Subscribe
Follow Us
Free agency is a great opportunity for NBA teams to load up on their roster, as they can sign All-Star players or seasoned veterans. Over the history of the league, there are quite a number of teams that have won championships after landing game-changing superstars. However, there are also times when teams make the wrong choice by offering huge contracts to players that just could not live up to the paycheck. Today we're going to take a gander at the worst free agent signings in the NBA over the last decade.
For this piece, let’s rank the worst free-agent signing for every NBA team in the last decade.
Chicago Bulls: Dwayne Wade
Back in 2016, the Chicago Bulls were ready to move on from Derrick Rose, who was the face of their franchise. After being riddled with knee injuries, the franchise shipped Rose to the New York Knicks in a multiplayer deal. With the superstar spot left vacant, the Bulls signed Dwayne Wade to a two year, $47 million dollar contract, allowing the former Heat superstar to suit up for his hometown team.
Dwayne Wade is a 12-time All-Star and a three time NBA champion. In fact, he is definitely a Hall-Of-Fame candidate. In his stay with the Bulls, Wade averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Furthermore, he took the Bulls to the playoffs but was eliminated in the first round after blowing a 2-0 lead to the Boston Celtics.
Wade isn’t a bad free agent pick up, given that he is a talented superstar. However, the franchise paid him big money even if he was past his prime. Furthermore, the Bulls only managed to keep him for a lone season and couldn’t bring out the elite version of Dwayne Wade. This obviously didn’t help in the franchise’s intention to rebuild.
Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson was one of the biggest reasons why the Atlanta Hawks were a feared team in the Eastern Conference in the mid-2000s. He averaged over 20 points per game in his first five seasons with the Hawks, while taking them to the playoffs for three straight seasons before his initial contract with the Hawks expired.
In 2010, Johnson re-signed with the Hawks as he agreed to a whooping six year, $123 million deal. Unfortunately, Iso Joe’s career with the Hawks didn’t reach new heights any further. After his new deal, Johnson only hovered around 18 points per game. Furthermore, an injury sidelined him to just 60 games during the 2011-2012 season. Since Johnson was no longer his old self, the Hawks moved on from him by trading him to the Brooklyn Nets in 2012.
Boston Celtics: Gordon Hayward
After putting up a career best season in his final year with the Utah Jazz, Gordon Hayward signed a four year, $128 million maximum deal with the Boston Celtics. Before taking his talents to Boston, Hayward put up 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. The Jazz swingman was expected to breakout for the Celtics. However in the season opener, Hayward would suffer a horrific ankle injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017-2018 season opener.
The injury prevented Hayward from performing well enough to live up to the massive contract. However, it is a good sign that Hayward is regaining back to his old form averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. If Hayward continues this development, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep Hayward in the roster.
San Antonio Spurs: Pau Gasol
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA. There’s no doubt that one of the recipes of their success is great decision making when it comes to roster management and calculated player signings. However, mistakes can still be made. One of the biggest errors they committed was re-signing Gasol in 2017 to a three year, $48 million contract.
Gasol is a six time NBA All-Star and a two time NBA champion with the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers. After spending time with the Lakers, Gasol also performed well with the Bulls. Afterwards, the Spanish star would take his talents to San Antonio in 2016. The All-Star big man made decent contributions in his first year for his new team, putting up 12.4 points and grabbing 7.8 rebounds.
Although Gasol put up decent numbers in his first season, things didn’t really go well when Gasol re-signed with the team for the next season. The Spanish star’s stats took a dip in the season, but it is in the playoffs where Gasol struggled to keep in step with opposing teams. Furthermore, a stress fracture in his foot would play a big role in ending his time with the storied Spurs franchise.
Brooklyn Nets: Deron Williams
Deron Williams was a vital cog for the Utah Jazz. He also showcased his All-Star caliber talent when he played for the New Jersey Nets. The three time NBA All-Star was phenomenal as he can shoot the long range, slash to the hoop, and facilitate like a true floor general. Because of this, the Nets wanted to retain their All-Star guard. However, they may have offered too much money to get him to stay. Deron Williams signed a five year, $98 million contract in 2012.
