The most overpaid players in the NBA in 2022-23
A few days ago, we discussed the most underpaid players of the 2022-23 season, a list featuring some of the biggest names in the NBA today, including reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, regular-season MVP Joel Embiid and Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
Today, we are going to discuss the most overpaid players of this past season as judged by using our Real Value metric, which is explained in full detail here.
To determine the ranking, we looked up the difference between every player’s Real Value and actual salary for 2022-23. In fairness to some of the following players, there are a ton of injury-related overpays on the following list through no fault of the players themselves.
Below, check out the 20 most overpaid players for the 2022-23 NBA season.
John Wall
Real Value: $4,793,669
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $47,345,760
Difference: -$42,552,091
After only playing in 34 games last season, John Wall was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets and subsequently waived by Houston before failing to latch on with another team. It’s hard to fault Wall for his struggles – at least he tried coming back from multiple serious leg injuries – but he didn’t come close to producing at the level of his earnings last season, which mostly came from his buyout with the Rockets.
For more John Wall salary info, click here.
Kemba Walker
Real Value: $1,995,793
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $37,281,261
Difference: -$35,285,468
Another former All-Star guard slowed down lower-body injuries, Kemba Walker only lasted nine games as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, a brief stint in which he averaged 8.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting before he was waived. Walker failed to land with another team in 2022-23 and there were even rumors of him heading overseas to play for Armani Milan before those were debunked. Walker is another player who might get another shot in the NBA next season, though now 33, those chances are getting smaller and smaller as he continues to age. Walker earned $37.3 million in 2022-23 while producing a Real Value of $2.0 million, meaning he was overpaid by $35.3 million, according to our metric.
For more Kemba Walker salary info, click here.
Russell Westbrook
Real Value: $14,885,652
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $47,080,179
Difference: -$32,194,527
Is it obvious by now the Clippers were desperate for point guard help last season? After failing to get anything positive out of Wall, the lesser L.A. basketball brand turned to a player formerly of its in-city rival for help at the lead-guard spot in the form of Russell Westbrook, who actually worked out much better than Wall did. Westbrook was great as a Clipper, averaging 15.8 points and 7.6 assists in the regular season, and 23.6 points and 7.4 assists over five playoff games. Westbrook had a far higher Real Value ($14.9 million) than the previous players on this list. The issue is, he earned $47.1 million, meaning the metric still believes he was overpaid by $32.2 million on the campaign. Regardless, Westbrook will without a doubt be in the NBA next season after proving he can still make a positive impact on a winning team in 2022-23.
For more Russell Westbrook salary info, click here.
Ben Simmons
Real Value: $6,529,860
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $35,448,672
Difference: -$28,918,812
Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons has had a rough go of it lately, missing all of 2021-22 due to a holdout and back problems only to return for 42 games in 2022-23 before getting shut down again due to more back issues. In Simmons’ half-season’s worth of play, he didn’t particularly light it up, either, averaging just 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists on 56.6 percent shooting while attempting two three-pointers all year and looking like a shell of his former self. Simmons has two more seasons left on his contract, which will pay him $37.9 million in 2023-24 and $40.3 million in 2024-25. Hopefully, he gets healthy this summer because if he doesn’t, we fear he might make this list again next year.
For more Ben Simmons salary info, click here.
Khris Middleton
Real Value: $9,765,738
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $37,984,276
Difference: -$28,218,538
Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton finding himself among the five most overpaid players in 2022-23 comes as a surprise for sure, but it’s probably less shocking when you realize he played in just 33 games last season due to a knee issue. Middleton recently opted out of the final year of his contract to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.
For more Khris Middleton salary info, click here.
Bradley Beal
Real Value: $17,667,150
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $43,279,250
Difference: -$25,612,100
Few contracts in the NBA right now are as brutal as that of former Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, in particular, due to the fact he’s the only player in the league with a no-trade clause. (What was Washington’s last front office thinking when it agreed to that deal?) Regardless, that’s the Phoenix Suns’ problem now, though there’s hope Beal, rather than being a team’s first option, will now have more success as a third option on offense behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Still, Beal was one of the most overpaid players in the league last season, underperforming his contract by $25.6 million. We’ll see how this works out for Phoenix.
For more Bradley Beal salary info, click here.
