Top Ten Best/Worst FA Signings of 2005

[Cleveland56]

Earlier this week I offered my list of the summer's worst NBA free-agent moves. In response, several readers inquired about the best moves of the summer. Fair enough -- if I can criticize, I should hand out equal amounts of praise.

So without further ado, here are the 10 best acquisitions of 2004-05. As with the worst moves, I've included each player's contract dollars and stats-per-40-minutes for 2004-05, as well as his Player Efficiency Rating. (PER is my rating of a player's per-minute statistical production. The league average is 15.00.)


10. New York Knicks get Quentin Richardson (five years, $37 million, 14.9 pts, 6.1 reb, 13.59 PER)
Richardson isn't a great player, but here's why I like the deal. First, the Knicks got him for Kurt Thomas (PER 14.15), who was better than Richardson last year but probably won't be over the next few seasons because he's eight years older than Q. Second, the Knicks got whirling Nate Robinson in the deal, solving the Knicks' backup point guard woes with one stroke. Faint praise though it may be, this was the best trade of the Isiah Thomas era.

9. Milwaukee Bucks overpay Michael Redd (six years, $90 million, 24.2 pts, 4.4 reb, 18.30 PER)
Because of some unusual salary cap rules, things are not always as they seem in the contract game. For example, look at the deal the Bucks gave Redd. Based purely on his performance, this is a horrible contract because Redd isn't worth nearly this kind of money.

But here's the twist: Because Redd made so little last season and wasn't on a rookie contract, his "cap hold" was very small. As a result, the Bucks could sign another player under the cap -- Bobby Simmons, in this case -- and still max out Redd with the Larry Bird exception. Had Redd jumped ship, they couldn't have done this with any other player. That means they could have either paid through the nose to keep Redd or not gotten anybody. Faced with those choices and the Cavaliers' hot pursuit of Redd, this deal made all kinds of sense.

8. Washington Wizards sign Antonio Daniels (five years, $29 million, 16.7 pts, 6.1 ast, 18.08 PER)
Although Daniels has been a terror off the bench for Seattle the past two seasons, he's gotten little acclaim for his achievements. Thus, his deal with Washington is a fantastic value for the Wizards based on his past performance. Better yet, Daniels was uncharacteristically inaccurate on 3-pointers a year ago, suggesting he could do even better this year. The only reason this deal doesn't rank higher is because Daniels is 30 years old and the effects of age on his play remain to be seen.

7. Atlanta Hawks sign Zaza Pachulia (four years, $16 million, 13.1 pts, 10.2 reb, 14.32 PER)
Pachulia is only 21 years old, so if he isn't pulling a Rafael Furcal on us and lying about his age he's probably going to get a lot better. Pachulia wasn't a bad player even last year, with his soft hands and skill around the rim compensating for below-average athleticism. But his deal is inexpensive enough that he's a good value even if he doesn't improve at all.

6. Sacramento Kings get Jason Hart (two years, $3.5 million, 15.0 pts. 7.8 ast, 16.87 PER)
For the low, low cost of a second-round pick, the Kings picked up one of the game's best backup point guards from Charlotte. Most people don't realize how well Hart played last season because he did it in the obscurity of an expansion team, but he was better than many team's starters. Acquiring Hart became necessary when the Kings dealt an injury-prone Bobby Jackson to Memphis for Bonzi Wells, and the move again demonstrated why Geoff Petrie is one of the league's best general managers.

5. Washington Wizards get Caron Butler (one year, $2 million, 17.4 pts, 6.6 reb, 15.77 PER)
Gotta give Ernie Grunfeld props for this one. He took a commodity he had no interest in keeping, Kwame Brown, and parlayed it into a starting small forward in Butler and a backup point guard in Chucky Atkins. Butler's overall numbers are impressive enough, but his April performance really jumps off the page: 22.8 points, 7.6 boards, and 2.2 steals.

4. New Orleans Hornets keep Chris Andersen (details unknown, 14.3 pts, 11.5 reb, 18.54 PER)
Andersen was a steal last year too when he signed a two-year deal for just $3 million. He opted out this summer and re-signed with the Hornets, and it's a good deal for them regardless of what they paid. The Birdman was easily New Orleans' best player last season (except for at the dunk contest), shooting 53 percent and averaging nearly three blocks per 40 minutes. Why Byron Scott played him only 21 minutes a game is a mystery that may never be solved.

