Post by Delap on Feb 9, 2017 11:45:02 GMT -6
Welcome back for this season’s edition of the Free Agency Retrospective, with your host, Mr. Delap.
Entering the last year of the reign of Dump, the league was still grasping for straws looking for a way to unseat him, Fason was beginning his masterful tank in Philadelphia (which led to the rise of Seattle, but we’ll get to that later.), Heebs was biding his time and loading up to attack Dump head-on, and someone named Roger Phegley became one of the most polarizing players in the league.
MAX:
Victor Oladipo – New Jersey Nets – 1 year - $15,750,000
Annual lock for the FA preview, Mr. Oladipo was a stud in 3040. He averaged 4.0 stocks each game, along with great percentages from the field and the charity stripe. I believe this is peak ‘Dipo. Great buy. I’m gonna go ahead and call this the best MAX deal of the year.
Joel Embiid – Houston Rockets – 3 years - $74,308,500
Greedy, greedy Joel. $25m per for a center is steep. Even if he is a borderline HOFer. Over the course the deal he averaged 14.5 boards, 3.5 blocks… but definitely regressed slightly, only making one All-Star appearance and failing to crack any of the All-League teams. The Rockets saw some success, but not enough, failing to get out of the 1st round in 2 of the 3 years of the deal.
Prince Rogers Nelson – Philadelphia 76ers – 6 years - $93,750,000
The crown jewel of the free agent class… fled La La Land to West Philadelphia. The anti-Fresh Prince. Fason snagged Prince through the grace of his hometown… then immediately looked to trade him. The framework of a deal was reached with the Supersonics within 24 hours… they just had to wait 90 days to consummate the thing (much like my engagement to my wife!). The price ended up being a smattering of picks and a few guys that lost relevance (like Guy Rodgers) after the deal. Fason got what he wanted (picks and the ability to get bad), Delap got what he wanted (a superstar), and both franchises have shined in the years since. It’s a win-win.
Allan Houston – Houston Rockets – 3 years - $66,346,875
Elite scorer, but his %s dropped significantly over the life of the deal. Like Embiid above, the Rockets were not able to turn a good roster into a Western Conference crown, despite being the class of the Midwest.
Roger Phegley – Golden State Warriors – 6 years - $93,750,000
Elite wing defender, but he has all sorts of efficiency problems. Does he make his team better? Yeah, probably. Is he worth his contract? Probably not. Another MAX player in this class that was later traded to Seattle (for Joe Johnson and change), he pairs well with elite scorers… but probably does not deserve the money thrown at him. If he is your best player, you aren’t going to have a good time.
Purvis Short – Denver Nuggets – 7 years - $87,500,000
Not elite, not great… and in Year 4 of the deal (this past season)… huge nosedive. Still on the hook for 3 more years, this deal is looking worse and worse for whoever it is that is running the Nuggets these days. Worst MAX of the year, though not as egregious as some awful MAX deals in the past.
Carl Nicks – New York Knicks – 1 year - $15,000,000
Jonas Valanciunas – New York Knicks – 1 year - $18,375,000
Grouped together for Knickerbocker reasons… two aging stars signing on for a run at the title and a Dump challenge. Both put up very solid, but not amazing, numbers. Nicks had great %s, Jonas had a great rebounding/blocking year, but it didn’t quite click. Looking back, this Knicks team as a whole massively underachieved, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs. The signings were the right moves, though.
Joe Silvestri – LA Clippers – 2 years - $36,750,000
A swansong for Sim Dump… much like Kobe, he spent his last couple of seasons in LA cashing checks and not doing much else. Despite seeing an increase in minutes, his numbers fell off considerably. Good night, sweet prince.
Mid-Level:
Calbert Cheaney – Oklahoma City Thunder – 3 years - $33,000,000
A wing with size that doesn’t really play defense, but scores at an efficient clip. His numbers tanked during the first year of the deal, living high on the hog (and hogs) in OKC. The 2nd and 3rd years of the deal weren’t gross, so the contract on the whole doesn’t look bad. Traded to the Jazz in 3042 as they began their ascendency to replace the Rockets as the elite team of the Midwest.