Kevin Love
Real Value: $6,015,866
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $30,556,968
Difference: -$24,541,102
On the final year of his max contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love was bought out before joining the Miami Heat on a much smaller deal (worth $3.1 million) and helping play a part in the team coming all the way to within three wins of a championship. Love averaged 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 37.5 percent from three over 20 playoff games in 2023, proving he can still contribute in the right situation. What’s more, if we look at just his salary with Miami, Love actually outperformed his deal according to Real Value, meaning the next team that signs him to a contract might actually be getting good value in return.
For more Kevin Love salary info, click here.
Klay Thompson
Real Value: $16,970,450
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $40,600,080
Difference: -$23,629,630
In fairness to Klay Thompson, his game – even at its peak – was never beloved by the analytics, as they have a hard time quantifying defensive impact. Thompson actually had a very solid 2022-23 season, putting up 21.9 points on 41.2 percent shooting from three over 69 games, but Real Value still thinks he was overpaid by $23.6 million on the year. The Golden State Warriors won’t care about that, though it’ll be interesting to see what they do with regard to Thompson’s future this summer, as he’s extension-eligible heading into the final year of his current contract.
For more Klay Thompson salary info, click here.
Andrew Wiggins
Real Value: $11,037,134
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $33,616,770
Difference: -$22,579,636
Thompson’s teammate Andrew Wiggins, on the other hand, finds himself on this list due to missing so much time in 2022-23 because of personal reasons that were never fully disclosed. Wiggins played in just 37 games last regular season, leading to an overpay of $22.6 million by the Warriors for his services, per Real Value, a huge loss for a Golden State team that desperately missed his athleticism, slashing and bucket-getting ability. With Wiggins back in the fold on a more regular basis next season, Golden State should be able to perform better than its inconsistent rendition the season prior.
For more Andrew Wiggins salary info, click here.
Gordon Hayward
Real Value: $8,738,697
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $30,075,000
Difference: -$21,336,303
The good news for the Charlotte Hornets with regard to Gordon Hayward? He participated in the most regular season games he has in three years last season. The bad news? That was still only 50 games. Hayward has never been the same after his devastating leg injury as a member of the Boston Celtics, making it hard to surmise why the Hornets gave him such a huge contract (worth four years and $120 million) back in 2020. At least there’s only one season left on Hayward’s contract, which will pay him $31.5 million before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer.
For more Gordon Hayward salary info, click here.
Tobias Harris
Real Value: $16,931,039
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $37,633,050
Difference: -$20,702,011
Although Tobias Harris has been a (good) role player since joining the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s been paid at nearly a star level, leading to his place on this ranking. According to Real Value, Harris’ production was worth $16.9 million last season while he actually earned $37.6 million for an overpay of $20.7 million. Harris is a solid off-ball threat who can knock down threes, slash or post up smaller defenders – he just doesn’t get enough of an opportunity to highlight that playing with two other high-usage superstars in Philadelphia. He’s heading into the final year of his contract which will pay him nearly $40 million in 2023-24, so he could very well sit even higher on this list if we re-do this exercise in a year.
For more Tobias Harris salary info, click here.
Rudy Gobert
Real Value: $17,506,736
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $38,172,414
Difference: -$20,665,678
If you’re a fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves, you might want to look away for the next couple of slides. Checking in as the 12th-most-overpaid player for 2022-23 is Wolves big man Rudy Gobert, who was overpaid by $20.7 million, according to our Real Value metric. His fit in Minnesota alongside the player coming up next on this list (spoiler alert) has been balky at best, which is a shame considering their guard teammate, Anthony Edwards, came in as one of the top players in the league for 2023-24 when we looked at most underpaid a few days ago. Bit of a waste of Edwards’ hugely valuable contract by Minnesota considering what it’s paying its two centers.
For more Rudy Gobert salary info, click here.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Real Value: $13,226,060
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $33,833,400
Difference: -$20,607,340
Gobert’s frontcourt mate, Karl-Anthony Towns, comes in next on our list, as Real Value believes he was overpaid by $20.6 million in 2022-23, just a touch under the margin Gobert was overpaid by. Towns does have the excuse that he missed a lot of last season due to injury, suiting up in just 29 games on the campaign. Now healthy, Towns should put up a much more impressive 2023-24 season, as he did have flashes of his usual brilliance in the 2023 playoffs. The Timberwolves better hope so, at least, considering they’re set to pay Towns and Gobert a combined $77 million-plus next year.
For more Karl-Anthony Towns salary info, click here.
