5 most disappointing high-profile signings in NBA’s Eastern Conference in the last 10 years
Big signings in the NBA often generate championship expectations for franchises, as a superstar could make a big difference to a team's fortunes. Of course, one player alone is seldom enough for a team to win the championship. But high-profile signings are seen as the beginning of the road to an NBA championship for many teams.
Over the last ten years, we've seen the league shaken with several big-name players changing teams and moving cities. They do so to give themselves the best chance to win the championship or land in a good city and bag the best or biggest contract available.
Some high-profile contracts in the last ten years in the NBA's Eastern Conference did not work
However, some contracts that have been signed in the NBA's Eastern Conference over the last ten seasons did not yield the desired results for franchises. The reasons for that could range from player's poor performances, unfortunate situations with coaches or injuries.
On that note, here's a look at the five most disappointing high-profile signings in the NBA's Eastern Conference over the last decade. Without further ado, let's get started:
#5 Joakim Noah - New York Knicks
Joakim Noah carved out a solid career with the Chicago Bulls from 2007 to 2016. He had a decent resume with the Bulls, despite not being the best player on the team. He won two All-Star selections, an All-NBA selection (first team), three All-Defensive selections and the 2013-14 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, it was his contract with New York Knicks in 2016 that has earned him a mention on this list. The four-year, $72-million contract Noah signed with the New York Knicks turned out to be a poor one for the franchise. That's because the center (who had a top-5 finish in the NBA MVP voting with the Bulls) only played 53 games for the Knicks before he was waived off.
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Joakim Noah earned $6.4 million with the New York Knicks in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, even though he has not played for the Knicks since October 2018.
#4 John Wall - Washington Wizards
John Wall has had a tough luck with injuries in the last few years of his NBA career. Those years were torrid for the teams he was a part of, especially after signing a huge contract extension with the Washington Wizards in 2017.
The extension was set at four years and $171 million, and kicked in at the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Wall missed the entirety of the campaign due to an Achilles injury and further complications.
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Works for me twitter.com/barstoolsports…
After the contract (which gives him an annual average salary of over $42 million, kicked in), Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2020-21 season. He has appeared in just 40 regular-season games for them.
The contract gives John Wall a player option for the 2022-23 campaign, and he is set for a salary of over $47 million from his fully-guaranteed contract.