The 2010 Top 10 Most Shocking Free Agent Cases
By Anonymous
Thu, 07/15/2010 - 11:30pm
By Sam Littman
The most talent-laden free agent class in league history has provided some sensational entertainment and plenty of fodder for debate. NBA clubs have shelled out over $1.5 billion for talent in just over 10 days, much of it to players who either didn't deserve a third of what they got. These stand as the most shocking cases of the historic free agent class of 2010:
10. The Lakers sign Steve Blake
Steve Blake
What might initially appear to be a safe, rather economical signing might prove to be a major blunder on the Lakers' part, and is arguably the most overrated off-season acquisition. They are in eternal debt to Derek Fisher for the titles he's helped them win, and should have at least made him an offer first, knowing that they could likely sign either Jordan Farmar or Shannon Brown as well; if they only managed to sign Fisher, there were plenty of other decent backups point guards to be had for much less dough. Which brings me to my point: The Lakers only have one reliable sub taller than 6-4, which is especially alarming when you consider that their center, who is set to earn $13.8 million next year, misses about 26 games each year. Shouldn't they have targeted a big man? Drafting two forwards was a smart move, but neither is ready to contribute on a team that expects to vie for a third consecutive title. For the money they spent on Blake, wouldn't signing a big man to shore up their front court have made more sense? Blake is 30 years old and has only played in 15 playoff games. What compelled the Lakers to immediately snatch him up is an absolute mystery as far as I'm concerned.
9. And the Clippers…do something right?
Indeed, this might be the most shocking development of all. Entering the off-season with well over $20 million in cap room, the worst franchise in sports somehow managed to resist offering Mike Miller and Josh Childress $50 million, making nary a rash decision with their sizable budget. Rather, they managed to reel in talented combo guard Randy Foye (2 years/$8.5 million) and reliable swingman Ryan Gomes (3 years/$12 million) at exceptionally affordable rates. Foye, who averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 assists the last time he was a full-time starter, will be an excellent foil to Baron Davis and Eric Gordon, while Gomes, who has averaged at least 10 points and 4.5 rebounds in each of the last four seasons, will be very effective sharing time with rookie Al-Farouq Aminu. Foye and Gomes afford them a great deal more depth and will contribute immediately, and because their contracts are rather short, they are both low-risk/high-reward signings. Who would have thought the league's least competent franchise would make such smart moves in an off-season in which nearly every team is blindly burning money?
8. Paying for potential: Amir Johnson and Tyrus Thomas
Raptors power forward Amir Johnson and Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas have nine seasons under their belt combined, and just one double-figure scoring season between them (Thomas conquered that plateau in 2008-09, when he averaged 10.8 points per game). Yet they both received unprecedentedly lucrative contracts (Johnson signed a 5 year/$34 million deal, Charlotte locked up Thomas for 5 years/$40 million), based solely on the fact that they're still just 23 and supposedly have a great deal of untapped potential. Many basketball fans probably have no idea who Amir Johnson is, and for good reason, as he's averaged just 4.7 points in 15.2 minutes for his career, while Thomas is universally regarded as a major underachiever, failing to live up to his promise as the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft, averaging just 8 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Bulls and Bobcats. Their potential suggests that they may well live up to their billing, but I wouldn't bet $74 million on it.
7. Lack of interest in Ronnie Brewer
Poor Ronnie. The Arkansas product was in heaven playing alongside Deron Williams, one his best friends, and putting up solid numbers when he was traded to Memphis mid-season for a future draft pick so that the Jazz could clear some cap room. Brewer only suited up for the Grizzlies five times, and they left him hanging when he became eligible to receive a qualifying offer…and he's yet to receive a single offer from another team. Brewer is extraordinarily athletic, has great size for the two or the three, is a terror on the break, shoots 52% from the field, finished in the top ten in the league in steals in 2007-08 and 2008-09, has a lot of playoff experience for someone his age and still boasts a great deal of potential. Meanwhile, Travis Outlaw was immediately locked up for $35 million over the next five years? Somebody please explain.
