NBA Free Agency 2012: 7 Most Insanely Overpriced Deals of the Summer

With only a few role players remaining, the past few weeks have been relatively quiet and the 2012 NBA free-agency period is nearing its end.

It's been mostly speculation and rumors dominating the market lately, a sign of teams either satisfied with their roster or looking to fill in the last few spots on their roster.

All we can say is, "It's about time."

The offseason can be an exciting time of transition, but it can also be extremely frustrating. Even though we're not even a year removed from the conclusion of the lockout, organizations are still throwing money around like it's nothing.

In fact, we're going to end up exactly where we were a few years from now due to contracts like the ones you're about to see.

It's not the players' fault they're making so much money—it's the owners' fault for allowing so much money to be given to flash-in-the-pans or lower-tier role contributors. It's as if giving $120 million to Rashard Lewis or Gilbert Arenas meant nothing considering the newly-rewarded contracts of these following seven players.

In no particular order, let's delve into the seven most overpaid contracts of the 2012 NBA offseason.

Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Hornets

The Deal

Four years, $36 million

Following a breakout season that concluded with averages of 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, Ryan Anderson was given $36 million over four seasons by a developing New Orleans Hornets team, which traded for Anderson after sending Gustavo Ayon to the Orlando Magic.

Anderson was a deserving Most Improved Player recipient. His averages increased across the board, and his game looked a lot better all around as a result. He started all 61 games he played in for the Magic and became the team's primary three-point threat, averaging 2.7 makes per on 39 percent shooting.

Those are some impressive numbers for a 23-year-old. Although his overall field-goal percentage of 44 percent was a bit low, Anderson tends to make his impact felt more through his outside shooting rather than like a traditional power forward.

Because he was such a premier three-point threat playing alongside Dwight Howard, it makes you wonder if Anderson can thrive with a franchise that doesn't possess the league's top center attracting defenders inside.

It's tough to say that Anthony Davis will garner the same type of attention Howard does.

At $9 million per over the next four seasons, the Hornets may have been a little overzealous when offering such a lucrative contract to a three-point threat who greatly benefited from his previous team's system.

Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets

The Deal

Three years, $25 million

Who would have guessed it would only take a month's worth of quality games to garner $25 million? It turns out that's the key to securing a lucrative deal from the team that actually cut you a year prior.

Jeremy Lin rejoined the Houston Rockets after the New York Knicks failed to match the Rockets' offer sheet of a three-year, $25 million deal. The Knicks decided to trade for Raymond Felton instead.

Why are Knicks fans so angry? The team already has nearly $60 million wrapped up in three players, so why give another $8 million per season to a point guard who had a few weeks worth of quality play? Lin has potential, but was he truly going to be the key for the Knicks when it came to beating the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics?

In fact, did anyone check how Lin fared following the incredible stretch of games he had in Feburary? He failed to score over 20 points and recorded 10 or more assists in only two of the final 13 games he played before sitting out the rest of the season with a torn meniscus.

In all, Lin averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 turnovers over 35 games last season.

Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets

The Deal

Four years, $60 million

As far as his offense goes, Brook Lopez could make a case for earning $15 million/year over the next four years.

When it comes to everything else, however, Lopez isn't nearly worth the $60 million the Brooklyn Nets are prepared to give him.

Lopez is one of the league's few centers who can say they're offensively gifted. Averaging 20 points per game in only his third season, Lopez is equipped with solid footwork around the rim and a consistent jumper that extends out to 10 feet. Although he isn't as assertive or aggressive as some would like him to be, he's young and can only improve from here.

The Nets can only hope he improves his rebounding numbers and defense. Despite being 7'0", 260 pounds and spending the majority of his time in the paint, Lopez managed only six rebounds per in the 2011-'12 campaign. That's as low as it goes for centers, and enough to make Andrea Bargnani blush.

In the five games he played last year—don't forget that the Nets gave this seven-footer a $60 million deal following an injury-plagued season—Lopez averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Maybe we should just chalk that one up to the injuries.

Further, his defense is just as horrendous as his rebounding. If Lopez doesn't make his impact felt at both of those aspects, his offensive prowess is going to be all for naught.

Landry Fields, Toronto Raptors

The Deal

Three years, $20 million

We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel now.

