NBA · 8 hours ago

NBA Top 10 Worst Contract Rankings: Auditing the Most Overpaid Players in the League

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

You Tell Us! Who are the Most Overpaid Players in the NBA?
Step into the Front Office: Rate the Salary Cap Albatrosses

We’ve laid out our master ledger ranking the 10 most crippling contracts in the league, but cap evaluation is always a subject of fierce debate. Now it's your turn to step into the general manager's office and judge the board.

The #1 Spot: Do you agree that Joel Embiid’s $62.6M average salary is the single worst deal in the league given his injury history, or does Paul George taking home $56.5M at age 37 take the crown?

The $75M Future: How do you feel about Donovan Mitchell’s upcoming extension maxing out at $75.5M in 2030-31? Will Cleveland regret that check?

The Young Stars: Is Jalen Williams or Tyrese Haliburton getting too much heat here, or are their $48M-plus salaries a legitimate hazard under second-apron tax rules?

Sound off in the comments with your hot takes! We want to hear your most overpaid NBA player choices!
Ranking the Worst Contracts in the NBA
Salary Cap Albatrosses: Power Ranking the 10 Worst Contracts in the NBA

Welcome to the cold, unforgiving reality of the modern NBA economy. In an era governed by the draconian rules of the second-apron luxury tax, handing out a max extension is no longer just a celebration of stardom; it is a high-stakes gamble with an organization’s entire competitive future on the line.

One minor miscalculation on health, aging curves, or roster fit can turn a franchise cornerstone into an immovable financial anchor overnight. Suddenly, general managers aren't just trying to build a championship contender; they are scrambling to avoid cap paralysis while writing checks for $50 million, $60 million, or even $75 million annually to single players.

We audited cap sheets across the league to identify the most restrictive, value-draining agreements on the books. Sifting through eye-watering annual average values (AAV), player options, and second-apron tax implications, here is our definitive ranking of the 10 worst contracts in the NBA.
10. Ja Morant | Portland Trail Blazers
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $39,446,090

Ja Morant’s jaw-dropping athleticism and open-court flair are undeniable, but his designated rookie extension has turned into a high-variance roller coaster. Now in Portland, carrying a $42.1 million cap hit for 2026-27 that climbs past $44.8 million next season, the Trail Blazers are absorbing massive risk.

Injuries, off-court distractions, and a playstyle reliant on violent rim attacks have severely limited Morant's availability in recent seasons. When you hand out close to $40 million a year, you need a reliable top option who guarantees 70-plus games of elite production. Until Morant proves he can stay on the floor consistently and refine his perimeter jumper, this contract remains a volatile asset on any cap sheet.
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $197,230,450
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $42,166,510
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA) | Age: 26
9. Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $46,504,000

Domantas Sabonis remains a regular-season double-double machine who orchestrates Sacramento's offense from the high post. But carrying a four-year extension with a $45.4 million cap hit in 2026-27 makes his tactical limitations in the postseason glaringly expensive.

When playoff football-style defense takes over in April and May, opponents routinely weaponize Sabonis's lack of elite rim protection and willingness to drop off his mid-range jumper. Paying over $46 million annually for a center who struggles to anchor a top-10 playoff defense places a hard ceiling on Sacramento's contention hopes, making his deal an expensive obstacle for the Kings' front office to maneuver around.
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $186,016,000
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $45,472,000
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA) | Age: 30
8. Immanuel Quickley | Toronto Raptors
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $32,500,000

When Toronto locked down Immanuel Quickley on a five-year deal, the vision was clear: secure a dynamic, young lead guard to anchor their post-Siakam rebuilding era. However, carrying an average annual salary of $32.5 million puts Quickley in a tier of financial expectations that his production hasn't fully met.

