Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks – 4 years, $57 million
This is, quite easily, the most nuanced situation of any player/contract mentioned in this space.
Wes Matthews absolutely deserves a four-year, $57 million in this current climate … but only if he’s healthy. The issue is, of course, that Matthews is anything but healthy, having suffered perhaps the most debilitating of all NBA injuries, a torn Achilles, during the 2014-2015 season.
While the numbers are still rough at this point, a four-year contract that guarantees him nearly $60 million is highly aggressive for a player with the aforementioned injury.
The other side is that Matthews was never heavily reliant on his athletic ability. He is, by any measure, an above-average defender on the wing who has used his raw physical strength more so than elite quickness and explosion. Offensively, he is a player that could mature quite well if healthy, given his ability to maintain accuracy from behind the arc.
Simply put, we’re assuming the worst by calling Matthews a bad contract. In the vacuum of health, he would be worth every penny and potentially more, but given the lengthy negative track record associated with his injury and the shear length of a four-year deal in this climate, it was an unnecessary risk for the Mavericks.
Next: Rodney Stuckey