Los Angeles Lakers: Luol Deng and the five worst NBA contracts

3. Bismack Biyombo — Four years, $72 million

I am starting to notice a trend; teams are willing to overpay for centers that ultimately serve as depth pieces and prove to not be that good in the NBA. Is this a telling sign of the dwindling center market in the league? Maybe DeAndre Jordan is worth $24 million next year after all. He definitely is if Bismack Biyombo is going to make $17 million.

At just 23 years old with just five years of NBA experience under his belt, Biyombo struck a contract agreement with the Orlando Magic that was for four years worth $72 million. Now, two seasons into his Orlando Magic tenure, the same promise that once circles around Biyombo’s head is long gone. And the Magic are scratching their heads.

I get signing a young center due to promise and to be fair this signing came at a time when Mike Conley was getting a max deal. However, how can any team justify paying a center, who the year before averaged 5.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, $72 million?

It just does not make sense to me. The same numbers that Biyombo was producing before his Magic tenure have followed him to Orlando. In two years he has averaged a career-high in points, 5.9 to go with 6.6 rebounds per game.

Biyombo started just 27 games last season for the Magic and has started 23 thus far this season. Although he is seeing a bigger role this year, Biyombo is worth closer to $1.7 million than he is $17 million.