Gilbert Arenas and the Least Valuable Players from Every NBA Team

The least valuable player from every NBA team isn't necessarily the one that has the least amount of on-court production.

Although there are players who don't contribute in the box score on a nightly basis, there are others who simply don't live up to the contract that they signed, and that is a serious factor to take into consideration with these selections.

There are a plethora of overpaid players around the league, and there are several who signed lucrative contracts and have yet to pan out for their respective clubs.

Juxtaposing productivity with contract length and value, there are some players who either don't live up to their deal and/or have no place on the roster.

Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams

The Contract: Five years, $37.5 million (signed in 2009)

When Williams signed his extension with the Hawks, it left many perplexed for good reason.

Infamously remembered for being drafted ahead of both Chris Paul and Deron Williams, Williams didn't play well enough to deserve the lengthy extension he received, and the decision to dole out that coin to him is a questionable one.

Williams has been mediocre at best, and the decision to extend him long-term is one that Atlanta might have been better off not making.

Boston Celtics: Jermaine O'Neal

The Contract: Two years, approximately $12 million (signed in 2010)

This had disaster written all over it from the very onset, as O'Neal wasn't the type of player the Celtics needed to target.

After Boston was dominated on the glass by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009-10 Finals, the team addressed that concern with O'Neal for about $6 million per season, and that was a sunken investment the moment the contract was signed.

He flashed some signs of being able to contribute, but his fragility was on display regularly and he failed to make a stamp on the glass where the team needed him most.

Charlotte Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas

The Contract: Five years, $40 million (signed in 2010)

This deal might not seem as egregious if the Bobcats were committed to using him, but his consistent playing time makes this deal a serious head-scratcher.

While Thomas is oozing with intrigue, potential and athleticism, he really hasn't proven worthy of being a player who collects an average salary of $8 million.

He's certainly still young enough to make an impact for Charlotte, but even when he does get extended opportunities, he has been inconsistent and has struggled to play up to his level of talent.

Chicago Bulls: Carlos Boozer

The Contract: Five years, approximately $80 million (signed in 2010)

Chicago had a lot of cash in hand and was willing to spend big on a free agent, and despite the talent Boozer has, there's no reason for him to be on such a huge contract.

Even if he hadn't struggled with injuries during his first season with the Bulls, it's really tough to justify this deal, as it continues to grow and doesn't come off the books until the 2015 offseason.

He's on the wrong side of 30 and has only played in more than 80 regular season games twice in his career. The Bulls are going to need him to enjoy the healthiest stretch of his career if he's going to provide the value to the team necessary to live up to his salary.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao

The Contract: Six years, $42.5 million (signed in 2009)

On what planet does Varejao deserve a long-term deal worth more than $40 million?

Despite the distinct role that Varejao plays for the Cavs during the franchise's rebuilding efforts, there's no reason for him to be paid in this manner, and the deal gets worse as time goes on as it was structured to be back-loaded.

For a team that needs to convince free agents to come to Cleveland and build from the ground up, Varejao's contract is an awfully cumbersome one, and it isn't coming off the books anytime soon.

Dallas Mavericks: Brendan Haywood

The Contract: Six years, $55 million (signed in 2010)

Frankly, the idea that Haywood makes that much money is appalling considering how little he sees the court.

While size is is certainly a valued commodity in the league, Haywood averaged less than 20 minutes of court time during the regular season, and that's just not worth the money he's pulling down.

After the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, there wasn't a major role for Haywood, but if Chandler departs to another club in free agency, Haywood will suddenly become very important for the Mavericks.

Denver Nuggets: Al Harrington

The Contract: Five years, $33 million (signed in 2010)

The Nuggets believed that the team was getting a good deal in Harrington, who could serve as a scorer off the bench and anchor the attack in the second unit.

As it turned out, that wasn't exactly how it all unfolded.

Harrington really struggled during his first season in Denver, taking ill-advised shots and really struggling to find his niche, posting the lowest field-goal percentage of his career since his rookie season and his lowest scoring average since 2000-01.