The Nets star gave a good showing in the first season of his contract. He flashed his All-Star abilities by averaging 18.9 points and 7.7 assists. However, the succeeding seasons saw Williams’ numbers started to dwindle. Unfortunately, Williams was hobbled with multiple injuries that prevented him from living up to his lucrative contract. Williams’ Nets stint came to an end when he decided to clear waivers and to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in 2015.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Andre Roberson
Another team that has relatively made good decisions, when it comes to contract signings, is the Oklahoma City Thunder. However no matter how good you get, misfortune happens as well. The Oklahoma City Thunder were invested in the capabilities of lockdown defender Andre Roberson. Although his three point shooting and free throw shooting are way below the standard, Roberson makes up for it with his ability to lockdown any opposing wing. In fact, he was even part of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2017. Because of this, the franchise was willing to re-sign the Defensive specialist. Roberson agreed to a three year, $30 million contract extension with the Thunder.
Unfortunately in January 2018, Roberson suffered a knee injury. Because of this, Roberson has been sidelined and has only started to play in the on-going NBA bubble. Due to the injury, the lockdown specialist has not been able to live up to the contract.
Denver Nuggets: Al Harrington
Al Harrington was a solid veteran for the most part of his NBA career. In 2010, the Nuggets signed Harrington to a five year, $34 million contract. At 30 years old, the forward from New Jersey was in the middle of his prime. Furthermore, the franchise had hoped he can be one of the critical pieces in their rotation to make a deep playoff run.
Unfortunately, Harrington would only suit up for two seasons with the Nuggets. The forward produced sub-par numbers for his contract in his first year with Denver as he only scored 10.5 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per game. His second season was more decent as he improved his numbers to 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. However, his acclimation to the Nuggets team rotation was cut short after he suffered a knee injury. The torn meniscus on his right knee would force the franchise to send him to the Orlando Magic. Harrington’s NBA career went downhill after the trade, as he eventually resorted to playing overseas two seasons after suiting up for the Nuggets.
Toronto Raptors: DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre Carroll wasn’t known to be a household name for any team in the league. This was until the 2014-2015 season, where Carroll made waves as a solid 3 and D wing for the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game which made him one of the targeted free agents during that year’s off season.
Toronto eventually landed the former Hawks forward by signing him to a four year, $60 million contract. Carroll didn’t really live up to the expectations for the Raptors franchise as he only averaged 11.0 points and 8.9 points in his first and second seasons with the Raptors respectively. Because of this, the Raptors moved on and traded him to the Brooklyn Nets.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jeff Teague
Jeff Teague emerged to become one of the deadliest scoring guards in the league during his stint with the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. Coming off a stint with the Pacers, Teague averaged 15.3 points per game on 44% shooting from the field.
With that, the Timberwolves wanted to get the services of the talented guard. Teague signed a three year, $57 million contract. Although he is talented, it doesn’t seem like he is worth that much. Teague played decently in his stint with Minnesota. However, his numbers took a dip, as he only averaged 13.4 points per game. Eventually with Teague unable to regain his old form, the Timberwolves moved on and traded Jeff Teague to his old team the Atlanta Hawks.
Indiana Pacers: Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis is a true scorer that can get buckets for the team he plays for. His ability to create for himself and to breakdown defenses make him a dangerous player on the court. After showing his scoring prowess for the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks, the Indiana Pacers managed to sign the high scoring guard, hoping he can contribute some points like he did for those teams. Ellis agreed to a four year, $44 million deal with the Pacers. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected.
During his first season with Indiana, Ellis posted decent numbers of 13.8 points per game, however, it was below the usual numbers he scored in his previous teams. Unfortunately, his succeeding season was even more unsatisfactory. He could only provide 8.5 points per game.
The Pacers have released Ellis from their roster. However the team still pays for the remaining salary in their contract until today.
Dallas Mavericks: José Calderón
The Mavericks management has relatively made some good decisions with Mark Cuban at the helm. With him, they were able to get Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Dončić. However like any professional sports team, there are also mistakes that have been committed. One of the errors they made was offering a four year, $29 million contract to Spanish guard José Calderón in 2013.
Calderón is a decent guard in the NBA who can stabilize the floor offensively with his playmaking and decent passing. Furthermore, he can also shoot the long range when left open. In order to compliment the skills of Dirk Nowitzki back then, the Mavericks inked him to the said deal, hoping he would be the perfect fit for the German All-Star.
Although Calderón scored 11.4 points per game, he couldn’t replicate is assists numbers like he did for his previous teams as he could only dish out 4.7 assists a game. As a result, the Mavericks sent him to the New York Knicks as part of the multiplayer exchange.
Detroit Pistons: Josh Smith
Josh Smith made a name for himself in the league as one of the best athletic dunkers in the wing position. Because of this, the Pistons wanted to give Smith an opportunity to become one of their top players. The franchise signed the high flying forward to a four year, $54 million contract.
