Ranking the Most Overrated NBA Players Right Now

The way the NBA values its players is evolving.

Small (albeit talented) guards making a lot of money are being traded for pennies on the dollar, as evidenced by the returns for Trae Young (CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert and zero draft picks), Darius Garland (along with a second-round pick for 36-year-old James Harden) and Ja Morant, who no team "made a serious offer for".

Teams are being more cautious with their spending thanks to the new apron restrictions, and rampant injury concerns are making durable players even more valuable. Shooting efficiency importance has been on a steady rise in the three-point, pace-and-space, analytics age as well.

We're especially paying close attention to salary and how a team performs with said player on the court (on/off rating). As the NBA continues to evolve, these are the 10 players that are quickly getting left behind and whose names no longer match their current games.

10. D'Angelo Russell, G, Washington Wizards*

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2025-26 Salary: $5.7 million

On/Off Rating: minus-4.0 (31st percentile)

The days of D'Angelo Russell being a max player are long over. There's a real chance he's signed his last NBA contract, ever.

Russell got the full taxpayer mid-level exception from the Dallas Mavericks this past summer before being dumped on the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade. He's not expected to show up to Washington, however, as Russell still has a $6 million player option for next year, one he'll almost certainly pick up.

The 29-year-old has always shown enough flashes to warrant a payday, and being the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015 helped Russell keep his shine for a while.

Now, teams are catching on to what he really is. A low-efficiency scorer who spends too much time dominating the ball and who's never been a good defender. Even in Russell's lone All-Star season in 2018-19, he shot just 43.4 percent overall.

For a Mavs team that desperately needed quality guard play with Kyrie Irving sidelined, Russell was benched for undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard. He finished his Mavs career averaging just 10.2 points and 4.0 assists on 40.5 percent shooting overall and 29.5 percent from three.

9. Kyle Kuzma, F, Milwaukee Bucks

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2025-26 Salary: $22.4 million 

On/Off Rating: minus-4.6 (28th percentile)

Kyle Kuzma looked like a future star when he first entered the NBA, as the athletic 6'8" forward finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Unfortunately, his three-point shooting his rookie year (36.6 percent) would be the highest of his nine-year career to date.

An inconsistent three-point shot (33.4 percent for his career) has held Kuzma back from ever being an All-Star, as has his lack of impact defense despite his size and versatility.

Kuzma has registered a positive defensive swing rating in just two of his nine professional seasons with career averages of 0.6 blocks and 0.5 steals in 30.8 minutes per game.

The Milwaukee Bucks' big trade deadline acquisition last year, Kuzma has failed to even establish himself as a full-time starter this season for a team desperate to make the playoffs and keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy.

Currently playing on a four-year, $90 million deal, Kuzma is being paid like a starter yet should be viewed as a seventh or eighth man on a playoff team.

8. Jaren Jackson Jr., PF, Utah Jazz

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2025-26 Salary: $35 million

On/Off Rating: minus-3.6 (33rd percentile, with Memphis Grizzlies)

Jaren Jackson Jr. is a far better player than D'Angelo Russell and Kyle Kuzma, to be sure. He finds himself on this list due to a massive contract extension set to kick in, a continued injury history and the extravagant amount of draft capital the Utah Jazz just paid for him.

Jackson was recently traded to Utah for three quality first-round picks, Walter Clayton Jr. (the No. 18 overall pick in 2025), Taylor Hendricks (No. 9 overall pick in 2023), Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang. The first-round picks include a 2027 top-4 protected selection from the Los Angeles Lakers (after LeBron James and Austin Reaves could both leave as free agents), the best 2027 pick between the Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers, and an unprotected Phoenix Suns pick in 2031 when Devin Booker will be 34.

That's a haul usually reserved for a superstar, not a borderline All-Star who has some real weaknesses a team has to cover for.

Jackson is a two-time All-Star and was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23, yet has played in more than 66 games just twice in an eight-year career. He's already been declared out for the remainder of this year for knee surgery (weird that Utah's doctors didn't flag this during his physical).

While he's a talented scorer, Jackson is one of the worst rebounders at his position (5.7 per game this year, 5.6 per game for his career) and is owed $205 million over the next four years. That's roughly the same annual salary as players like Stephen Curry ($53 million), Luka Dončić ($53 million) and more than Anthony Edwards ($48.9 million).

Jackson is a good player who's become wildly overrated based off his latest contract and trade return.

7. Tyler Herro, G, Miami Heat

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2025-26 Salary: $31 million

On/Off Rating: minus-7.6 (17th percentile)

Is it possible to be an All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year before turning 26 and still be overrated? In Tyler Herro's case, yes.