He's going to have to be better for the team going forward (if he isn't an amnesty cut), as the Nuggets are awfully thin along the front line.

Detroit Pistons: Charlie Villanueva

Contract: Five years, $40 million (signed in 2009)

It's unclear as to exactly what intentions Detroit held for Villanueva upon inking him to a five-year deal, but he's been a serious flop in the Motor City.

He hasn't been the contributor that the team had hoped he would be, and he's really struggled to find any sort of rhythm with the Pistons despite being with the club for two years.

With the team beginning its rebuilding process and Villanueva failing to provide the necessary value in order to live up to his deal, one could wonder how much longer he might be in blue and red.

Golden State Warriors: Andris Biedrins

The Contract: Six years, $63 million (signed in 2008)

The Warriors would really like to have this investment back.

Biedrins showed immense potential for Golden State prior to agreeing to his $63 million extension, but he's really struggled to flourish since that point.

Since averaging a double-double during the 2008-09 season, Biedrins has turned in back-to-back campaigns with single-digit averages, and his stroke from the free throw line is an atrocity, as evidenced by his pathetic conversion percentage.

Houston Rockets: Hasheem Thabeet

The Contract: Rookie deal (signed in 2009)

The fact that Thabeet was drafted second overall speaks to how important size is in this league, but unfortunately he hasn't shown anything worthy of playing time to this point in his career.

He's been sent to the NBDL, and the team that drafted him (Memphis) was ready to throw in the towel very shortly after the experiment began.

The big man couldn't even find playing time for a Houston team that was struggling to find size along the front line, and he's going to have an uphill challenge in climbing toward prominence.

Indiana Pacers: James Posey

The Contract: Four years, $25 million (signed in 2008)

Posey was an integral cog on the 2007 Boston Celtics championship team off of the bench, and he parlayed his performance into an insane contract with New Orleans.

The Hornets quickly realized that Posey wasn't worth upwards of $6 million per season, and after he was shipped to Indiana, he struggled to find any sort of role on a young Pacers team.

His contract is finally set to expire in 2012, but this is a deal that likely should have never been agreed upon in the first place.

Los Angeles Clippers: Ryan Gomes

The Contract: Three years, $12 million (signed in 2010)

Gomes really hasn't been terrible for the Clippers, but on a team that's riddled with youth and without an overly lucrative contract, he qualifies for this spot.

Although he hasn't been as bad as some others on this list, Gomes' maddening inconsistency really detracts from his overall game and therefore what he can bring to the table for Los Angeles.

He's a bridge to Al-Farouq Aminu at the small forward position, but the Clippers would be wise to turn Gomes loose sooner rather than later in an effort to aid his development.

Los Angeles Lakers: Luke Walton

The Contract: Six years, $30 million (signed in 2007)

No, that's not a typo; Walton is on a contract that pays him an average salary of $5 million per season.

For a player who rarely gets off of the bench, that's an extraordinary sum of money.

His deal is one of the most maligned around the league, and it's mind-boggling to think that Walton is scheduled to earn a whopping $6.1 million in 2012-13.

The Lakers felt it appropriate to commit to Walton for five seasons, an idea that escapes the realm of logical thought.

Memphis: Hamed Haddadi

The Contract: $2 million qualifying contract offer extended for 2011-12 season

Haddadi shouldn't even be seeing the court for the Grizzlies, so the idea that the club decided to extend a qualifying contract offer is absolutely laughable.

It's certainly important to have size on the roster, but Haddadi has shown nothing that has indicated he could be a long-term asset, and it's baffling that Memphis hasn't moved on from him.

This is another case where size dictates contract value, but despite Haddadi standing over seven feet tall, he's a player who hasn't shown that he belongs on the court.

Miami: Mike Miller

The Contract: Five years, $30 million (signed in 2010)

On the surface, the fit seemed perfect. In reality, Miami didn't get what the team needed from Miller in his first season.

