5 Worst Contracts Handed Out in NBA History

#5 Jerome James(New York Knicks) - 5 Years, $30 Million

Jerome was turning 30 when the Knicks signed him.

In the summer of 2005, after a career spent bouncing around various teams and countries, Knicks signed Jerome James for a total of 30 million dollars over 5 years.

Although this contract doesn’t sound like a lot of money for NBA contract standards, Jerome came into the deal averaging 5 points, 3.5 rebounds & 1.3 blocks.

Of course, Jerome posted averages of 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 11 games in the 2005 NBA Playoffs, but that shouldn't have been enough to cover up his career averages. Nevertheless, this small scale of consistency was enough for Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas.

Eventually, James never played more than 45 games in a given season during his four years in New York. Also, he would never average more than three points per game after signing and he dealt with major injuries at the end of his contract.

He was out of shape and another big bust for NY Knicks free agency which seemed to be a trend for the Knicks over the years.