Photo by CURZU@ via Flickr
This is the 4th installment of the Amnesty Tango series, where I allow one player per team to wiggle out of his underpaying contract.
Previous Tangos: Northwest Division – Pacific Division – Southwest Division
(Note: All salary information provided by Hoops Hype. Furthermore, it will be assumed all player and team options are in full effect.)
Sadly for the Atlanta Hawks, no member of their team is underpaid. There’s the $120 million man in Joe Johnson, but Uncle Joe has some company in the overpaid department. Josh Smith for all of his all-around spectacularism has yet to justify his $13 million a year price tag. Marvelous Marvin Williams is another twinkling star in Atlanta’s constellation of horrible contracts. Hawks fans should thank their lucky stars Al Horford is on board for $12 million a year till 2016. That may be a bargain when it’s all said and done.
There’s a nagging voice that says D.J. Augustin’s current rookie deal ($3.2m) is inadequate, but his play last season may have been due solely to someone having to sop up the point guard production. We’ll wait and see. In the meantime, Gerald Henderson gets to steal away to a new deal much better than his current one ($5.35 million over two years). Speaking of Gerald Hendersons and steals…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ui-iLWBugI
There doesn’t appear to be a franchise we’ve looked at yet that has all its players paid so in tow with their on-court worth, so far as the old CBA dictated. LeBron and Wade should be making Uncle Joe type money, but that will come in their next round of contract extensions. In the anti-Stern spirit (i.e. giving) let’s free up Udonis Haslem to make a few more hundred thousands. He’s pretty boss.
If there’s any magic left in Orlando it’s of a fiendishly black variety. Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu soak in over $30 million a year combined until 2014. The only bargain basement deal here is Ryan Anderson making $2.2 million next year. It’s despicable when comparing the three that Anderson makes 1/10th of what Arenas does and 1/5th of Hedo’s money. Free Ryan Anderson! And strip Otis Smith of GM duties!
Completing what is pound-for-pound the worst division in basketball in terms of bad contracts, we have Rashard Lewis. Forty-five million dollars over the next two seasons. Amazingly that’s better for Washington than still having Arenas around. And there’s young sensationĂ‚Â John Wall! Barring any further injury, the kid is worth much more than his $5.5 million salary next year. Sure by the end of his deal he’ll be entitled to a $9.6m qualifying offer, but this is no time for prudence. It’s time for Mr. Wall to get a fly deal now.