Miller struggled through thumb and shoulder injuries that really hampered his inaugural campaign with the Heat, and he just wasn't the player that the club was hoping he'd be upon inking him to a long-term deal.

His performance was so poor that he's rumored to be a candidate for the amnesty cut provision coming in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, so clearly his performance didn't equate to a $6 million yearly check.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Darko Milicic

The Contract: Four years, $20 million (signed in 2010)

Only David Kahn would extend Milicic for four seasons at an average salary of $5 million per year.

Seriously.

While it's definitely true that Milicic has shown flashes of productivity at times, he's still been a very disappointing NBA player, and the idea that the T-Wolves have committed to him for such an extended period of time is baffling.

Kahn is banking on Milicic to be his center of the future, and with only Nikola Pekovic and Brad Miller behind him, Minnesota is going to struggle in the middle.

Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden

The Contract: Five years, $32 million (signed in 2010)

It's amazing to take a retrospective look at what type of contracts free agents were able to get in 2010, and Gooden's deal is a prime example of that.

Despite Milwaukee having somewhat of a crowded frontcourt in 2010-11, it didn't stop the Bucks from handing Gooden a nice contract and committing a ridiculous five seasons to the power forward.

This particular deal isn't as much about the annual salary as it is about the length of the contract, but both the time and money given to Gooden remain highly questionable.

New Jersey Nets: Travis Outlaw

The Contract: Five years, $35 million (signed in 2010)

Outlaw is a prime example of a team overpaying a player in an effort to bring him to an undesirable location.

The Nets paid Outlaw to be a major player for the team, but the added pressure on his shoulders didn't bode well for his performance, and he was arguably the biggest disappointment from the 2010 free agent class.

Many have predicted that Outlaw will be the Nets amnesty cut when the time comes, and it would be tough to blame the team considering he showed absolutely nothing to validate a $7 million annual pay check.

New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza

The Contract: Five years, $33.5 million (signed in 2009)

Ariza was dealt to the Hornets after failing to succeed in Houston, but he didn't fare much better in New Orleans than he did with the Rockets.

Although he contributed at the defensive end, Ariza has really struggled offensively since leaving Los Angeles, and his inclination to settle for jump shots rather than using his athleticism to drive to the cup has really hampered his play, most notably in the field goal percentage department.

On a Hornets team desperate for offense, Ariza simply has to be better at that end of the floor to make his current deal digestible.

New York Knicks: Renaldo Balkman

The Contract: Three years, approximately $5 million (signed in 2009)

No, it's not a lengthy nor rich investment, but it's one that probably could've gone without being done.

The Nuggets extended Balkman when he was in Denver before dealing him back to New York in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and it's hard to imagine what the team saw in him at the time when it made the decision to do so.

He was an undersized power forward when he was surprisingly selected in the first round back in 2006 by New York, and he's struggled to find a consistent role in the NBA.

Oklahoma City Thunder: B.J. Mullens

The Contract: Current rookie contract

Mullens was dealt to Oklahoma City from Dallas in exchange for Roddy Beaubois, but he hasn't panned out the way that the Thunder had hoped.

Despite his size, his collegiate production hasn't translated to the professional level, and it's going to be tough for him to make his presence felt at this point.

While he certainly still has youth on his side, he's been leapfrogged on the depth chart by everyone at his position, and that doesn't bode well for his long-term outlook.

Orlando Magic: Gilbert Arenas

The Contract: Six years, $111 million (signed in 2008)

The ironic thing about Arenas' outlandish deal is that he took less money than was offered to him in order to benefit the Washington Wizards.

Now the poster boy for an overpaid NBA player, Arenas has done very little to salvage his stock now that he's in Orlando, and he really struggled with the Magic despite getting an opportunity to play.

He's got a lot to prove if he ever wants to sniff his previous form, and he's as close to a lock to be an amnesty cut as there is around the league.