Herro has long been a talented scorer who can light it up as a starter or off the bench. He's currently averaging better than 20 points per game for the fifth straight year.

There's a reason the Miami Heat keep trying to trade him, however.

Herro was brought up in trade talks when Miami was pursuing Damian Lillard in 2023 before he was ultimately dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat most recently offered him as a part of a package to try and land Giannis Antetokounmpo as well. Miami could have signed Herro to a three-year extension worth up to $149.7 million this past offseason, yet decided not to.

Actions speak louder than words. We can clearly see how the Heat value Herro, which is how the league should view him as well; a good scorer with defensive limitations and durability concerns.

Herro isn't a max-caliber player or anywhere close to it. Miami made it to the Finals in 2023 after Herro broke his hand in Game 1 of the playoffs. The team looked far better without him, which should have been a sign.

In the playoffs last year, Herro was the defensive target of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who ended up sweeping the Heat in dominant fashion. Herro was 1-of-10 for four points in a Game 4 elimination, with a minus-44 game score.

Having reached 70 games in a season once in his seven-year career (including just 11 so far this season), Herro has become overrated.

6. Deandre Ayton, C, Los Angeles Lakers

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2025-26 Salary: $33.7 million ($26.5 million from Portland Trail Blazers, $8.1 million from Los Angeles Lakers)

On/Off Rating: minus-2.9 (36th percentile)

Deandre Ayton is technically on the final season of a four-year, $133 million max deal he signed as an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers that was later matched by the Phoenix Suns in 2022. While his raw numbers over this stretch have been good (15.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 59.3 percent shooting overall), they tell but a little about his actual production.

There's a reason why Portland is paying Ayton nearly $27 million this season to play for someone else.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft has long frustrated his teams with a lack of motor. Former Suns head coach Monty Williams famously benched him in a Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 playoffs. Now JJ Redick is seeing a familiar lack of effort at times.

Despite his 7'0" frame and 7'6" wingspan, Ayton has never been a defensive anchor even with his physical advantages.

Averaging just 1.0 block in over 30.6 minutes for his career, opponents are making a healthy 59.3 percent of their shots at the rim this season with him as the primary defender. For comparison, that's nearly identical to Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's six inches shorter.

Centers who can't protect the rim and offer no three-point shooting are a dying breed in the NBA. Ayton needs to show some sort of development in any part of his game or else he'll be out of the league in a few years.

5. Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

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2025-26 Salary: $39.4 million 

On/Off Rating: plus-0.1 (52nd percentile)

Zion Williamson's career has long been separated into two categories. He's either healthy and one of the best players in the NBA or often hurt.

This season, neither are true.

Williamson has played in 40 of the New Orleans Pelicans' 56 games thus far this season, including 30 straight over the past two months. This is the longest active streak of his seven-year career, so why did we hear zero buzz about the 25-year-old making his third All-Star game?

Williamson's numbers, while still good, are the worst of his career. He's averaging 21.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists after putting up as much as 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in various seasons.

There needs to be a case study on Williamson's three-point shooting as well. We haven't seen a situation this bizarre since Ben Simmons.

Williamson went 4-for-4 from deep in his NBA debut back in 2020, yet has made a total of 28 in six years since. He's made zero in 40 games this year alone and hasn't even attempted a shot from outside the arc since Nov. 29.

His 6'6" frame offers little rim protection, making a long-term partnership with Derik Queen tricky. A swing rating of plus-0.1 essentially means that the Pelicans are no better with Williamson on the floor, a concerning stat for someone who's on a max contract.

What if a healthy Williamson is just a good player with some real limitations moving forward and not the generational prospect we all thought he would be by now?

4. Kristaps Porziņģis, F/C, Golden State Warriors

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2025-26 Salary: $30.7 million 

On/Off Rating: plus-6.9 (83rd percentile with Atlanta Hawks)

Kristaps Porziņģis has the highest swing rating of any player on this list and is still a productive player when he's on the floor.

Therein lies the problem for the 30-year-old.

Porziņģis continues to be plagued by injuries and is currently sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis. He's played just 17 total games for the Atlanta Hawks all season and just five since November.

Porziņģis was averaging just 45.4 healthy games over the last eight years coming into this season. Injuries have unfortunately robbed him of a potential Hall of Fame career.

That didn't stop the Golden State Warriors from making Porziņģis their big trade deadline acquisition, however. Obviously the relationship with Jonathan Kuminga had run its course, but he was still one of the Warriors' best trade assets to go star shopping with. Giving him up along with Buddy Hield was a big overpay and not reflective of the player that Porziņģis currently is.