It would be understandable if some overzealous team gave Landry Fields that deal after his impressive rookie season, but the deal came following an awful sophomore stint where the former New York Knicks shooting guard lost his starting job to a rookie.

In his rookie season, Fields showed a great deal of promise. He led all guards in rebounding at 6.4 per, and his 6'7" height and length allowed him to be a solid defender against opposing 2-guards. On offense, he was just as solid, averaging 9.7 points and shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.

That's still not worth nearly $7 million a year. The Toronto Raptors just had to make up one horrible deal to accompany an uncharacteristically good offseason.

Fields is coming off a 2011-12 campaign where he saw a decline in the majority of his stats—especially his three-point percentage, which dropped to an abysmal 26 percent.

Steve Novak, New York Knicks

The Deal

Four years, $15 million

There was a reason why Steve Novak hasn't been able to hold a job on a roster since being drafted in 2006: He's purely a specialist. He can't drive, can't defend and can't rebound; all he can do with success is shoot the three.

Novak shooting as well as he did last year isn't something new. He's a career 44 percent shooter from deep and actually shot 42 percent with the LA Clippers in '09.

The very next year, however, he'd shoot 31 percent from beyond the arc with the Clips, leading to a couple uneventful stints with Dallas and San Antonio in the 2010-11 season.

Novak was another up-and-comer—Cinderella story of a reserve who appeared to finally find his niche within the New York Knicks. He led the league in three-point percentage at 47.2 percent this past season and converted 2.5 three-pointers per game, effectively becoming the league's most dangerous perimeter shooter.

Then the postseason came and the tall man out of Marquette sort of just disappeared.

It turns out that the way to stopping Novak is just to apply some heavy pressure on him when he's attempting to spot-up from the perimeter. The Miami Heat smothered Novak throughout their first-round series, and it resulted in the Knicks' pure shooter attempting only seven three-pointers in five games.

Novak averaged 2.4 points and three rebounds in the series. That's undeserving of nearly $4 million per year if I've ever seen it.

Kris Humphries, Brooklyn Nets

The Deal

Two years, $24 million

The Brooklyn Nets went from wanting nothing to do with Kris Humphries to suddenly needing an exuberant amount of money to keep him in town.

We get it—this league is waning on quality big men who can rebound, defend and score at a consistent rate, and it sometimes takes large, ludicrous contracts to garner their services. It doesn't seem fair that they're making that much, but having a big man who can consistently produce gives your team a considerable advantage over a majority of the league's teams.

Kris Humphries isn't one of those players. He's proving to be a great rebounder with at least 10 boards per in each of the past two seasons and he's a solid defender, but his offensive prowess is abysmal, and it's a shock to know he actually averaged 13.8 points last year.

When it comes to having a touch around the rim, Humphries is more oblivious to that than knowing what a real marriage is.

The Nets were smart enough to give Humphries a two-year deal, but at $12 million per, it sort of defeats the purpose when you're giving him the money that he should be given over three, or even four, years.

Omer Asik

The Deal

Three years, $25 million

For the Chicago Bulls, Omer Asik was worth $25 million over the next three seasons.

Not so much for a Houston Rockets team that doesn't have near the same championship dreams and aspirations the Bulls had.

The Bulls needed Asik as a roadblock on defense against their biggest Eastern Conference rivals in the Miami Heat. In order to defeat the Heat, they need to find ways to limit the drives of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Asik is an excellent defender and had shown success guarding the drive, as he can somehow play without fouling.

It would be painful for the Bulls to pay $8 million per over the next three seasons to a backup, but it's not like Asik is your typical bench player. Omer was constantly being seen at the end of games over Joakim Noah because of his defensive capabilities and his ability to completely shut off the lane with his 7'0", 255-pound frame.

The Turkish product recently turned 26 years old and will be the starting center on a Houston Rockets team that's currently in a rebuilding stage. I forgot to mention that he also has absolutely no offensive touch and averaged 3.1 points last year, so there's that to look forward to.

The fact that the Houston Rockets dropped Samuel Dalembert and Marcus Camby for the services of Asik is a bit questionable as well. Again, if the Rockets were contending, you could understand, but $8 million per for a starting center on a team that will be lucky to reach 30 wins is questionable.