comes at an expensive cost.

18. Gorgui Dieng $62,800,000 until 2020-21

Dieng is a player that has shown promise and I believe still has something to offer teams. It’s just that team isn’t the Wolves. Coach Thibs has Dieng playing only 17 minutes per game this season after playing no less than 27 since his rookie season. With his lack of playing time, Dieng has already managed to fling a career high in 3 point attempts, taking 46 3s so far this season, after only taking 43 all last season, which shows frustration to me, happily staying on the perimeter rather than getting down low where he’s most effective. So Dieng is here through no fault of his own, but, alas, that doesn’t matter to us.

 

19. Jrue Holiday $126,000,000 until 2021-22

He’s on a bounce back year, a really complete point guard .  A great player actually but it doesn’t mean he has a great contract.  He’s having his best year since his Philly days but so many injuries have hampered him over his career and especially in New Orleans.  Let us hope he can continue this good run of 19 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game can continue as $126 million over 5 years is a lot of money.

20. JR Smith $32,350,000 until 2019-20

JR Smith has always been a hot or cold player. You have to take the good with the bad. And, to be fair, his numbers are on the rise after a terrible start. However, his averages are still way down from the Cavs championship season, the season which earned JR this contract. I will say JR only barely made this list and if his play continues to trend upwards, I’d be all for switching him for someone else. But, for now, JR is on the list.