Stupidest Contract

[LightTheBeam]

My vote is Jerami Grant. I remember thinking Lillard wasn't going to stick around and no way he justified that money especially at that time. Still owe him over 100 million the next 3 years.

[Jojothewhale]

Hindsight is very helpful because what happens is a better indicator than what RGM said would happen but didn't. When Beal signed the contract everyone said it was untradeable. Turns out it wasn't. How should we evaluate the Beal contract? Using fan/media reactions at the time or what the contract ultimately accomplished for the Wizards?

Nowhere have I said what a message board or an idiot on tv says matters a wit. We all get to make the decision in real time for ourselves.

Stupidity implies a specific concept rooted in evaluating process. It's not worst contract. That's a different topic someone makes every year.

[youngthegiant]

Lauri Markkanen probably the worst contract in the league.

[meekrab]

The Wizards were able to trade Beal and get 6 seconds and 4 swaps, plus CP3. Then they got Poole, a 1st, and a 2nd for CP3. The Beal contract worked out for them.

Phoenix's decision to take that contract is more perplexing that Washington's choice to give it, honestly.

[SkyHook]

The Beal NTC pushes him over the top

The Embiid contract obviously looks worse now but any team would max out an MVP in his prime

Embiid played in less than half of the games in the season between winning the MVP and signing the extension, which is only slightly worse than his percentage of games played over his entire career. As injury prone as he has been, it was clearly a mistake to extend him prematurely; waiting until at least this offseason would have cost them nothing. And, if they were smart, they wouldn't have offered an extension after an even worse season this year.

[Jojothewhale]

waiting until at least this offseason would have cost them nothing

We have no way of knowing that. Taking the chance of pissing off a league MVP is a real risk. It’s not like things had been going well. Do we not remember the reams of articles written about whether he would ask out?

It’s not the kind of market that has those guys flocking to it either. You follow the NBA closely. You know what kind of leverage MVP level players have.

[Mr Swagtastic]

Lauri Markkanen probably the worst contract in the league.

Would take Markkanen over PG, Beal, Brown or Grant.

I can't belive what Quickley got he's overpaid by $5-$10 million a year $35 million seems a lot for a guy whose a sub 20+ PPG, 7+ APG guy. Honestly with how things are with Toronto in regards to contracts with BI and Quickley maybe Toronto should've keep Siakam and moved OG a year prior for a much better return

[giberish]

I don't think the consensus was that Beal's contract was untradable when he signed it. It was seen more as a hot potato that Washington needed to move relatively soon if they wanted any value back from - but if they did move it early enough if was better than letting him walk.

Given that the NTC was a bad idea that got lucky with, but otherwise it made sense.

Some of the early extensions - Holiday, Embiid, McCollum were bad ideas as they didn't need to be signed as they were already under contract for the time that the teams really wanted them but they offered clear overpaid (Holiday, McCollum) or iffy with big downside (Embiid) deals anyway.

I'd also question the $30M/yr 4 or 5 year extension that the Warriors offered Kuminga as another 'overbidding against yourself' offer.

[daoneandonly]

Holiday, Jalen Green, and Anthony Davis should be dividing the votes.

An aging vet whose defense has gone down the toilet though its his calling card

Never lived up to the draft hype, not above Average at any facet of basketball.

Weakest softest player in the game. Whines about playing the 5, whined his way to LA, and won't play if his forearm itches

[MoneyTalks41890]

The Beal NTC makes this a runaway for me.

I agree with this.

It’s a NTC that he retains from trade to trade. Just insane. Last NTC was Kobe I think right?

[Devilanche]

It’s Embiid for me.

Extended too early, now they face the worries and if his availability drop in future season, it become more and more of a negative contract.

Beal NTC just depressed his return maybe 1-2 first rounder. A named player like him is going to list his preferred traded and somewhat depressed it already, just lowering return slightly.

[One_and_Done]

There were much worse contracts than this back in the day. Remember, you used to be able to sign a guy for 7 years (even more in the pre-99 CBA, though that never mattered since salaries were lower).

This is just one of many examples, but in 2000 the Miami Heat signed role player Brian Grant to a 7 year, 85 million dollar contract. To put that into perspective, the salary cap in 00 was $35 million for the whole team. In terms of % of the cap, his salary in 2000 would have been 34 million today... and his contract went for 7 years... and he was a role player... and after the 4th year of the contract he was considered borderline unplayable. He wasn't a particularly good player before that either. Imagine having that on your books today.

Shawn Kemp was completely dead money for the last 4 years of his 7 year max contract (and wasn't good with 5 years left either), though at least he could still play when he signed the deal.

Eddie Robinson got a 5 year 30 million contract at a time when that was alot of money, and could not play at all. Ditto Tariq Abdul-Wahad and his bizarre 7 year 43 million deal. Those deals made no sense at all, and were far more irresponsible and unjustifiable than any we see today. Raef's 7 yr 70 million contract by Dallas in 02 made no sense at the time and was an unmitigated disaster.

[GeorgeMarcus]

The Beal NTC pushes him over the top

The Embiid contract obviously looks worse now but any team would max out an MVP in his prime

Embiid played in less than half of the games in the season between winning the MVP and signing the extension, which is only slightly worse than his percentage of games played over his entire career. As injury prone as he has been, it was clearly a mistake to extend him prematurely; waiting until at least this offseason would have cost them nothing. And, if they were smart, they wouldn't have offered an extension after an even worse season this year.

Don't underestimate the importance of keeping your superstar happy. A healthy Embiid was (and maybe still is) our best chance at winning a title

[SkyHook]

The Beal NTC pushes him over the top

The Embiid contract obviously looks worse now but any team would max out an MVP in his prime

Embiid played in less than half of the games in the season between winning the MVP and signing the extension, which is only slightly worse than his percentage of games played over his entire career. As injury prone as he has been, it was clearly a mistake to extend him prematurely; waiting until at least this offseason would have cost them nothing. And, if they were smart, they wouldn't have offered an extension after an even worse season this year.

Don't underestimate the importance of keeping your superstar happy. A healthy Embiid was (and maybe still is) our best chance at winning a title

Every superstar declines, some quicker than others. The trick is to not still be paying them like a difference maker when they no longer are. To me, that writing was on the wall prior to the extension being signed. Maybe you're right about still having hope in him, but from my perspective it's a fool's hope.