Predicting the NBA's 5 Best and 5 Worst Contracts This Season

NBA contracts have exploded over the last decade, although there's still plenty of value players to be found across the league.

We'll see the NBA's first $60 million player in Stephen Curry, although no one would argue that the four-time champion is on a bad contract given the value he provides both on and off the court to the Golden State Warriors.

Instead, we're eyeing players whose production won't come close to their hefty salaries and others whose value will far exceed their paychecks.

These are the NBA's five best and worst contracts heading into the 2026-27 season.

Note: Rookie contracts were not considered. Players who will begin the year injured (Jimmy Butler) were not considered, although those with a history of injuries were fair game.

Worst No. 5: Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

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2026-27 Salary: $57.9 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 6 overall, 35.2 percent

Giving Joel Embiid a three-year, $187.8 million extension in September of 2024 was one of the dumbest moves in recent NBA history and may help explain why former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has since been relieved of his duties with the franchise.

Embiid has struggled with injuries throughout his career, averaging just 40.8 games played over 12 years. He was coming off a 39-game season when Morey signed him to the massive extension that's just now kicking in. It ranks fifth-worst in the entire NBA.

Embiid can still be dominant when he's on the court, as we saw in his 38 games last year (26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 blocks). His defensive impact has diminished along with his mobility following multiple knee surgeries.

Expect Embiid's numbers to drop this year while sharing the ball with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe. Even if he plays in half of the Sixers' games (something not done since the 2022-23 season), Embiid will be wildly overpaid.

Best No. 5: Ryan Rollins, PG, Milwaukee Bucks

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2026-27 Salary: $4.0 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: Tied for No. 288 overall, 2.4 percent

Ryan Rollins will be the 14th-highest paid player on the Milwaukee Bucks' payroll this season. Even Damian Lillard will earn over five times as much, despite now playing for the Portland Trail Blazers following a waive-and-stretch agreement in 2025.

Despite being one of the team's lowest-paid players, Rollins is the second-highest returning scorer (17.3 points) and ranked second on the Bucks in assists (5.6) and steals (1.5) last season. The 24-year-old shot 40.6 percent from three and posted a swing rating of plus-9.2 (93rd percentile via Cleaning the Glass).

No more Giannis Antetokounmpo could mean more time for Rollins to have the ball in his hands and more opportunities as a scorer and playmaker. Milwaukee is going to be bad and needs to lean on its young players over its vets while trying to build a core of Rollins, Kel'el Ware, Brayden Burries and others.

After a fifth-place finish for Most Improved Player in 2025-26, Rollins should be in for another big year on an absolute bargain of a contract.

Worst No. 4: Jordan Poole, SG, New Orleans Pelicans

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2026-27 Salary: $34 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 52 overall, 20.6 percent

Few contracts have aged as poorly as Jordan Poole's, who's finally entering the final season of a four-year, $128 million deal signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

Now playing on his third team since signing the deal, Poole's production has fallen off a cliff.

The 27-year-old averaged just 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, starting a mere eight of his 39 games. Poole shot a lowly 37.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three while registering a negative swing rating on both sides of the ball. 

For the Pelicans, Poole will only get in the way of developing former lottery pick Jeremiah Fears. A healthy Dejounte Murray and newly signed Bennedict Mathurin make for a crowded backcourt, meaning we could see a buyout situation develop at some point this season between Poole and New Orleans.

This isn't close to being the biggest contract in the NBA, but it's easily one of the worst.

Best No. 4: Ajay Mitchell, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

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2026-27 Salary: $2.9 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 336 overall, 1.7 percent

Of the Oklahoma City Thunder's top four scorers last season, three now play on max contracts. The fourth is the lowest-paid player on the team.

Ajay Mitchell is yet another OKC success story, making his way into the rotation (and sometimes the starting lineup) to give the team some added offense to their backcourt. Now 24, Mitchell averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and shot 41.7 percent from three in his 16 starts for the Thunder last season, with a swing rating in the 90th percentile.

His role, minutes and touches should all increase this year after Oklahoma City traded away the trio of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe this summer to get under the second apron. Cason Wallace will likely take over Dort's spot in the starting five, though Mitchell's 25.8 minutes per game last year should increase.

One more remarkable stat about Mitchell? His $2.9 million salary was only originally guaranteed for $1.5 million. The Thunder own a team option for him at $2.9 million for 2027-28 as well.

Worst No. 3: Anthony Davis, F/C, Washington Wizards

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2026-27 Salary: $58.5 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: Tied No. 3 overall, 35.4 percent

Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid are similar cases here. Former all-world big men, now in a constant battle with their own bodies, are being paid among the NBA's best despite their part-time availability.

Davis, 33, has played for three teams in the past 19 months, with his Dallas Mavericks tenure lasting a mere 29 games. Injuries have limited Davis to an average of 49.6 games over the past eight years, including a 20-game performance from the 10-time All-Star last season.

