For Complex News, I'm Pierce Simpson //
The NBA free agency period is officially underway, and that means that all 30 NBA teams have
the opportunity to try and improve their rosters by adding new players to the mix this month.
Over the course of the next couple weeks, players will be signing contracts worth tens
of millions of dollars, and their new teams will be hoping that those players will bring
them one step closer to winning a championship.
But unfortunately for NBA fans, the free agency period doesn't always work out for their
teams.
There are many teams that swing and miss while trying to sign players to their roster, and
worse, there are some teams that are successful in signing players but then realize that they've
made a big mistake once those players hit the court.
We have seen this time and time again in the NBA over the last decade or so with a handful
of players.
Take Ben Wallace, for example.
When the Bulls signed him to a four-year, $60 million contract back in July 2006, they
were hoping he would provide them with a powerful defensive presence in the paint.
But at that point in his career, Wallace was past his prime, so he only gave the Bulls
about four points and five rebounds per game through two seasons before they decided to
cut their losses and trade him to the Cavaliers.
In July 2008, the 76ers thought they had turned a corner when they convinced Elton Brand to
leave the Clippers with a five-year, $80 million deal.
But a series of injuries slowed Brand down during his time in Philadelphia, and while
he did average 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a Sixer, the team used the amnesty
clause to release him in 2012.
The Pistons were plagued by a string of bad contracts between 2009 and 2013.
Then-Pistons general manager Joe Dumars made a big splash by signing Ben Gordon to a five-year,
$55 million contract and Charlie Villanueva to a five-year, $35 million contract in July
2009.
But those players didn't pan out for Detroit, as the team ended up missing the playoffs
for the first time in almost a decade the following season.
Dumars also whiffed in 2013 when he signed Josh Smith to a four-year, $54 million contract,
only to see him struggle to shoot the ball and last a little more than one season with
the Pistons.
The Hornets got stung by a free agency signing in 2014 when they were able to convince Lance
Stephenson to leave the Pacers to sign what turned out to be a two-year, $18 million deal.
The team thought it was getting a great deal in Stephenson, who reportedly turned down
a lot more money from Indiana to play for the Hornets.
But Stephenson struggled in his first season with the team, averaging just 8.2 points and
3.9 assists per game, and he was shipped to the Clippers in 2015.
And just last summer, there were a bunch of really bad free agent contracts given out
after the salary cap spiked significantly.
The Lakers were responsible for two of them, as they signed Luol Deng to a four-year, $72
million deal and Timofey Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal, even though they were supposed
to be tanking in order to keep their protected first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
But the Lakers weren't alone.
The Trail Blazers also ponied up an astounding $70 million over four years to Evan Turner,
despite the fact that he would primarily be coming off the bench for Portland.
And the Knicks did what the Knicks always seem to do in free agency by agreeing to sign
Joakim Noah—a guy who has struggled with injuries in recent seasons—to a four-year,
$72 million deal.
It's a deal that is likely going to hinder the team for the next three years unless the
Knicks are able to find a way to trade Noah.
What are some of the worst Free Agency moves that you can remember?
As always, sound off in the comments section down below and keep it locked to Complex News
by subscribing to us on YouTube.
For complex news, I'm pierce Simpson.
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