The 10 worst contracts in the league

10. Tobias Harris (DET): 3-years, $112.9m

Plenty of players on this list are owed more than $100 million. Plenty have injury concerns. Plenty are coming off down seasons. Harris was actually quite solid with the Houston Rockets before taking another step forward for the Pistons after a midseason trade. Harris is a really good player, but he falls in a similar category as a player like Andrew Wiggins. Owed more than $35 million a year heading into his thirties for the next three seasons, there’s reason to be concerned that Harris is a very good player being paid like he’s elite.

9. Gary Harris (ATL): 1-year, $20.5m

Harris is entering the final year of his contract and normally wouldn’t be in consideration for a list like this as an expiring deal, but the Atlanta Hawks wing performed so poorly this past season that it’s hard to ignore the more than $20 million in salary cap space that Atlanta is set to dedicate to him next season. Injuries limited Harris to just 40 games last season, but when he took the court, he was one of the worst players in the league. Always known more for his defensive contributions than offensive ability, Harris’ offense was just too detrimental to make him a positive player. Despite a 96% free-throw percentage, he shot just 32% from threes and an abominable 32% from the field. The Hawks were nearly 7 points better when he was on the bench last season, and will have a difficult time stomaching a $20m payout for a non-contributor.

8. Andrew Wiggins (NYK): 2-years, $65.2m

A little preemptive max contract extension has put Wiggins on this list even though he’s become a solid starter. Wiggins is still 26 and has the pedigree of a top pick. However, he’s plateaued as a solid, but unexceptional wing who can consistently make open threes, but tends to take some inefficient twos in isolation. His defensive ability has taken some huge strides over the past couple of seasons, making him an above-average starter at small forward. Owed close to $35 million a year over the next two seasons though, Wiggins is significantly overpaid.

7. Markelle Fultz (UTH): 3-years, $50 million (third year only partially guaranteed)

Easily the youngest player on this list, Fultz has been tantalizing general manager’s ever since he was a top draft pick in 2017, but a combination of underperformance and injuries have left him unable to become a significant contributor. A major knee injury prevented him from playing a single game last season and it’s worth wondering whether he’ll ever be able to live up to the $35 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract. Only $2 million in the final year of his contract are guaranteed, which make it a bit easier to stomach, but it’s still a lot of money tied to a player with huge questions.

6. Klay Thompson (NOP): 3-years, $121.8m

Thompson may be the best secondary star in the league when he’s at his best. His combined elite shooting and defensive ability make him the perfect fit on every team. However, a pair of massive knee injuries have prevented him from playing in either of the last two seasons and it’s hard to know if he’ll ever be a major contributor again. One of the highest-paid players in the league, there’s a lot of risk that Thompson becomes a massive $40m+ cap hit that barely sees the court as he enters his mid-30s.

5. Harrison Barnes (MIA): 2-years, $38.6m

Barnes has been an inefficient scorer that helps a little bit on the boards for some time. Owed more than $19 million a year over the next two seasons, though, it’s a high price to pay for such limited production. The Cavs traded Brooklyn’s 2021 first-round pick to dump Barnes’ contract in the middle of last season. His scoring production dipped significantly after the trade, but his net rating became a bit easier to stomach (-7.2 in Cleveland to -3.1 in Miami). Still, Barnes is getting above-average money to be a below-average role player.

4. Brook Lopez (NOP): 2-years, $27.2m

Balancing good players on bad contracts with terrible players on slightly bad contracts is always the challenge with this list. There’s an argument that Thompson’s contract is far harder to trade than Lopez’s given the huge downside, but after Lopez was packaged with Pascal Siakam in a trade for John Wall last season, Lopez’s production cratered. His -9.1 net rating in 18 games with the Pelicans was one of the worst in the league. His overall year was much more solid, but without any offensive value besides his work at the free-throw line, the Pelicans are basically on the hook for more than $25 million for a rim protector.

3. Kawhi Leonard (OKC/FA): 3-years, $127.5m (fourth-year player option for $48.8m)

Leonard is going to be arguably the most heavily pursued free agent this offseason, and rightfully so. He’s a key contributor to a Thunder team that remains a huge championship favorite. And yet, Leonard’s health may be the most uncertain in the league and whoever signs him this offseason will have to commit more than $175 million in guaranteed money to a 30-year old with huge injury questions.

2. Kevin Love (MIN): 2-years, $60.2m

Love might be a passable shooter and scorer, shooting 49% from three this season in 32 games, but his absolute lack of flexibility on the defensive side of the ball made him one of the worst players on the Timberwolves, posting a -7.2 net rating when he was healthy. Mix in his $30 million a year salary and extensive injury concerns and it’s hard to see Love as anything but one of the worst contracts for any team in the league.

1. Draymond Green (OKC): 2-years, $49.8m (third-year player option for $27.6m)

Green has the ability to help a team even from a secondary role with his abilities as a defender, but once a trustworthy ball handler, Green failed to eclipse two assists per game last season. Health is a huge question for the bruiser as well who has seemed to suffer the consequences of his violent style of play over the last two seasons. On the hook for just over $25 million a year for the next three seasons, OKC may have a significant portion of their cap invested in a bench big.