With 2018 almost in the books and 30 games of the regular season passed by, the timing seems right to take a look back at some of the worst deals handed out this summer as part of our BSJ year in review. Some of these ugly signings were predictable by the time the ink dried on the deal, while others looked like much better fits than they ended up being. Let's take a look at ten contracts these teams would probably like to have back.
Carmelo Anthony (1 year/league minimum): This didn’t cost the Rockets much in terms of dollars and cents, but the expectation that Anthony would be able to fill a meaningful role for this roster is still haunting the Rockets. Houston is waiting to find a trade destination for him since waiving the small forward would force his guaranteed salary to count against a big luxury tax bill that’s already awaiting ownership. With injuries piling up and upgrades sorely needed to an undermanned bench, Anthony remains a symbolic piece of Houston’s underwhelming offseason that has set the stage for a lackluster 17-15 start. Melo’s NBA career isn’t over but finding another team willing to give him a meaningful role is no guarantee.
Dwight Howard (2 years/$11 million): The Wizards already had one of the more dysfunctional locker rooms in the NBA last season so bringing in one of the most toxic NBA personalities into the fold has gone less than great. Howard has only managed to play nine games at age 33 due to a back injury as Washington is on the verge of self-combusting with a 13-20 record. The Wizards already have a huge tax bill looming so they couldn’t afford to miss on a mid-level signing, the one big addition opportunity they had this offseason. The damage has already been done with this one.
Jabari Parker (2 years/$40 million): This was a baffling move in the summer and it remains in that category more than six months later. A Bucks team on the verge of contending wisely let Parker walk away in restricted free agency without even demanding an asset for him and the Bulls foolishly elected to throw $20 million per season at him so they could lock in a second year of team control. Less than 30 games into his tenure in Chicago, Parker is seemingly done playing meaningful minutes as the team’s priority turns to defense. In a market with very few spenders, that $20 million could have gone a long way into adding developing role pieces. Instead, the Bulls will probably have to swallow a bad contract to move Parker off the books.
DeAndre Jordan (1 year/$20 million): The Mavericks are overachieving 30 games into the season but the addition of the high-priced center is not a reason why. He’s putting up a lot of monster rebounding nights and his free throw shooting has improved but the Mavericks’ defense is actually worse with him on the floor. His inability to contest on the perimeter has been a huge factor in the team’s current five-game losing streak and it’s hard to see his stay in Dallas lasting beyond this season at that price.
Michael Carter-Williams (1 year/league minimum): A more low profile mistake by the Rockets. He hasn’t played meaningful minutes since October while being banished to the end of the bench ahead of two-way talent. After playing for five different teams in five years, it’s hard to see the Hamilton native getting too many more chances given his shooting struggles (30 percent from 3-point range).
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1 year/$12 million): It may have been a signing just to appease LeBron James (Klutch Sports represents Caldwell-Pope) but the high price tag was a baffling one for a guy who had no serious suitors willing to pay more than mid-level money during free agency. Caldwell-Pope’s minutes have dropped sharply with the arrival of James and a heap of other veterans signed on one-year deals. It remains perplexing that Caldwell-Pope was retained at that number while Brook Lopez was allowed to walk for less than $4 million.
Trevor Ariza: (1 year/$15 million): It was wise for the veteran forward to take the money and run with a bad team but the Suns barely got 30 games out of him before electing to move the disgruntled small forward. Phoenix did get a free look at Kelly Oubre Jr when they traded Ariza for him last week but they also have a lot of dead money on the books in the form of Austin Rivers who was waived last week. The Suns could have made a long-term investment in a soft free agent market with Ariza’s cash. Instead, they overpaid with very little to show for it after a quick turnaround.
Dante Exum (3 years, $33 million): The Jazz bet fairly big on the 23-year-old with a three-year deal but he’s regressed in his fifth NBA season, playing a career-low 16.1 minutes per game. He still can’t shoot the 3-ball (27 percent) and his assist rate is down a well in the midst of a disappointing year for the Jazz. He’s still young enough to turn things around but it’s a troubling step back for him on a team with a strong supporting cast and system.
Mario Hezonja (1 year, $6.5 million): The Magic gave up on the No. 5 overall pick a year early, opening the door for the Knicks to take a flier on him and the early returns haven’t been promising. Lots of long mid-range jumpers, subpar 3-point shooting and lackluster defense have kept his minutes limited to 16 per game. His stay in the Big Apple should be a brief one.
Anthony Tolliver (1 year, $6 million): After a career year in Detroit last season, the Wolves spent big on the 33-year-old with the majority of their mid-level exception. The stretch forward underwhelmed over his first 20 games and has been pushed out of the rotation almost entirely after the acquisitions of Dario Saric and Robert Covington.
Other NBA News and Notes
- All of the Anthony Davis noise coming out of Los Angeles should be a bit worrisome for Celtics fans. He’s not going anywhere during this season, but he could put suitors like the Celtics in a pretty brutal predicament this summer if he’s already signaling that he wants to go to the Lakers over the long term. How willing will Danny Ainge be to sell the farm to bring aboard a guy who could walk after one season? It’s kept him from dealing his best assets before and the same could be true in July.
- Rough week for point guards with injuries. The Heat will be without Goran Dragic until the All-Star Break due to a knee scope, while Chris Paul is sidelined another 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury. With both teams sitting around .500, it’s going to be a tall ask for their supporting casts to keep each squad in the playoff picture.
- Another slice of cap help for the Bucks arrived this week as the league granted them relief for Mirza Teletovic’s cap holds after the power forward suffered a career-ending injury in 2016. They will have another three million to work with this summer.
- The Rockets are reportedly offering up Brandon Knight and a first-round pick in search of an upgrade for their bench but the reserve guard has looked horrendous (18 percent shooting) in his first five games of the year. With another $15 million remaining on his salary next year, it might take the Rockets more than one pick to get rid of that deal if they want a useful asset.
