Bill Simmons thinks Nets are loading up on bad contracts

Bill Simmons is out with his annual list of 30 worst contracts and although Amare Stoudemire, and not Joe Johnson, is at the top of the list, Simmons has three current Nets -- Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez in the top 21 -- a possible future Net, Marcus Thornton at No. 11.

In his final tally, Simmons has D-Will at No. 5 and Joe Johnson at No. 4

We've all read what Simmons thinks of those two, not to mention Billy King, so let's focus on what Grantland's founder thinks of the Nets target, Thornton.  Not much love there as well.

The Kings paid him to be a Heat Check Guy since he doesn’t pass or play defense. Well, he’s literally a Heat Check Guy — you keep checking to see if the heat is on. Take away his 42-point explosion against Indiana and he’s averaging less than 16 points per 48 minutes this season. FREEZER CHECK! How do we know his contract is awful? Reportedly, the Nets are trying to trade for Thornton right now. That’s like the Awful Contract Stamp of Approval. Gee, I wonder who signed Thornton to that dumb deal.(Picture of a Maloof brother)

Simmons wasn't the only Grantland writer to look at Thornton in light of trade rumors. Zach Lowe wrote of the 26-year-old once seen as a promising prospect...

It just hasn’t happened for Thornton, whose contract is now one of the very worst in the league. His shooting has been a disaster this season, and he has never improved as a defender. He still gets lost away from the ball, and he’s always spacing out or ball-watching as his man cuts behind him. He has never shown any organized commitment to team defense or help schemes. He’s just not a useful NBA player right now.

Also on the list at No. 2: another King acquisition: Gerald Wallace.

• The Worst Contracts in the NBA - Bill Simmons - Grantland
• Nets past, present, future(?) litter "Worst Contract" List - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
• Nets make Simmons' list for worst contracts - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York