Even when at full strength, Porziņģis is averaging 17.1 points per game this season (the lowest since his rookie year), 5.1 rebounds (his worst ever, by a lot) and 1.3 blocks (tied for a career low). A 36.0 percent mark from three is also below his career average.

After already losing Jimmy Butler for the season with a torn ACL, the Warriors putting their eggs in the Porziņģis basket was a foolish decision that won't get them anywhere in the postseason, should they even make it that far.

3. Zach LaVine, SG, Sacramento Kings

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2025-26 Salary: $47.5 million

On/Off Rating: minus-4.9 (27th percentile)

The Chicago Bulls showed us who Zach LaVine was. The Sacramento Kings refused to believe them.

LaVine can be a fun player to watch at times. His hops with the Minnesota Timberwolves were among the best in the league and the 30-year-old has long been a strong three-point shooter.

When it comes to playing winning basketball, however, LaVine's game is a lot of empty calories for a player who's suited up in just four total postseason contests.

The two-time All-Star has a career swing rating of minus-3.2, registering a negative score in 10 of his 12 NBA seasons. That hasn't stopped teams from paying him, however, as LaVine will have topped over $300 million in on-court earnings by the end of this season.

His athleticism hasn't translated to any good, sustainable defense, wiping out any advantage LaVine may have given his teams on the offensive end. The Kings choosing to get him back as a main return in the De'Aaron Fox trade remains one of the most baffling front office decisions of the past few years.

Injuries have unfortunately long-plagued the shooting guard as well, as LaVine is now out for the remainder of this season following hand surgery. His numbers this year (19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 31.4 minutes) are some of the lowest of his career playing for a Sacramento team that has the NBA's worst record at 12-44.

LaVine still owns a $49 million player option for next year. We're going to go out on a limb and guess that he picks it up.

2. Anthony Davis, F/C, Washington Wizards

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2025-26 Salary: $54.1 million

On/Off Rating: minus-1.6 (44th percentile)

A year ago we saw Anthony Davis as the main return for Luka Dončić, a top-3 player in the world who was only 25 years old at the time. This was obviously a wild overvaluation of Davis and where he's at in his career and only now have we gotten closer to properly rating him.

Davis is tied for the fifth-highest paid player in the NBA this season and has another $58.5 million owed to him in 2026-27 followed by a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28. Davis and agent Rich Paul reportedly want a lucrative extension and another big payday this offseason as well.

This should be terrifying for the Washington Wizards or any other team that has interest in trading for Davis.

Once one of the NBA's great big men, injuries have wrecked Davis' career. He's played over 62 games just once since being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2019 and will end his 2025-26 campaign at just 20 total contests.

The days of racking up 25 points, 12 rebounds and two or three blocks without breaking a sweat are over, as Davis will turn 33 in March and put up just 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks with the Dallas Mavericks this season. This was Davis' lowest scoring average since his rookie year in 2012-13.

Defensively, Davis is still one of the better rim protectors in the league despite his reluctance to play center. His poor outside shooting (27.0 percent from three this season, 29.5 percent for his career) is going to force teams to put floor-spacers next to him for the rest of his career.

The Wizards aren't a free agent destination and had to overpay for Davis (two first-round picks, three second-round picks and players), someone who's quickly becoming one of the most overrated players in the league due to his drop off in production, injuries and hefty salary.

1. Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors

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2025-26 Salary: $25.9 million

On/Off Rating: minus-1.5 (44th percentile)

Draymond Green will go down in history as being one of this generation's great defenders as well as a talented passer who helped propel a Golden State Warriors' dynasty to four championships.

As for this season, however, Green's reputation no longer comes close to his actual production.

An All-Defensive first-team member just a season ago, Green's age (36 in a few weeks) is finally starting to show. The Warriors are only slightly better on defense with him on the court (minus-1.3 swing rating, 59th percentile) and Green is only pulling in 0.8 steals per game, the lowest since his rookie season.

If Green isn't defending at a high level, there's little else Golden State can count on him for.

With averages of 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 0.6 blocks on 41.7 percent shooting overall and 32.7 percent from three, Green's offense is essentially limited to a few good passes a game and hard screens. For a guy who's playing on a $100 million contract, the Warriors are no longer getting their money's worth.

Perhaps this is why Green found himself in trade rumors at the deadline for the first time in his 14-year career.

We're now nearly a decade removed from Green's lone Defensive Player of the Year award and it's been eight seasons since he's averaged more than a triple single.

Green has a $27.7 million player option for next season. He'd be wise not to test free agency.