Phil Ford – Denver Nuggets – 6 years - $60,000,000
#FREEPHILFORD groupthink took over… and man that was stupid. Bought out after 2 years… and that second year? Woof. Would you pay $10,000,000 for 22 total minutes, 6 points, and 7 assists? No, you wouldn’t. Worst Mid-Level deal of the year. Worst overall deal of the year.
Matthew Lockhart – New Jersey Nets – 2 years - $10,800,000
Like Sim Dump, a last contract earned by previous hard work. Didn’t do much on the court, but we’ve heard he was a huge locker room influence and really helped ‘Nique and ‘Dipo develop.
Tristan Thompson – Cleveland Cavaliers – 1 year - $4,600,000
3rd big for a very successful team. Great price for the aging big, but he certainly wasn’t the elite player that he was during his first stint with the Cavs.
Robert Covington – Golden State Warriors – 3 years - $17,970,000
Immediately traded to PHX for Julius Dickerson (who?) and 3k dump bucks… Bob kept doing Bob things by being an elite wing defender who doesn’t shoot too much. He averaged 4.2 stocks or more in each of his 3 seasons in the Valley of the Sun and was a perfect running mate with the high-volume Miner. Great deal, price-wise.
Devin Lonc – Portland Trailblazers – 2 years - $12,000,000
Anfernee Hardaway – Miami Heat – 3 years - $19,500,000
Anfernee was traded immediately to the Blazers. Great scorers, great percentages. Their size allowed them to be versatile pieces to the best team in the West. Anfernee brought home the championship with his best Bob Horry impersonation. Good pickups.
James Worthy – Seattle Supersonics – 5 years - $44,699,652
Fresh off a Philly Buyout (not related to a Philly Fakeout), Big Game James was scooped up by the Sonics with a quickness. While maligned at the start, Worthy has proven…well… worthy of this sub-MAX deal. Very good scorer, decent %s, decent defensive numbers… couldn’t be the 2nd best player on a championship team… but definitely could be the 3rd banana.
MLE:
Roberto Mottola – Minnesota Timberwolves
Alexis Geiger – Minnesota Timberwolves
Rare double-MLE signings for the Wolfs. Both PGs… both sucked. However, he was trying to suck… so mission accomplished. Geiger probably few a little too close to the sun early on… earned himself some bench because of his good play.
James Young – Los Angeles Lakers
The MLE who got the most extensive run for a winning team. He started for the Lake Show and put up some efficient numbers alongside Sergey. Best MLE of the year.
Vin Baker – New Jersey Nets
Good 3rd big, good D/R numbers… still shot the ball too much when he got the chance. Not a bad signing at all.
Rex Walters – New York Knicks
Isidoro Meyers – Cleveland Cavaliers
Ryan Robertson – Washington Bullets
Decent options on the wing… decent D/R numbers. Good signings. Not sexy, but these guys get the job done.
Mychal Thompson – Memphis Bobcats
Overpay for an 11 minute a game player. Not even great D/R numbers for a big. Shoots really poorly. Probably the worst MLE of the year… but certainly not egregiously bad.
LLE:
Only 4 LLEs on the year, so let’s look at all of them…
Woody Sauldsberry – New Jersey Nets
0 minutes played. Worst LLE of the year.
Jerome Whitehead – New York Knicks
Started and averaged a monster 3.3 blocks per game along with 13 rebounds… while never asking to shoot the ball. Great signing. Outplayed the not-quite-a-HOFer Jonas Valanciunas on the whole. Best LLE of the year.
Popeye Jones – Washington Bullets
4th big in the rotation, got decent burn as an injury replacement. Serviceable all around. About what you would expect from an LLE.
