SUMMARY
- Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard still need to prove their worth as stars on some of the biggest teams in the NBA today.
- Fred VanVleet and Brandon Ingram have potential but need to step up drastically.
The 2023-24 NBA Season was quite an eye-opener on various levels. Most of us weren’t expecting the see a finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Some never expected to have LeBron James witness a first-round exit along with Kevin Durant as well as the former MVP Joel Embiid.
While all of this was happening, multiple players underperformed during desperate times. A few others were picked up during free agency last year that never really had an impact on their respective teams, at least not as much as fans had expected. Some would wonder if it’s really worth the money to feature a superstar who doesn’t perform when needed. So here are five of the most overpaid athletes in the NBA moving into the 2024-25 season.
Top 5 overpaid NBA players moving into the 2024-25 season
1. Bradley Beal (Phoenix Suns)
Bradley Beal’s arrival in the valley was supposed to be the acquisition that led them to a championship this past season. However, things couldn’t have gotten more off-track than it did last season. Beal barely showed up on the floor due to various ailments. He suffered from a back injury during the start of the season and went on to endure ankle, nose, and hamstring-related issues eventually.
Reminder that the Suns have to pay Bradley Beal
$50 million
$54 million
$57 millionin the next 3 seasons. pic.twitter.com/xPPh9yhtwa
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 29, 2024
He only appeared for 53 games while averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal during the regular season. During the playoffs, Beal could barely produce numbers on the offensive end averaging 16.5 points along with 2.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. The lack of chemistry between the Suns Big 3 was apparent and the worst part is that Beal is owed $50 million next season. This will make him the sixth-highest earner next season.
2. Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
Injuries tend to be one of the biggest letdowns for athletes who are projected to have a great year. Last season, we witnessed Embiid suffer with various ailments and Bell’s Palsy which ultimately kept him away from winning his second MVP. This is the type of impact that injuries tend to have on a player’s legacy and this might be the same issue Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with since joining the LA Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era in Los Angeles:
2020: 2nd round exit
2021: WCF loss
2022: missed playoffs
2023: first round exit
2024: first round exitThe duo that was supposed to deliver the Clippers their first championship breaks up after three series wins in five years. pic.twitter.com/RV9NeFzC1k
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 1, 2024
Kawhi played 68 games with the Clippers last season and it happened to be his healthiest year with the team yet. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while leading the Clippers to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. However, he missed his last eight games of the regular season due to a knee ailment.
This also impacted his ability to play in the postseason as he appeared for only two games. Turns out Leonard’s history of getting injured still reigns victorious over the legacy he has created for himself. The Clippers owe this injury-prone star a whopping $52 million next season making him the second-highest earner in the league.
3. Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets)
The 2019 NBA Champion was a great acquisition for the Houston Rockets. After playing for the Toronto Raptors for seven seasons, Fred left them to sign a deal with the Rockers during the 2023 NBA Free Agency. His experience has been a plus point for the Rockets to feed off of but the numbers he’s been producing don’t quite fit the bill.
While he was with the Raptors, VanVleet was a designated scorer who averaged between 19 to 20 points per game as a second option. His experience should’ve made him the best player on the Rockets’ roster this past season while being surrounded by young talent like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. After averaging only 17.4 points per game in 73 games, is it worth paying VanVleet $42 million to be a third option?
4. Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
Since the start of his tenure in New Orleans, Brandon Ingram has been a staple in the Pelicans’ starting lineup. Ingram has brought a lot of value to the team averaging at least 20 points per game consistently since 2019. The All-Star forward was projected to form a dangerous front-court duo alongside Zion Williamson. However, Williamson’s inability to stay healthy is what demolished the Pelicans’ dreams with them.
But the Pelicans have stood beside Ingram regardless for the last five seasons. Either way, there are a few downsides to having the 26-year-old on the roster as well. Injuries are one of them, while the other issue is his lack of growth. Ingram has been a stagnant contributor to the team.
Brandon Ingram Update: Both New Orleans Pelicans and Ingram are willing to work together to either get Ingram to a new team or bring Ingram back on a deal that works for both parties.
More on Ingram: Sacramento Kings are the front runner but the Pelicans want to get a third team… pic.twitter.com/LelrnmNdgg
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 1, 2024
Brandon is expected to take over while Williamson deals with injuries. But the postseason only showed that Ingram isn’t quite at that level to carry a team single-handedly while being down an All-Star. What’s worse is, he averaged 14.2 points per game in four appearances without Zion in the playoffs. Ingram is owed $36 million next season while there are some rumblings of a possible trade this summer.
5. Ben Simmons (Brooklyn Nets)
There isn’t much to explain about Ben Simmons’ tenure with the Brooklyn Nets. The 27-year-old had pushed himself out of the Philadelphia 76ers organization in 2021. Since then, he’s been dealing with a crippling back injury. He missed his debut season, played 42 games in his second year, and barely appeared on the floor this past season.
The Nets now have the opportunity to explore utilizing Ben Simmons’ massive $40.3 million expiring contract to take on unwanted salary in exchange for more draft capital.
Simmons has only played in 57 games for Brooklyn over the past three seasons. pic.twitter.com/qFh26242s0
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 26, 2024
He’s averaged 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with the Nets. Meanwhile, the Nets had also lost Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden while Simmons recovered from his injury. The Nets are a struggling franchise trying to make ends meet with whatever talent they have left on the roster. Having given up Mikal Bridges to New York recently, the Nets might rely on Simmons to help them next season.
However, based on his stats, it wouldn’t be the smartest idea to make him the centerpiece of the organization solely based on his All-Star background. Simmons is owed $40 million next season, which will be his last with the Nets. The organization has also shown interest in trading him as well.