In contrast to the expectations of the franchise, Smith was not really able to showcase his athleticism. Although he averaged decent numbers for the Pistons, scoring 16.4 points and grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game in his first season and 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his second season, it was not enough for him to deserve the massive contract. To make matters worse, Smith was riddled with injuries. As a result, the Pistons let go of the high flying forward. Despite letting him go, the Pistons still had to pay him his salary until 2019. This really was one of the worst free agent moves by the franchise in the last decade.
Memphis Grizzlies: Chandler Parsons
Chandler Parsons was a decent player at the forward position that had stops in Houston and Dallas. Coming off Dallas, Parsons averaged 14.8 points per game in two seasons. However, that was met with multiple injuries. Despite this, the Grizzlies took a chance on the former Mavericks swingman by offering him a four year, $94.5 million contract in 2016.
The Grizzlies’ gamble didn’t pay off. In fact they just overpaid Parsons. The forward from Florida could only give half of what he produced for the Mavericks. In his stay with the Memphis Grizzlies, Parsons could only average 7.2 points per game while shooting 39% from the field overall in three seasons.
The Grizzlies moved on from Parsons by trading him to the Atlanta Hawks in 2019.
Portland Trail Blazers: Evan Turner
Evan Turner was one of the most hyped rookies to start the decade. Drafted second overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Turner didn’t really turn out to be star people expected him to be. He did shine in his latter years with Philadelphia and contributed decent numbers in his time with the Boston Celtics. After his time with the Celtics, the Blazers offered him a massive contract, hoping he could perform even better for the team. During 2016, Turner signed a four year, $70 million contract.
Just like the people mentioned in this list, Turner failed to live up to that contract. Despite being paid like an All-Star, the Ohio State University standout could only shine as a role player for the team. In his stay with the team, he averaged 8.0 points per game while shooting a terrible 28% from deep and 44% shooting overall. After three seasons, the Blazers decided to send Turner to Atlanta in 2019.
New Orleans Pelicans: Ömer Asik
Ömer Asik has served as a reliable big man in the NBA. The Turkish center gave a good account of himself in Houston when he averaged 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. With the Pelicans trying to find pieces to support their young core in 2014, Asik seemed like the great choice that would play as a backup center behind Anthony Davis. He fulfilled his role well enough that the Pelicans wanted to re-sign him. However, the people didn’t expect his performance would merit a huge contract. The Pelicans signed Asik to a five year, $58 million deal.
A couple of injuries and a bout with Crohn’s disease prevented Asik from living up to the contract. The Turkish center produced his lowest career numbers during those years in that massive contract, averaging only 3.8 points and 5.9 boards per outing. The Pelicans decided to ship him back to his old team Chicago Bulls in 2018.
Orlando Magic: Bismack Biyombo
In 2016, Bismack Biyombo impressed everyone with his rebounding prowess, as he grabbed 26 rebounds for the Toronto Raptors in a playoff win against the Lebron-led Cleveland Cavaliers. This rebounding output was good enough to break the franchise record. For Biyombo, his outstanding performance definitely boosted his value.
The Orlando Magic wanted to give an opportunity for the Congolese center, as Biyombo agreed to sign a four year, $72 million deal. However like the people mentioned in this list, Biyombo just couldn’t live up to the contract. In his two seasons with the Orlando Magic, Biyombo could only muster 5.8 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field overall. Although these numbers aren't entirely terrible, they don't yell out numbers that deserve a superstar contract.
As a result, the Congolese center was traded away to the Charlotte Hornets.
Phoenix Suns: Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley was a sensation for the Miami Heat. Furthermore, he also made a good account of himself in Minnesota when he had his best scoring season, averaging 19.2 points per outing. The left handed swingman was eventually targeted by the Phoenix Suns, as they signed him to a three year, $18 million contract.
Although Beasley was talented, the Suns would face a rocky relationship with the 6’9 forward. Beasley only averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game during his lone season with Phoenix. Aside from his on-court struggles, the 2008 2nd overall draft pick had issues outside of basketball as well. In 2013, the forward was arrested for marijuana possession. This forced the Suns to immediately waive Beasley.
Philadelphia 76ers: Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown was the first overall pick in 2001 by the Washington Wizards. However, his career didn’t pan out the way people expected. In other words, he turned out to become a bust. He eventually had stopovers playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, and Golden State Warriors. Coming off a stint with the Warriors, brown agreed to a two year deal with the Sixers in 2012 which amounted to $5.7 million.
