A year ago, an NBA salary cap explosion completely changed the complexion of the league. At the time, it seemed as though there was no such thing as a bad contract. However, the NBA salary cap has leveled off and suddenly there are bad contracts that look even worse when in relation to their potential to cripple the rosters of certain teams. Here is a look at the five worst NBA contracts at the point guard position.
Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns
Knight’s three-year, $43.9 million deal was considered among the worst contracts in the NBA a week ago. Then came the news that Knight could miss the entire 2017-18 season with a torn ACL. The Suns couldn’t give him away at last year’s NBA trade deadline. However, there were some rumors that he might be of interest to the New York Knicks. After all, they are point guard-needy and any help they can get – without giving away quality assets – is of use.
Now they will have to figure out what to do with the two years remaining on his deal after this coming season. Knight’s contract makes him virtually untradeable. It appears Phoenix will be stuck with him through the 2019-20 season.
Matthew Dellavedova, Milwaukee Bucks
According to NBA Math’s total points added, Dellavedova was Milwaukee’s least valuable player last season. That was the first year of a four-year, $38.4 million contract that is one of the worst deals in the NBA right now. The Bucks are already experiencing buyer’s remorse with the knowledge they will be stuck with him for three more years. Dellavedova isn’t even a starter in the NBA so paying him like an elite point guard is an obvious mistake.
Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat
Johnson has played pretty good for Miami over the past couple of seasons. The problem is that he hasn’t played at the level of a point guard that will be paid $44.4 million over the next three seasons. Johnson’s inflated contract hurts his overall stock with the real problem occurring in the final two years of his deal. Johnson will make $5.9 million this coming season, but his cap hit balloons to $19.2 million over each of the final two years of the deal. The Heat would love to have Johnson on their roster just not at the price they will have to pay him over the next three seasons.
Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons
Jackson scored a career-high 18.8 points per game in 2015-16 while averaging 6.2 assists per game. However, his numbers took a huge hit last season when he averaged just 14.5 points and 5.2 assists per game. The Pistons fared 10.6 points per 100 possessions worse when Jackson was on the floor. While there is optimism that Jackson will bounce back this coming season, Detroit will be in big trouble if he doesn’t. Jackson is owed $51.1 million from the Pistons over the next three seasons.
Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
Holiday has struggled to stay healthy over the past couple of seasons. There is no denying that he can produce at a high level when he is on the floor. The problem is that he has played 67 or fewer games in each of the past four seasons for New Orleans. That is a big problem for a player that just signed a near-max contract for $126 million over the next five years. Holiday has the potential to play at a high level. However, he will be in tough to play at the level that his brutal contract demands.
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