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Every team has at some point had some sort of bad contract, be it any sport. It comes down to play performance and if they are worth the money given by the team. At first, it may seem like the right choice but things can start to tumble down the road. In this series, we look at the worst contracts by teams in the Atlantic Division. This division consists of the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors. It can be tough to determine a "bad contract" but here are my choices.
1. Marcus Smart, PG/SG - Boston Celtics
Considering the Celtics roster, this was a tough one to figure out. But Marcus Smart is probably the player with the worst contract on the Celtics and here's why.
Smart signed his 4 year, $52 million contract in late July after receiving little interest after the start of free agency. The coaching staff and front office likely signed him for two reasons: as insurance in case they are unable to re-sign PG Terry Rozier and because of the defensive skills that he brings on the court.
On top of that, Smart is known for having some on-court issues including "flopping." For the Celtics, it shouldn't have been a priority to resign him simply because the Celtics are able to bring the next man up similar to what the New England Patriots are able to do.
The contract is fully guaranteed and besides defense, he isn't really the best option to backup PG Kyrie Irving, but we will see in the coming years how this plays out.
2. Allen Crabbe, SF/SG - Brooklyn Nets
We all know now that Nets are the team to trade unwanted contracts to. Allen Crabbe was no exception, as he was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Nets last summer. An interesting thing is that in 2016, Crabbe became a restricted free agent and the Nets offered a 4 year, $75 million contract to him, which the Blazers matched. But he was traded off to the Nets to relieve the Blazer's cap space.
As a player, Crabbe has been productive for the Nets, averaging 13.2 PPG with a .407% field goal shooting percentage. But for the money, there were plenty of free agents during the 2017-2018 that they could have signed for a cheaper deal.
Unfortunately, no one really wants to play for the Nets and at this point, they are desperate to make some noise in the league.
3. Joakim Noah, C - New York Knicks
This one is a no-brainer. Joakim Noah has one of the worst contracts in the division, if not, in the whole league. After signing a 4 year, $72 million deal with Knicks, Noah has played a total of 53 games for the Knicks, which includes the 7 he played just last season.
Due to several injuries and lackluster play, he has simply been shut down by the coaching staff. It came to a point where Noah also had an altercation with then Head Coach Jeff Hornacek about his playing time for the team. The big man took an "indefinite leave" from the team while he worked things out, both mentally and physically.
It is unclear how the Knicks will deal with his contract. It's almost certain that no team would be willing to take his contract unless another player or a draft pick is included. However, it is possible he could be part of future plans for the Knicks, but that would be quite a stretch.
4. Joel Embiid, C - Philadelphia 76ers
Don't get me wrong, Embiid is a great player. He has significantly turned around the 76ers team both offensively and defensively. But given that he played just 31 games his rookie year due to a number of injuries and 63 games last season, it doesn't justify his being worthy of a 5 year, $148 million contract.
He is certainly one of the best young centers in the league as of right now, but in my opinion, we should see him play a full season at least. The contract, however, does give some protection for the team in case of injuries that might occur to Embiid. For now, we shall see how Embiid holds up in the upcoming season and if he is truly worthy of the rookie max extension.
5. Serge Ibaka, PF - Toronto Raptors
After signing a 3 year, $64 million contract with the Raptors last year, he hasn't done much to prove that he's worth the contract.
The biggest issue with him is defense as he is unable to defend players in the paint. He allows over 66% shooting against opponents he defends, which is something that needs to change over time.
Nonetheless, 3-point shooting is another issue he has, something which many top power forwards are able to handle. He ranks 33rd against other players at his position for 3P% and at the same time, there are plenty of players who are much more capable on both sides of the ball then Ibaka. We could potentially be seeing Ibaka's last season as a Raptor unless he starts proving his worth.
Guess the Lakers players!
