The NBA's most overpaid players in 2021-22

Building a winner in the NBA is a perilous balancing act. In addition to acquiring high-end talent, requisite depth, and on-court chemistry, you have to balance your books. Sometimes a big gamble on a maximum contract goes bad, and it’s killed many a promising rebuild in the league.  

Now, I’m not given to pocket watching, and I’m in favor of NBA players getting every cent that is owed to them, but the reality remains that the NBA is a salary cap league. Paying players more than their on-court production is worth can be devastating to a team at any stage of development, which makes every contract negotiation a high-stakes game.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the five most overpaid players in the NBA this season.

5. D’Angelo Russell: $30,013,500

At anything over around $15 million a year you are looking at starter-quality money, and even at more than double that, D’Angelo Russell’s play leaves it an open question as to whether he meets those modest expectations. Russell is averaging 17.8 points per game on just 47.0 eFG%, and it isn’t too difficult to find 30 or more guards in the NBA doing better than that.

Coming into the NBA, Russell’s athleticism was a concern, but he overcame it through his prodigious skill and talent. And "Dlo" is still one of the best on-the-move passers in the league. But starting at that athletic disadvantage means that his now growing list of injuries has given him very little margin for error, as he’s up against a better athlete on the opposing side of the ball almost every single night.

4. Russell Westbrook: $44,211,146

It’s still early, but the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Russell Westbrook is currently looking like one of the worst blunders in franchise history. The theory behind acquiring Westbrook was solid. The Lakers expected that LeBron James would continue to miss more games as he ages, and that they would need supplementary playmaking and energy to replace him when he does. Well, LeBron has now missed 10 games and the Lakers are just 4-6, including some of the most embarrassing losses to ever take place in Staples Center.

His inclusion on this list might seem a bit harsh given that he’s still averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, but think of it another way - is there a single team in the NBA that would currently trade for Westbrook at this salary?

3. Kevin Love: $31,258,256

Kevin Love was once one of the most dominant big men in the NBA, and for a very brief shining moment might have even been the second or third best player period. Unfortunately, his time in Cleveland following the 2016 championship has not seen a return to that trajectory.

Love was the subject of trade rumors for years, but now those rumors have all but dried up because unfortunately he just isn’t the player he once was. He’s averaging a career low in points, rebounds, and overall efficiency. Anyone trading for Love these days will expect to be handsomely rewarded for eating his contract, and the Cavaliers don’t seem particularly interested in such a deal.

2. Kyrie Irving: $35,328,700

While players with injuries precluding them from play are exempt from this list, Kyrie Irving, who is simply choosing not to play, is not. The Brooklyn Nets reportedly offered Kyrie Irving a contract extension worth $186 million, which they then withdrew when it became clear he would refuse to get vaccinated.

And on top of that, he’s forfeiting money for each Nets’ home game missed, which if he holds out the rest of the season will eclipse $15 million. Hopefully Kyrie will soon see the light and suit up again for the Nets, but until then, his deal is an albatross.

1. John Wall: $44,310,840

John Wall, despite being healthy and the third-highest player in the NBA this season, has yet to play a single minute of professional basketball in 2021-22. Now, unlike Irving, this is the result of a mutual agreement between the youth-movement Houston Rockets and the former All-NBA guard, but agreement or no, that is a lot of salary cap space the Rockets are just flushing down the drain.

It’s particularly sad with Wall because new fans to the NBA might not realize how much fun he was on the Washington Wizards. He was a speed demon in the open court and created more open corner 3s than any other player in the NBA. Wall was also one of the best shot-blocking guards of all-time, and an electrifying playoff performer. Here’s hoping both sides can reach an agreeable buyout someday soon, and we can have Wall back playing meaningful basketball.