Shawn Bradley – Los Angeles Lakers
3rd big, great numbers. Acquitted himself very well. Great player for the price of the deal. Could’ve probably outplayed Robert Strong… but you try to tell Robert Strong that he should be benched. I certainly wouldn’t mess with that guy. He also smells like death. (**side note, the author met Shawn Bradley in Park City, UT when he was 21 years of age. He took his picture with him. He does not quite come up to Shawn’s nipple-level. Shawn’s wife is like 5’0”)
Entering the last year of the reign of Dump, the league was still grasping for straws looking for a way to unseat him, Fason was beginning his masterful tank in Philadelphia (which led to the rise of Seattle, but we’ll get to that later.), Heebs was biding his time and loading up to attack Dump head-on, and someone named Roger Phegley became one of the most polarizing players in the league.
MAX:
Victor Oladipo – New Jersey Nets – 1 year - $15,750,000
Annual lock for the FA preview, Mr. Oladipo was a stud in 3040. He averaged 4.0 stocks each game, along with great percentages from the field and the charity stripe. I believe this is peak ‘Dipo. Great buy. I’m gonna go ahead and call this the best MAX deal of the year.
Joel Embiid – Houston Rockets – 3 years - $74,308,500
Greedy, greedy Joel. $25m per for a center is steep. Even if he is a borderline HOFer. Over the course the deal he averaged 14.5 boards, 3.5 blocks… but definitely regressed slightly, only making one All-Star appearance and failing to crack any of the All-League teams. The Rockets saw some success, but not enough, failing to get out of the 1st round in 2 of the 3 years of the deal.
Prince Rogers Nelson – Philadelphia 76ers – 6 years - $93,750,000
The crown jewel of the free agent class… fled La La Land to West Philadelphia. The anti-Fresh Prince. Fason snagged Prince through the grace of his hometown… then immediately looked to trade him. The framework of a deal was reached with the Supersonics within 24 hours… they just had to wait 90 days to consummate the thing (much like my engagement to my wife!). The price ended up being a smattering of picks and a few guys that lost relevance (like Guy Rodgers) after the deal. Fason got what he wanted (picks and the ability to get bad), Delap got what he wanted (a superstar), and both franchises have shined in the years since. It’s a win-win.
Allan Houston – Houston Rockets – 3 years - $66,346,875
Elite scorer, but his %s dropped significantly over the life of the deal. Like Embiid above, the Rockets were not able to turn a good roster into a Western Conference crown, despite being the class of the Midwest.
Roger Phegley – Golden State Warriors – 6 years - $93,750,000
Elite wing defender, but he has all sorts of efficiency problems. Does he make his team better? Yeah, probably. Is he worth his contract? Probably not. Another MAX player in this class that was later traded to Seattle (for Joe Johnson and change), he pairs well with elite scorers… but probably does not deserve the money thrown at him. If he is your best player, you aren’t going to have a good time.
Purvis Short – Denver Nuggets – 7 years - $87,500,000
Not elite, not great… and in Year 4 of the deal (this past season)… huge nosedive. Still on the hook for 3 more years, this deal is looking worse and worse for whoever it is that is running the Nuggets these days. Worst MAX of the year, though not as egregious as some awful MAX deals in the past.
Carl Nicks – New York Knicks – 1 year - $15,000,000
Jonas Valanciunas – New York Knicks – 1 year - $18,375,000
Grouped together for Knickerbocker reasons… two aging stars signing on for a run at the title and a Dump challenge. Both put up very solid, but not amazing, numbers. Nicks had great %s, Jonas had a great rebounding/blocking year, but it didn’t quite click. Looking back, this Knicks team as a whole massively underachieved, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs. The signings were the right moves, though.
Joe Silvestri – LA Clippers – 2 years - $36,750,000
A swansong for Sim Dump… much like Kobe, he spent his last couple of seasons in LA cashing checks and not doing much else. Despite seeing an increase in minutes, his numbers fell off considerably. Good night, sweet prince.
Mid-Level:
Calbert Cheaney – Oklahoma City Thunder – 3 years - $33,000,000
A wing with size that doesn’t really play defense, but scores at an efficient clip. His numbers tanked during the first year of the deal, living high on the hog (and hogs) in OKC. The 2nd and 3rd years of the deal weren’t gross, so the contract on the whole doesn’t look bad. Traded to the Jazz in 3042 as they began their ascendency to replace the Rockets as the elite team of the Midwest.
