Fans might remember the summer of 2016 as the one when the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant as a free agent. But what few people remember is the cap spike that summer, resulting in players getting huge contracts left and right. The NBA has stabilized its cap situation since then, but there are still teams giving huge contracts to players that turn into an awful business decision. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the worst contracts in the NBA right now.
Top 5 Worst Active Contracts in the NBA
There is no denying that these players are good to great. One of them is a former MVP player. Even his contract might be an albatross in a few years. The other worst contracts in the NBA are a result of things like the Wizards desperately trying to retain a star player.
Joel Embiid’s contract was one of the reasons Mavs GM Nico Harrison cited when he talked about trading Luka Doncic. He said the Mavs were afraid they would have to give Luka a huge contract that might not age well. Of course, Luka is 25 right now. Joel has already passed 30 years old and will be 34 in his final year of the current contract. Let’s take a look at some other bad investments.
5. Zach LaVine: 3 Years/$140 Million
Zach LaVine is having a resurgent season. There is no denying that fact. But for a year and a half, the Bulls couldn’t trade him because of his atrocious contract. Think about this for a second. This season, and the next one, LaVine will earn more money than Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Halliburton, Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Garland, and more. You cannot say he is better than any of these players. Zach is still 29 years old, and he might resurrect his career with the Sacramento Kings. He was an All-Star three seasons ago, and only this year he had a chance to make it again. This year, LaVine averages 24 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 51% shooting from the floor and 44.6% from behind the arc. Those are all great numbers, but you have to remember, he has one more year on the contract, and a player option after that. His player option for 2026-27 is at almost $49 million when he will be 31 years old.
4. Bradley Beal: 3 Years/$160 Million
Bradley Beal and LeBron James are the only two players in the league with a no-trade clause. While we can understand LeBron having it, Beal is nowhere near that type of player. But he managed to get that clause in his last contract with the Washington Wizards. Now, Beal is untradeable for the foreseeable future. Beal has a player option at $57 million for the 2026-27 season. He will be 33 years old at the time, and he is already showing signs of slowing down.
Beal averages 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on a respectable 49.2% shooting from the floor and 40% from behind the arc. But he is the fifth highest-paid player in the league this year and things will not get better in the next two years.
3. Jerami Grant: 4 Years/$132 Million
When the Blazers signed Jerami Grant to a five-year, $160 million contract, they hoped to have him alongside Damian Lillard. Yet, they soon traded Dame and were left with an almost 30-year forward. To his credit, last year he averaged 21 points per game on 40% shooting from behind the arc. This year, however, his numbers are down to 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on an abysmal 38.4% shooting from the floor.
That is the reason why some teams, despite their need for a forward, are not interested in trading for Grant. Like it or not, the Blazers will probably have to keep him on their roster or add sweeteners for someone to take him off their books. Grant has a player option for the 2027-28 season at $36 million.
2. Rudy Gobert: 3 Years/$109 Million
Part of the reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns is because Rudy Gobert has an even worse contract than KAT. Yes, Towns gets paid more, but his upside is way higher. Rudy has a player option for the 2027-28 season when he will be 35 years old at $38 million. He will take up 20% of a team’s cap space, typically reserved for the best role player who makes a huge difference in winning percentage.
Gobert made his name on the defensive end, but his efficiency slipped this year. One thing he has going on is health, Rudy has played 70+ games in the last two years, and this season, he has yet to miss a game. On the flip side, he averages only 10.7 points per game, along with 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. We can expect Rudy’s contributions to continue to slip, and his contract might make him an untradeable player.
1. Joel Embiid: 5 Years/$298 Million
Before this season started, Joel signed a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers. Combined with the two years remaining on his contract deal Embiid is set to make just under 300 million over the next five years. The offseason extension seemed like the logical step for a franchise invested heavily in the big man. A few months later, Embiid’s contract looks like one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Embiid has only played in 13 games this season and has regressed significantly in all statical categories.
Think about this for a second, he has a player option at $69 million for the 2028-29 season. Right now, depending on how other players sign contracts, Embiid will be the highest-paid player four seasons from now. He will earn more money than Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, and Nikola Jokic. Do you trust Embiid’s knees to hold up by then? The Philadelphia 76ers better trust Embiid to stay healthy, but all signs point to this being an awful contract.
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