Gilbert Arenas & Each Player Who Provides Worst Return on Contract for His Team
The contracts in the NBA have gotten out of hand.
With salaries being a major sticking point in negotiations for the upcoming CBA negotiations, it's stunning that general managers continue to dole out lucrative deals to undeserving athletes.
Expiring contracts have become the most attractive trade chip in any potential deal, and teams are constantly clamoring for increased financial flexibility.
These players aren't providing a very positive return on investment.
Mehmet Okur, C, Utah Jazz
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Okur seems a lot like an afterthought in Utah these days.
Limited to just 13 games this season due to injuries, it's clear that the Jazz are ready to move on from the European import.
With the front line currently occupied by Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, even when Okur returns to full health, he's going to have a tough time snagging minutes.
Rashard Lewis, SF, Washington Wizards
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It's incredible that Lewis was able to secure this type of contract.
Owed more than $20 million over the next three seasons, Lewis hasn't seen exactly seen a career revival since being shipped to Washington earlier this season.
Now dealing with even more knee troubles, Lewis is a headache and isn't going to come anywhere close to earning his paycheck.
Linas Kleiza, SF, Toronto Raptors
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Kleiza was inked to a lucrative four-year deal after enjoying serious success overseas, but unfortunately, the Raptors haven't seen the same production from the swingman.
Averaging a meager 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, Kleiza took a backseat to Sonny Weems before ultimately being shut down for the remainder of the year due to microfracture knee surgery.
He'll be lucky to recover 100 percent of his game after a gruesome rehab process.
Richard Jefferson, SF, San Antonio Spurs
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Every San Antonio Spurs fan wanted RJ out after last season, but those same fans were cheering the front office when he re-upped with the club this summer.
Why?
Jefferson looked a lot better in the early part of the season than he did at any point in 2009-10, but he's really fallen off as of late and is on pace to post career-lows across the board.
The $40 million guaranteed to him over the next four years is already looking dreadful.
Francisco Garcia, SG, Sacramento Kings
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Cisco Garcia is a good basketball player, but he simply doesn't make any sense for a rebuilding Kings team in serious financial turmoil.
He's got approximately $20 million coming his way over the next few seasons, and that's an awful lot of money that Sacramento could use to fill other holes in the roster.
Additionally, with serious health concerns almost every year, he is a serious candidate to be traded before the team moves to Anaheim.
Greg Oden, C, Portland Trailblazers
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Some might argue that Brandon Roy belongs here, but Oden is really in a class by himself.
Over his first three full seasons with the Blazers, Oden has combined to play in 82 games. Let that sink in. He is averaging just 27.3 games per season for his professional career. And the team is thinking about bringing him back!
I understand that he's got loads of potential, but with the knees of an old man and the face to match it, Oden just makes no sense from a financial standpoint.
Josh Childress, SF, Phoenix Suns
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The Suns were desperate for Childress to join their team this summer after spending the last two seasons overseas, but I still can't figure out exactly why.
Despite signing a multi-year mega deal with the team, Childress has barely gotten off the bench, and that doesn't appear to change any time soon.
He's only scored in double-digits seven times this season, and he's yet to play more than 30 minutes in a game.
Andres Nocioni, SF, Philadelphia 76ers
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Nocioni was a buyout candidate before the deadline, but he'll continue to rot on the Sixers' bench for the foreseeable future.
After seeing action early this season, Nocioni has completely fallen out of the rotation and hasn't played more than 15 minutes in a game since the middle of January.
For a young Sixers team that is rapidly improving, I'm sure they'd really like to have the $21 million back and spend it more creatively than on a crusty veteran.
Cole Aldrich, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Aldrich looked like a great draft selection for the team before the season.
Now? He's buried on the depth chart, has no chance of over-taking the newly-acquired (and extended) Kendrick Perkins and frankly, just hasn't looked very good in limited game action.
It's hard to pick a bone with any of the deals that shrewd GM Sam Presti has handed out, but Aldrich isn't coming close to being worth his average annual salary whatsoever.
Renaldo Balkman, SF, New York Knicks
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Did the Knicks seriously re-acquire this guy?
Although he won't be counted on to have much of a role on the new-look Knicks, Balkman hasn't done much to prove that he belongs in the league since the team foolishly selected him in the first round ahead of Rajon Rondo.