Phil Ford – Denver Nuggets – 6 years - $60,000,000
#FREEPHILFORD groupthink took over… and man that was stupid. Bought out after 2 years… and that second year? Woof. Would you pay $10,000,000 for 22 total minutes, 6 points, and 7 assists? No, you wouldn’t. Worst Mid-Level deal of the year. Worst overall deal of the year.
Matthew Lockhart – New Jersey Nets – 2 years - $10,800,000
Like Sim Dump, a last contract earned by previous hard work. Didn’t do much on the court, but we’ve heard he was a huge locker room influence and really helped ‘Nique and ‘Dipo develop.
Tristan Thompson – Cleveland Cavaliers – 1 year - $4,600,000
3rd big for a very successful team. Great price for the aging big, but he certainly wasn’t the elite player that he was during his first stint with the Cavs.
Robert Covington – Golden State Warriors – 3 years - $17,970,000
Immediately traded to PHX for Julius Dickerson (who?) and 3k dump bucks… Bob kept doing Bob things by being an elite wing defender who doesn’t shoot too much. He averaged 4.2 stocks or more in each of his 3 seasons in the Valley of the Sun and was a perfect running mate with the high-volume Miner. Great deal, price-wise.
Devin Lonc – Portland Trailblazers – 2 years - $12,000,000
Anfernee Hardaway – Miami Heat – 3 years - $19,500,000
Anfernee was traded immediately to the Blazers. Great scorers, great percentages. Their size allowed them to be versatile pieces to the best team in the West. Anfernee brought home the championship with his best Bob Horry impersonation. Good pickups.
James Worthy – Seattle Supersonics – 5 years - $44,699,652
Fresh off a Philly Buyout (not related to a Philly Fakeout), Big Game James was scooped up by the Sonics with a quickness. While maligned at the start, Worthy has proven…well… worthy of this sub-MAX deal. Very good scorer, decent %s, decent defensive numbers… couldn’t be the 2nd best player on a championship team… but definitely could be the 3rd banana.
MLE:
Roberto Mottola – Minnesota Timberwolves
Alexis Geiger – Minnesota Timberwolves
Rare double-MLE signings for the Wolfs. Both PGs… both sucked. However, he was trying to suck… so mission accomplished. Geiger probably few a little too close to the sun early on… earned himself some bench because of his good play.
James Young – Los Angeles Lakers
The MLE who got the most extensive run for a winning team. He started for the Lake Show and put up some efficient numbers alongside Sergey. Best MLE of the year.
Vin Baker – New Jersey Nets
Good 3rd big, good D/R numbers… still shot the ball too much when he got the chance. Not a bad signing at all.
Rex Walters – New York Knicks
Isidoro Meyers – Cleveland Cavaliers
Ryan Robertson – Washington Bullets
Decent options on the wing… decent D/R numbers. Good signings. Not sexy, but these guys get the job done.
Mychal Thompson – Memphis Bobcats
Overpay for an 11 minute a game player. Not even great D/R numbers for a big. Shoots really poorly. Probably the worst MLE of the year… but certainly not egregiously bad.
LLE:
Only 4 LLEs on the year, so let’s look at all of them…
Woody Sauldsberry – New Jersey Nets
0 minutes played. Worst LLE of the year.
Jerome Whitehead – New York Knicks
Started and averaged a monster 3.3 blocks per game along with 13 rebounds… while never asking to shoot the ball. Great signing. Outplayed the not-quite-a-HOFer Jonas Valanciunas on the whole. Best LLE of the year.
Popeye Jones – Washington Bullets
4th big in the rotation, got decent burn as an injury replacement. Serviceable all around. About what you would expect from an LLE.
Shawn Bradley – Los Angeles Lakers
3rd big, great numbers. Acquitted himself very well. Great player for the price of the deal. Could’ve probably outplayed Robert Strong… but you try to tell Robert Strong that he should be benched. I certainly wouldn’t mess with that guy. He also smells like death. (**side note, the author met Shawn Bradley in Park City, UT when he was 21 years of age. He took his picture with him. He does not quite come up to Shawn’s nipple-level. Shawn’s wife is like 5’0”)