6. The Mavericks' obsession with centers
A competent low-post scorer may be all that's prevented the Mavs from winning a championship with Dirk. They had a golden opportunity to acquire Al Jefferson, one of the league's premier back-to-the-basket scorers, but greedily demanded that the Wolves take back DeShawn Stevenson. If they really wanted to win a title, they would have done whatever it took to get Jefferson, and they didn't have had to do much; he would have formed with Brendan Haywood, whom they recently signed to a 6-year/$55 million deal, a championship center duo to complement Dirk. Instead, they were forced to waste Erik Dampier's expiring contract, the most precious asset in the entire league, on Tyson Chandler, who will never be mistaken for a go-to post scorer. What does this mean? Well, the Mavericks now have a great combination of centers who can rebound and blocks shots with the best of them. They will also be paying $22.7 million to two centers who don't have a reliable post move between them.
5. Joe Johnson's max deal
As it currently stands, Joe Johnson will be the highest-paid player in the NBA over the next six seasons. He came away with the most money of any player in the most loaded free agent class in league history. This past season his team lost in the second round of the playoffs by an average of 25 points per game (and they shouldn't have even made it that far; if the Bucks had their All-NBA Third Team center, they would have beaten the Hawks in the first round). Many have called Johnson's deal one of the worst ever, but I'm not entirely shocked that Atlanta offered him every penny they could. Johnson arrived in Atlanta the year after they won just 13 games and he's guided them to the playoffs three years in a row while becoming one of only four players in the league who could give you 20-5-5 on a nightly basis. Johnson and the Hawks appear to have peaked, however; if they're getting clobbered in the second round of the playoffs, and Johnson is scoring less than he did in 2007, how are the Hawks going to feel about paying him $20 million a year until he's 35? The logic was simple, in that the Hawks were deciding between becoming a 20-win team at little expense, or exiting early in the playoffs every year at an exorbitant fee. With the Heat's recent acquisitions the Hawks won't win a championship any time soon, and will be too handcuffed by Johnson's contract to change the team's dynamic over the next several years. Many believed the Hawks would offer Johnson a max deal, but finally seeing the numbers affixed to his name was just a bit mortifying.
Richard Jefferson
4. Richard Jefferson opting out
Leaving one year and $15 million on the table isn't unacceptable if you're an MVP or Finals MVP. If you don't fit the description and are coming off a year in which you averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds at 30, you are frustrating the basketball-loving community a great deal as they try to figure out just what the hell you're plotting. After posting his lowest scoring numbers since his rookie year back in 2001-02, could Jefferson even get a three year deal worth $15 million at this point, with almost every major free agent having been scooped up, and the market for a guy like Jefferson essentially dry? Considering how much Jefferson regressed, it's impossible to imagine him receiving an offer that would vindicate his decision.
3. The Timberwolves giving Darko $20 million
David Kahn has officially staked his claim as the poor man's Isiah Thomas. The worst GM in the league had no doubt in his mind that one of the most infamous busts in sports history was the perfect long-term addition to a front court that was in such disarray that Ryan Hollins was starting at center because the Wolves were convinced that Kevin Love, the fifth overall pick of the 2008 draft, couldn't play alongside franchise big man Al Jefferson. By season's end their front court resembled the episode of "Arrested Development" in which Tobias casts Steve Holt as the female lead in the school play and Maeby as the male lead due to what he perceived to be a lack of chemistry. Kahn recently called Darko one of the best passing big men he's ever seen (he has never averaged more than 1.8 assists), and compared him to Chris Webber. So what should we have expected?
