NBA · 1 hour ago

Ranking the Top 10 Worst NBA Contracts Right Now

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

It's Your Turn! Tell Us Who You Think are the Most Overpaid Players in the NBA
Join the Killer Contract Debate: Which Contract is the Ultimate Franchise Slug?

We've set the stage for the league's biggest financial traps, but now it's your turn to debate the books!
- THE BIGGEST ALBATROSS: Is there any contract in the league worse than an aging superstar eating up 35% of the cap on a second-apron team?
- TRADE-DEADLINE ESCAPE: Which player on this list is actually tradeable without a general manager needing to attach multiple unprotected first-round picks?
- BUYOUT WATCH: Will any of these front offices bite the bullet and stretch or buy out these massive deals before their cap sheet gets completely frozen?
Drop your hot takes and cap reactions in the comments!
NBA Worst Contract Rankings
Cap Traps and Money Pits: Power Ranking the 10 Most Toxic Contracts in the NBA

Welcome to the second-apron jungle, where a single signature on a max extension can put an entire franchise in a financial chokehold. Under the NBA’s brutal Collective Bargaining Agreement—where the 2026-27 salary cap sits at $164.96 million and the feared second apron threshold kicks in at $221.69 million—handing out max money isn't just a victory lap for past performance. It is a high-wire tightrope walk without a safety net.

Miscalculate a player’s aging curve, overlook a nagging medical red flag, or force a clunky on-court fit, and that former savior turns into an immovable $50 million to $70 million annual anchor overnight. Crossing that second tax apron now triggers immediate trade restrictions, freezes future first-round draft picks seven years out, and strips away mid-level exceptions entirely. Suddenly, general managers aren't just trying to build a championship contender—they are playing high-stakes cap gymnastics just to keep their roster from becoming completely paralyzed.

To figure out who is causing the absolute worst financial headaches in the league, we audited cap sheets across all 30 teams, weighing eye-watering annual average values (AAV), player option landmines, and second-apron tax penalties.

Here is the definitive ranking of the 10 worst, most restrictive contracts in the NBA right now.
10. Ja Morant
Ja Morant Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $39,446,090
- Team: Portland Trail Blazers
- Position: Guard
- Age: 26
- College: Murray State
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.

Ja Morant Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $197,230,450
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $42,166,510
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA)
9. Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $46,504,000
- Team: Sacramento Kings
- Position: Center/Power Forward
- Age: 30
- College: Gonzaga
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.

Domantas Sabonis Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $186,016,000
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $45,472,000
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA)
8. Immanuel Quickley
Immanuel Quickley Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $32,500,000
- Team: Toronto Raptors
- Position: Guard
- Age: 27
- College: Kentucky
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.

Immanuel Quickley Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $162,500,000
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $32,500,000
- Free Agent Year: 2029 (UFA)
7. Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $47,838,690
- Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
- Position: Forward
- Age: 25
- College: Santa Clara
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.

Jalen Williams Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $239,193,450
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $41,240,250
- Free Agent Year: 2031 (UFA)
6. Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $48,924,624
- Team: Indiana Pacers
- Position: Point Guard
- Age: 26
- College: Iowa State
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.

Tyrese Haliburton Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $244,623,120
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $48,924,624
- Free Agent Year: 2029 (UFA)
5. Trae Young
Trae Young Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $53,199,923
- Team: Washington Wizards
- Position: Point Guard
- Age: 27
- College: Oklahoma
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.

Trae Young Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $212,799,690
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $49,488,300
- Free Agent Year: 2030 (UFA)
4. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $68,221,328
- Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
- Position: Guard
- Age: 29
- College: Louisville
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.

Donovan Mitchell Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $272,885,312 (Upcoming Extension)
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $50,105,628
- Free Agent Year: 2031 (UFA)
3. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $43,031,940
- Team: Sacramento Kings
- Position: Guard
- Age: 31
- College: UCLA
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.

Zach LaVine Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 5 years / $215,159,700
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $48,967,380 (Player Option)
- Free Agent Year: 2027 (UFA)
2. Paul George
Paul George Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $52,896,235
- Team: Boston Celtics
- Position: Forward
- Age: 36
- College: Fresno State
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.

Paul George Contract Details
- Contract Terms: 4 years / $211,584,940
- 2026-27 Cap Hit: $54,126,380
- Free Agent Year: 2028 (UFA)
1. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid Player Profile
- Average Annual Salary (AAV): $62,624,612
- Team: Philadelphia 76ers
- Position: Center
- Age: 32
- College: Kansas
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.

Joel Embiid Contract Details
- 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)
It's Your Turn! Tell Us Who You Think are the Most Overpaid Players in the NBA
Join the Killer Contract Debate: Which Contract is the Ultimate Franchise Slug?

We've set the stage for the league's biggest financial traps, but now it's your turn to debate the books!
- THE BIGGEST ALBATROSS: Is there any contract in the league worse than an aging superstar eating up 35% of the cap on a second-apron team?
- TRADE-DEADLINE ESCAPE: Which player on this list is actually tradeable without a general manager needing to attach multiple unprotected first-round picks?
- BUYOUT WATCH: Will any of these front offices bite the bullet and stretch or buy out these massive deals before their cap sheet gets completely frozen?
Drop your hot takes and cap reactions in the comments!
NBA Worst Contract Rankings
Cap Traps and Money Pits: Power Ranking the 10 Most Toxic Contracts in the NBA

Welcome to the second-apron jungle, where a single signature on a max extension can put an entire franchise in a financial chokehold. Under the NBA’s brutal Collective Bargaining Agreement—where the 2026-27 salary cap sits at $164.96 million and the feared second apron threshold kicks in at $221.69 million—handing out max money isn't just a victory lap for past performance. It is a high-wire tightrope walk without a safety net.

Miscalculate a player’s aging curve, overlook a nagging medical red flag, or force a clunky on-court fit, and that former savior turns into an immovable $50 million to $70 million annual anchor overnight. Crossing that second tax apron now triggers immediate trade restrictions, freezes future first-round draft picks seven years out, and strips away mid-level exceptions entirely. Suddenly, general managers aren't just trying to build a championship contender—they are playing high-stakes cap gymnastics just to keep their roster from becoming completely paralyzed.

To figure out who is causing the absolute worst financial headaches in the league, we audited cap sheets across all 30 teams, weighing eye-watering annual average values (AAV), player option landmines, and second-apron tax penalties.

Here is the definitive ranking of the 10 worst, most restrictive contracts in the NBA right now.

Ranking the Top 10 Worst NBA Contracts Right Now

Join the Killer Contract Debate: Which Contract is the Ultimate Franchise Slug?

Cap Traps and Money Pits: Power Ranking the 10 Most Toxic Contracts in the NBA

Ja Morant Player Profile

Ja Morant Contract Details

Domantas Sabonis Player Profile

Domantas Sabonis Contract Details

Immanuel Quickley Player Profile

Immanuel Quickley Contract Details

Jalen Williams Player Profile

Jalen Williams Contract Details

Tyrese Haliburton Player Profile

Tyrese Haliburton Contract Details

Trae Young Player Profile

Trae Young Contract Details

Donovan Mitchell Player Profile

Donovan Mitchell Contract Details

Zach LaVine Player Profile

Zach LaVine Contract Details

Paul George Player Profile

Paul George Contract Details

Joel Embiid Player Profile

Joel Embiid Contract Details

Join the Killer Contract Debate: Which Contract is the Ultimate Franchise Slug?

Cap Traps and Money Pits: Power Ranking the 10 Most Toxic Contracts in the NBA

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