His stint with the Warriors wasn’t impressive enough to result to that amount of money. During his stay there, he averaged 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. When he suited up for the Sixers, the management only then realized that they overpaid him. In his lone season with the Sixers, Brown only produced 1.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 22 games. The Sixers eventually waived Brown due to his subpar performance during the second year of his contract.
Article Continues Below
Cleveland Cavaliers: Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum was a solid center for the Los Angeles from 2007 to 2012. The big man out of St. Joseph high school was even named an All-Star in his last season with the Lakers in 2012. Unfortunately, the two time NBA champion suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for a whole season. With the Cavs still trying to rebuild after Lebron James’ departure, the franchise took a chance on the former Lakers big man by inking him to a two year, $24 million deal.
The franchise would later regret that. Bynum could not even get close to his old form, as he can only put up 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The Cavs eventually parted ways with Bynum, where he was traded to the Chicago Bulls.
Utah Jazz: Alec Burks
Drafted by the Jazz, Alec Burks was a steady guard who was making improvements. In his third year with the Jazz, he doubled his scoring output, averaging 14.0 points per game while having his highest outputs in rebounds, assists, and steals as well. It seemed like Burks could be someone they can take with moving forward. Thus, they offered him a four year, $42 million contract.
Unfortunately, the Jazz star suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season. Burks’ production started to go down after that injury, forcing the Jazz franchise to let him go. Burks was eventually traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
Houston Rockets: Ryan Anderson
Stretch fours are great commodities to have in your team. This is why the Houston Rockets went all out in 2016 to get the services of the former Most Improved Player of the Year. After his contract expired with the New Orleans Pelicans, Anderson signed a massive four year, $80 million deal.
Anderson still remained a lethal shooter for the Rockets, as he shot the three-ball at a high clip of 40%. However, his scoring plummeted while suiting up for Houston. The former Rockets big man could only make 13.6 points in his first season and 9.3 points in the second. In his entire stay with the Rockets, the stretch big man could only contribute 11.4 points per game which didn’t deserve the massive contract.
The Rockets realized they have overpaid Ryan Anderson. As a result, the franchise shipped him to the Phoenix Suns.
Sacramento Kings: Dewayne Dedmon
Dewayne Dedmon had a breakout stint with the Atlanta Hawks for two seasons. The talented big man averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds per outing. He was a shot blocker who can run the floor and knock down open three point shots. Because of his modern skillset, at first his skills would like it would compliment the Kings’ young core. As a result, Sacramento signed Dewayne Dedmon to a three year, $40 million contract.
However, things only looked good at first. Dedmon struggled to find his footing with Sacramento. During his lone season with the Kings, he only averaged 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. His struggles on the court eventually generated off-court issues as well. A frustrated Dedmon publicly demanded a trade from the Sacramento franchise. With this, he was fined $50,000 by the league. Dedmon’s wish was granted in the end as he was shipped back to Atlanta.
Los Angeles Clippers: Spencer Hawes
In 2014, the Clippers were looking to add some depth to their rotation, specifically a big man who can space the floor. With Spencer Hawes coming off a decent shooting stretch from Philadelphia and Cleveland, the big man seemed to be a great fit for the Clippers. Because of this, Hawes signed a four year contract that amounted to $22.7 million.
Unfortunately, Hawes was only a fit on paper. The stretch big struggled mightily in the Clippers’ rotation. His scoring production plummeted as it was hardly the numbers he produced for the Sixers and the Cavaliers. In his lone season with the Clippers, he could only make 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. His three point shooting also took a dip, as he shot a miserable 31% from downtown. The franchise parted ways with Spencer Hawes by trading him to the Charlotte Hornets.
Golden State Warriors: Anderson Varejao
Anderson Varejao has always been known to be a hustling rebounding big man for the Cleveland Cavaliers. However after spending most of his career in Cleveland, the Brazilian bruiser was signed by the Golden State Warriors in 2016 after being waived. With this, he became the first player to suit up for both teams in the NBA Finals during that season.
Although that was a unique feat, the Warriors did overpay Varejao to mostly sit on the bench. Varejao signed a 1 year, $1.55 million deal with the Warriors. Although this isn’t much compared to other players in this list, but he practically got paid for only playing 7.7 minutes per game in his short stint with the stacked Golden State Warriors.
Miami Heat: Erick Dampier
Interior presence was what Erick Dampier specializes in. The Miami Heat needed a rim-protector in the paint to compliment their Big Three back then in 2010. Because of this, the Heat signed the big man to a one year, $1.4 million deal.
