More often than not, NBA players tend to get overpaid by teams, as they get desperate and make huge offers to prevent them from joining their competition.
- Point Guard – Deron Williams
- ($5.5M by the Brooklyn Nets)
- Shooting Guard – Monta Ellis
- ($2M by the Indiana Pacers through ’22)
- Small Forward – Luol Deng
- ($5M by the Los Angeles Lakers through ’22)
- Power Forward – Josh Smith
- ($5.3M by the Detroit Pistons)
- Center – Joakim Noah
- ($4.6M by the New York Knicks through ’22)
- 6th Man – Larry Sanders
- ($2M by the Milwaukee Bucks through ’23)
Obviously, there aren’t many players that are capable of sustaining their production at a high level throughout their entire deal.
Thus, they end up getting traded, waived, stretched or amnestied, and they keep getting a huge paycheck at the end of the month despite not playing at all. Today, we’ll show you the All-Bag team:
Point Guard – Deron Williams
($5.5M by the Brooklyn Nets)
It’s crazy to think that there was an actual debate over the best point guard in the league. While some thought Chris Paul was the best, others named Deron Williams, and he had a strong case, to be honest.
Now, Williams isn’t even in the NBA, after constant injuries took a toll on his ability to impact the game. He last played for the Cavaliers in 2017, but he’s still getting that bag.
Shooting Guard – Monta Ellis
($2M by the Indiana Pacers through ’22)
Monta Ellis was one of the deadliest scorers several years ago. He tried to force Stephen Curry out of the Golden State Warriors but ended up getting traded instead.
Needless to say, the Warriors made the right choice. The Pacers, not so much, though, as they’re still paying him a couple of millions per year despite being out of the league since 2017.
Small Forward – Luol Deng
($5M by the Los Angeles Lakers through ’22)
Not so long ago Luol Deng was considered to be one of the most reliable two-way players in the league. He could hold is own on defense and score in bunches with ease.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers made a terrible choice when they signed him to a multi-year deal worthy of nearly 18 million dollars per year. He last played for the Timberwolves in 2019, and played a total of 57 games with the Lakers.
Power Forward – Josh Smith
($5.3M by the Detroit Pistons)
Josh Smith was the Detroit Pistons’ go-to-guy, so it was a huge surprise to see them waive him mid-season in 2014 despite still owing him a lot of money.
The Pistons went on a huge run right after letting him go, but it wasn’t worthy, as they’re still paying him a lot of cash. He last played for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018.
Center – Joakim Noah
($4.6M by the New York Knicks through ’22)
Joakim Noah was one of the most vocal leaders in the league. He was a top-notch defender all over the court, and an outstanding playmaker for a big man.
Nonetheless, injuries forced him to diminish his production and a feud with the Knicks ended up with him getting waived. Once a Defensive Player of the Year, he last played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
6th Man – Larry Sanders
($2M by the Milwaukee Bucks through ’23)
Larry Sanders was a solid big man back in the early 2010s. He was a great rim protector with nice defensive instincts and a huge wingspan.
However, he decided to stop playing as he struggled with substance abused, so the Bucks waived him in 2015. He then attempted to come back to the league in 2017 with the Cavaliers, but he was waived again.
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