What makes a bad contract in the NBA?

It’s not strictly the dollar value. Every contract is big in the NBA. Even the league’s lowest-paid players are bringing in far more than an average person.

Still, some contracts justify themselves. Realistically, the most important factor in gauging a player’s contract is their on-court production. Ideally, they should be paid in relation to their place in the league’s pecking order.

Of course, the duration of a deal counts too. An expiring contract is worth more to a rebuilding team, but it can be worth less to a contending one. Sometimes, trading for a player when you know he’s likely to be a rental can be undesirable.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Updates On Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers & Miami Heat

Unless you’re not sure how that player will fit on your team in the first place. That would be the case if the Miami Heat were to acquire Russell Westbrook.

Here’s a deal that has them doing so.