T&T board top 10 worst contracts - Final list

[Dr Positivity]

1. Duncan Robinson (4 years, 74.4 million - 4th year 9.9 million guaranteed)



2. Michael Porter, Jr. (5 years, 179.3 million - 5th year 12 million guaranteed, 17 million if 1x all-star, fully guaranteed 2 time all-star or All NBA, or wins title with GP requirement)



3. Klay Thompson (2 years, 83.8 million)



4. Ben Simmons (3 years, 113.6 million)



5. Lonzo Ball (2 years, 40 million - 3rd year 21.4 million player option)



6. Davis Bertans (3 years, 49 million - 3rd year 5 million guaranteed, 16 million fully guaranteed if plays 75% of games 2nd year)



7. Jordan Poole (1 year, 3.9 million + 4 years, 128 million extension)



8. Gordon Hayward (2 years, 61.6 million)



9. Bradley Beal (4 years, 175.9 million + 5th year 57.1 million player option - Includes no trade clause)



10. Zach LaVine (4 years, 166.2 million + 5th year 49.0 million player option)

Dishonorable mention: Tim Hardaway, Jr., Joe Harris, Tobias Harris, Evan Fournier, Russell Westbrook, Rudy Gobert, Marvin Bagley, Terry Rozier, Kyle Lowry

2020-2021 list

[Dr Positivity]

A tricky vote. I'd say most of these guys could be argued to challenge #1. I think Hayward may be too low. I wouldn't want 30 mil for such injury prone player who's numbers are declining.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Thanks for shepherding this process/vote, OP.

[shrink]

Thanks for shepherding this process/vote, OP.

Definitely! It seems like a lot of work, but I always look forward to it every year.

And I got some laughs from the images you chose in the voting!

I’d appreciate it if a mod could sticky the final results for a little while, for this and the top 25.

[tmorgan]

And I got some laughs from the images you chose in the voting!

Why did Lonzo choose a hairstyle that emphasizes that his head looks like a railroad spike? It kills me.

[Apz]

Am i (Please Use More Appropriate Word)? I dobt get the math on bertans contract to work. He is making 16m this year, 17m next, and then have 5m guarenteed or 16m if plays 75% of games season before.

Nvm. was the format that messed with my mind. Everyone else had the not certain money added last while it was baked into bertans baseprice.

[Knickfan1982]

1. Duncan Robinson (4 years, 74.4 million - 4th year 9.9 million guaranteed)



2. Michael Porter, Jr. (5 years, 179.3 million - 5th year 12 million guaranteed, 17 million if 1x all-star, fully guaranteed 2 time all-star or All NBA, or wins title with GP requirement)



3. Klay Thompson (2 years, 83.8 million)



4. Ben Simmons (3 years, 113.6 million)



5. Lonzo Ball (2 years, 40 million - 3rd year 21.4 million player option)



6. Davis Bertans (3 years, 49 million - 3rd year 5 million guaranteed, 16 million fully guaranteed if plays 75% of games 2nd year)



7. Jordan Poole (1 year, 3.9 million + 4 years, 128 million extension)



8. Gordon Hayward (2 years, 61.6 million)



9. Bradley Beal (4 years, 175.9 million + 5th year 57.1 million player option - Includes no trade clause)



10. Zach LaVine (4 years, 166.2 million + 5th year 49.0 million player option)

Dishonorable mention: Tim Hardaway, Jr., Joe Harris, Tobias Harris, Evan Fournier, Russell Westbrook, Rudy Gobert, Marvin Bagley, Terry Rozier, Kyle Lowry

2020-2021 list

I think its hysterical that for all the crap he gets on this board as a bad contract Julius Randle didn't even get voted in the top 19 of worst contracts.

[toooskies]

1. Duncan Robinson (4 years, 74.4 million - 4th year 9.9 million guaranteed)



2. Michael Porter, Jr. (5 years, 179.3 million - 5th year 12 million guaranteed, 17 million if 1x all-star, fully guaranteed 2 time all-star or All NBA, or wins title with GP requirement)



3. Klay Thompson (2 years, 83.8 million)



4. Ben Simmons (3 years, 113.6 million)



5. Lonzo Ball (2 years, 40 million - 3rd year 21.4 million player option)



6. Davis Bertans (3 years, 49 million - 3rd year 5 million guaranteed, 16 million fully guaranteed if plays 75% of games 2nd year)



7. Jordan Poole (1 year, 3.9 million + 4 years, 128 million extension)



8. Gordon Hayward (2 years, 61.6 million)



9. Bradley Beal (4 years, 175.9 million + 5th year 57.1 million player option - Includes no trade clause)



10. Zach LaVine (4 years, 166.2 million + 5th year 49.0 million player option)

Dishonorable mention: Tim Hardaway, Jr., Joe Harris, Tobias Harris, Evan Fournier, Russell Westbrook, Rudy Gobert, Marvin Bagley, Terry Rozier, Kyle Lowry

2020-2021 list

I think its hysterical that for all the crap he gets on this board as a bad contract Julius Randle didn't even get voted in the top 19 of worst contracts.

Last year Randle makes the list. This year Randle has played surprisingly well, at least from his stats.

I'm a bit surprised RJ Barrett's fresh extension didn't make it though.

[Dr Positivity]

Randle is actually nice value now

[Knickfan1982]

Last year Randle makes the list. This year Randle has played surprisingly well, at least from his stats.

I'm a bit surprised RJ Barrett's fresh extension didn't make it though.

Well he had a terrible year last year. But the way he gets talked about on these boards you'd expect he'd be pretty high on the list. To not even make the dishonorable mentions list is a surprise. But he's productive, relatively young and consistently healthy. There is value there. He's just not the cleanest fit everywhere.

