Free-Agent Busts Offer Lesson in Frugality
Basketball

BY JOHN HOLLINGER
May 3, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/32082

One of the interesting things about the NBA postseason is that we occasionally see teams go against trends they established in the regular season. The Memphis Grizzlies, for instance, were a great defensive team in the regular season, but horrid against Dallas in the first round. Or take the Chicago Bulls, who couldn't draw a foul to save their lives this season, but spent most of Games 3 and 4 against Miami at the foul line.

But one trend from the regular season has held up strong in the playoffs - last year's free-agent class was a total bust. And as teams start falling by the wayside and looking toward next season (alas, Memphis, we hardly knew ye), it should serve as a warning. Especially in the upcoming summer's desolate free-agent market, teams with cap space are going to be more encouraged than ever to overreach, with disastrous results.

Don't believe me? Take a look at some of last summer's most coveted players. I've compiled a list of the 20 free agents from a year ago who commanded at least $30 million and, with one or two exceptions, they've markedly underperformed relative to their contract dollars. Overall, I'd bet 16 of the 20 teams involved would offer less money today than they did last summer - if they made an offer at all. Let's check out the carnage and let it serve as a lesson for teams bidding this summer:

SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM (5 years, $30 million): Note to Rod Thorn: That knee ain't looking too shabby. Shareef is one of the few free agents to earn his pay, delivering smooth post moves in Sacramento despite having his jaw wired shut for much of the year.

RAY ALLEN (5 years, $80 million): He's still got game, but I doubt the Sonics would do this again if they had the chance. Deluded into thinking they were contenders, the cash-strapped franchise committed beaucoup bucks to a 30-year-old guard who doesn't defend and has sore knees.

TYSON CHANDLER (6 years, $64 million): Yet another reason free agents can disappoint: Sometimes they don't work out all summer until they sign a contract because they don't want to get hurt.That happened with Chandler and the Bulls (and Eddy Curry), and it took him half the season just to get back to square one.

SAM DALEMBERT (6 years, $58 million): The Sixers gave Dalembert a huge payday based on his potential. That's a nice way of saying he still hasn't figured out what the rule is on goaltending, let alone more mundane stuff like where on the floor the man he's supposed to be guarding is standing.

EDDY CURRY (6 years, $60 million): A desperate reach by the Knicks that could end up costing them the first pick in next year's draft, not to mention the one after that. Also, Curry's heart ailment could lead to devastating problems. But if you look past those pesky details, it was money well spent.

ANTONIO DANIELS (5 years, $30 million): Washington's big off-season acquisition got off to a gruesome start, and although he rebounded a bit in the second half,his overall performance was a shadow of what he'd done in Seattle. Given that he's 31 and dependent on his quickness, don't bet on a rebound.

DAN GADZURIC (6 years, $36 million): I've always been a fan of Gadzuric so I was fine with Milwaukee re-signing him at this money. But he's basically their third-string center. If you're going to commit all that cash, shouldn't you have some place for the guy to play?

UDONIS HASLEM (5 years, $30 million): Ding-ding! A second team that would do it again. Haslem isn't great, but he's given Miami exactly what it was expecting - solid defense, good rebounding, and the occasional 15-footer. As such, the Heat are breaking even on this investment.

LARRY HUGHES (5 years, $60 million): Cleveland's big free-agent pick-up missed more than half the season with a broken finger before returning just in time to disappear in the playoffs. In between, he posted numbers that paled beside his previous two seasons in Washington.

ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS (5 years, $55 million): Here's the third of our four decent free agents. Big Z has been Big Zzzzzz in the playoffs,but he actually had a great season and justified at least the first year of Cleveland's investment.

JEROME JAMES (5 years, $30 million): Do I even need to explain this one?

MARKO JARIC (6 years, $40 million): The T'wolves traded Sam Cassell and a future no. 1 pick to get the rights to Jaric.That worked out well. Cassell helped the Clippers win their first playoff series in 30 yers, while Jaric lost his job at midseason despite seeming to have no competition. And the draft pick? It could end up giving the Clips a high lottery choice next June.

JOE JOHNSON (5 years, $70 million): One of the few free agents to play better after his contract year, it still worked out badly for the Hawks. They gave up the league's most improved player (Boris Diaw) and a future no. 1 pick (possibly a very high one next year) in order to overpay the effective but hardly spectacular Johnson.

CUTTINO MOBLEY (5 years, $42 million): Mobley helped the Clippers to the playoffs, but long-term this deal is still a stinker. The guy is already 30 and was barely adequate as a starting shooting guard this year.And if he's overpaid now, what happens when he's 34?

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL (5 years, $100 million): While some players don't work out until they sign a contract, Shaq went for the opposite approach - he seemingly stopped exercising as soon as he got paid. Shaq still had a good year, but his contract is even bigger than his belly, and watching the playoffs, it's apparent that years four and five of his deal could be a total write-off.

MICHAEL REDD (6 years, $90 million): The fourth and final free agent in our list to justify his price tag, enormous though it was. Keeping Redd by using his Bird rights still enabled Milwaukee to get Bobby Simmons (though it didn't work out well) and others in free agency, and Redd had an outstanding season that could just as easily have been rewarded with an All-Star berth.

BOBBY SIMMONS (5 years, $47 million): One of three big-money signings for the Bucks, Simmons worked out the worst. Not only did his numbers drop across the board from last season, but he failed to provide the defensive lift Milwaukee was expecting.

STROMILE SWIFT (5 years, $30 million): Injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy Mc-Grady were the two biggest reasons Houston disappointed, but Swift was a close third. Expected to take over at power forward, his poor concentration and bad hands had the Rockets shopping him by mid-season.

ANTOINE WALKER (6 years, $53 million): You can't blame Pat Riley for pulling the trigger on the deal since it also netted Jason Williams, but the contract dollars were obscene for a guy who epitomizes the term "low percentage player" - especially since the Heat already had his position filled with Haslem.

EARL WATSON (5 years, $30 million): Denver made a panic move once it realized all the good free agents were gone and it was still sitting on a mid-level exception. The Nuggets signed Watson even though they had nowhere for him to play, and ended up dumping him for spare parts at mid-season.

Hollinger is aware that NBA players do make a lot of money isnt he?

Isiah shouldnt be aloud to make offers to anyone. Its criminal what he's done. I do hope he gets kickbacks. At least then it would make some sense.

Posted by Killa4luv:

Posted by fishmike:

Hollinger is aware that NBA players do make a lot of money isnt he?

Isiah shouldnt be aloud to make offers to anyone. Its criminal what he's done. I do hope he gets kickbacks. At least then it would make some sense.

Him and Chris Mullin. I hope for their sakes that they are getting some of the money. between Dunleavy, Fisher, Foyle, GS is committed to more than 100 million. And Chris signed those contracts, we traded for them, at this point I can't even say which is worse.

trading for them is worse... you are taking someone else's mistakes from them.