An undersized power forward out of the SEC...there's a reason you don't hear that term tossed around very often at the professional level.
Trevor Ariza, SF, New Orleans Hornets
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The Houston Rockets paid Ariza to be a legitimate top-tier offensive option after a successful championship run with the Lakers.
That experiment didn't exactly work out. Ariza has never been much of a jump-shooter despite his ability to hit the occasional three; he continues to settle for shots on the outside rather than take it to the hole.
He's had an up-and-down first season with the Hornets, and unless he proves he can adapt his game to fit his strengths, he won't be worth his salary any time soon.
Martell Webster, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Martell Webster's back, Carlos Beltran's knee and Brett Favre's ankle should each have their own Twitter page.
Seriously.
It's been the same story for the overpaid swingman since he entered the league, and each season appears to be the same swan song.
Now attempting to re-energize his career in Minnesota after a failed stint in Portland, Webster may be no more than rotational depth for the remainder of his career.
It's amazing how much money "potential" is worth in this league.
Corey Maggette, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
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Maggette was once referred to as the poor man's Paul Pierce.
Times sure have changed.
He's never played in a full slate of regular season games in his entire career, and he's posting the worst numbers of his career since his third season in the league (2001-02).
Although he's proven to be productive when given the minutes, there is just no justification for the $21-plus million he's owed over the next two campaigns.
Mike Miller, SG, Miami Heat
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It's hard to believe that there was so much competition for Miller's services this summer.
A prolific role player throughout his NBA career, Miller chose to join the Heat this summer in a move that many considered to be the icing on their championship cake.
Ha!
Miller missed a ton of time early in the season due to thumb surgery and hasn't looked like his former self at all since returning to the court.
This was the guy that was supposed to stretch the floor and keep the lane open for LeBron and Wade, right?
Hamed Haddadi, C, Memphis Grizzlies
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It remains an absolute mystery to me as to why Haddadi is in the NBA.
Sure, he's got extraordinary size, but what other skills does he possess?
He rarely gets off of the Memphis bench and hasn't even been able to take advantage of Marc Gasol's struggles despite Hasheem Thabeet being shipped out to Houston.
With career averages of 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds, the only thing that scares Haddadi's opposition are his eyebrows.
Luke Walton, SF, Los Angeles Lakers
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When Walton re-upped with the Lakers, many thought it wasn't a big deal, because the team held his Bird Rights.
Now? It's just frustrating to watch. He can't shoot, he doesn't play a ton of defense and he rarely gets off the bench.
In fact, Walton could be the most overpaid player in the league on a per-minute basis.
Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Clippers
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Kaman was paid to be a franchise center, but he's fallen very short of those lofty expectations.
Coming off of the bench behind up-and-comer DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers would be happy to deal the cave man and the two years remaining on his current deal.
Kaman is a solid center in the NBA, but at an average salary of over $10 million per season, he just isn't worth the investment.
James Posey, SF, Indiana Pacers
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Posey was an integral piece of the Celtics 2008 championship run.
Now he can't even get off of the bench.
After signing a $24 million deal (four years) with New Orleans after 2008, Posey was shipped to a rebuilding Pacers team that simply has no minutes for him.
Many thought the team would end the headache and buy him out, but that didn't happen.
Brad Miller, C, Houston Rockets
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Miller can't even find minutes at center on a team that gives an extensive run to Chuck Hayes.
The veteran has never been much on the boards, but his ability to pass and hit the mid-range jumper should net him 10 to 15 minutes in any rotation nightly.
For reasons beyond my comprehension, Miller can't get it going in Houston, but he'll be cashing checks from them for the next several years.
Andris Biedrins, C, Golden State Warriors
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Biedrins was once a promising talent that had the potential to be a double-double every single night.
Now? He's coming off the bench behind a raw rookie who hasn't even produced much himself.
He's locked in firmly at a smooth $9 million per season, so the Warriors better figure out how to bolster his confidence and get him back into shape or risk trading him for 50 cents on the dollar.
Jason Maxiell, PF, Detroit Pistons
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What's the point of even having Maxiell on the roster?
Seriously. Doesn't it feel like he's a forgotten man in the midst of the Motown madness?
