NBA: The One Bust Dragging Every Team Down

Few clubs in the NBA are entirely happy with their rosters. Though general managers have attempted to hone their crafts into a refined science, assembling a team involves a lot of luck and precious few crystal balls.

It isn't surprising then that almost every team has at least one regret. Some of those regrets are unquestionably harder to live with than others.

From Joe Johnson to Andray Blatche, here are 30 decisions each team wishes it had spent a little more time making. 

Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson

There's a good case to be made that the Hawks' biggest regret should be selecting Marvin Williams with the second overall pick in 2005. Williams has never lived up to his potential, and—though he's still only 25—there's little doubt Atlanta wishes it had selected Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum or even Danny Granger.

On a scale of regret, however, nothing can top the obscene overpayment Atlanta promised Joe Johnson in 2010. The deal will earn Johnson nearly $25 million in 2015-2016 as he reaches his mid-30s.

Meanwhile, Johnson's production has steadily declined since inking the contract and he looks far removed from the 25 points he averaged in 2006-2007. 

Boston Celtics: Jermaine O'Neal

It's bad enough that Jermaine O'Neal is earning over six million dollars this year to play in 25 games and earn limited minutes. Injuries haven't been kind to the aging center.

No, it gets worse.

In two seasons with the Celtics, O'Neal has only played in 49 games. Despite averaging over 13 points and nearly 30 minutes in each of his four season prior to joining Boston, O'Neal has yet to average more than 5.4 points since coming to Beantown.

His absence strikes a team that could ill-afford to lose frontcourt depth. Fortunately, the Celtics will shed O'Neal's contract after the season and will no-doubt pursue a more ideal long-term solution for the middle of their lineup. 

Charlotte Bobcats: DeSagana Diop

Bad contracts are never a good thing, but they're instant poison for an organization committed to keeping its payroll in line.

Accordingly, it's hard to understand why Charlotte signed DeSagana Diop to a five-year deal in 2008 that was worth over $32 million. Diop's player-option for $7.3 million next season makes him an instant candidate to be amnestied.

Sure, Diop's value is hidden to some degree by virtue of the fact he's a defensive specialist. Whatever his virtues, Diop has failed to make a significant contribution to the Bobcats. In four seasons, he's never averaged more than 14.2 minutes, 2.8 points or 3.8 rebounds.

Those are subpar stats even for someone who isn't a "stats guy."

Chicago Bulls: Carlos Boozer

It's hard to peg anyone on Chicago's roster as a "bust." Few teams have rotations this good.

It's also hard to like the five-year, $75 million contract Carlos Boozer signed in 2010. The deal requires Chicago to pay Boozer $16.8 million in 2015-2016. 

This isn't the worst signing ever. Boozer will still be only 33 in the last year of the deal and he's produced efficiently in each of his two seasons with Chicago.

Nevertheless, the opportunity cost associated with Boozer's addition may never be known. Compared to potential free agents who might be eager to team up with Derrick Rose, Boozer is somewhat one-dimensional. He's also yet to prove that he can show up when needed and remained a consistent second option. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Daniel Gibson

Daniel Gibson's $4.4 million salary this season may not sound that outrageous. And, with the five year contract nearing its end, the Cavaliers aren't exactly burdened by the deal.

Nevertheless, guys like Gibson are a dime a dozen and rarely worth more than $1 or 2 million. There are just too many late first-round or second-round draft picks that can do what he does. Gibson's a quick guard and can shoot from range, but that's where his upside appears to end.

Gibson's shooting a career-low 35 percent and has never averaged more than three assists per game. Cleveland would be better served by a cheaper replacement and the added cap space.

Dallas Mavericks: Brendan Haywood

In the first season of his six-year, $55 million deal with the Mavericks, Brendan Haywood only made it on the court for 18.5 minutes a contest.

With Tyson Chandler in the fold for the championship campaign, the limited playing time wasn't too surprising (even on the heels of such signing Haywood to such a massive contract). Haywood's continued failure to earn minutes is another story altogether, though.

