Top 4 Worst Contracts In the NBA

There have been some gargantuan contracts handed out recently in the NBA, with players earning well over $50 million per year. But some massive deals are worse than others. 

With that in mind, we take a look at the top 4 worst contracts in the NBA. 

1. Bradley Beal, 5 years, $251 Million

"Beal is toxic debt now." Those words from an Eastern Conference executive pretty much sum up this albatross of a contract that Beal suckered the Washington Wizards into in 2022. He still has 3 years and $161 million owed, and he has a no-trade clause. He's missed 61 games over the first two years of the deal, and hasn't played more than 60 games in a season in six years. 

He's a good player, but not an impact one, not a player that will take a team to the promised land. The Phoenix Suns are stuck with him. 

2. Zach LaVine, 5 years, $215 Million

Since signing his max deal two summers ago, the Chicago Bulls have continued to flounder, and LaVine has not been the All-Star that he was in 2021 and '22. He only played 25 games last season due to injuries. His contract is so onerous, that his trade market has been almost nil, despite his terrific offensive touch.

3. Jordan Poole, 4 years, $140 Million

Although he is best-known for getting nailed in the face by a roundhouse blow from the fist of Draymond Green, Poole was rewarded with this bloated contract just 10 days after being KO'd by Dray. Unfortunately for the Washington Wizards, he came to DC with that deal in tow, and now, even though they're out of the Bradley Beal business, they still have an albatross contract to weigh them down, with 3 years and $95.5 million remaining. His scoring dropped to a 3-year low of 17 points per game with Washington, and his three-point shooting plummeted to 32.6%.

4. Jerami Grant, 5 years, $160 Million

When he signed this deal, Grant thought he was in it with Damian Lillard for the long haul in Portland. But the Trail Blazers traded Dame to the Milwaukee Bucks two and a half months later and began a tear-down. Having to pay Grant $132 million over the next four years of a rebuild is a ridiculous situation for Portland, and they need to get off of that contract as soon as they realistically can. 

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