Paul George
Real Value: $22,036,345
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $42,492,492
Difference: -$20,456,147
Our third Clipper on this ranking, Paul George made $42.5 million last season while Real Value put his production at $22.0 million for an overpay of $20.5 million. George did miss a lot of action, suiting up in 56 games before missing the final month of the campaign due to injury. But that can’t come as a surprise at this point considering George has suited up in just 48, 54, 31 and 56 games over his past four seasons. Maybe that’s why there are rumors of George being on the trade block as we approach free agency this summer.
For more Paul George salary info, click here.
Myles Turner
Real Value: $15,258,553
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $35,096,500
Difference: -$19,837,947
Despite 2022-23 being arguably the best season of Myles Turner’s career, with the former Texas standout averaging 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 37.3 percent from three, Real Value still believes he was overpaid by roughly $20.0 million, earning $35.1 million but performing at the level of a $15.3 million player. Still, the Indiana Pacers have to be happy with Turner’s progression last year while hoping he’ll maintain that upward trajectory over the coming campaigns. Few big men possess his skills as a three-point shooter and rim-protector, making him unique as well as very important towards the Pacers’ future.
For more Myles Turner salary info, click here.
Kyle Lowry
Real Value: $9,980,410
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $28,333,334
Difference: -$18,352,924
This won’t come as a surprise to Heat fans but Kyle Lowry was overpaid by quite a bit in 2022-23, making $28.3 million but putting up a Real Value of $10.0 million for an overpay of $18.4 million, according to our metric. Lowry did miss time with injury and performed far better coming off the bench for Miami once he returned, playing an important role in the team’s unexpected run to the Finals as a shot-maker and creator. Still, Miami has to feel good that Lowry is heading into a contract year and will be off the books by 2024-25, as his huge cap hit is preventing the team from seeking upgrades around its two star players.
For more Kyle Lowry salary info, click here.
Evan Fournier
Real Value: $1,372,878
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $18,000,000
Difference: -$16,627,122
Swingman Evan Fournier was in and out of the New York Knicks’ rotation in 2022-23 (mostly out) and fully expects to be donning new colors come next season as he’s heading into a contract year, making it more plausible for the Knicks to find a trade for him. Fournier’s actual salary ($18.0 million) isn’t particularly egregious; he simply finds himself on this ranking because he only got to suit up in 27 games while averaging 6.1 points on 33.7 percent shooting from the floor. Those numbers aren’t even replacement level – they’re far beneath that. We’ll see if New York can find somewhere to dump the last season of his salary.
For more Evan Fournier salary info, click here.
Nicolas Batum
Real Value: $4,671,243
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $19,700,319
Difference: -$15,029,076
This exercise has to be getting brutal for Clippers fans, though it might help explain why the team failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. Though George and a player coming up later in this ranking getting injured for the postseason were by far the biggest culprit of that. Still, so many of their role players underperforming their contracts didn’t help matters. Veteran forward Nic Batum is another Clipper who didn’t live up to salary expectations, earning $19.7 million in 2022-23 but performing at a $4.7 million level for an overpay of $15.0 million, per Real Value.
For more Nicolas Batum salary info, click here.
Jonathan Isaac
Real Value: $2,532,528
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $17,400,000
Difference: -$14,867,472
Injuries have completely derailed Jonathan Isaac’s once-promising career as last year was more of the same for the former Florida State Seminole. Isaac returned to play for the Orlando Magic in late January but only lasted 11 games before getting shut down for the rest of the season due to more injury issues. Isaac once looked like a potential Defensive Player of the Year type but now, it’s unclear how his career will progress. The bright side for Magic fans, at least, is that Isaac is only under contract for two more seasons while the team loads up with promising young talent elsewhere.
For more Jonathan Isaac salary info, click here.
Kawhi Leonard
Real Value: $27,656,001
Actual Salary for 2022-23: $42,492,492
Difference: -$14,836,491
The final player on our ranking of most overpaid players for 2022-23 is yet another Clipper, Kawhi Leonard. When healthy, Leonard was at least borderline elite on the year, averaging 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 52 games of action. But Leonard got hurt once again in the playoffs, missing the final three games of Los Angeles’ five-game defeat in the first round against the Suns. If Leonard can get back to being fully healthy once again, the Clippers still have an elite two-way player on their hands. That’s a mighty big if at this point, though.
For more Kawhi Leonard salary info, click here.
