Landry’s 4-Year Deal Viewed as Kings’ Worst Contract Ever

Every team has handed out huge contracts that immediately backfired, leading to an ugly parting; the Sacramento Kings did that with Carl Landry in 2013.

Sacramento signed Landry to a four-year, $26 million contract ($6.5 million annually). Fastbreak Hoops (@FastbreakHoops5) believes that was the worst contract ever for the Kings.

Landry was a solid role player in the late 2000s. He averaged a career-high 18 points and 6.5 rebounds across 28 games in the 2009-10 season with Sacramento.

His average dropped to 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in a full season with the Kings. Those are solid numbers for a bench player, backing up Jason Thomspon.

What could make Landry's contract the worst in Kings history is the injuries that limited him after signing his four-year deal.

The 2007 second-round draft pick missed the first three months of the 2013-14 season due to hip surgery; then he tore his meniscus in his right knee in March. His meniscus tear required season-ending surgery.

Landry posted career lows, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds across 18 games (one start).

He bounced back in the following season, playing 70 games (15 starts), the third-most in his career. The 6-foot-9 power forward averaged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Sacramento traded Landry to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 offseason for the draft rights to Artūras Gudaitis and Luka Mitrović.

Oftentimes, when determining which contracts are the "worst ever" for franchises, it comes down to how much money a player was signed for.

The Kings have committed over $400 million to De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis over the past several seasons. Fox was a rising star and Sabonis helped the team break a 16-year playoff drought.

Former general manager Monte McNair felt their extensions were warranted, even if he traded Fox last February and Sabonis' tenure could end this season.

Health and regression also play a significant role in these discussions. Landry practically missed his first season back in Sacramento, and a comeback the following year wasn't enough to convince the Kings to keep him.

Sacramento had traded him before at the 2011 trade deadline. Landry was sent to the New Orleans Hornets, now the New Orleans Pelicans, for Marcus Thornton and cash considerations.

The Kings likely won't have any new contracts surpassing Landry soon. Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren could've been a candidate next offseason, but he signed the five-year, $200 million deal he wanted on Oct. 1, the deadline to sign his qualifying offer.