Philadelphia 76ers: Andres Nocioni

The Contract: Five years, $37.5 million (signed in 2007)

When Nocioni originally agreed upon this pact, it was with the Chicago Bulls.

Since that time, he's been traded twice: once to Sacramento, then again to Philadelphia. Needless to say, he hasn't exactly lived up to the unbelievable deal he miraculously scored.

While Nocioni has shown he can be a nice role player at times, it's incredible to think the Bulls thought he'd be worth five years and nearly $40 million.

Phoenix Suns: Josh Childress

The Contract: Five years, $33 million (signed in 2010)

Childress spent some time in Greece after he couldn't find a deal stateside to his liking, and he really struggled to adjust to the NBA upon his return.

Despite the Suns giving Childress major money to return, he really struggled in his first season in the desert, and he didn't look like the player he was during his time in Atlanta.

It'll be interesting to see if he can readjust and live up to his previous form for the Suns, as this team is rebuilding and needs to evaluate exactly what he's worth.

Portland Trail Blazers: Greg Oden

The Contract: $8.8 million qualifying contract offer extended

Greg Oden hasn't been able to stay on the court, but that didn't prevent Portland from extending a qualifying contract offer worth nearly $9 million.

It's fairly incredible to think about the extent to which Oden has battled injuries, and the Blazers will never live down the decision to select Oden ahead of Kevin Durant in the draft.

While he's still got time to prove that he can play in the league, the clock is quickly ticking and injuries are rapidly mounting.

San Antonio Spurs: Richard Jefferson

The Contract: Four years, $38.8 million (signed in 2010)

Why did the Spurs even bring Jefferson back?

It's incredible that Jefferson nabbed a multi-year deal worth nearly $40 million after struggling like he did during his first season with the Spurs, and he hasn't been the same player in San Antonio that he was in New Jersey earlier in his career.

Now, the team has an exorbitant amount of money tied up in the declining swingman and this is a deal that the club could undoubtedly do without as the transition begins to a different era of basketball.

Sacramento Kings: Francisco Garcia

The Contract: Five years, $30 million (signed in 2008)

Garcia has actually been a useful player for the Kings, but injuries have limited his ability to stay on the court over the course of his career.

Now that the team has traded for John Salmons, it leaves Garcia in an extraordinarily crowded backcourt and without a defined role going forward.

Sacramento is thought to want to bring back restricted free agent Marcus Thornton, and that would leave Garcia battling for playing time against Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, Salmons and Thornton.

Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani

The Contract: Five years, $50 million (signed in 2008)

The Raptors signed Bargnani hoping that he'd be the priority option in the offense, but that plan has really proven to be one that isn't going to work.

In his first season without Chris Bosh, Bargnani struggled to adjust to a bigger role, and he didn't live up to the hype of his contract nor the role which was pegged for him.

He's going to have to be a better player and a more traditional center to avoid constant criticism, but without the ability to bang around with bigger opponents below the basket, that may be something he's incapable of doing.

Utah Jazz: Raja Bell

The Contract: Three years, approximately $10 million (signed in 2010)

When Bell signed his deal with Utah, it was thought that he'd be a defensive stopper and a solid veteran to have inside the locker room.

However, his defense really fell off in his first season with the Jazz, he didn't have the role that some had believed he would and he really struggled to mesh with the team.

On a team that needs offensive production from its wing players and harboring young talent at the position, Bell may be sitting at the end of the bench more often than he's used to if the Jazz retain him going forward.

Washington Wizards: Rashard Lewis

The Contract: Six years, $110 million (signed in 2007)

Lewis was going to get paid after playing his heart out in Seattle, but the offer he received from Orlando was by far and away the richest one he had on the table.

It was believed at the time that Lewis and Dwight Howard would combine to form an unstoppable frontcourt duo for the Magic, but that experiment really failed, and the contract given to Lewis blew up in the team's face.

He's now in Washington after being dealt for Gilbert Arenas, and no matter what he accomplishes in the future, it's going to be next to impossible to justify his salary.