Ranking the 10 Worst Contracts in the NBA

Buyer’s remorse is one of the worst feelings you can have.

More often than not, you get over it in a few days. Did I really need that in-home cold plunge I used three times and never touched again? Probably not, and the wasted money stares me straight in the eye every time I look at it.

But, guess what? I got over it pretty quickly. The lengthy maintenance routine was unrealistic and it wasn’t that expensive. That’s what I tell myself at least. In this NBA world of aprons and subsequent limitations, though, buyer’s remorse can haunt front offices for years.

That contract extension seemed like a good idea at the time, but injuries happen, players take a step back and franchises change direction on a dime. Suddenly, a new contract that felt right in the moment hinders roster-building moves, and teams are stuck holding the bag. And the thing is, other teams know that. Rebuilding teams position into salary-dumping grounds, but you better believe those teams will require shiny draft capital and/or intriguing young players for the trouble.

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Ahead of the upcoming NBA season, we figured it was a good time to look across the league at the NBA’s worst contracts—deals teams would love to erase from their cap sheets now, or those that could look silly in the near future.

For this exercise, I figured it was best to look at players who still have at least a few years left on their contracts. Players like Ja Morant, Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday and Paul George fit the bill, but with two years left on their respective deals, they’ll be off the books in the not-too-distant future. Without further ado, here are our 10 least favorite contracts:

10. Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic

Remaining contract: Four years, $115.5 million

Orlando locked down Jalen Suggs on a five-year, $150.5 million extension in 2024. The deal is fully guaranteed through the 2029–30 season. Suggs was coming off a second team All-Defense campaign when he got the extension, but he struggled with injuries in 2024–25. He bounced back last year—the first year of the extension—but has regressed as a three-point shooter over the past two seasons. His deal descends over the remaining years, but the Magic are still on the hook for just under $30 million annually through the end of the decade. He’s a great perimeter defender and often takes the top defensive assignment, but that’s a big contract if he doesn’t get back to above average from deep. If the Magic don’t take a step forward in the much-improved Eastern Conference, they may need to get off Suggs’s money and attach some assets to do so.

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9. Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls

Remaining contract: Three years, $54 million

The Patrick Williams project is all but over in Chicago after the sixth-year forward hit a career-low in minutes and scoring last season. Williams, the fourth pick in the 2020 draft, isn’t part of the franchise’s future plans, as the Bulls have plenty to be excited about in Caleb Wilson, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, plus new veterans in Nic Claxton and Norman Powell. Williams signed a five-year, $90 million extension two years ago and has declined every season since. The hope was he’d develop on a somewhat reasonable contract, but Chicago can’t wait for this one to get off its books.

8. Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks

Remaining contract: Four years, $64 million

Congratulations to Gary Trent Jr. and the Bucks for the oddest, most overpriced deal of the offseason. So much so that the NBA decided to investigate Milwaukee for potential salary cap circumvention. We’ll see how that all shakes out. As Trent comes off his lowest scoring total since his rookie year, it makes no sense that the Bucks would want to commit to him for four additional years. The contract likely doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things at a low percentage of the cap while the team starts its rebuild, but it’s clearly one of the most head-scratching contracts across the league.

7. James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers

Remaining contract: Three years, $96.5 million

James Harden inked a new deal with the Cavaliers this summer, one that is set to pay him $33.7 million in his age-39 season in 2028–29. He’s still a high-level player and the Cavs will see if their first full season with Harden alongside Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can get the franchise over the hump in the Eastern Conference. Should Cleveland fall short, though, being on the hook for $30-plus million to Harden for multiple more seasons could become hard to swallow.

6. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

Remaining contract: Four years, $221.7 million

Although the Spurs have debatably the best future outlook in the entire league, they need to figure out their crowded depth chart at guard. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper played huge roles in San Antonio’s run to the NBA Finals, while De’Aaron Fox disappointed at times as he dealt with an ankle sprain. Fox was an All-Star last year, though, and still brings a scoring punch that the young team could use as it continues to grow. However, Fox’s massive extension kicks in this season, and the Spurs could look to move his contract should his playoff regression continue. That could be a good problem to have as it would likely mean Castle and Harper are ready to steer the backcourt themselves, but Fox’s contract will be difficult to move. That could put the Spurs in a tricky spot as they aim to keep a contender around Victor Wembanyama on an increasingly expensive roster.

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5. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

Remaining contract: Five years, $140 million

Keegan Murray is a fine player, one that would help plenty of NBA teams. However, he signed a five-year extension ahead of last season and then ended up appearing in only 23 games due to injuries. The $140 million extension kicks in this season and runs through 2030–31, an incredibly long commitment for a franchise that has no real direction other than the development of lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr. Murray has taken a step back over the past two seasons and, unless traded, he’ll make up around 15% of the Kings’ cap sheet for the next five years. For comparison’s sake, that’s in line with the extension Detroit just gave to Ausar Thompson, one of the NBA’s top defenders.

4. Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets

Remaining contract: Five years, $125 million

The Nuggets are currently the only team over the NBA’s dreaded second apron, which makes future roster-building moves incredibly difficult. Denver has to get under the second apron as soon as possible, but moving Christian Braun’s contract won’t be a path to doing so. Braun’s five-year extension that kicks in this year is part of the reason Denver is in its difficult financial situation, which led to Peyton Watson’s departure in a sign-and-trade to Cleveland. Braun played a supporting role in the Nuggets’ 2023 title team and improved over the next two seasons, which led to the long-term commitment. He missed time and was less effective last season, though, as he took a step back as a three-point shooter. Should that continue, Braun’s five years left on the cap sheet will only hinder the franchise.

3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Remaining contract: Three years, $187.9 million

As always with Joel Embiid, health is the biggest question. He’s played 96 total games over the past three seasons as he’s dealt with various ailments. At the end of this past season, he said that he and the team believes his longstanding knee issues are behind him, but we’ll have to see how that plays out over another 82-game grind. When available, he’s dominant. With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the mix, the 76ers are gunning for a championship. Should the reloaded roster not be able to get it done, though, Embiid’s enormous contract will make it difficult for the Sixers to make any additional needle-moving transactions.

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2. Trae Young, Washington Wizards

Remaining contract: Four years, $212.8 million

Trae Young has only played five games in a Wizards uniform after the Hawks traded him to Washington ahead of the February trade deadline. That didn’t stop his new franchise from committing to him long term, though. On paper, Washington’s roster is exciting with star vets in Young and Anthony Davis alongside an intriguing young core in Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa. Davis has two years left on his deal and is eligible for an extension, while Young now stays on Washington’s cap sheet at an increasing salary around $50 million annually for the next four seasons. With Young’s health issues last year and the fact that the Hawks were much better without him, that’s a tough sell for a young team who will have to pay its young players eventually should everything click. Maybe Young bounces back, but as things stand, his huge new deal was a head-scratcher.

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1. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors

Remaining contract: Four years, $103.6 million

The lone bright spot of Jakob Poeltl’s upcoming extension with the Raptors is that only $5 million is guaranteed during the final season (2029–30). Toronto’s center will make $19.5 million over the upcoming season, then he has a three-year, $84.1 million contract extension that kicks in when he’s 32 years old. Scottie Barnes is on a big contract and the franchise hopes to work out an extension with Kawhi Leonard, plus Immanuel Quickley is already on a much too pricey deal. R.J. Barrett becomes a free agent next summer and Toronto’s existing commitments could make it tough to retain him. Unless Poeltl is moved, that is. But who wants to take on his contract? Coming off his worst season in six years, that’s a tough sell unless Toronto sweetens the pot considerably.

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