Long before the salary cap spiked, the New York Knicks have Allan Houston a six-year, $100 million contract, starting with the 2001-02 season. This made him the franchise’s highest-paid player ever at the time.
Houston was a good player for the Knicks the previous five seasons, preceding the massive contract with 17.7 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting and 39.7 percent on three-pointers. He even worked on the 1999 NBA Finals team.
The contract’s first two years worked fine, with 20.4 and 22.5 points per game, respectively. The Knicks, however, began their slump in these seasons that lasted for the rest of the decade, including the injuries that began Houston’s quick decline in 2003-04, playing 50 games.
Continued ailments derailed Houston’s 2004-05 season to just 20 games and 11.9 points per contest, which was a career-low aside from his rookie year. He retired afterward, and the rest of his contract remained on the books in 2005-06.
This deal saddled New York’s payroll for most of its span, and, when healthy, the team still struggled. It was the start of a disastrous time for the organization, and it set them back for years. (Fansided)