Every summer, there are some moves that make you nod in approval, and others that make you wonder if every NBA GM has lost their mind. Though this offseason was relatively mild in that second category, there were without a doubt enough dumb moves that even the non-sports watcher could say, “That was dumb.” Here is a list of the worst offseason moves in the NBA, knowing what we know now one-third of the way through the season.
The Big Blunders
Charlotte Hornets sign Lance Stephenson
It was quite the summer for Michael Jordan’s team. They brought back the buzz by reintroducing the Hornets nickname that had been lost to New Orleans. They had the momentum from a playoff birth that gave fans hope for the future. Then, they thought they hit it big by signing one of the breakout players from the previous season, Lance Stephenson. Looking back at it, the only positive of this signing is that they only guaranteed Lance $18 million.
Within the first few months of his arrival, the team was already reportedly looking for partners to trade him away. The Lance experiment has not worked on a monumental level. His offense has seemed to regress as he has taken on an expanded role, and has battled injuries and a general lack of position in Charlotte. Meanwhile, the Hornets are playing like the Bobcats of old, stumbling to a 10-22 record through December 31st. With such high expectations, Lance was expected to take the team to another level, but instead the Bobcats are spiraling towards the bottom of the pack in a year where a playoff spot in the East seemed ripe for the picking.
Brooklyn Nets trade Jason Kidd to Milwaukee Bucks for 2015, 2019 2nd round picks
This trade seems to fall more in the “ugly” category, but it was a move that the Nets did not benefit from making either way. After coming off the Nets’ deepest run in the playoffs since he was actually a member of the team, Jason Kidd decided to go all-in. He demanded to have more personnel decisions, but Brooklyn ownership wasn’t having any of it. They were left with the unenviable decision of giving a 2nd year head coach more responsibility than their current GM, Billy King, or getting rid of the face of the Nets, and the most famous Nets player in franchise history.
Ultimately, they did what they had to do by trading him and managing to receive some value back. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Kidd has proven to be a competent coach with a team of youngsters in Milwaukee. Lionel Hollins has done a fine job in Brooklyn, but when Kidd was traded it appeared the current generation of Nets was over. Paul Pierce was not asked to return, and this year it appears that the Nets are trying to receive any value they can from their current crop of high-salary, underperforming superstars. The Bucks won this trade without a doubt, but the Nets had no choice but to pull the trigger.
Houston Rockets trade Jeremy Lin, 2015 1st and 2nd round picks to Los Angeles Lakers for rights to Serhiy Lishchuk
At the time, this trade appeared to be the best move for Houston. The Rockets were making room to bring in Chris Bosh on a huge deal that would give them a big three of Bosh, Dwight Howard, and James Harden. What they weren’t counting on was Bosh returning to Miami, leaving Houston with a lot of money to spend and not a whole lot to spend it on. Trading Lin wasn’t the worst move, as he would have been a backup anyway. However, given the plethora of injuries to the Rockets, having him around might not be the worst thing in the world after all.
The real nightmarish part of this trade is what they gave up beyond Lin, and what they are receiving in return. A first round pick is a valuable commodity in the NBA, especially given how prolific teams have become at getting value even from later picks. This was more about convincing Los Angeles to take on Lin’s salary, but it was still a steep price to pay. What they got in return is, well, nothing. Lishchuk is a 32-year-old player who was drafted in 2004 and has never made it over to the NBA. It appears that he never will make it over to the NBA either. Houston essentially gave away a popular player and two picks for the room to sign someone who decided not to sign anyway. Ouch.
Los Angeles Clippers trade Jared Dudley and 2017 1st round pick to Milwaukee Bucks for Carlos Delfino, Miroslav Raduljica, and 2015 2nd round pick
In terms of impact players, this trade has very few. However, it was still a bad move by the Clippers because Dudley was a glue guy in a combustible locker room. Dudley did not play well last season, of course, but in terms of bounce-back candidates, he was as sure a bet as they come. You simply do not forget how to shoot that quickly. Sure enough, he has played well in Milwaukee and provided some much needed veteran leadership, as well as timely shooting. The kicker that proves Milwaukee swept this trade is the 2017 first round pick. As mentioned earlier, first round picks are a commodity, and the Clippers gave one away for essentially nothing.
Almost immediately upon being traded, both Delfino and Raduljica were waived. The cap space saved was expected to be used to bring in a quality wing that would make a difference. Instead, L.A.’s bench has underwhelmed and the only positive of this trade was that they were able to snag a second round pick. Given Dudley’s success in Milwaukee and the glaring hole that he filled last year, as the Clippers have begun to show signs of cracking, this was not the best move to ring in the new Steve Ballmer regime.
Quick Hitters
Dallas Mavericks sign Jameer Nelson
This move appeared to be a steal, as the Mavericks got a former all-star point guard for a fairly cheap amount. Unfortunately, he struggled on his new team so much that they felt the need to get a better point guard and bail on his two-year contract after only three months. Nelson was shipped to Boston in a package that landed Rajon Rondo, so ultimately Dallas prospered anyway. For Nelson, he now moves to a backup role in Boston, a thought that surely never entered his head when he signed with Dallas this summer.
Boston Celtics re-sign Avery Bradley
Bradley is a nice, young player for the Celtics, but his numbers have taken a step back this season. He didn’t quite seem to fit in with Rajon Rondo at the helm, but even with him gone he has ceded significant minutes to newcomers Evan Turner and Marcus Smart. To top it all off, the deal he signed, 4 years for $32 million, was far too much for what he is delivering on the court now. He still has time and youth on his side, but Celtics fans are clamoring for a quick turnaround to live up to his contract.
Orlando Magic sign Channing Frye
Like the Bradley move, the Orlando Magic inked veteran power forward Channing Frye to an identical 4 year, $32 million contract. Unlike the Bradley move, Channing Frye is 31 years old. He played well in Phoenix over the last few seasons, but his game has not panned out in Orlando, as he has had to battle for minutes at power forward and is taking less shots than ever. He is averaging only 8.1 points per game, his lowest number since 2008-2009 with Portland. Frye has to pick up his production to make this deal look respectable.