The Heat wouldn’t get much production from him due to injuries and age. The former Heat center could only muster 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in only 51 games. His poor production as the Heat’s center eventually led to the franchise benching him in the enitre postseason of that year. Dampier eventually parted ways with the franchise and went to play for Atlanta during his last season in the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks: Miles Plumlee
The Milwaukee Bucks, just like other NBA teams have made questionable decisions. There’s no doubt that this is one of the most head scratching moves ever made by the Bucks front office. Miles Plumlee was acquired by the Bucks in a trade, and he performed his career best in points during his first season posting averages of 5.1 points to go along with 3.8 rebounds.
With that production, the Bucks front office managed to get an out-of this-world idea to re-sign the big man to a four year, $50 million contract. Obviously those numbers didn’t deserve that contract. After agreeing to the deal, Plumlee didn’t even maintain those numbers. Instead, his production even took a dip as he only contributed 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
The franchise eventually realized their mistake. As a result, Plumlee was eventually shipped to the Charlotte Hornets.
Washington Wizards: Ian Mahinmi
Speaking of bad contracts, the Washington Wizards are also no stranger to this. One of the most questionable moves they made was to sign Ian Mahinmi to a four year, $64 million contract. Although the French Center was coming off the best season of his career, it was still considered to be a subpar stint with the Indiana Pacers. The one time NBA champion averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 boards per game as a starter.
Mahinmi’s contract ends after this season. With the season of the Wizards and Mahinmi’s contract finally over, it is safe to say the French Center didn’t deserve that contract. In his stay with the Wizards, he only averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists for the course of four seasons.
Los Angeles Lakers: Luol Deng
After a great career with the Chicago Bulls and stopovers in Cleveland and Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers wanted the services of British forward Luol Deng. The storied franchise did get him in 2016 when Deng agreed to a four year, $72 million offer. Despite being paid a huge amount of money, Deng hardly lived up to the contract.
In his stay with the Lakers, the two time NBA All-Star didn’t even average double figures. He put up a measly 7.6 points in his first year with the Lakers and 2.0 points in the next. Since the Lakers wanted to work on their young core, Deng sat out majority of the second season of his contract, while still getting his paycheck. Overall, he produced his lowest output for the Lakers as he averaged 7.5 points while shooting 38.7% from the field overall.
To make matters worse, even if the Lakers brought out Deng’s contract, the forward still remains in team’s payroll until the 2021-2022 season, with Deng earning approximately $5 million annually. Deng is a talented forward, however it was indeed a messy situation for the storied franchise during that time. For a storied franchise like the Lakers, this was a terrible signing.
New York Knicks: Joakim Noah
The Knicks have certainly had a track record when it comes to signing superstars in free agency. To make matters worse, they arguably also hold one of the worse free agent signings in league history and this certainly takes the cake in terms of franchise history.
Joakim Noah is one of the best centers when he was running with the Chicago Bulls. His hustle is what won the hearts of fans in the Windy City. However, the two time NBA All-Star has slowed down after 2014 due to multiple injuries, forcing him to sit out multiple games. He only averaged 7.2 points and 9.6 rebounds in his final season with the Bulls.
During this free agency season, the Knicks were able to get Noah, as they inked him to a four year, $72 million contract. With Noah struggling to regain his old form, it was a very questionable move that the Knicks front office made. Noah only played 53 games across two seasons while suiting up for New York, as he could only muster 4.6 points and 7.9 rebounds. It was worth noting how he was slowed down by injuries and a drug suspension in 2017.
Noah was waived in 2018. However, the Knicks decided to pay his remaining salary in installments. Because of this, the Knicks are still paying Noah until the 2021-2022 season as part of the team’s salary cap. This was indeed a terrible move by the Knicks front office.
Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum
The Charlotte Hornets are a struggling team in the NBA. Aside from struggling to collect some wins and to make the playoffs, the Hornets have also been unlucky when it comes to free agent signings. One of the mistakes they made was re-signing Nicolas Batum to a massive contract in 2016. Batum agreed to a five year, $120 million deal.
Batum actually player well in his first year, averaging 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. However, his production started to go down afterwards. Hobbled by injuries, the French forward only averaged 11.6 points, 9.3 points, and 3.6 points in the succeeding seasons. Although Batum is a decent wing player if healthy, the deal just didn’t turn out well for both parties.
Batum still has one more year in his contract and is bound to get paid $27 million should he exercise his player option.
