0 of 30

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

You take the good, you take the bad, bake in an NBA spin, and what do you have?

The best and worst contract from every team.

Inventorying each squad's crowning jewel and bookkeeping blemish is always pertinent in the aftermath of free agency. But this compilation is especially important now, with the Association still trying to restore balance following a dizzying number of overpays in 2016.

Best-contract picks are reserved for players who provide the most bang for their buck. Their deals are team-friendly in both length and price, and they're exceeding expectations incumbent of their pay grade.

Worst-contract selections vary by the team. Some of them are truly bad. They belong to blatantly overpaid players, many of whom cannot be traded without steep incentives or, sometimes, at all. Other choices won't be flat-out terrible. They're merely unsavory when viewed against their team situation. They're slightly overpaid, out of place, unlikely to live up to the price tag or a mix of everything.

Rookie-scale deals are ineligible for inclusion, but second-round picks and undrafted prospects who brokered contracts outside those confines have the green light. Yes, these salaries are inherently curtailed, but teams warrant recognition for signing guys who detonate, and players deserve major ups for said detonation. Let these bargains have their day.

Most max contracts are excluded, since yearly salaries are capped. Exceptions will be made in the rare case a deal was timed so that its recipient is now offering outrageous value relative to the superstar field. Expiring pacts get the boot, because they can be interpreted as either good or bad looking beyond next season. Player options, team options, qualifying offers and partial guarantees are OK.

Gripes over a constantly changing salary cap should be held in check. All of these deals were signed under different circumstances, within unique markets. Fluid cap climates are part of the NBA experience. Teams show foresight, lack reason, get lucky and whiff for factors beyond their control. Acknowledge the context, and then move on, because the driving forces behind good and bad agreements don't detract or enhance the present-day value.