This season, Haywood is earning $7.6 million to average 22.3 minutes. His production in those minutes has been pretty decent (including 6.7 rebounds per game), but not decent enough to justify the contract's length and dollars. 

Look for Dallas to amnesty Haywood after the season in a bid to create cap space and pursue Dwight Howard and/or Deron Williams.

Denver Nuggets: Al Harrington

Sure, there are murmurs that Al Harrington may deserve this season's Sixth Man of the Year award, and it's probably a bit harsh to call a guy averaging 14.6 points a "bust." He's been pretty good for the Nuggets this year. With Wilson Chandler in China and Danilo Gallinari missing time, Harrington has been up to the challenge.

However, Harrington is 32 years old and has another three years and $21.5 million left on his contract. Given the commitments Denver has made to Gallinari (and will make to Chandler), Harrington will become a very expensive rotation player. His price tag might seem reasonable at the moment, but it probably won't in two seasons. 

A closer look at the numbers also complicates things. Harrington takes a lot of three-pointers (4.6 per game) but only makes 31 percent of them. He'll impact games positively, but he'll also shoot the Nuggets out of some games.

Detroit Pistons: Ben Gordon

Of course, Charlie Villanueva makes a pretty good case for inclusion in this list. But at $7.5 million for the season, he's a bargain when compared to Ben Gordon. Both Villanueva and Gordon are signed through 2013-2014. 

The difference is that Gordon will be making almost $5 million more than Villanueva in that final season. 

Gordon will also become more and more of an impediment to talented rookie Brandon Knight's development. 

To put Gordon's real cost to the team in perspective, consider this—he makes roughly what Tony Parker makes only to average seven fewer points and turn the ball over as often as he gets an assist. For a 6'3'' combo-guard, those numbers are mediocre at best.

For a guard whose talent is scoring, Gordon makes only 42 percent of his field goals. There are starters in this league that are worse than Gordon, but they're rarely paid anything close to what Gordon makes.

He's been an expensive mistake and will help you understand why the Pistons have struggled so much this season.

Golden State Warriors: Andris Biedrins

Andris Biedrins will make $9 million in each of the next three seasons. For that price, Golden State has gotten 33 games of 1.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. 

That's a very expensive and sparingly used backup center.

Biedrins gave the Warriors reasons for hope a few years back, even averaging a double-double in 2008-2009. Since then, he's become an afterthought in Golden State's plans (sure to be even more so with the arrival of Andrew Bogut).

Houston Rockets: Hasheem Thabeet

Hasheem Thabeet was an inherited bust to be sure. He was Memphis' pick in 2009—the second overall to be exact. 

The Rockets acquired a pick by agreeing to take Thabeet, so it's been a low-risk deal from its standpoint. The Rockets have a team-option on Thabeet for next season, but it would cost them almost $6.5 million. 

That's not likely to happen.

Thabeet is still too young to foreclose the possibility that he'll turn into something. But he has never been worth the draft selection or the contract that came with it.

Trade Deadline Update: Thabeet was moved at the deadline to the Portland Trail Blazers, so he will be someone else's project now. Now, Houston's biggest bust is almost certainly Terrence Williams. The Nets drafted Williams 11th overall in 2009, but the talented young forward has yet to make an impact in the NBA.

Indiana Pacers: Darren Collison

The Indiana Pacers are a well-built team and you really can't label anyone of this roster a "bust."

Nevertheless, Collison has been disappointing in one context: Now in his third season, he hasn't demonstrate significant improvement from his rookie campaign.

That's not a huge knock on Collison. It may be the case that he never becomes an All-Star-caliber point guard, but he looked like he was on the right track with the Hornets. Filling in for a broken-down Chris Paul, Collison averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 assists. Despite more playing time with Indiana, Collison is now producing less than he did in that breakout year.

He's still very good and the Hornets know doubt wish they'd held on to him. You just can't help but feel Collison could be even better.

