NBA contracts are just like any other sport. Some offer great value, such as when an undrafted rookie outplays his value, much like Austin Reaves did with the Los Angeles Lakers. While Reaves is now playing under a three-year, $53 million agreement, he had to work his butt off to earn it.
Then, we have the opposite end of the spectrum, when a player is given a massive contract to keep their talent in-house. There are several examples of this over the years, but there’s one contract that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Teams say Washington’s Jordan Poole has one of the worst contracts in the NBA
When it comes to having the worst contract in the NBA, multiple teams reportedly believe that title belongs to Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole. He’s signed to a four-year, $128 million contract, making him the seventh-highest-paid shooting guard in the NBA.
Now Bobby Marks, a former NBA assistant GM, said teams view Poole’s deal as one of the very worst contracts in the league.
“A lot of teams are calling the Jordan Poole contract one of the worst deals in the NBA right now. [The Warriors] caught a break there.”
Bobby Marks on Jordan Poole having one of NBA’s worst contracts
Coming out of the All-Star break, Poole was surprisingly benched for his inefficient play.
Previously averaging 20.4 points per game during his days with the Golden State Warriors, now Poole’s scoring averages have cratered to 15.8 PPG. It comes with poor shooting percentages, too, at 39.6% from the field and just 30.3% from 3-point range.
When the Wizards traded for Poole, they hoped he could take the next step in Washington once he was no longer surrounded by talent at every turn.
Only the opposite has happened. Instead of becoming the next Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Poole has made it seem like Washington was sold a bill of goods.