2. LeBron, Wade and Bosh
A rumor concerning LeBron James potentially teaming up with a couple other superstars had been circulating for a couple years, but nobody paid it much mind, projecting that he would likely remain in Cleveland or bolt for New York in an attempt to become the undisputed king of professional sports. Even when reputable sources suggested that LeBron, Wade and Bosh would join forces in Miami, it still seemed impossible, and even when word of his renting about 75% of the W Hotel in South Beach leaked, many still refused to embrace the inevitable. LeBron announcing that he was taking his talent to South Beach was inarguably the most shocking moment of the summer, even if you were a believer in his plans to join Wade and Bosh; the impact of those words, of the slow, merciless zoom-in on his face, was so profoundly shocking on such a primal level that the world froze, if only for that one moment, for anybody who cared for the game of basketball.
1. Wesley Matthews' $34 million contract
In less than a year, Wesley Matthews went from going undrafted to potentially earning more money over the next four seasons than Blake Griffin, the #1 pick in his class. And he only averaged 9.4 points per game last year. Matthews' ridiculous offer can be explained by his being an elite man-to-man defender, his performance in the playoffs (13.2 points and 1.8 steals in 37.1 minutes), and his well-rounded game. But hopefully you didn't register any of that, as your mind was too boggled by the fact concerning the money he'll be making. Adding to the wackiness of the fact that Matthews will make about as much money as Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings combined next year is the drama concerning his courting as a restricted free agent. One year after the Blazers attempted to woo Paul Millsap from the Jazz with a front-loaded offer that they thought the Jazz couldn't match, they went after another one of their young pieces, only this team with a toxic, borderline insane figure that they knew Utah couldn't pay. Why does Portland have it out for the Utah, and why are they such jerks? Why do they keep trying to steal their best young talent, knowing they won't even start? As the absurdity of the Matthews situation starts to come into focus, consider this: Last year the Jazz let go of the more proven Ronnie Brewer for financial reasons, feeling that the cheaper Wesley Matthews could fill his shoes. Brewer did not receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies and is talking to the Jazz. It is very possible that five months later, the Jazz could let go of the more proven Matthews for financial reasons, feeling that the cheaper Brewer could fill his shoes. Isn't irony just the greatest?
The most talent-laden free agent class in league history has provided some sensational entertainment and plenty of fodder for debate. NBA clubs have shelled out over $1.5 billion for talent in just over 10 days, much of it to players who either didn't deserve a third of what they got. These stand as the most shocking cases of the historic free agent class of 2010:
10. The Lakers sign Steve Blake
Steve BlakeWhat might initially appear to be a safe, rather economical signing might prove to be a major blunder on the Lakers' part, and is arguably the most overrated off-season acquisition. They are in eternal debt to Derek Fisher for the titles he's helped them win, and should have at least made him an offer first, knowing that they could likely sign either Jordan Farmar or Shannon Brown as well; if they only managed to sign Fisher, there were plenty of other decent backups point guards to be had for much less dough. Which brings me to my point: The Lakers only have one reliable sub taller than 6-4, which is especially alarming when you consider that their center, who is set to earn $13.8 million next year, misses about 26 games each year. Shouldn't they have targeted a big man? Drafting two forwards was a smart move, but neither is ready to contribute on a team that expects to vie for a third consecutive title. For the money they spent on Blake, wouldn't signing a big man to shore up their front court have made more sense? Blake is 30 years old and has only played in 15 playoff games. What compelled the Lakers to immediately snatch him up is an absolute mystery as far as I'm concerned.
9. And the Clippers…do something right?
Indeed, this might be the most shocking development of all. Entering the off-season with well over $20 million in cap room, the worst franchise in sports somehow managed to resist offering Mike Miller and Josh Childress $50 million, making nary a rash decision with their sizable budget. Rather, they managed to reel in talented combo guard Randy Foye (2 years/$8.5 million) and reliable swingman Ryan Gomes (3 years/$12 million) at exceptionally affordable rates. Foye, who averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 assists the last time he was a full-time starter, will be an excellent foil to Baron Davis and Eric Gordon, while Gomes, who has averaged at least 10 points and 4.5 rebounds in each of the last four seasons, will be very effective sharing time with rookie Al-Farouq Aminu. Foye and Gomes afford them a great deal more depth and will contribute immediately, and because their contracts are rather short, they are both low-risk/high-reward signings. Who would have thought the league's least competent franchise would make such smart moves in an off-season in which nearly every team is blindly burning money?