Defensively, Davis can still be an anchor, although we're now nine years removed from his last block title. He's no longer a threat from beyond the three-point arc (25.8 percent over the last seven years). We'll see how motivated Davis will be to play on a young Washington Wizards team while being asked to cover for all of Trae Young's defensive miscues.

The Wizards could get 30-50 games of really good play from Davis, although that's not nearly enough to justify only Nikola Jokić and Stephen Curry earning more.

Best No. 3: Payton Pritchard, PG, Boston Celtics

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2026-27 Salary: $7.8 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 206 overall, 4.7 percent

Give the Boston Celtics some truth serum, and even they won't admit they didn't see Payton Pritchard's four-year, $30 million extension becoming this big of a bargain.

Pritchard followed up a Sixth Man of the Year season in 2024-25 with an even better campaign, this one mostly as a starter. The 28-year-old was a key part of the Celtics' 56-win season and their second-best offense, mostly without Jayson Tatum. Pritchard averaged 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and shot 37.7 percent overall in his 70 games.

Tatum will start the season healthy, but trading Jaylen Brown for Paul George will once again create plenty of offensive opportunities for Pritchard, who's shown he's equally effective in whatever role the Celtics need him to play.

Worst No. 2: Zach LaVine, SG, Sacramento Kings

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2026-27 Salary: $48.9 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 22 overall, 29.7 percent

Zach LaVine's massive five-year, $215 million contract with the Chicago Bulls is finally coming to an end.

A $48.9 million player option was an all-too-easy decision for LaVine, who's now five years removed from his last All-Star season.

This version of LaVine, once one of the game's greatest athletes, is far more flawed. The 31-year-old no longer has the same bounce, has played 39 games or fewer in two of the past three seasons and remains a non-factor on defense.

His stat line of 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 39.0 percent shooting from three will earn LaVine another NBA contract somewhere as a three-point shooting specialist off the bench, although at a significant discount. LaVine will make more money than players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Kevin Durant this season while making a fraction of an impact.

A swing rating of minus-4.4 last season ranked in the 31st percentile, per Cleaning the Glass, marking a forgettable year that ended with hand surgery for LaVine.

Best No. 2: Deni Avdija, F, Portland Trail Blazers

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2026-27 Salary: $13.1 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 142 overall, 7.9 percent

Deni Avdija had the lowest salary of any 2026 NBA All-Star, outside of rookie contracts. His rise to stardom has contrasted with his contract, one that was frontloaded and will drop even lower next season (to $11.9 million).

Avdija, 25, was the Portland Trail Blazers' best player last season, averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and shooting 46.2 percent overall from the field. He led Portland to a winning record and a playoff appearance despite some major early-season coaching drama.

One of the most offensively gifted forwards in the NBA, at 6'8", Avdija has shown dramatic growth in all six of his professional seasons and has gotten to the free-throw line a whopping 9.2 times a game. Now with some added offensive talent around him in Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, defenses won't be able to double-team the All-Star forward.

A major payday is coming in the summer of 2028. For now, the Blazers can enjoy having the second-best value contract in the entire NBA on their books for another two years.

Worst No. 1: Paul George, F, Boston Celtics

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2026-27 Salary: $54.1 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: No. 11 overall, 32.8 percent

Paul George will be the most overpaid player in the NBA this season. It may not be close.

George not only ranks 11th in salary but also in age (36) among players currently under contract. That's a dangerous combination, especially when factoring in durability and a declining overall game.

There's a reason why the Los Angeles Clippers let George walk in free agency, even after he made back-to-back All-Star teams. After signing him to a whopping four-year, $211.6 million max contract in 2024, the Philadelphia 76ers got just 16.7 points on 43.4 percent shooting over 78 games from him over two seasons.

George's contract became one of the NBA's worst almost immediately after he signed, as he failed to play in more than half of the 76ers' games in two seasons.

The Boston Celtics agreeing to take on George and draft picks in exchange for Jaylen Brown will continue to be one of the most lopsided trades the NBA has witnessed in recent memory.

Best No. 1: LeBron James, G/F, Philadelphia 76ers

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2026-27 Salary: $3.9 million

Salary Rank/Cap Percentage: Tied for No. 294, 2.4 percent

A year ago, LeBron James' $52.6 million salary ranked 12th overall in the NBA. Now, his veteran minimum deal barely ranks in the top 300.

A willingness to play for the vet minimum makes James the NBA's greatest value, as he'll earn the same as DeAndre Jordan and less than Jayden Quaintance, the 20th overall pick of the 2026 draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

James made his record 22nd All-Star game last season, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 51.5 percent overall. He led the Los Angeles Lakers to a first-round playoff series win over the Houston Rockets, even without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves playing just two games due to injury.

Essentially an extension of the coaching staff and never missing a playoff game (302 of an NBA record 302), James will continue to make a big impact, even as he celebrates his 42nd birthday in December.

Playing on a team with Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe will likely mean a dip in James' individual stats. For less than $4 million, however, the four-time MVP is on the NBA's best contract.