NBA: 5 Players Guaranteed to Be Overpaid Next Season

Most NBA players make more money in a season than average Americans will make in a lifetime.

While some may argue that these athletes make too much money for simply playing a game, most of us are more than willing to pay up for tickets, memorabilia and concessions that help make the paychecks.

There are, however, certain players that are flat-out overpaid in comparison to others.

Here are five NBA players that are guaranteed to be overpaid in 2012-2013.

Rashard Lewis

One thing NBA fans see a lot of is veteran players receiving salaries they are no longer worthy of.

Currently in his 14th year in the league, Washington forward Rashard Lewis reached his peak playing days six years ago. He hasn't averaged point totals in the 20s since the 2006-2007 season.

Averaging 7.8 PPG and 3.9 RPG, Lewis isn't a wasted roster space by a long shot. 

However, at 33 years old, Lewis raked in $22,152,000 this season.

He stands behind only Kobe Bryant as the No. 2 highest-paid player in the NBA, and his contract eats up more than one-third of Washington's total salary.

Joe Johnson

Currently averaging 18.8 PPG and 3.9 APG, Joe Johnson's stats aren't what one would call "shabby" by any means.

However, the Arkansas alum is also the second-highest-paid shooting guard in the NBA, and he's just not at that caliber.

He's definitely the Hawks' star, but I don't see him putting up the same numbers if he played for a big-market team.

Johnson's not pulling his team out of the weeds, and he's not worth the $20,616,667 average salary that could be spread out to supply a more stable roster.

Tim Duncan

This season, at $22 million, San Antonio's Tim Duncan is the No. 1 paid center and No. 3 paid player in the NBA.

Duncan's a legend to be sure, but he's no longer capable of the point totals—or the minute totals—that he was several years ago.

According to a Hoops World article, the veteran still loves the game and won't retire this season. He's an icon for the Spurs, but they should consider letting him ride out his remaining time on a more modest salary and work on bringing in some young talent.

Elton Brand

Thirteen-year forward Elton Brand is projected to make $18,160,354 next season, and Philadelphia is crazy to pay him so much.

Brand's numbers are mediocre at best (he's averaging 10.8 PPG), and his salary tops that of several power forwards much more relevant in the league, including Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer.

Brand will become a free agent following next season, and I hope the 76ers will do the right thing and redistribute his earnings to bolster their franchise.

Lamar Odom

Since forward Lamar Odom was recently released by the Dallas Mavericks, I realize I'm cheating a bit with this one.

After all, it's anyone's guess as to which team will pick up the 33-year-old veteran for the 2012-2013 season. Wherever he ends up, though, he's sure to be overpaid.

Don't get me wrong—Odom is a quality player boasting a solid 13-year run in the NBA. That being said, however, his time is up. Before being let go, Odom was the third highest-paid player on the Mavs' roster.

In a season only averaging six points per game, Odom's current contract pays him $8.2 million per year. Similar to Lewis, Odom just isn't playing well enough to be pulling in these kinds of checks.

The Los Angeles Times reports that if Odom gets traded to another team, that team will have to pay him $2.4 million if he’s on the roster as of June 29th or pay him the $8.2 million he would have earned for the 2012-2013 season.

Disagree with my thoughts on Odom? Have comments on my other slides? This was a difficult piece to write, and I'd appreciate any additional thoughts!