2. Timofey Mozgov, Los Angeles Lakers
The contract: 4 years, $64 million (2016)
During the summer of 2016, Kobe Bryant finally retired from the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers had money to spend. And, boy, did they spend. However, they didn’t exactly do it in a smart way. During the offseason, amongst other questionable moves, the Lakers signed Timofey Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million contract.
To make this move even worse, the Lakers only had Mozgov on the roster for one season before he was traded away to the Brooklyn Nets. During his one-year tenure with the Lakers, Mozgov averaged seven points and five rebounds on 51 percent shooting from the field. After that contract, Mozgov was only in the NBA for two of those four seasons.
You can make the argument that the Lakers had to spend to reach the cap floor but no matter how you chop it up, the Mozgov contract will end up being one of the most disappointing free-agent deals in modern NBA history. It should come as no surprise to see Mozgov check in at No. 2.