Worst Contracts in the NBA - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

orangedays · 03-10-2006, 04:13 AM

Who are the worst deals in the NBA? (also can include good players who just didn't deserve their monstrous contracts)

Off the top of my head (I don't have the numbers in front of me):

Adonal Foyle
Brian Scalabrine
Brian Cardinal
Erick Dampier (sorry Damp)
Antawn Jamison
Michael Olowokandi
Jerome James
Jalen Rose
Mike Dunleavy
Eddy Curry
Dan Dickau
Raef LaFrentz
Shaq? (taking into consideration his current physical state)
Steve Francis
Stephon Marbury
Mark Blount
Kenyon Martin

Thespiralgoeson · 03-10-2006, 04:55 AM

5 of those guys play for the Knicks, and you didn't even mention Allan Houston. Wow... Isiah Thomas should be shot.

madape · 03-10-2006, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

5 of those guys play for the Knicks, and you didn't even mention Allan Houston. Wow... Isiah Thomas should be shot.

That's because he's retired and his salary doesn't count toward the cap. Plus, even if he hadn't retired, he's only got about 2 months left on his contract.

spreedom · 03-10-2006, 09:14 AM

Chris Webber came to mind first.. I think he's making close to $20mil for each of the next three seasons after this one.

jthig32 · 03-10-2006, 09:14 AM

I'm pretty sure his salary does still count against the cap. Injury retirements don't come off until a year after, which is why Bradley still counts against our cap.

And, KVH's contracts is a holdover from a previous era in the NBA, but still, he's waaay overpaid.

atrewsfan · 03-10-2006, 09:33 AM

1. Raef Lafrentz - BOS: $9.96 mil in '05-'06, $10.9 mil in '06-'07, $11.8 mil in '07-'08, $12.7 mil in '08-'09. Still soft as ever on D.

2. Jason Collins - NJ: $5.5, $5.8, $6.1, $6.2 in '05-'06, '06-'07, '07-'08, and '08-'09 respectively. He's intelligent and does all the little things well, ie. set picks, rotate on D, etc. but he doesn't rebound, block shots, or score, the former two items being the traditional skills a PF/C should have. He and Krstic have to be THE softest frontcourt in the league.

3. Eddie Jones - MEM: $14.6 mil in '05-'06, a whopping $15.7 mil in '06-'07. The guy is 34 and having the worst season of his career. Still decent on D but that shooting percentage (less than 42%) is terrible for a SG.

There are other bad contracts like the over-rated Baron Davis's: this year $ $13.8 and $15.1, $16.4 and $17.2 over the next 3 years, the walking injury Grant Hill making $16 and $17 this year and next respectively, etc. Of course, you can't forget everyone on the Knicks' squad.

MFFL · 03-10-2006, 09:59 AM

Just a couple more years until the final REAALLY bad contracts come off of the books. The luxury tax has finally caused teams to evaluate players financially rather than giving every halfway decent player the max.

bobatundi · 03-10-2006, 11:54 AM

That's pretty much how Jamison got the max, right? Nice player, worthy of a nice contract well in excess of the MLE...but the max? Seems like a "max contract" should go to a handful of elite players, not several players per team (or the entire Knicks roster other than rookies).

snoop · 03-10-2006, 11:54 AM

mike finley 18 mil this year

bernardos70 · 03-10-2006, 12:06 PM

Nesterovic is not overpaid, no way!

MavsFanFinley · 03-10-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoop

mike finley 18 mil this year

Maybe I'm mistaken but since he was waived and his payments are deferred isn't he only making about $7 million this year. $5 million from Cuban and $2 million from the Spurs or something close to that.

Thespiralgoeson · 03-10-2006, 07:42 PM

Ape, Allan Houston's contract does indeed count against the cap.

orangedays · 03-10-2006, 07:51 PM

Interesting article on Knick's long-time "strategy" (HA!) (Linkage)

Knicks Clicks

Friday, February 03, 2006

Where to go from here
Well, as I mentioned yesterday, Jalen Rose doesn't entirely ruin the Knicks' chances for youth and flexibility by 2007, as many dailies are claiming. In fact, as long as James Dolan is willing to pay for it, he doesn't change anything at all except how awful the Knicks will be on the defensive end until he leaves the team.

The key for this is now the summer of 2007. Unfortunately, building an NBA team is primarily about numbers: contracts, money, and years. The Knicks, who currently have a total salary of $126mil, could see that reduced by as much as $58 to $95 in two years if they're gutsy and smart. Both of those extremes are unlikely; the only way the Knicks will only take off $63mil is if they can't move any of their big-name players, including Marburyand Crawford; the only way thay they'll take off al $95mil is if they can move all of their big-salary players, including Jerome James and QRich. Count on them moving about The Knicks aren't going anywhere this year, and without their early lottery draft pick (which they sent to Chicago for Curry), they're not likely to be too much better next year. As 2007 is still two years away, it's best to look at things either player by player or by groups of players in similar circumstances.

