Biggest Contract Busts in NBA History
Joakim Noah
One of the sad truths about elite sports is having to watch the physical deterioration of people still in the prime years of their life. But sad a truth as that might be, it’s an important one for NBA general managers to recognize.
In Noah’s case, the writing was already on the wall when they inked him to a four-year deal worth a whopping $72.6 million in the summer of 2016. He had been a solid defensive player for years, pulling down double-digit rebounds in 4 out of 5 years from 2009 to 2014 (and 9.8 per game the one year he didn’t). But it was already clear in the two seasons prior to the mega-contract that he had lost a couple of steps, as most basketball players start to do in their early 30s.
Noah is the first player on this list to sign a deal that ultimately paid him over $100,000 a point based on his production with that team.
Image Credits: Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images
These players didn't live up to the big money they were paid.