Russell Westbrook — $47M Season with the Lakers

Russell Westbrook’s $47 million season with the Lakers stands as the worst value in NBA history. He shot just 29.8% from three-point range and committed 3.8 turnovers per game, often benched in crunch time as LeBron James visibly aged in frustration. That salary outperforms #2 Albert Pujols’ $24 million average annual value for a player who was a net negative, as Westbrook posted a negative 0.3 win shares total — 60% lower than the league average point guard. His production declined 40% from his MVP season, yet he remains the league’s highest-paid underperformer.