2023 NBA Free Agency: 5 worst contracts signed so far
The 2023 NBA free agency has gotten off to a hot start with several players signing deals already. Several teams have retained their players and some have had some new signings.
However, not every signing has been met with acclaim and excitement. Some, due to the size of the contract, have been viewed as mistakes.
Let's take a look at the five worst contracts signed in 2023 NBA free agency so far:
#5 Max Strus
Max Strus agreed to a four-year, $63 million sign-and-trade deal to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Miami Heat will send Strus to Cleveland and reportedly receive a second-round pick, while the San Antonio Spurs get Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a second-rounder.
Strus was a rotation player for the Heat, averaging a career-high 11.5 points and 3.2 rebounds last season while shooting 35% from beyond the arc. However, when it came down to the NBA Finals, Strus finished with zero points in two of the six games.
Furthermore, in Game 3, Strus scored a mere three points, making only one out of his seven shot attempts. On the defensive end, Strus has slow feet and is not considered a premier defensive presence.
Max Strus was getting an average of $1.7 million with the Miami Heat over the last two years. While his run with them demanded a salary increase, an average of $15.75 million going forward might be too high an amount for an undrafted player who in some ways is still yet to prove himself, making it one of the worst contracts of the 2023 NBA free agency.
#4 Kyle Kuzma
The Washington Wizards finalized an agreement with Kyle Kuzma on a four-year contract worth $102 million. This is after they traded away Bradley Beal and lost Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics.
Considering the Washington Wizards are rebuilding, there was no reason to overpay for Kuzma. Kyle Kuzma's contract, along with Jordan Poole's deal, will cause issues for the Wizards' rebuilding process. It is unclear as to what the Wizards' goal with this $102 million contract is.
Here is Kuzma's tweet right after the signing:
DC let’s turn this ship around!! May take time but I’m committed you guys and turning the city up!!💯💯🫶🏽
With Jordan Poole as his co-star, it's hard to tell which ship Kyle Kuzma is trying to turn around. That said, Twitter had some suggestions as to which ship Kuzma was referring to:
@kylekuzma The ship https://t.co/OXY3QUC5h7
Another Twitter fan suggested that Kyle Kuzma might've been referring to the OceanGate submarine.
@kylekuzma The ship they trying to turn around https://t.co/5tB5PcoDvg
Whether Kyle Kuzma is worth an average salary of $25.5 million per year, specifically for the Washington Wizards, remains to be seen. It seems like one of the worst contracts so far in the 2023 NBA free agency and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Wizards try and trade him in the near future.
#3 Jerami Grant
While Damian Lillard has been busy asking the Portland Trail Blazers for a trade, the team has been busy giving Jerami Grant a five-year $160 million contract.
To be fair, the Portland Trail Blazers were in a lose-lose situation. For what it's worth, Jerami Grant is a third option on the team and he did average 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game over the last season. He would definitely attract attention from other teams in free agency, even if it didn't mean $160 million over five years. If the Trail Blazers failed to sign him, Lillard might've been upset.
However, there was no reason for Portland to go all-out on the non-All-Star Grant. With the new contract, Portland is valuing Grant almost identically to Jayson Tatum. If losing Grant wasn't enough to send Lillard out of Portland, signing him to a $160 million five-year contract will definitely do the trick.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
I’m sorry, $160M for Jerami Grant is immediately an abysmal contract
JERAMI GRANT GOT HOW MUCH 💀💀💀 https://t.co/zxxRQzxAcp
It wouldn't be a shock if the Trail Blazers try to rescind the offer.
#2 Dillon Brooks
After the LA Lakers, led by LeBron James, put an end to Dillon Brooks' trash talk, it didn't seem like there was a big market for the former Memphis Grizzlies player. So much so that even his former team said they would not bring him back "under any circumstances."
The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances, league sources say.
Full story and details at @TheAthletic: theathletic.com/4481287/2023/0…
However, this did not stop the Houston Rockets from offering Dillon Brooks a massive four-year $80 million deal.
While Brooks was a second-team 2022-23 All-Defensive member, he was no match for LeBron James in the playoffs. Brooks was also an offensive liability for the Grizzlies.
Dillon Brooks 2023 Playoff Shooting
24 of 77, 31.2%*
*Worst FG% and Points Per Shot among 65 players with at least 50 postseason FGA twitter.com/KingJames/stat…
Here is how Twitter reacted to the signing of Dillon Brooks in free agency:
$80,000,000 for Dillon Brooks. Gotta be one of the worst contracts in NBA history. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Dillon Brooks got paid $80 million?? https://t.co/auBMviv52W
Houston Rockets will have a lot on their hands going into next season. Only time will tell how their decisions in free agency will play out.
#1 Fred VanVleet
In his seven-year career, Fred VanVleet (29 years old) has only played with the Toronto Raptors. However, the guard is now set to join the Houston Rockets after reportedly agreeing to a $130 million three-year max contract, the first max contract of the 2023 NBA free agency.
Fred VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game last season and was the go-to option for Toronto. However, the Rockets might have severely overpaid for VanVleet in what could be the worst contract of the 2023 NBA free agency.
The Houston Rockets definitely had money to spend, but most people believed that it would go to a franchise player like James Harden and not Fred VanVleet. The deal is set to pay VanVleet an average of $43.3 million per season. That's more than double the $21.25 million he made with the Raptors last season for little upside.
Here is what Twitter had to say:
All respect to Fred VanVleet but this is the worst contract of the day. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Here are the kinds of players you expect to get when paying $40 million per season:
It is fair to say that the undrafted VanVleet doesn't belong in the same conversation as the likes of Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic.