Yeah. It's not the best list to be included on - but these 5 players have played the system either nicely or nastily.
Number 5 - The 76ers Highest paid player by over FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!
Tobias Harris - $37,633,050
SPOILER - Its not Jimmy Butler; he probably wouldn't be overpaid on Tobias Harris's salary if the 76ers picked him over Harris for the max contract in 2019.
Harris signed a max contract worth $180,000,000 over 5 years in the offseason of 2019, after Philly's painful loss to Kawhi's game 7 buzzer beater to send them home in the conference semis.
The 76ers basically had the choice to either give Tobias Harris OR Jimmy Butler the max. They chose wrong! In Philly's defense Harris was improving year on year, had already been in the league for 10 years and was seen as a very solid player around the league. But it's not even the wrong player that makes this overpayment as bad as it is.
Until the signing of the max, Harris hadn't earned over $11,000,000 a season....! $25,000,000 more per season is just inconceivable. He either could have gone in free agency and they picked up another solid talent for much less, kept Jimmy or offered him less!
Now averaging 15pts, 6rbds and 2.5 asts, Harris is still a solid player and is a good asset to the Sixers, just not financially. He's just a good role player really. Definitely hasn't continued improving and has plateaued majorly since signing the contract.
No hating here by any means, he does what he does on the court and is still a vital piece of the squad, just paid about $20,000,000 too much.
Number 4 - The Eiffel Tower
Rudy Gobert - $38,172,414
In 2020, Gobert signed a $205,000,000 5 year deal with the Utah Jazz, and was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in last year's offseason.
When Gobert signed the dotted line on the 5 year max deal; he was in the middle of 3 consecutive DPOY awards, lead the league in rebounding and field goal percentage, and was averaging over 2 blocks a game for his seventh season in a row (8 total).
At the time, you could argue Gobert was worth his huge deal. Even if you're not a fan of his you have agree he was much closer to being worth it than he is today.
This season - Averaging 13pts 11rbds and 1.3blks per game, this is statistically Rudy's worst season in SIX YEARS.
Not just those stats that have dropped though. In fact every single measured stat is lower than it has been for the last 4 seasons.
Gobert's fall from grace this season hasn't been pretty, especially for the Timberwolves paying him the 12th highest salary in the whole league. He's just about been a Top 3 player on the the wolves!
Number 3 - The Wizards Talisman Underperforming
Bradley Beal - $43,279,250
Making $10,000,000 more than last year, Bradley Beal comes in at number 3 on this list.
Beal is another who has been a great player in the years leading up to putting pen to paper on his $251,019,650 5 year deal.
The wizards felt this super max deal was necessary to keep their Talisman in Washington, as they thought potential suitors might also be queuing up for his signature.
I think the Wizards made a big mistake here. Whilst I love watching Beal, I really don't think he was worth this supermax contract. $251,000,00 is the second biggest contract in NBA history, only topped by Nikola Jokic's five year $264,000,000 supermax with the Nuggets.
Difference is Jokic is a back to back reigning MVP, maybe on course to win his third straight. And Beal? Well he's like a more important Tobias Harris from above.
He was improving year on year, then he sunk and has plateaued.
The wizards went over above to keep him - and it hasn't worked out yet. At the moment he's hugely overpaid, and deservedly take the number 3 spot on this list.
Number 2 - Pains me to put him here, others might think he deserves top spot!
Russell Westbrook - $47,063,478
Let me get this straight, I still like Russ. Coming off the bench for the Lakers this season worked much better for him. He averaged 16pts, 6rbds and 7.5asts this season in 28 minutes, and watching him play sometimes was like watching MVP Russ again!
If you saw these stats you would think he's a solid player, which he is. But for $20,000,000. Maybe.
This being said, I have watched a lot of Lakers game this season. Down the stretch, Brodie has mostly been terrible. His shot selection is that of a high schooler and I don't understand his obsession with jacking up 3 pointers as a 30% career shooter.
It was the Thunder who had the last laugh and put him at number 2 on this list.
Westbrook signed a 5 year / $206,794,070 contract with OKC back in 2018 when he was still at the peak of his powers. After being traded to the wizards, he averaged a triple double for the 4th year out of 5 but the wizards couldn't make it past the Embiid led 76ers in the first round.
Coming off that great regular season, Lebron asked the question, and Westbrook came to LA.
He's now about to be bought out of said contract by the Utah Jazz.
It didn't work out, I'm still a fan of Russ, but boy is he overpaid this year.
Number 1 - Pretty obvious isn't it?
Ben Simmons - $35,448,672
Simmons is paid the least on this list, but he could earn $20,000,000 less and still take the top spot.
Needing no introduction to lists like these, Big Ben is the king of (not) playing the system.
Averaging 7pts, 6rbds, and 6asts in 26 minutes this season, after not playing AT ALL last season, Simmons is the ultimate headf*ck for any coach or GM.
Coming to the nets in the trade for James Harden, Simmons hasn't shown any notion of wanting to play for the nets - ever.
There's a chance this could all change with the new look nets, it might be a group that can revive his confidence and start fresh on the court.
That's if Jacque Vaughn is willing to give him any more responsibility after his antics.
Who knows what the future will hold, but at the moment if I was the nets GM id rather give Ben's salary straight to charity.
Thanks for reading.
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