Checking in at a cool $5 million, Maxiell might rival the aforementioned Luke Walton for the most overpaid player on a per-minute basis.
He can't seem to get it going regardless of who has been his competition over the last few seasons, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon.
Al Harrington, PF, Denver Nuggets
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Did the Nuggets sign Harrington this offseason for a reason?
Intended to be the sixth man off the bench for the team, Harrington has really flopped miserably. Known to be a decent big man with a nice outside shot, the veteran has really looked awful while in action this season.
The best part is that he's going to be on the team for the next four years, because nobody is going to come close to sniffing around that contract unless there's serious revival. And it has to happen quickly.
Brendan Haywood, C, Dallas Mavericks
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Haywood is making starter's money while serving as a backup to Tyson Chandler.
While the veteran has been productive in spot starts this season, the fact that the Mavericks gave him $55 million over the next six years is a serious commitment on their end.
That's an awfully long time to have a backup center on the books, and that limited financial flexibility down the line could really hurt the team in the long run.
Baron Davis, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Davis, his big beard and his even larger contract were all dealt to the most miserable team in the NBA at the deadline, and he has little reason to be excited.
Despite his stating that he's excited to play in Cleveland, it's hard to take him seriously. No matter what his role ultimately winds up being, he's simply not going to be worth all the money that is still owed to him on his deal.
His balky knee and inflated ego are both problems, and if the ship continues to sink, expect both to weigh him down considerably.
Ronnie Brewer, SG, Chicago Bulls
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Brewer was paid to be the starting shooting guard on a really good Bulls team, and luckily for him, the impressive play of his teammates have really overshadowed his subpar season.
While he wasn't expected to score in voluminous amounts on every night, Brewer hasn't really produced offensively at all despite being given significant burn this season.
While he is a defensive presence (averaging 1.4 steals per game), if he could lighten the load on backcourt mate Derrick Rose, it would make the East's most complete team even stronger.
Matt Carroll, SF, Charlotte Bobcats
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Carroll is kind of like a poor man's Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Doesn't sound good, does it?
He's proven he can shoot the long ball and is capable of getting hot, but so is Steve Novak. And you don't hear many people talk about a basketball player who wears New Balance on his feet.
He doesn't play a whole lot, and on a Bobcats team that is sorely struggling for offense right now, that doesn't bode well for his value.
Marvin Williams, SF, Atlanta Hawks
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Drafted ahead of both Chris Paul and Deron Williams, the world is still waiting for Williams to reach his potential and blossom into a star, right?
Wrong. Williams will be a solid starter at his peak, and it's doubtful he can ever be relied upon as even the No. 3 option in an offense.
The reasons behind Atlanta extending him are baffling, because he's just a marginal talent whose large salary could have been used a lot more constructively.
Travis Outlaw, SF, New Jersey Nets
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Congratulations to the Nets, who, after losing out on big name free agents this past offseason, decided to go with marginal talents and irrationally overpay for them.
Hello, Travis Outlaw. A sharpshooter from the outside but no star by any means, Outlaw inked a five-year, $35 million deal that will pay him exactly $7 million a year through 2015-16.
He's already been replaced in the starting five by a rookie, and he doesn't seem to be doing himself any favors by disappointing coach Avery Johnson.
Jermaine O'Neal, C, Boston Celtics
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O'Neal was supposed to be the source of rebounds that the Celtics lacked in Game 7 of the finals.
So much for that.
After wasting $12 million (two years) on the veteran's broken down knee during the offseason, the Celtics have yielded almost nothing in return from their investment.
He hasn't contributed a thing to the team the entire season, and frankly, most fans would welcome his release at season's end.
Gilbert Arenas, PG, Orlando Magic
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The inspiration behind the piece, the experiment in Orlando hasn't exactly worked out as GM Otis Smith had hoped.
Arenas has blamed his lack of production on a variety of things, including the weather, travel and just general soreness. But frankly, it looks like a sharp decline of skills that is the real culprit.
Swapped for an equally bad contract in Rashard Lewis, both veterans have really struggled to enjoy the career revival that they might have hoped to achieve.
Arenas might not ever return to his all-star form after multiple knee problems and the infamous guns-in-the-locker-room fiasco, but his paycheck surely won't see a hit.