Malik Rose, Jerome James, QRich, Jamal Crawford: Trade them to a contender at the deadline next year for expiring contracts, or to teams that really need one of their services. Indiana, for example, has $18mil in contracts for Austin Croshere and Jonathan Bender that will expire in '07[Ed: Bender just retired this morning - oops!]; they may be willing to take Crawford and another guy, as the Pacers' strategy is to always get younger. Send one of either Rose, QRich, or JJ along with Crawford, and send the other two to whomever will take them.
Cap relief: As much as the team can possibly get, up to -$27mil.

Penny Hardaway: The Knicks have two options here. He could either stay with the team and have his $15mil come off the books this year, or the team could do a similar trade that they did with Toronto, where they would acquire a player whose contract expires in '07 (and maybe land another draft pick). BUT - if he is moved for anyone other than a player whose contract expires in '07, this entire strategy is doomed for another year.
Cap relief: -$15mil.

Jalen Rose: It will be tempting for the Knicks to move him for a washed-up former star again, but they need to resist that urge! Let his contract expire in '07.
Cap Relief: -$15mil.

Shandon Anderson, Jerome Williams, and Maurice Taylor: Anderson was waived, Williams retired, and Taylor is slowly becoming a gritty role player. The only thing they all have in common is that their contracts come off the books in '07. Let them.
Cap relief: -$23.5mil.

Allan Houston: His contract will likely come off the cap this year (actually, it would be given to the Knicks as a one-year exception for half his salary, or $10mil), as he has been retired due to injury. If the league decides not to give the Knicks the exception, he will still come off in '07. Save any exception for that year anyway, as the exception will last 365 days.
Cap relief: -$20mil in '07, possibly a $10mil exception.

Trevor Ariza: The Knicks can use their Larry Bird rights on Ariza, and he would probably be willing to sign for a reasonable amount. He is the closest thing the Knicks have to a shut-down perimeter defender, and would at least be valuable as part of a bigger trade.
Addition to Cap: About $1mil.

2006's Mid-Level Exception: The Knicks will get an exception to sign any player or players, up to the amount of the average NBA salary. If they're smart, they won't blow it all on one player this time, like they did with Jerome James and Vin Baker. They should sign some plucky young guys who have so far flown under the radar, and they should get some input from Larry Brown this time. Qyntel Woods may deserve a raise; this is where it should come from.
Addition to Cap: About $5mil.

Stephon Marbury: It's tough to tell what to do with Marbury. His loyalty to a losing team is to be commended, and I believe he truly wants to learn how to play the "right way," as Larry Brown puts it. But (and with Marbury there's usually a but...), his contract will be $20mil by '07. The Knicks should keep him around, at least until that summer. If his game has improved to the point where he's a leader in all facets of the game, keep him longer. If not, he's still good enough to be worked into a major sign-and-trade for either Wade, LeBron, or 'Melo. If he really starts to slide, he can always be traded for expiring contracts.
Cap relief: None.

Eddy Curry, David Lee, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Jackie Butler, Qyntel Woods: Keep them together. They're a good core, and have either good or at least average contracts in relation to their talents.
Cap relief: None, but these are the kind of players/contracts you want.

madape · 03-12-2006, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Ape, Allan Houston's contract does indeed count against the cap.

hmm... I'm pretty sure the Knicks don't uncur luxury tax penalty for him.

But it's ridiculous to say anyone who has only one year left on their contract to be the
"worst contract in the NBA".

The Knicks could have traded Houston and his contract for just about anyone.. Steve Francis for example.

orangedays · 03-13-2006, 02:33 AM

Anderso(/e)n - one of the crappiest last names associated with the NBA.

Chris, Derek, Shandon. A gaggle of winners.

orangedays · 03-13-2006, 03:04 AM

Kwame Brown
Jahidi White (not sure if he's around, but 6mm+)
Jason Kidd? He's good but he's not leading the Nets anywhere anymore.
Hell...Kevin Garnett ($126mm from 1997-2003, then a five-year extension for $100mm and not even a Finals berth?)

And...pardon my french...but what the **** did Alan Henderson ever do to deserve his monstrosity of a contract from back in the day?

bernardos70 · 03-13-2006, 10:54 AM

If previous indications of the play of players that underwent microfracture surgery is any indication, we may be talking about Amare Stoudemire's contract in a year or two.....