Ranking the Worst Contracts in NBA Free-Agency History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Ava Arnold Only players who changed teams during free agency were eligible for a spot in the top 10. However, we would be remiss if we didn't point out a handful of guys who turned out to be anything but a hometown discount.
Jon Koncak, Atlanta Hawks: six years, $13.1 million (1989)
Jon "Contract" Koncak looks like a bargain by today's standards, but back in 1989, this deal was ludicrous for a part-time starter. To put it in context, over the course of the six seasons of Koncak's contract, Magic Johnson made $11.9 million. But while Johnson had 138 triple-doubles in his career, Koncak had all of four double-doubles in these six years.
Juwan Howard, Washington Bullets: seven years, $105 million (1996)
This was the year NBA contracts went bonkers. Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Howard all signed seven-year deals worth at least $105 million. But while Mourning was an All-Star in four of those seven seasons and O'Neal became one of the greatest of all time, Howard's career peaked the year before the Bullets/Wizards inked him long-term. He was an All-Star at 23 years of age in 1996, but never again.
Jayson Williams, New Jersey Nets: six years, $86 million (1998)
After a slow start to his career, Williams blossomed into a double-double machine in 1997 and 1998, leading the Nets to invest heavily in the 30-year-old. Little did they know they were investing in just 30 more games, as that's how long Williams lasted into this contract before suffering a career-ending broken leg.
Vin Baker, Seattle SuperSonics: seven years, $86 million (1999)
Baker was a four-time All-Star who played in almost every game from 1994 to 1998, averaging 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Seattle jumped at the chance to lock up the successful 27-year-old for as long as possible. However, he was one of many players who let himself go during/after the strike-shortened 1998-99 season, and he was never the same.
Allan Houston, New York Knicks: six years, $100 million (2001)
People always point to this contract as one of the worst ever, but Houston gave the Knicks a great return on investment for the first 2.7 years of this six-year extension, averaging better than 20 points per game. A knee injury ended his career in 2005, but he was still on New York's payroll for the next two seasons. It's largely because of Houston's contract that the NBA introduced the amnesty clause.
Darius Miles, Portland Trail Blazers: six years, $48 million (2004)
Miles bounced from the Clippers to the Cavaliers to the Trail Blazers before turning 23. The high school phenom never quite tapped into his immense potential, but Portland made a big bet that he would get there eventually. A devastating knee injury ensured that would never happen.
Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards: six years, $111 million (2008)
From 2004 to 2007, Arenas averaged 27.7 points per game and was an All-Star in all three seasons. After an injury-plagued 2007-08, he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Wizards, forcing them to shell out the big bucks to keep him in town. They did, but injuries and an infamous firearms incident limited him to 55 games in two-plus seasons with Washington before it traded him to Orlando for the remainder of Rashard Lewis's equally brutal contract.
Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers: five years, $82 million (2009)
Portland already knew about Roy's knee problems when it signed him to this big extension, but his health deteriorated faster than anyone was expecting. He retired one year into the deal. To make matters even worse for the Trail Blazers, he came back for five games with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012-13, which reportedly cost Portland $17 million.
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat: five years, $118 million (2014)
While most of the decisions on this list were questionable from the moment the ink hit paper, this one made perfect sense at the time. Along with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Bosh helped carry the Heat to the NBA Finals in four consecutive years. Unfortunately, blood clots resulted in his playing just 97 games after signing this $118 million deal.