NBA Free Agents 2011: Players Sure to Be Overpaid

Every season we see a barrage of guys overpaid by NBA teams as free agency begins.

You know the story, some struggling franchise will offer guys coming off career seasons way too much money and when they can't duplicate their success, they're stuck with bad contracts for the next four years.

This season will be no exception, especially with free agency expected to be fast and furious since the lockout has ended.

Here are just five of many free agents likely to cash in on overpaid deals before the season officially begins.

Jamal Crawford

Crawford is a good offensive player who has a Sixth Man of the Year Award to use as a negotiating tool.

He will look to cash in on one more big contract before his career limits him to signing one-year deals in the future.

For a team looking for a guy that can provide some scoring, but offers up very little on the defensive end, then Crawford may be a good fit.

Having said that, though, Crawford is likely to land a deal that pays him way more than his 15.4 career points per game average suggests he should get.

Glen Davis

"Big Baby," is entering his fifth season in the league and his game hasn't progressed enough to this point to suggest that he's ready to be one of the focal points of a team.

Someone is likely going to give him starter-type money and maybe he can become a 15-point per game type player, but judging by his performance in last season's playoffs, that may be stretching it just a bit.

Tyson Chandler

Dallas needs to keep Chandler, so them keeping him at all cost may not be a bad idea. He fits in well with them and could likely have repeat success.

But for some team willing to throw Chandler big money on the hopes of him becoming a fixture in the middle for years should do so cautiously.

On the court, Chandler can be a decent scorer, a very good rebounder and an excellent defender, but is he worth the nearly $12 million it may take to sign him.

On the right team like the Mavericks maybe.

Keep in mind he's also an injury risk and is coming off his best season as a pro.

On a different team, having to fill a bigger role, he could prove to be a big disappointment.

Kris Humphries

This guy is going to get way too much money.

He's a guy that conveniently had his best season in a contract year. He walked into a good situation and put up solid numbers (10.0 ppg. 10.4 rpg.), but the chances of him duplicating that or improving on that are probably very slim.

Playing in a situation where he was really the only rebounder on a Nets team helped his situation and while his points per game average set a career high, his points per 36 minutes were the lowest of his career.

Humphries will receive a decent big money offer from someone, but they are probably paying for the guy that averages 5.6 ppg. and 4.7 rpg for his career instead of the guy that averaged a double-double last season.

David West

West is a player I like a lot, but he's also a guy that will likely get too much money.

He's a capable offensive power forward and an above average defender, but he's coming off a torn ACL.

That type of injury can change the way a guy plays the game and can also change what type of player he is.

Is that the case with West? We just don't know and that's the problem.

I'd have to think twice about offering a big contract to someone coming off a knee injury, even to a guy as talented as West.

Yet some team is going to do it and they may regret it.