The 20 worst free agent signings in NBA history

#9. Eddy Curry: 6 years, $56 million

The decision to sign center Eddy Curry to a 6-year, $56 million deal proved to be a reckless one by the New York Knicks. Curry played well in Chicago, but a heart condition kept him out of the final dozen games of the 2004–05 season as well as the playoffs. He later refused to do testing with the Bulls to determine the extent of his condition since there was a risk of it affecting his value. The Knicks didn’t seem to care and offered him nearly $10 million a season to come to New York. Curry had a poor 2005-06 season, though he had a career year the following season.

It wouldn’t last, however, and he showed up to training camp overweight in 2007, causing him to be benched. He would only play 59 games, and his production dropped again. Things didn’t get better. Over the next three seasons, he played just 10 games, including none at all in the 2010–11 season, with the Knicks paying him not to play.

He would later get in shape and resume his career in Miami, playing 14 games for them and winning a championship in 2012, but he only played two games the following year before unofficially retiring. Ultimately, Curry’s lack of work ethic doomed him, and the Knicks were stuck paying an underperforming player for six seasons.