Los Angeles Clippers: Brian Cook

If anyone on the Clippers' bench is a bust, it's probably Vinny Del Negro. But for the sake of consistency we'll stick with players.

The Clippers' roster is clicking, but Brian Cook is shooting himself out of the rotation. A season after hitting 43 percent of his threes, Cook is making 19 percent of them this season.

Cook's struggles wouldn't be so evident were it not for the fact that Los Angeles doesn't have much depth on the bench (other than Kenyon Martin, of course). If Cook returns to form, the Clippers' bench will instantly become more formidable.

Trade Deadline Update: The Clippers jettisoned Cook in their acquisition of guard Nick Young. The only real bust on the Clippers' roster has to be Chauncey Billups—by no fault of his own. Los Angeles had high hopes for the veteran whose season was ended by injury in January.

Los Angeles Lakers: Luke Walton

Luke Walton hasn't played more than 9.4 minutes a game since early 2009. Even when Walton was getting playing time, he never played particularly well (save for one outlier season).

This season, Walton will make $5.7 million to average 7.2 minutes and 1.3 points a game. 

As disappointing as Metta World Peace has been, Walton has been a long and painful mistake. Lakers fan will get to watch him warm the bench for another season at $6.1 million (unless, of course, in the event he's amnestied in the offseason).

Trade Deadline Update: The Lakers somehow convinced the Cavaliers to accept Walton in the deal to acquire Ramon Sessions, unquestionably killing two birds with one stone. That means the Lakers' current big bust is none other than Metta World Peace. Los Angeles had high hopes that World Peace would become their small forward of the future and an elite stopper to replace Trevor Ariza. World Peace's production and elite defensive play have steadily declined while the head case formerly known as Ron Artest has two more seasons at over $7 million a piece left on his current deal. 

Memphis Grizzlies: O.J. Mayo

For the record, I'm a big O.J. Mayo fan. 

It's hard to understand why he's seen his minutes slashed after his first two seasons. In those campaigns, Mayo averaged at least 17.5 points and 38 minutes a game.

This season, he's been reduced to 12.3 points and 26.8 minutes. Mayo's name is frequently mentioned in trade speculation and that may be the best thing for him at this point. He could make important contributions to another team, but something just isn't fitting right in Memphis.

Miami Heat: Mike Miller

Mike Miller has had a great career, but there's almost no way he'll earn the hefty contract the Miami Heat gave him. 

Miller has become expendable with this season's addition of Shane Battier, but he makes nearly twice as much as Battier and will continue getting that paycheck through 2014-2015. For that steep price tag, he's struggled to stay healthy and is averaging just 5.6 points a contest in each of his first two seasons with the Heat.

Some will say Miller is a "glue guy," but in that respect too, Battier does a better job. Realistically, Miller is a spot-up shooter with decent size and will only become more one-dimensional as he approaches the end of his deal.

Already 32, Miller is clearly on the downswing of his career.

Milwaukee Bucks: Beno Udrih

In his first season with the Bucks, Beno Udrih has played roughly half the minutes he received in Sacramento and yet has yield just about half the production.

His 18.5 minutes per contest are unlikely to increase with the acquisition of Monta Ellis further crowding the backcourt. Unless Brandon Jennings is moved, Udrih will become an even more rare sighting. Whether or not that's his fault is unclear, but Milwaukee certainly isn't getting $7.2 million worth of value out of Udrih.

The backup point guard has a player-option for next season worth $7.8 million that he'd be foolish to turn down. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Bucks get rid of Udrih one way or the other. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: Darko Milicic

Darko Milicic is the epitome of a bust.

Granted, he is a bigger embarrassment for the Pistons (who infamously drafted him second overall in 2003). Still, he will cost Minnesota about $5 million this season and another $5 million and change next season. For a seven-footer, those aren't outrageous figures,. But they're certainly high given Milicic's uneven production and apparent inability to shoot over 50 percent.

