The NBA is a league where players make millions for their talent, dedication, and ability to put the ball in the hoop. But sometimes, teams decide that it’s better to not have a guy play at all—while still paying them absurd amounts of money.
Whether it’s a bad contract, a weird buyout, or a front office throwing cash at a problem just to make it go away, here are 10 times NBA teams paid players not to step on the court.
1. John Wall and the Houston Rockets (2021-22)
John Wall’s tenure with the Rockets was basically a very expensive paid vacation. After trading for him in 2020, Houston realized they were in full rebuild mode and didn’t want him taking minutes from their young players. Solution? Pay him 44 million dollars to sit out an entire season. Wall probably got really good at Call of Duty that year.
2. Gilbert Arenas and the Orlando Magic (2011-2014)
Agent Zero got his bag and his freedom. The Magic acquired Arenas in a trade and quickly realized he was not the same player after knee injuries (and, you know, bringing guns into the Wizards’ locker room). Instead of keeping him around, Orlando used the amnesty clause to cut him—but still paid him 22 million dollars a year until 2016. That’s a lot of money for a guy who was mostly tweeting about hibachi grills and sneakers.
3. Joakim Noah and the New York Knicks (2018-2022)
The Knicks’ decision to give Joakim Noah a 72 million dollar contract in 2016 aged about as well as milk left in the sun. Injuries and off-court issues led to him being exiled in 2018, but the Knicks stretched his deal, meaning they paid him nearly 6.4 million dollars per year until 2022—for a grand total of 53 games played. Not bad work if you can get it.
4. Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat (2017-2022)
This one is a little sad, as Bosh’s career was cut short due to blood clot issues. The Heat didn’t want to waive him immediately (since they still owed him 52 million dollars), so they worked out a deal where he technically remained on the roster for salary cap reasons—but he never played another game. At least he got his money and didn’t have to deal with Miami’s post-LeBron drama.
5. Rashard Lewis and the Washington Wizards (2011-2012)
Rashard Lewis was part of a glorious era when the NBA really didn’t care about handing out absurd contracts. After being traded to Washington, the Wizards decided, “Eh, let’s just pay him 13.7 million dollars to stay home.” A year later, they sent him to New Orleans, where the Pelicans also paid him not to play. Back-to-back checks for doing nothing. A true legend.
6. Darren Collison and the Indiana Pacers (2019-2020)
This one’s a little different. The Pacers wanted to keep Collison, but he retired out of nowhere in 2019, despite being a solid player. They still had to pay him 10 million dollars because, well, contracts are contracts. The man walked away from basketball and still cashed out. King behavior.
7. Larry Sanders and the Milwaukee Bucks (2015-2022)
Larry Sanders was a promising young shot-blocker for the Bucks, but he abruptly left the game due to mental health struggles in 2015. Milwaukee owed him 22 million dollars and used the stretch provision to pay it out in small portions through 2022. So, while Giannis was winning MVPs, the Bucks were still writing checks to a guy who had been out of the league for years.
8. Steve Francis and the Portland Trail Blazers (2007-2009)
The Blazers traded for Steve Francis and immediately realized they did not want Steve Francis. Instead of putting him on the court, they decided to just pay him 30 million dollars to stay home. The best part? He only played 10 more NBA games after that, meaning Portland gave him a retirement fund for, well, nothing.
Read More: Ranking the 14 Most Overpaid NBA Players in History
9. Anderson Varejão and the Portland Trail Blazers (2016-2018)
Yes, another Blazers move. Portland picked up Varejão in a trade and instantly waived him—while still owing him 9.7 million dollars over a few years. But plot twist: instead of just chilling, Varejão signed with the Warriors and won a championship ring. So, he got paid twice—once to not play, and once to play for the team Portland hated. That’s some Hall of Fame-level finesse.
Read More: 20 Blockbuster NBA Trades That Left Fans Stunned
10. Luol Deng and the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-2023)
The Lakers gave Luol Deng a four-year, 72 million dollar deal in 2016 and then almost immediately regretted it. By 2018, they just told him to go home while they paid him. Thanks to the stretch provision, the Lakers were still paying him 5 million dollars a year until 2023—long after he had retired. A true testament to the art of bad contracts.
Read More: 11 Athletes Who Refused to Play For the Team That Drafted Them