3. Houston Rockets sign Stromile Swift (five years, $29 million, 18.9 pts, 2.9 bks, 16.70 PER)
Swift actually had an off-year last season -- the numbers from the previous two seasons were even more impressive. That is a good omen for the Rockets, who were trotting out Juwan Howard and Maurice Taylor last season in their attempts to pass them off as NBA power forwards. Don't see the big difference? Swift averaged 2.9 blocks per 40 minutes, while Howard blocked five all last season.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers sign Donyell Marshall (four years, $21 million, 18.2 pts, 10.4 reb, 19.92 PER)
How could Cleveland get such a good player so cheaply? Better yet, how could a lousy team like Toronto keep this guy out of its starting lineup? Marshall is a rare triple threat -- a deadly 3-point shooter (41.6 percent at a high volume) who also gets points inside and is a good rebounder. He gives the Cavs the sharpshooter they desperately need to help spread the floor, and also is nice insurance if Drew Gooden starts acting loopy.

1. Miami Heat get Jason Williams (14.7 pts, 8.2 ast, 15.48 PER), Antoine Walker (19.9 pts, 9.4 pts, 15.41 PER), and James Posey (11.7 pts, 6.3 reb, 10.48 PER)
I have one minor quibble about this move -- the Heat gave Antoine Walker a six-year, $54 million deal as part of the trade, and that's far more than he's worth. But the rest of the deal stacks up so well for Miami that it's still a home run. The Heat lacked three things last year -- a perimeter stopper, a point guard who could create shots, and a reliable scoring option outside of Shaq and Wade. Pat Riley put check marks next to all three items on his shopping list with this deal, getting a stopper in Posey (whose PER was terrible last year because of a foot problem), a point man in Williams and a scorer in Walker. Amazingly, it cost him only Eddie Jones (14.3 pts, 5.7 reb, 13.59 PER). If the Heat end up winning their first-ever title this June, this trade is likely to be the reason.

 

[Cleveland56]

and worst.....

We've seen it two summers in a row now: Too much money chasing too few good players.

The giddy free-agent market of 2004 wasn't supposed to repeat itself in 2005, but if anything, it got worse. With several teams hoarding cash for a free-agent market that didn't contain a single superstar, the conditions were ripe for panic-stricken general managers to grossly overpay second-tier performers. They didn't disappoint us.

Out of all the millions committed to players with modest career accomplishments, it was my job to find the 10 most abominable contracts of the 2005 offseason.

So, starting at No. 10, here are the worst of the worst. Next to each, I've listed the player's contract dollars, stats per 40 minutes for 2004-05, and Player Efficiency Rating (PER, my rating of a player's per-minute statistical production). The league average PER is 15, but nine of these 10 players were below that mark last season.


10. Keyon Dooling, Orlando Magic (three years, $10 million; 12.9 pts, 4.5 ast, 10.04 PER)
Sometimes I wonder whether general managers watch any games during the regular season. Yes, Dooling played very well in the playoffs, but didn't anyone look at his four regular seasons? Orlando wants somebody to play the point next so Steve Francis can move to the two, but Dooling is even less qualified to play point than Francis. His assist numbers are terrible (only 4.5 per 40 minutes last year) and he can't shoot. This would rank higher if there were more money involved, but Orlando at least avoided breaking the bank for Dooling. Which is good, because they still vastly overpaid.

9. Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns (five years, $24 million; 17.3 pts, 4.5 reb, 12.14 PER)
Bell is this year's Kevin Ollie -- a dependable role player in his late 20s who inexplicably got a multiyear deal because a GM took a shine to him. Bell isn't a bad player … he's just not somebody you give $24 million to. Moreover, by the last year of the deal he'll be 33, and role players who aren't great outside shooters tend to sink like a stone once they hit 30.

8. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers (six years, $58 million; 13.2 pts, 12.1 reb, 14.37 PER)
Unlike some of the other guys on this list, Dalembert can really play. I just doubt he's worth $10 million a year, especially if he stays hell-bent on goaltending every third shot. He's not going to provide post scoring, so the Sixers get their money's worth only if Dalembert defends and rebounds like crazy. He's done it in spurts, but that's it.

