Like every sport, teams know that in order to keep up with the arms race in their league, they have to spend money on big-named free agents. Unfortunately, just because a franchise has lots of money to go on a shopping spree with, that doesn’t always mean that they’re handing all of that cash to the right guys. And since there have been so many bad contracts over the history of the NBA, here are the 15 players who, right now, are anything but worth their contract value.
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15. Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks)
2014 Salary: $14.70 million
A benefactor of a bidding war between his former team and his current one, the Dallas Mavericks, Chandler Parsons earned a ridiculous amount of money this past offseason. While the former Florida Gator has proven himself since entering the league by increasing his scoring average and taking on a bigger role, paying him $14.70 million is just way too much for what he gives.
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14. Eric Gordon (New Orleans Pelicans)
2014 Salary: $14.89 million
It seems like the entire league has been waiting for New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon to breakout and become a regular All-Star. And while he carries a career scoring average of 17.1 points per game, his 2014-15 stats are subpar at best, with him dropping in just 11.5 points per game. For a team with a superstar on the inside in Anthony Davis and the amount of cash Gordon’s receiving, he needs to do better.
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13. Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz)
2014 Salary: $12.95 million
The former No. 3 overall selection in the 2010 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz’s Derrick Favors was, fair or not, compared to All-Star Chris Bosh when he entered the league thanks to his skills and background—both played one season at Georgia Tech in college. It’s too bad that the younger Favors hasn’t developed into Bosh, though. While he does have talent, it’s a bit absurd to pay him $12.95 million per season right now, yet that’s what the Jazz are doing as he continues to improve his all-around game.
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12. Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz)
2014 Salary: $14.7 million
I swear that I’m not trying to hate on the Utah Jazz, it’s just, I’m not a huge fan with how they’re spending their money. Seeing how the aforementioned Derrick Favors and his current teammate Gordon Hayward are both making well into the double-digits in annual salary, it’s a sign that the Jazz need to keep their homegrown talent in Utah. Still, paying $14.7 million for a guy in Hayward who has a career scoring average of 12.8 and hasn’t made his team better is a stretch. He is a rising star, but was probably one contract away from getting paid the max deal he signed this past offseason.
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11. Rajon Rondo (Dallas Mavericks)
2014 Salary: $12.90 million
Yes, Rajon Rondo, when healthy and motivated, might just be the most lethal, all-around guard in the NBA. No, that’s not a typo. As talented as nearly anyone in the league right now, Rondo is capable of putting up triple-double-like numbers on any given night. For that reason, he’s paid nearly $13 million per season. Unfortunately, he doesn’t always play with the passion to be the best guard in the league, making the millions that he does make a little too risky.
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10. Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings)
2014 Salary: $19.31 million
Going back to his collegiate days at UConn, I’ve always liked Rudy Gay’s game. He’s long, agile and has an outside shot that stretches the floor. It’s just, well, there’s no way he is worth over $19 million per season in salary. Even as he embarks on another season in which he’s at or above 19-plus points per game, Gay is often criticized for eating the cake he baked himself, as he’s not known for making his teammates better. For that type of money, he should be a superstar. Instead, he’s just a borderline All-Star.
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9. Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors)
2014 Salary: $12.28 million
Even when the Golden State Warriors signed Andre Iguodala prior to the 2013-14 season, they probably knew they were overpaying for him. Never a superstar, Iggy has always been a versatile player who seemed to do it all. He can defend, minimally produce offensively and play with energy unlike other guys who make $12-plus million per year. But, as a young team on the rise who needed a veteran, the Warriors gave Iguodala a big contract that he wasn’t going to turn down.
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8. Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks)
2014 Salary: $22.45 million
For those who have read any of my pieces in which I mention New York Knicks “superstar” Carmelo Anthony, you know how I feel about the guy. I think he’s an underachiever who is as talented as anyone in the league, but just doesn’t want to put the work in. Sure, Melo says the right things and carries himself like a top-five player, but he isn’t one. After inking a max deal in the summer of 2014, Anthony is now dealing with an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the year. That comes after grumblings that the team could deal him and he would waive his no-trade clause in the right situation.
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7. Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
2014 Salary: $18.82 million
The story of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is a sad one. A former league MVP who has the explosiveness and grit like few in the league—even with two bum knees—D-Rose hasn’t been the player that the Bulls hoped he would when they agreed to pay him $18.82 million this year. Struggling to come back from numerous injuries, when Rose was healthy, he’s, arguably, the top point guard in the NBA. Unfortunately, he’s far from that these days.
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6. Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)
2014 Salary: $14.89 million
A rare, true center in the NBA, Roy Hibbert proved in the second-half of last season why he should not be worth $14.89 million per season. Still, the Pacers were hesitant to deal him, leaving them on the hook for such a high salary. Talented and a big presence down low, Hibbert is a bit of a head case—as he proved last year—and isn’t a guy who has proven to be able to lead a team on his own.
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5. Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
2014 Salary: $23.18 million
Did you know that Joe Johnson is a seven-time NBA All-Star? While doing research for this piece, I was actually shocked to find that out. I mean, he has been a fine player over the years, putting up decent numbers and all, but to be considered one of the top-30 players on the planet that many times is something that I never would have happened. Want to know what’s even more surprising? The Brooklyn Nets forward makes the third-highest, annual salary in the league this year at $23.18 million. That’s something that should never happen.
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4. Nene Hilario (Washington Wizards)
2014 Salary: $13 million
Some might say that $13 million for a big man like Nene Hilario is actually of market value. I would disagree. Sure, Nene brings a more than serviceable big man to any team that he’s on, even showing some range with a smooth outside jumper. It’s too bad he doesn’t do what teams want most out of a 6’11” guy—rebound. While the Brazilian has averaged a steady 12.5 points per game in his career, he grabs jsut 6.8 boards per contest, and has never once finished with an average in double-digits in that category.
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3. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
2014 Salary: $23.5 million
Before all the Los Angeles Lakers fans nail me on Twitter with hate, I’ll go ahead and say that I have the utmost respect for Kobe Bryant. Hell, he’s the closest thing the league has seen to Michael Jordan since No. 23 retired for good, and is a top-10 player to ever lace ’em up. Still, there’s no arguing the Black Mamba got a deal that is laughable when he inked an extension in 2013 for two years and $48,5 million. If Kobe was 27 instead of 37, I have no problem with the contract. But paying a player with that much mileage on his legs $23.5 million per season—the highest in the league—is just foolish, and no way to build a contender.
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2. Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets)
2014 Salary: $19.75 million
With the ninth-highest salary in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets pay their former All-Star point guard Deron Williams $19.75 million per season. Stop and think about that for a second. Back? OK, let’s continue. Once considered a challenger to the thrown of top point guard in the league, D-Will has battled injuries and aging worse than anyone would imagine, as both his points and assists have dropped over the past five seasons. Paid like a top-flight player, Williams is barely a starter on his own team, let alone one on an All-NBA team as his salary would suggest.
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1. Amar’e Stoudemire (New York Knicks)
2014 Salary: $23.41 million
It seems like a long time ago that Amar’e Stoudemire was the explosive player who could be seen jumping over defenders and giving opposing head coaches headaches. Following a couple of knee injuries that just never seemed to heal, Amar’e was, inconceivably, handed a max contract back in 2010 by the New York Knicks. While his first season in the Big Apple saw him average 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 78 contests, he hasn’t come close to such production since. Playing in just 171 of a possible 312 games, the former All-Star is limited with what he can do, yet still earns the second-highest salary per season at $23.41 million.
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