While Quickley provides solid secondary playmaking and perimeter scoring, paying top-tier starter money for a guard who struggles with efficiency and physical defensive limitations strains Toronto's financial flexibility. In a market where second-apron rules punish middle-tier overpays, carrying $32.5 million annually for a non-All-Star guard is a tough pill to swallow as Toronto tries to build out a legitimate playoff rotation.
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $162,500,000
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $32,500,000
- Free Agent Year: 2029 (UFA) | Age: 27
7. Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $47,838,690

Oklahoma City’s core is the envy of the league, but the price tag of success has officially arrived. Jalen Williams secured a massive designated rookie extension that kicks in with a $41.2 million cap hit and escalates to a staggering $54.4 million by the final year of the deal.

There is zero doubt that J-Dub is a premier multi-positional wing who plays crucial winning basketball. The concern here isn't his talent, it's the sheer roster-building math. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren commanding top-dollar extensions of their own, paying nearly $48 million annually for a second or third scoring option squeezes OKC's depth. If Williams doesn't comfortably cement himself as a perennial All-NBA player, this extension will severely restrict the Thunder's ability to keep their elite bench intact.
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $239,193,450
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $41,240,250
- Free Agent Year: 2031 (UFA) | Age: 25
6. Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $48,924,624

Tyrese Haliburton is the emotional heartbeat and offensive engine of the Pacers, but his max extension puts immense pressure on his body to hold up. Indiana locked him into a designated rookie extension carrying a $48.9 million cap hit for 2026-27, escalating to $55.6 million in the final season.

When Haliburton is fully healthy and pushing the pace, he looks like a transcendent floor general who elevates everyone around him. However, lingering hamstring issues and a ruptured right Achilles tendon that sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season have raised questions about his ability to consistently justify a supermax price tag. Paying nearly $50 million a year to a point guard who has to recover from such a career-threatening injury and that requires specific defensive insulation around him limits Indiana’s margin for error in the Eastern Conference arms race.
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $244,623,120
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $48,924,624
- Free Agent Year: 2029 (UFA) | Age: 26
5. Trae Young | Washington Wizards
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $53,199,923

Washington took a massive swing by landing Trae Young, but his contract is an absolute financial monster. The four-year, $212.8 million deal carries an eye-popping average annual salary of $53.2 million, kicking off with a $49.4 million cap hit in 2026-27 and topping out with a $58.3 million player option down the road.

Young guarantees elite, high-volume pick-and-roll passing and deep three-point range, but his extreme defensive liabilities require a very specific, perfectly crafted defensive roster around him. Paying over $53 million a year to a small, defensively targeted guard makes building a balanced, second-apron-compliant roster nearly impossible for a retooling Wizards franchise.
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $212,799,690
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $49,488,300
- Free Agent Year: 2030 (UFA) | Age: 27
4. Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $68,221,328

Donovan Mitchell is an undeniable superstar, but the numbers on his maximum veteran extension with Cleveland are truly mind-boggling. While his 2026-27 cap hit sits at $50.1 million, his upcoming four-year extension averages a staggering $68.2 million per year, escalating to a jaw-dropping $75,530,756 cap hit in 2030-31 when he turns 34 years old.

Paying a 6'2" guard over $75 million in a single season when he enters his mid-30s is the ultimate high-wire act. If Cleveland doesn't break through and capture a championship in the immediate future, carrying nearly 38% of the salary cap on one aging guard will trigger absolute cap paralysis under second-apron restrictions.
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $272,885,312 (Upcoming Extension)
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $50,105,628
- Free Agent Year: 2031 (UFA) | Age: 29
3. Zach LaVine | Sacramento Kings
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $43,031,940

Zach LaVine’s five-year, $215 million maximum contract has long been viewed across front offices as one of the most bloated deals in the league. Now sitting on Sacramento's books, LaVine carries a staggering $48.9 million player option cap hit for the final year of his deal.

While LaVine can still catch fire and light up a scoreboard on any given night, his total lack of defensive impact and history of knee issues make his nearly $49 million salary a cap-sheet nightmare. Teams have consistently shied away from absorbing his salary without substantial draft-asset incentives attached, leaving his employer locked into paying superstar cash for a high-volume, floor-spacing guard.
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $215,159,700
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $48,967,380 (Player Option)
- Free Agent Year: 2027 (UFA) | Age: 31
2. Paul George | Boston Celtics
Average Annual Salary (AAV): $52,896,235

Boston inherited the tail end of Philadelphia's four-year, $211.5 million gamble, and the financial reality is terrifying. Paul George carries a massive $54.1 million cap hit in 2026-27 at 36 years old, followed by a $56.5 million player option for his age-37 season.

