OT-Who has the worst contract in the NBA?

[basketballwacko2]

Assuming it's not Jamaal Tinsley who would you say has the most putrid and revolting contract, what player makes you want to vomit at the thought of having him in our uniform? Not just some guy you don't like but some horridly overpaid player whose current team might be willing trade him for anything. I personally think the worst overall contract/player is Zach Randolph.

[Scoot McGroot]

Contracts like Zach Randolph and Peja Stojakovic are two that really stick out to me. Other guys like Kenyon Martin, Boris Diaw, Kenny Thomas, and assorted others, such as Quentin Richardson, Jared Jeffries, Ben Wallace, and Jerome James are certainties. Rashard Lewis might be a possibility, simply because all that extra money that pushes them closer to the luxury tax could really hamstring the Magic during Howard's prime, much like all the crappy contracts Minnie had hamstrung them during Garnett's prime there and lead them to trade away KG while he still had so many prime years left.

Luke Walton could be up there due to his contract length, but not due to his overall cash owed. Jason Kapono could be in this same category.

Nene could be a heavy possibility as one of the worst contracts, while Troy Murphy would likely garner some votes as honorable mention.

[basketballwacko2]

Guys like Kenny Thomas or Jerome James are bad because they are so worthless as players but at only 2 seasons wouldn't make my cut, I went with Randolph because he is looking at something like $47 million over the next 3 yrs. I gotta thnk Nene is right up there as well who knows if that guy will ever play full season again. The new contract that Magette signed is pretty rough as well, we'll have to wait and see if he can earn that $50+million. I also think Diaws contract is pretty bad but I'll reserve judgement on him until we see if he gets more playing time this season and can kinda earn $9 million per. Tinsley's contract is rough only because he can't stay healthy.

[CableKC]

I would say the worst contracts are any contract that does not expire before the 2010-2011 offseason. Although players like Kenny Thomas, Jerome James or even Ben Wallace maybe overpaid....since they expire before the 2010 offeason....I think that they are far more easier to move to help clear salarycap before the 2010 FA Market starts......and therefore aren't that bad....then any contract that expires after then...which are near impossible ot move.

For now, I think that Diaw have one of the worst contracts out there.....for the level of production and the $$$ owed to him over the next 4 seasons....his contract does not match up to the production that he provides for the Suns.

Everyone else that has been mentioned....even Zach Randolph....has a better contract then Diaw despite being owed more....at the very least...his level of Production somewhat justifies how much he pays for.

[count55]

Tinsley's may be the most unmovable.

I'd rather have Diaw and his contract than Randolph and his contract. Personally, the only player in the league I'd want less than Tinsley is Zach Randolph. Screw his production...he's an absolute team killer...maybe the worst guy I can think of over the last couple of decades...OK...I just remembered JR Rider, but, still...

[Gremz]

I really don't like Rashard Lewis' deal. I think in a year or two it will be more taxing than a Kenyon Martin contract. That being said, Tinsley, Diaw and ZBo are by far the least unmoveable

[APerna]

I love this topic, and I don't think it's at all off-topic.

Marbury - $21M
Francis - $19M

[FreeRon]

The New York Knicks, past and present. Hands down.

[Scoot McGroot]

I love this topic, and I don't think it's at all off-topic.

Marbury - $21M
Francis - $19M

Well, Marbury's expiring, and Francis' $19 million contract has been bought out, so it's not really attached to him as a player.

[bruno sundov]

What about Larry Hughes and Ben Wallace?

[Bucky O'Hare]

Has to be Nene. 4 years and $43.2M remaining for a guy whose 'career year' was 12.2 ppg, 7 rpg, and 0.9 bpg. He also averages less than 49 games a season in his six-year career.

[basketballwacko2]

I still think Randolph is the worst because of his "personal" issues, the fact that he is not a team player, and makes his team mates worse. I can agree that Jt is pretty bad too but at only $6.75 million this yr and $21 million total Randolph makes him look inexpensive. The reason why I'd take Diaw or Martin for JT is that they give us something where jt will give us nothing. Granted Diaw is not putting up numbers that a $9 million man should. I like Diaw for his versitility and if he gets more minutes could put up better numbers, also Diaw seem to be a team guy, that's just my perception of him.

Until his comeback last season I'd have said KMart was the worst but now his teammate Nene has a worse deal than his. To take a Nene even for a JT I'd have to get some serious sweetener.

[APerna]

I hate to throw this out there, but what about Jermaine in the event he doesn't play more than 60 games or so?

[Scoot McGroot]

Eh, he'd only have one more year on his contract and would be a very usable trading piece for some team hoping to get under the salary cap for the 2010 frenzy. Plus, even if he only plays 50 games, he's at least giving you a difference maker on defense that might only be able to put up 15 points and pull in 7 or 8 rebounds a night.

That's really my worst case scenario for JO this next season.