Regarding Barrett, I am hoping people are coming to their senses. Expensive contracts doesn't equal bad. I am more than happy to bet 100 million dollars on a 22 year old consistently productive player.

[toooskies]

Last year Randle makes the list. This year Randle has played surprisingly well, at least from his stats.

I'm a bit surprised RJ Barrett's fresh extension didn't make it though.

Well he had a terrible year last year. But the way he gets talked about on these boards you'd expect he'd be pretty high on the list. To not even make the dishonorable mentions list is a surprise. But he's productive, relatively young and consistently healthy. There is value there. He's just not the cleanest fit everywhere.

Regarding Barrett, I am hoping people are coming to their senses. Expensive contracts doesn't equal bad. I am more than happy to bet 100 million dollars on a 22 year old consistently productive player.

My issue with Barrett isn't that the number is big. It's that he's never been efficient, even in college. He has never shot close to 50% on 2s. That's fine for rookies who are learning how to get their shots at the NBA but if you're not making progress by year 4 despite having plenty of opportunity, maybe you shouldn't be shooting so often.

[Knickfan1982]

Last year Randle makes the list. This year Randle has played surprisingly well, at least from his stats.

I'm a bit surprised RJ Barrett's fresh extension didn't make it though.

Well he had a terrible year last year. But the way he gets talked about on these boards you'd expect he'd be pretty high on the list. To not even make the dishonorable mentions list is a surprise. But he's productive, relatively young and consistently healthy. There is value there. He's just not the cleanest fit everywhere.

Regarding Barrett, I am hoping people are coming to their senses. Expensive contracts doesn't equal bad. I am more than happy to bet 100 million dollars on a 22 year old consistently productive player.

My issue with Barrett isn't that the number is big. It's that he's never been efficient, even in college. He has never shot close to 50% on 2s. That's fine for rookies who are learning how to get their shots at the NBA but if you're not making progress by year 4 despite having plenty of opportunity, maybe you shouldn't be shooting so often.

I chalk it up to how the Knicks have developed him. We're better at building role players than stars. But I still believe in him.

[daoneandonly]

Avis Bertans should be #2 on this lsit. The guy is not even a vet min or g league level player makign 16 mil a year

[JMAC3]

Jordan Poole should be nowhere near this list. Probably will be better than Lavine and Beal over next 4 years and makes significantly less.

Also, think some of these guys it depends on the context. Beal makes a lot, but if he is on a good team that is winning with other good players I don't think his contract matters nearly as much. For Washington a losing team who probably will eventually operating in the world of cap space it is much much worse. Example: Miami would love to flip Lowry and whatever for Beal, so in a sense Lowry should be considered worse IMO.

[Swish1906]

Avis Bertans should be #2 on this lsit. The guy is not even a vet min or g league level player makign 16 mil a year

Hate him all you want, he would be a solid vet min guy and will have zero problems to stay in the league with minimum deals.

His deal WAS one of the worst but today its not anymore, because he is basically an expiring deal next season. And yes, the team he is on next season is going to make sure he doesnt play enough games to get his final year fully guaranteed

[shrink]

What this poll tells me is that voters don’t share one consensus system for determining what makes a bad contract.

We have good players on big long contracts mixed in with bad players on shorter, smaller ones. The debate whether a player can simultaneously be in the Top 25 and the Bottom 10 highlights just how divided we are.

[tmorgan]

What this poll tells me is that voters don’t share one consensus system for determining what makes a bad contract.

We have good players on big long contracts mixed in with bad players on shorter, smaller ones. The debate whether a player can simultaneously be in the Top 25 and the Bottom 10 highlight just how divided we are.

100%. It’s a matter of how much money you’re wasting long term vs inefficient use of cap space right now. It also may have something to do with a voter’s particular fandom and team situation.

For example, as a Pistons fan embroiled in a long rebuild, I wouldn’t take Beal for free with two unprotected Wizards firsts attached. That’s just way too money for a player that still wouldn’t make us a contender (and where we have multiple players to develop). But I’m pretty sure the Lakers and their fans would jump all over a reasonable Beal deal to maximize the end of the LeBron era.

I never voted for a short term bloated contract because even eating Westbrook for limited compensation doesn’t hurt Detroit. As much as I hate Bagley and his contract, I’m glad it wasn’t bottom 10, because it’s just not that much money. Didn’t vote for Westbrook, Bertans, or anything else coming in under 50 mil owed.

[basketballwacko2]

A tricky vote. I'd say most of these guys could be argued to challenge #1. I think Hayward may be too low. I wouldn't want 30 mil for such injury prone player who's numbers are declining.

Here's an idea for a new thread. Based on this thread and the 10 worst, what would it take for you to take any of them in a trade?

[basketballwacko2]

What this poll tells me is that voters don’t share one consensus system for determining what makes a bad contract.

We have good players on big long contracts mixed in with bad players on shorter, smaller ones. The debate whether a player can simultaneously be in the Top 25 and the Bottom 10 highlights just how divided we are.

I think the reason players like Beal and Lavine show up is that they are risky and their long large contracts are an unacceptable level of risk. Both guys seem to get hurt a lot. Beal's contract being a supermax is the kind of deal that can cripple a team from finding enough quality players to form a good team without going into the tax.

[basketballwacko2]

A tricky vote. I'd say most of these guys could be argued to challenge #1. I think Hayward may be too low. I wouldn't want 30 mil for such injury prone player who's numbers are declining.

I remember voting on this and I think I nominated Norman Powell, just looking at his deal now it looks pretty bad to me, especially for a team that's $41 million into the repeater tax.