In the NBA, trading and signing contracts is a gamble where both teams and players can win or lose. Some players only explode after signing their contracts, making them representatives of super-valuable contracts. However, there are also players who experience a cliff-like decline in performance after signing big contracts, causing significant losses for their teams.
Looking at this season's performance, there are five major bad contracts in the league that have made teams suffer greatly, and some teams may even face the risk of rebuilding due to these bad contracts.
Fifth place: Rockets' VanVleet with a 3-year, $129 million contract
This season's average: 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.6 steals
Fourth place: Bulls' Ball with a 4-year, $80 million contract
This season's average: 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals
Ball's shooting efficiency is worse than VanVleet's, and he also cannot maintain his health. However, fortunately, his contract will expire at the end of this season. Even so, the Bulls have been unable to trade him away as they wish. However, Ball's performance is affected by injuries. If he can stay healthy, he is far superior to VanVleet.
Third place: Nets' Simmons with a 5-year, $177 million contract
This season's average: 5.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists
Second place: 76ers' George with a 4-year, $212 million contract
This season's average: 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals
George has made his first appearance on the list of bad contracts in his career. Judging from his performance with the 76ers, it was wise for the Clippers to let him go; otherwise, he would have plagued the Clippers for the next four years. What's more desperate is that George's contract just started this season, and in the future, the 76ers may completely lose hope of winning a championship because of him. Moreover, with such a contract and performance, no team is likely to take him on, which could even put the team at risk of rebuilding.
First place: Suns' Beal with a 5-year, $251 million contract
This season's average: 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals
Although the Wizards foolishly gave Beal a super contract, they quickly cut their losses and sent him away. The Suns became the complete victims, as Beal not only declined in performance after joining the Suns but also continued to be plagued by injuries. What makes the team even more desperate is that Beal's contract does not expire until 2027, and he also has a trade veto power. As long as it's not a team he wants to join, the Suns have no way to deal with him. With Durant already 36 years old, he cannot wait for the team to strengthen and compete for the championship three years later. Therefore, the Suns' fate may have only one outcome, which is to completely tank and rebuild, using Beal's contract amount to fill the potential poverty line in the future. Beal ranking first on the list of bad contracts is uncontroversial.