7. Cuttino Mobley, Los Angeles Clippers (five years, $42 million; 19.0 pts, 3.8 ast, 14.98 PER)
I guess that extra $5 million to keep Bobby Simmons was too much of a stretch, huh? Only the Clippers would go years as the NBA's biggest tightwads and then, when they finally commit money to a free agent, end up overpaying. Mobley is an average player even now, and by the end of the deal he'll be 34 and making more than $9 million a year.

6. Mark Madsen, Minnesota Timberwolves (five years, terms undisclosed; 5.9 pts, 8.5 reb, 6.76 PER)
I don't care what the terms are. A five-year deal for Mark Madsen? C'mon. He's barely worth the minimum based on his recent performance. Madsen's inability to score is well known, but some may not realize he's also a terrible rebounder. Last year he pulled down only 8.5 rebounds per 40 minutes, well below the norm for an NBA frontcourt player. Coming from the same club that gave Wally Szczerbiak $66 million, Troy Hudson $35 million and Trenton Hassell $26 million, this is further proof that the Timberwolves are far too in love with their own free agents.

5. Willie Green, 76ers (six years, $20 million; 16.4 pts, 36.6 FG%, 9.54 PER)
Speaking of teams that overspend to keep their own free agents: This one would rank higher except the Sixers might back out of the deal now that Green hurt his knee in a pickup game. It's hard to put into words what an abominable decision this was. Green's numbers last season suggested he'd have trouble staying in the NBA for one year, let alone six, and the Sixers already seem to have met their quota of shooting guards in point guard bodies. Besides, better players can easily be had for the league minimum.

4. Kyle Korver, 76ers (six years, $27 million; 14.1 pts, 5.7 reb, 12.84 PER)
Yes, the Sixers again. My colleague Bill Simmons was killing Billy King the other day for all the ludicrous contracts he's signed as Sixers GM, but these three might take the cake. In Korver's case, he's a great shooter, but he's not much of a basketball player. Between his defensive shortcomings and his near total inability to convert a field goal, he's well below average for a starting small forward and would be playing 10 minutes off the bench for most teams. Unfortunately, King's other moves included trading Keith Van Horn for Glenn Robinson and letting Matt Harpring walk as a free agent, so the Sixers are stuck with Korver as their starter at the three.

3. Brian Scalabrine, Boston Celtics (five years, $15 million, 11.6 pts, 8.4 reb, 11.01 PER)
Here's what I don't get about Danny Ainge's "brain-typing" craze: Didn't Scalabrine have the same brain last year? And hasn't he shot 39.3 percent for his career with that brain? If his brain type allowed him to become a good player, shouldn't it have happened by now? Thus far, Scalabrine's most enduring contribution has been as the league's best Michael Rapaport look-alike.

2. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (five years, $70 million, 17.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 15.18 PER)
Assuming this deal happens, it was bad enough for the Hawks to offer to pay Johnson roughly double what he's worth by giving him $14 million a year. It was bad enough that Atlanta's "plan" involves Johnson playing the point full-time, even though he gets into the paint about as often as Shawn Kemp gets into a leotard. But the real kicker for me is that the Hawks are now willing to fork out two No. 1 picks to Phoenix for the right to overpay Johnson so badly. Johnson's numbers have been inflated by all the minutes he's played, but on a per-minute basis he's a pretty ordinary player.

1. Jerome James, New York Knicks (five years, $28 million, 11.8 pts, 7.2 reb, 9.83 PER)
Of all the bad deals over the summer, this one takes the cake. It's one thing to overpay for a player who can play a little, like Johnson or Mobley. But what if you commit your full midlevel exception to a guy who can't play at all? That's what the Knicks did with James, rewarding him for the five good games he played in the Sacramento series and pretending the previous 82 games never happened. Between the inconsistent effort and the constant swooning over his alleged potential, James has become the new Michael Olowokandi, except that he's a worse player and even more egregiously overpaid.

John Hollinger, author of "Pro Basketball Forecast 2004-05," is a regular contributor to ESPN Insider.