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With another salary-cap spike on the way this summer, NBA free agency is once again going to be...lit.

There won't be as much money floating around compared to last July. A bunch of teams burned through their rainy-day funds in 2016 (looking at you, Portland Trail Blazers), and cap projections dipped from $107 million to $102 million.

Still, plenty of squads will be able to carve out max space or spending power close to it. And with great flexibility come ridiculously huge contracts, many of which will be doled out to talent that isn't worth the money.

Players who are overpaid don't stink. It's quite the opposite. They're good enough for teams to talk themselves into shelling out above-market money.

These overpays are deliberate and strategic. Aggressive suitors typically try to make sure they offer enough for a player to change digs. That, and in the case of restricted free agents, they're just inflating the price incumbent teams must pay to retain talent.

Max-contract formalities—such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Otto Porter—will not be included in this exercise. Those values are set, even if the recipients aren't worth the bill. We're interested only in those who stand to capitalize on their undefined price tag.