When healthy, PG-13 remains a smooth two-way wing, but Father Time and persistent leg injuries have severely diminished his ability to consistently carry a team. Paying over $54 million annually to an aging, injury-prone veteran who has increasingly settled into a jump-shooting role destroys financial flexibility. For a Celtics team navigating second-apron penalty boxes, George's contract is a massive luxury-tax anchor.
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $211,584,940
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $54,126,380
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA) | Age: 36
1. Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers
There was no other choice for the top spot. Philadelphia locked Joel Embiid into a three-year, $187.8 million maximum veteran extension that pays him an average of $62.6 million per year. The contract kicks in with a $58.0 million cap hit in 2026-27 and balloons to an unfathomable $67.2 million in 2028-29 when Embiid turns 34.

Embiid at 100% capacity is an MVP-level force of nature, but his body has repeatedly broken down when it matters most. Paying nearly $67 million per season to a 7-footer with an extensive history of knee surgeries and facial fractures is the single most dangerous financial commitment in North American sports. With Philadelphia stripped of cap space and flexibility, Embiid’s extension stands alone as the worst contract albatross in the NBA.
- Contract Terms: 3 years / $187,873,836
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $57,985,752
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $62,624,612
- Free Agent Year: 2029 (UFA) | Age: 32
You Tell Us! Who are the Most Overpaid Players in the NBA?
Step into the Front Office: Rate the Salary Cap Albatrosses

We’ve laid out our master ledger ranking the 10 most crippling contracts in the league, but cap evaluation is always a subject of fierce debate. Now it's your turn to step into the general manager's office and judge the board.

The #1 Spot: Do you agree that Joel Embiid’s $62.6M average salary is the single worst deal in the league given his injury history, or does Paul George taking home $56.5M at age 37 take the crown?

The $75M Future: How do you feel about Donovan Mitchell’s upcoming extension maxing out at $75.5M in 2030-31? Will Cleveland regret that check?

The Young Stars: Is Jalen Williams or Tyrese Haliburton getting too much heat here, or are their $48M-plus salaries a legitimate hazard under second-apron tax rules?

Sound off in the comments with your hot takes! We want to hear your most overpaid NBA player choices!
Ranking the Worst Contracts in the NBA
Salary Cap Albatrosses: Power Ranking the 10 Worst Contracts in the NBA

Welcome to the cold, unforgiving reality of the modern NBA economy. In an era governed by the draconian rules of the second-apron luxury tax, handing out a max extension is no longer just a celebration of stardom; it is a high-stakes gamble with an organization’s entire competitive future on the line.

One minor miscalculation on health, aging curves, or roster fit can turn a franchise cornerstone into an immovable financial anchor overnight. Suddenly, general managers aren't just trying to build a championship contender; they are scrambling to avoid cap paralysis while writing checks for $50 million, $60 million, or even $75 million annually to single players.

We audited cap sheets across the league to identify the most restrictive, value-draining agreements on the books. Sifting through eye-watering annual average values (AAV), player options, and second-apron tax implications, here is our definitive ranking of the 10 worst contracts in the NBA.

NBA Top 10 Worst Contract Rankings: Auditing the Most Overpaid Players in the League

Step into the Front Office: Rate the Salary Cap Albatrosses

Salary Cap Albatrosses: Power Ranking the 10 Worst Contracts in the NBA

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $39,446,090

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $46,504,000

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $32,500,000

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $47,838,690

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $48,924,624

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $53,199,923

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $68,221,328

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $43,031,940

Average Annual Salary (AAV): $52,896,235

Step into the Front Office: Rate the Salary Cap Albatrosses

Salary Cap Albatrosses: Power Ranking the 10 Worst Contracts in the NBA

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