8. Paying for potential: Amir Johnson and Tyrus Thomas
Raptors power forward Amir Johnson and Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas have nine seasons under their belt combined, and just one double-figure scoring season between them (Thomas conquered that plateau in 2008-09, when he averaged 10.8 points per game). Yet they both received unprecedentedly lucrative contracts (Johnson signed a 5 year/$34 million deal, Charlotte locked up Thomas for 5 years/$40 million), based solely on the fact that they're still just 23 and supposedly have a great deal of untapped potential. Many basketball fans probably have no idea who Amir Johnson is, and for good reason, as he's averaged just 4.7 points in 15.2 minutes for his career, while Thomas is universally regarded as a major underachiever, failing to live up to his promise as the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft, averaging just 8 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Bulls and Bobcats. Their potential suggests that they may well live up to their billing, but I wouldn't bet $74 million on it.
7. Lack of interest in Ronnie Brewer
Poor Ronnie. The Arkansas product was in heaven playing alongside Deron Williams, one his best friends, and putting up solid numbers when he was traded to Memphis mid-season for a future draft pick so that the Jazz could clear some cap room. Brewer only suited up for the Grizzlies five times, and they left him hanging when he became eligible to receive a qualifying offer…and he's yet to receive a single offer from another team. Brewer is extraordinarily athletic, has great size for the two or the three, is a terror on the break, shoots 52% from the field, finished in the top ten in the league in steals in 2007-08 and 2008-09, has a lot of playoff experience for someone his age and still boasts a great deal of potential. Meanwhile, Travis Outlaw was immediately locked up for $35 million over the next five years? Somebody please explain.
6. The Mavericks' obsession with centers
A competent low-post scorer may be all that's prevented the Mavs from winning a championship with Dirk. They had a golden opportunity to acquire Al Jefferson, one of the league's premier back-to-the-basket scorers, but greedily demanded that the Wolves take back DeShawn Stevenson. If they really wanted to win a title, they would have done whatever it took to get Jefferson, and they didn't have had to do much; he would have formed with Brendan Haywood, whom they recently signed to a 6-year/$55 million deal, a championship center duo to complement Dirk. Instead, they were forced to waste Erik Dampier's expiring contract, the most precious asset in the entire league, on Tyson Chandler, who will never be mistaken for a go-to post scorer. What does this mean? Well, the Mavericks now have a great combination of centers who can rebound and blocks shots with the best of them. They will also be paying $22.7 million to two centers who don't have a reliable post move between them.
5. Joe Johnson's max deal
As it currently stands, Joe Johnson will be the highest-paid player in the NBA over the next six seasons. He came away with the most money of any player in the most loaded free agent class in league history. This past season his team lost in the second round of the playoffs by an average of 25 points per game (and they shouldn't have even made it that far; if the Bucks had their All-NBA Third Team center, they would have beaten the Hawks in the first round). Many have called Johnson's deal one of the worst ever, but I'm not entirely shocked that Atlanta offered him every penny they could. Johnson arrived in Atlanta the year after they won just 13 games and he's guided them to the playoffs three years in a row while becoming one of only four players in the league who could give you 20-5-5 on a nightly basis. Johnson and the Hawks appear to have peaked, however; if they're getting clobbered in the second round of the playoffs, and Johnson is scoring less than he did in 2007, how are the Hawks going to feel about paying him $20 million a year until he's 35? The logic was simple, in that the Hawks were deciding between becoming a 20-win team at little expense, or exiting early in the playoffs every year at an exorbitant fee. With the Heat's recent acquisitions the Hawks won't win a championship any time soon, and will be too handcuffed by Johnson's contract to change the team's dynamic over the next several years. Many believed the Hawks would offer Johnson a max deal, but finally seeing the numbers affixed to his name was just a bit mortifying.
