Let’s be real: NBA teams love throwing bags of money at players who absolutely do not deserve it.
Some contracts age like fine wine, others like a gallon of milk left in the sun. Today, we’re looking at every NBA team’s most overpaid player ever. Buckle up for some financial disasters and a few career heists!
Los Angeles Lakers – Luol Deng
The Lakers gave Deng a four-year, $72 million deal in 2016, only to realize about 10 minutes later that he was washed. They ended up stretching his contract, meaning they were paying him until 2022 just to not play for them.
Miami Heat – Hassan Whiteside
Whiteside finessed a four-year, $98 million deal after one good season of blocking shots and flexing. Turns out, he wasn’t actually that good at basketball, and Miami paid for the illusion.
Golden State Warriors – Chris Webber (1993)
The Warriors signed rookie Webber to a 15-year, $74 million deal (which was insane at the time) and then immediately had buyer’s remorse. He was gone after one season. Oops.
Boston Celtics – Gordon Hayward
Hayward got a four-year, $128 million deal to be Boston’s next superstar. Then his leg exploded five minutes into his debut, and he was never the same.
Chicago Bulls – Ben Wallace
Big Ben was a defensive monster in Detroit, but when the Bulls gave him $60 million over four years in 2006, he promptly forgot how to play basketball. Chicago shipped him out after just a season and a half.
Dallas Mavericks – Chandler Parsons
Parsons convinced two teams (Rockets and Grizzlies) to overpay him, but the Mavs were the first to fall for it: $46 million over three years for 127 total games. Genius scam.
Toronto Raptors – Hedo Turkoglu
Toronto thought they were getting a star in 2009. Instead, they paid $53 million for a guy who preferred pizza and nightlife over basketball. He lasted one season before the Raptors hit undo.
Philadelphia 76ers – Tobias Harris
This one is still going: five years, $180 million for a player who has never been an All-Star. Philly fans are still trying to figure out what happened.
Milwaukee Bucks – John Henson
$48 million for a backup big who couldn’t stay healthy and was barely playable in the playoffs. Milwaukee kept hoping he’d turn into something, but he never did.
Phoenix Suns – Trevor Ariza
Ariza signed a one-year, $15 million deal in 2018 and spent half a season collecting checks before the Suns mercifully dumped him.
Brooklyn Nets – Deron Williams
The Nets thought they had a superstar. Instead, they gave Deron a five-year, $98 million deal only to realize he was already declining. They paid him until 2020 to go away.
Denver Nuggets – Kenyon Martin
$92.5 million for a guy who never made an All-Star team in Denver and spent half his contract injured? Not ideal.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Larry Hughes
The Cavs gave Hughes a five-year, $70 million deal to be LeBron’s sidekick. He responded by shooting bricks and making fans question their life choices.
New York Knicks – Joakim Noah
The Knicks have so many options, but Noah’s four-year, $72 million deal stands out. They paid him to play 53 games total before buying him out.
Houston Rockets – Ryan Anderson
Houston gave Anderson $80 million to do one thing: shoot threes. Then they realized he couldn’t defend, rebound, or move his feet. Whoops.
Portland Trail Blazers – Evan Turner
Four years, $70 million for a guy who couldn’t shoot threes in the modern NBA. The Blazers should’ve just donated that money.
Memphis Grizzlies – Chandler Parsons (Again!)
Yes, he appears twice! Memphis gave him $94 million for zero knees and 95 total games.
Atlanta Hawks – Jon Koncak
The Hawks made Koncak one of the highest-paid players in the NBA in the late ’80s. He rewarded them by averaging 4 points per game.
San Antonio Spurs – Richard Jefferson
The Spurs rarely mess up, but giving Jefferson a four-year, $39 million deal after he already looked washed? Bad move.
Utah Jazz – Andrei Kirilenko
AK-47 was a good player, but $86 million was a lot for a guy who peaked early and declined fast.
New Orleans Pelicans – Omer Asik
Five years, $58 million for a center who couldn’t score or stay in shape. The Pelicans spent years regretting this.
LA Clippers – Baron Davis
Five years, $65 million for a declining, out-of-shape Davis. The Clippers had to bribe Cleveland with a draft pick to take him. That pick became Kyrie Irving. Ouch.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Joe Smith (Illegal Contract!)
Minnesota literally lost draft picks because they tried to secretly overpay Smith. A disaster in every sense.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant (Not Re-Signing Him!)
OKC never overpaid anyone too badly, but their biggest mistake was not paying enough to keep KD happy.
Sacramento Kings – Dewayne Dedmon
$40 million for a guy they benched after four months. The Kings remain the Kings.
Orlando Magic – Bismack Biyombo
One good playoff series got him $72 million. Orlando quickly realized he had zero offensive skills.
Washington Wizards – Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was great until he wasn’t. Washington still owed him $111 million when his knees (and common sense) disappeared.
Read More: Ranking the 30 Most Overpaid Quarterbacks of All Time
Detroit Pistons – Josh Smith
Detroit gave Smith $54 million, then paid him not to play for them anymore. Absolute chef’s kiss of bad contracts.
Read More: The 30 Most Insanely Overpaid Players in the NFL
Indiana Pacers – T.J. Warren
Warren almost justified his $50 million deal with the Bubble, but injuries kept him off the floor for most of his contract.
Read More: Ranking the 14 Most Overpaid NBA Players in History
Charlotte Hornets – Nicolas Batum
Batum got $120 million from the Hornets. Then they paid him to go away. Enough said.
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