Nikola Pekovic's emergence in Minnesota has made Darko all the more expendable. Timberwolves fans probably won't be sorry to see this guy go.

New Jersey Nets: Damion James

No one ever expected Damion James to be an instant All-Star and his modest salary isn't exactly jeopardizing the Nets' cap space.

Nevertheless, he's had ample opportunity to earn playing time in New Jersey. The Nets don't have a lot of talent on the wing and James came into the NBA with the physical tools to build upon. While he continues to rebound well for a small forward and play solid defense, his shooting dropped this season all the way to 37 percent. 

James is still young enough to prove he was worth a first-round pick, but for now he's still a bust.

New Orleans Hornets: Al-Farouq Aminu

You can certainly make a good argument that Emeka Okafor is overpaid or that he's never lived up to the billing of a second-overall pick. In reality, though, he's been productive for a long time and remains a solid defender in the paint.

Too good to be a bust.

Meanwhile, Aminu is still too young—at only 21—to really qualify as a bust. He's yet to polish his game or find regular playing time and is still very much a project. Chances are that he won't stay on this list for long.

For now, though, Aminu is a Top-Ten draft pick who's yet to shoot over 40 percent in his first two seasons. He's got good size and undeniable upside, but until he nears his potential don't be surprised to hear some harsh scrutiny.

New York Knicks: J.R. Smith

Strong consideration was given to awarding Amar'e Stoudemire with this dubious distinction, but Amar'e has had a rough year. He's gets a pass for now, but until he starts doing dirty work in the paint, Stoudemire will have something to prove to the Knicks.

J.R. Smith on the other hand has gotten off to a rough start with New York. Smith is averaging an uneven 21.4 minutes per game and struggling to find his role amidst a crowded backcourt.

It doesn't help that Smith is only shooting 37 percent and just 29 percent from behind the arc. And, it really doesn't help that his Twitter is already getting him into hot water. Smith has to be rethinking this whole idea of coming to New York. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins

Labeling anyone on the Thunder a "bust" borders on ridiculous. This is an exceptionally strong team and G.M. Sam Presti has done a masterful job of assembling it.

There's no question, though, that Kendrick Perkins isn't quite living up to the expectations the Thunder had for him when they decided to part ways with Jeff Green.

Obviously, Perkins' value never fully shows up in the box score. He's a rugged presence in the paint and often described as one of the best post-defenders in the game.

Still, in his first full season with Oklahoma City, Perkins has lost some production on the glass and isn't scoring nearly as efficiently as he did in Boston. One might think Perkins would benefit from playing alongside so much talent, but that's yet to pan out.  

Orlando Magic: Hedo Turkoglu

Given the way Dwight Howard has toyed with Orlando Magic fans, it's incredibly tempting to add the self-proclaimed Superman to this list. But, given that inclusion of the game's most dominant big man might incite a few riots, we'll play it safe and pick the no-brainer: Hedo Turkoglu.

It's hard not to like Turkoglu on some level, but it's even harder to begin justifying two more seasons of salary in excess of $11 million yearly. It's still harder to understand how or why Otis Smith would put his team in this position.

This can't be what Orlando had in mind when strategizing ways to keep Howard around.

Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand

While Brand had some great years with Chicago and Los Angeles, he's been one of the most overpaid guys in the league since coming to Philadelphia.

A lot of that can be attributed to a series of injuries that have slowdown Brand and that's certainly not his fault. But that's little consolation to the 76ers.

With so much money ($13.5 million this season) also committed to Andre Iguodala, Brand's $18 million will keep Philly out of the free-agent market until the summer of 2013 unless he's amnestied in advance.

To be sure, Brand is still a solid player. He's just much more of a $8 or $10 million player. 

Phoenix Suns: Josh Childress

Josh Childress' contract illustrates the full range of damage a team can do to its cap flexibility. Sometimes the biggest problem isn't the yearly dollar amount so much as the deal's number of years.

To be sure, Childress happens to be paid way too much as well. He'll make $6 million this season and has a player-option for $7.3 million in the 2014-2015 season.