[a-rod]

in terms of productivity level = Boris Diaw, Kenny Thomas
in Terms of contract cost (Money) = Rashard Lewis

Boris Diaw, Kenny Thomas they might be worth their contracts if they play up to their expected potentials, but that not the case with Rashard Lewis, hes always going to be overpaid.

[basketballwacko2]

I hate to throw this out there, but what about Jermaine in the event he doesn't play more than 60 games or so?

Well it's according to how little JO plays if he can't play at all or in say only 30 games this season maybe 30 or so next yr, he'd be awful expensive for what he gives you. If he can play in say 55 or 60 per and has even the level of production he showed last season then he's not so bad and like someone said, he is expiring in 2010.

in terms of productivity level = Boris Diaw, Kenny Thomas
in Terms of contract cost (Money) = Rashard Lewis

Boris Diaw, Kenny Thomas they might be worth their contracts if they play up to their expected potentials, but that not the case with Rashard Lewis, hes always going to be overpaid.

I don't know how someone could lump Diaw in with Kenny Thomas at least Diaw can play, Kenny Thomas will not play without a miracle. Lewis is a good player and seems to be healthy for the most part but yeah he is getting way too much money. Lewis is getting something like $75 million over the next 4 yrs and then has a 5th yr of $22,699,551 that is not gauranteed. How could any GM justify giving that guy that kind of money? Sure you want to win but doesn't this hinder your ability to make moves in the future? Just a thought that the Magic shoulda had.

[Scoot McGroot]

Lewis is getting something like $75 million over the next 4 yrs and then has a 5th yr of $22,699,551 that is not gauranteed. How could any GM justify giving that guy that kind of money? Sure you want to win but doesn't this hinder your ability to make moves in the future? Just a thought that the Magic shoulda had.

That last year of Lewis' deal has a minimum of $10 million guaranteed and could be guaranteed for up to $17.25 million if he meets certain benchmarks (which apparently are as simple as him just staying relatively healthy). Most likely, only about $5.5 million will not be guaranteed, thus meaning that Orlando will likely hold onto him no matter what that last year and pay him $22.7 million to play for them rather than pay him $17.25 million to play for someone else.

[bballpacen]

With not being able to say it is Tinsley, which at the moment and foreseeable future I believe he is, I would have to say Kenny Thomas, Stephen Marbury, and Randolph are the next leading candidates... My reasoning is Thomas and Marbury have LARGE contracts, and will give limited to no productivity... I dont care that Marbury has an expiring contract for two reasons... with a contract that large, I will be hard to find a deal to move him without taking back a few bad contracts... It is just two damn large... And to pay him 20M for no productivity is a catastrophic tragedy... Thomas while not as large a contract, is still to much to pay for bench fodder... Randolph on the other hand will give some production, but like JT, his off the court behavior, and his locker room presence cancel out any positive that the production could possibly have...

All of this said, I would have to say Randolph, b/c his contract is longer, and more owed... And while the production is more than some other of these named players... The other issues are to much to ignore... With all that the Pacers organization has experienced the past few years... Another player with character issues like Randolph has is something that I do NOT want that on this team...

[jax98]

+1 to each and everyone who said Zach Randolph.

Who honestly wants to pay the guy $47M to ruin their team? Why the Knicks hasn't just cut their loss and offered him a buy-out is beyond me. The only way you can win with Zach is if he's a bench player coming in 10-12 minutes a game just to score points and secure some boards. Nothing else. Doesn't play defense, is a poor passer, takes bad shots, holds the ball, attitude problem and the list goes on.

But since we're on the subject, I'd also like to throw out 'mad props' to a Bulls player;

'Larry Hughes, come on down!'

*Crowd stops applauding as soon as name is revealed*

You're making close to $13M this up-coming season and championships aren't important to you?

'That's right Johnny. I just need to take my (bad) shots. Get into a (non-exsistant) rythm. Play well (gamble badly) on defense and then I'll earn my minutes and shots. Then I'll be a happy camper!'

Other noticable deals:

- Nene $20M a minute for the $60M deal he 'earned' after playing a toal of 3 minutes the previous season. What were the Nuggets smoking? They had recently paid a gigantic contract to Kenyon Martin. What's next? They trade Iverson's expiring for Zach Randolph and Jared Jeffries?

- Kenyon Martion. Look above.

- Every below average center in this league who makes more than $5M per year. Yes, I'm also looking at Ben Wallace. What a perfect time to decline rapidtly. Too-tight-corn-rowed-SOB.

And finally..

*Drumroll please*

The white guy!



No, I'm kidding. Jason Kidd is only half-white. I know, I know. He's expiring. But my god. He'll earn over $20M for Dallas despite the fact his game is declining by the second? I can see skin fall off of him every 60 seconds during the olympics. Against Australia, I swear I thought he was Nicole Kidman.