Richard Jefferson4. Richard Jefferson opting out
Leaving one year and $15 million on the table isn't unacceptable if you're an MVP or Finals MVP. If you don't fit the description and are coming off a year in which you averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds at 30, you are frustrating the basketball-loving community a great deal as they try to figure out just what the hell you're plotting. After posting his lowest scoring numbers since his rookie year back in 2001-02, could Jefferson even get a three year deal worth $15 million at this point, with almost every major free agent having been scooped up, and the market for a guy like Jefferson essentially dry? Considering how much Jefferson regressed, it's impossible to imagine him receiving an offer that would vindicate his decision.
3. The Timberwolves giving Darko $20 million
David Kahn has officially staked his claim as the poor man's Isiah Thomas. The worst GM in the league had no doubt in his mind that one of the most infamous busts in sports history was the perfect long-term addition to a front court that was in such disarray that Ryan Hollins was starting at center because the Wolves were convinced that Kevin Love, the fifth overall pick of the 2008 draft, couldn't play alongside franchise big man Al Jefferson. By season's end their front court resembled the episode of "Arrested Development" in which Tobias casts Steve Holt as the female lead in the school play and Maeby as the male lead due to what he perceived to be a lack of chemistry. Kahn recently called Darko one of the best passing big men he's ever seen (he has never averaged more than 1.8 assists), and compared him to Chris Webber. So what should we have expected?
2. LeBron, Wade and Bosh
A rumor concerning LeBron James potentially teaming up with a couple other superstars had been circulating for a couple years, but nobody paid it much mind, projecting that he would likely remain in Cleveland or bolt for New York in an attempt to become the undisputed king of professional sports. Even when reputable sources suggested that LeBron, Wade and Bosh would join forces in Miami, it still seemed impossible, and even when word of his renting about 75% of the W Hotel in South Beach leaked, many still refused to embrace the inevitable. LeBron announcing that he was taking his talent to South Beach was inarguably the most shocking moment of the summer, even if you were a believer in his plans to join Wade and Bosh; the impact of those words, of the slow, merciless zoom-in on his face, was so profoundly shocking on such a primal level that the world froze, if only for that one moment, for anybody who cared for the game of basketball.
1. Wesley Matthews' $34 million contract
In less than a year, Wesley Matthews went from going undrafted to potentially earning more money over the next four seasons than Blake Griffin, the #1 pick in his class. And he only averaged 9.4 points per game last year. Matthews' ridiculous offer can be explained by his being an elite man-to-man defender, his performance in the playoffs (13.2 points and 1.8 steals in 37.1 minutes), and his well-rounded game. But hopefully you didn't register any of that, as your mind was too boggled by the fact concerning the money he'll be making. Adding to the wackiness of the fact that Matthews will make about as much money as Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings combined next year is the drama concerning his courting as a restricted free agent. One year after the Blazers attempted to woo Paul Millsap from the Jazz with a front-loaded offer that they thought the Jazz couldn't match, they went after another one of their young pieces, only this team with a toxic, borderline insane figure that they knew Utah couldn't pay. Why does Portland have it out for the Utah, and why are they such jerks? Why do they keep trying to steal their best young talent, knowing they won't even start? As the absurdity of the Matthews situation starts to come into focus, consider this: Last year the Jazz let go of the more proven Ronnie Brewer for financial reasons, feeling that the cheaper Wesley Matthews could fill his shoes. Brewer did not receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies and is talking to the Jazz. It is very possible that five months later, the Jazz could let go of the more proven Matthews for financial reasons, feeling that the cheaper Brewer could fill his shoes. Isn't irony just the greatest?
RSS: 