Evaluating the Best and Worst NBA Contracts

Let’s face it, most NBA contracts boast more than enough money to make the average individual happy. Multi-million dollar contracts seem to be the norm for players who get decent minutes on the court.

However, some teams are getting its players for bargain prices, while others are overpaying tremendously for talent. Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst deals in the NBA this season.

Best Deal: LeBron James

Currently, LeBron James has two years and $36.6 million left on his deal with the Miami Heat, with the option for two more years and $42.7 million after that. It sounds like a lot, but James is the star and the core of the Heat. There’s a huge argument to be made for the fact that the Heat would completely fall apart without the dominant small forward.

For this season, LeBron’s numbers certainly don’t hide his talent. He is averaging 26.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per 38.4 minutes of play. Seeing as Los Angeles Lakers veteran guard Kobe Bryant is making about $20 million more than James over two years, the Miami Heat are benefiting from LeBron’s star power at a very reasonable price. In fact, it’s so reasonable that it’s unreasonable.

Best Deal: Avery Bradley

The Boston Celtics are another team lucking out this season. 22-year-old Avery Bradley is signed to a four-year, $7.1 million deal, which is a pretty low salary for a starting point guard. Bradley began running the point after Rajon Rondo suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

The young guard averages 9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.8 minutes of game play. He’s tremendous on defense and fast on offense—worthy of a much bigger contract than one under $10 million. 

Best Deal: Kyrie Irving

The Cleveland Cavaliers are also getting a point guard at a bargain price; 20-year-old Kyrie Irving is signed to a three-year, $16.1 million contract. Though ESPN.com reported that he will sit out for the next three to four weeks with a shoulder injury, the young guard has nevertheless earned his keep—and then some—this season.

For the 2012-13 season, Irving is averaging 23 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 35.1 minutes of game play. He’s a powerful guard who has age on his side and is able to play very well without much rest. Cleveland will certainly miss the point guard while he’s recovering from his injury. 

Worst Deal: Kobe Bryant

Yes, Bryant is a veteran Lakers player. Yes, Bryant still puts up great numbers despite his age. Yes, Los Angeles wouldn’t be the same without him. However, a three-year, $83.5 million deal is a lot for an old guard who doesn’t get along with star big man Dwight Howard.

Bryant is 34 years old, and with 16 years in the NBA behind him he will need to watch his minutes to avoid injury and exhaustion. According to CBSSports.com, Bryant is currently battling a nagging elbow injury that he endured during the Lakers game against the Thunder on March 5.

Especially in light of the fact that LeBron James makes about $10 million less than Kobe each year, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the 34-year-old guard is overpaid. 

Worst Deal: Amar'e Stoudemire

The Knicks have pledged the power forward a whopping $65.1 million over the next three years to stay in New York. Though Stoudemire is averaging a decent 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game this season, he practically has zeroes for his assists and steals averages.

Moreover, because he’s in his 11th year in the league, Stoudemire is starting to feel some wear and tear. ESPN.com reported that he will miss the next six weeks because he needs to undergo knee surgery. That’s a big chunk of time out of this season, especially when the Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs.

A decent scorer and rebounder who will sit on the sidelines for the next six weeks is definitely not worth the contract the Knicks have given him. 

Worst Deal: Danny Granger

Granger has played very well for the Pacers in past seasons, but he’s been pretty useless this time around. The small forward missed the first 54 games of the season due to a knee injury, and even though he came back briefly, he’s out again to make sure his knee is 100 percent recovered.

Coach Frank Vogel said of the injured Granger before the Celtics-Pacers game March 6, “We’re looking at it as being precautionary, understanding it’s still a long season, there’s still a lot of time left.” He added, “We want him to get back to 100 percent and this is the best way to do it.”

Currently, the Pacers are paying Granger $27 million for the next two years. This season, he’s appeared in a handful of games for meager minutes and made relatively no impact. On March 3 against Chicago, Granger played only eight minutes and didn’t register any points. Regrettably, the Pacers aren’t getting their money’s worth.