The returns on this ill-conceived investment? Childress is averaging 2.7 points per game on a career-low 45 percent from the field. There's little doubt he'd have much better numbers with more playing time. But until he earns that playing time, Childress will continue to be a huge bust for the Suns.

Portland Trail Blazers: Raymond Felton

It's no secret that Raymond Felton hasn't worked out in Portland. 

He's shown a few signs of life recently, but on the season he's shooting the ball at 39 percent and an ice-cold 25 percent from range.

Felton might thrive in the right system. He played well under Mike D'Antoni and even appeared to be a decent fit with the up-tempo Nuggets. The point guard just hasn't found a way to consistently mesh with Portland's system.

Felton is in the last year of his contract, so chances are he will move on to a better situation and shed the "bust" status soon enough.

Sacramento Kings: John Salmons

J.J. Hickson has struggled to continue his development in Sacramento, but the remaining length of John Salmons' contract earns him the selection here.

Salmons' production has tanked this season. At 7.5 points a contest, he's scoring nearly half what he put up last season. He's also making field goals at the lowest rate since his second season in the league, which was all the way back in 2004.

The 32-year-old has two more guaranteed seasons on his deal and then a team-option that has zero chance of being picked up. 

San Antonio Spurs: Richard Jefferson

In his defense, Richard Jefferson does what he's been asked to do. He's not San Antonio's first option, and he's become an incredibly consistent perimeter shooter.

These contributions don't, however, come anywhere close to justifying a contract that will owe Jefferson over $11 million in 2013-2014. Unless amnestied, that contract will seriously disrupt San Antonio's ability to make any meaningful free-agent acquisitions.

Jefferson will also become increasingly expendable as rookie small forward Kawhi Leonard continues his development.

Trade Deadline Update: The Spurs moved Jefferson just prior to the trade deadline in exchange for Stephen Jackson, officially ending the RJ experiment in San Antonio. The most significant bust remaining in San Antonio is last year's first-round pick, James Anderson. Anderson lost his spot in the rotation last season thanks to injury and has struggled to earn playing time in a backcourt crowded with young and old talent alike.

Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson

Johnson's per-minute numbers are actually pretty good, but there are a couple of factors weighing against him. 

He's signed through 2014-2015 (a season for which he'll earn an even $7 mil), thus taking up a nice chunk of cap space for a team in desperate need of new talent. When the Raptors were unable to make Wilson Chandler an offer this season, they can thank Johnson's contract for getting in the way.

Johnson also stands in the way of second-year forward Ed Davis' development. The youngster has been limited to under 23 minutes a game and the rebuilding Raptors should be giving Davis more opportunities. With Johnson on board, that's easier said that done.

Utah Jazz: Devin Harris

Harris has played better this season than you might think by virtue of the trade chatter constantly attached to his name.

His field goal percentage has hovered around 46 percent, which is the most efficient he's been since playing with the Mavericks. Given that he's only been playing 25.6 minutes a night, Harris' numbers aren't half bad.

For whatever reason, though, Harris has not lived up to his potential with the Jazz. That may have more to do with Utah than it does Harris.

But for the $9.3 million he'll make this season, Utah needs to be getting 30 or more minutes per night from its starting point guard.

Washington Wizards: Andray Blatche

Where to even begin...

JaVale McGee has looked like a knucklehead at times this year and it goes without saying that $22 million is just a tad much to pay Rashard Lewis for his typical 26 minutes of playing time.

In a sea of busts and potential busts, Andray Blatche stands out as Washington's public enemy number one. On the heels of two strong seasons, Blatche's scoring has dipped to 8.9 points per game on an absolutely pitiful 38 percent shooting. 

In Blatche's defense, there's a lot going wrong for the Wizards. His slump may be more of a symptom than it is a cause for Washington's woes. Until he rises above the fray, however, he's a bust that will be making almost $8.5 million in 2014-2015 (the last year of a very long and pricey deal).