Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far

Cleveland re-signs Anderson Varejao for 6 years and $50 million - Varejao overvalued himself by opting out of a deal that would have made him $6.2 million next season, and the Cavs gave in. Of course, Varejao is a Mike Brown-man crush (he played him big minutes even if it was to the detriment of the team), so of course the Cavs had to bring him back at all costs. I wouldn't be surprised if Brown himself made the signing. I personally would prefer to re-sign Joe Smith at a bargain price rather than commit $50 million to Varejao, but that's just me.
Orlando matches Dallas' 5 year, $34 million offer to Marcin Gortat - Looks like the Magic prevented the Mavs from signing their new Erick Dampier. To me, this sounds like Dan Gadzuric all over again - Overpaying for a backup center because he's shown "flashes" of potential.
Toronto extends Andrea Bargnani's contract for 5 years and $50 million - Even though Bargs showed potential this past season, I still question his toughness. A guy his size should grab more than 5.3 rebounds per game. I don't see him being a good replacement in the event Bosh leaves.
Detroit signs Ben Gordon for 5 years and $55 million - Congratulations, Detroit, you're the new Bulls - a 7/8 seed for years to come. That's what happens when the one-dimensional gunning Gordon is considered your "franchise" player. LOL
Detroit signs Chris Wilcox for 2 years and $6 million - They needed help up front after losing Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Is Wilcox, who couldn't get PT for the Knicks, really the best they can do?

Humorable mention:

Houston signs Trevor Ariza for 5 years at the mid-level exception - Not saying this was a terrible signing, but it wasn't a good one, either. They needed to do something after losing McGrady and Yao to injury and Artest to the Lakers. However, I don't know what it is, but I just see him becoming a cancer by mid-season on a team that's known for their strong player chemistry. I guess it's because Houston is the exact opposite of the Lakers when it comes to flashiness (in that they don't have any), and players like Ariza, who are on the less mature side, often go for flashiness (especially with him being an L.A.-grown product). Houston will look to Ariza to provide scoring and leadership. Can he do those things or is he just a product of the Laker hype? My vote goes to Laker hype.
Cleveland signs Jamario Moon - It sounds to me that the Cavs are buying into the hype that surrounds Moon with him being a flashy dunker, because he plays the same position as LeBron James and I don't see much room for playing time here.
Sacramento signs Sean May - I can say with a straight face that Ike Diogu is a better player than May. May just went to the bigger-name school and I believe that helped him get this contract.

We'll see:

Toronto signs Hedo Turkoglu for 5 years and $53 million - With the possibility of losing Bosh next summer, it would seem logical to get younger, not sign a 30-year-old vet who's coming off a bit of a down year. We'll just have to wait and see if Turkoglu can help them get back into serious Playoff contention before we truly judge this move.
Boston signs Rasheed Wallace for 2 years at the mid-level exception - The Celtics certainly needed bench help. Will Wallace provide that or was Ainge just flattered by the big name like he was with Stephon Marbury?

Offseason suggestions for selected teams:

Memphis Grizzlies - Don't re-sign Hakim Warrick. Like Moon, Warrick is one of those guys who typically goes overrated since he's a flashy dunker. With Zach Randolph and Darrell Arthur in the mix, there's no need to bring back Warrick.
Utah Jazz - Continue to shop Andrei Kirilenko hard. There's a lot of talk at the moment about this team taking a step or two back. In my opinion, AK's awful salary ($17 million, 2 years left) is the biggest culprit. The Jazz have a solid foundation in Williams, Millsap, Okur, and Brewer. They now need a pure wing scorer to compliment those guys. Kirikenko isn't that.
Oklahoma City Thunder - Rumor has it that they are looking to bring back hometown-favorite Desmond Mason for leadership. With the addition of James Harden, this would make them over-crowded at the wing positions. My suggestion here: Start shooping Thabo Sefolosha (acquired in a deadline trade from the Bulls) and Damien Wilkins. Memphis could be interested.
Cleveland Cavaliers - With Shaq in town, not many minutes remain for Zydrunas Ilguaskas. Surely they couldn't work in the same lineup, especially in a lineup that includes LeBron James, as both players are old and slow. Suggestion: Shop Z's expiring contract ($11.5 million) and see what you can get.

A few bold predictions for next season:

As mentioned above: The additions of Gordon, Villanueva, and Wilcox won't make Detroit any better than they were last year. They've made the complete transition from a defensive powerhouse to a team that, well, doesn't play defense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won't make any progress in 09-10. They are still very much a one-dimensional team of athletes. They don't have an inside presence or long-range shooting.
The team that lands Carlos Boozer will get home-court advantage for the first round of the 2010 Playoffs. The Bulls and Heat are the most likely candidates to land Boozer. The Knicks have also shown interest, but Utah owns their 2010 first round pick and aren't interested in helping them get to the Playoffs.

Detroit signs Ben Gordon for 5 years and $55 million - Congratulations, Detroit, you're the new Bulls - a 7/8 seed for years to come. That's what happens when the one-dimensional gunning Gordon is considered your "franchise" player. LOL I might be one of the few Pistons who actually agree with you Hurricane. If Allen Iverson didn't work out liked they hoped, why would they think Ben Gordon would? He's essentially the same player but just a little bigger, younger version of AI. Maybe since he's still younger they can make him more unselfish and a better player (because he has the talent), but I'm not going to bet on it. I didn't like the signing at all and I don't think it will do any good for them.

However, I don't agree with you that they are getting rid of all their defense and becoming an offensive team that doesn't play defense. They still have Tayshaun Prince for one (at least for now). Rodney Stuckey vastly improved on defense last year and should make an even better improvement this year. Willy Bynum is small, but he is a very fiesty, tough defender who is similar to a young Lindsey Hunter (hounding the ball handler all the way up court). Kwame Brown is only good for rebounding and play post defense, but at least he can do it pretty well. Jason Maxiell is still there and he is a defensive powerhouse. I hate that they go rid of Arron Afflalo because he would have been a big time asset to them on defense. Yes, they are not as good as recent years on defense anymore, but they still have enough players to make their defensive systems (which have always been good) work. And wasn't that they excuse about why Ben Wallace was overrated? Because of how good the "system" was for the Pistons defense? That excuse can't work now?

Orygun Quacks Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 22, 2006	Posted on: July 21, 2009 5:53 pm Score: 96 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far Good work on the blog. I'm interest in knowing what you think the Blazers need to do. I didn't think Turkeyglue was the answer here in Portland. That would have been a mistake. We need a backup PF, starting SF and another PG. Portland needs to shore up its toughness and defense. What say you? [ Reply to Comment ]
The Big B Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 29, 2007	Posted on: July 21, 2009 7:31 pm Score: 118 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far Detroit signs Ben Gordon for 5 years and $55 million - Congratulations, Detroit, you're the new Bulls - a 7/8 seed for years to come. That's what happens when the one-dimensional gunning Gordon is considered your "franchise" player. LOL I might be one of the few Pistons who actually agree with you Hurricane. If Allen Iverson didn't work out liked they hoped, why would they think Ben Gordon would? He's essentially the same player but just a little bigger, younger version of AI. Maybe since he's still younger they can make him more unselfish and a better player (because he has the talent), but I'm not going to bet on it. I didn't like the signing at all and I don't think it will do any good for them. However, I don't agree with you that they are getting rid of all their defense and becoming an offensive team that doesn't play defense. They still have Tayshaun Prince for one (at least for now). Rodney Stuckey vastly improved on defense last year and should make an even better improvement this year. Willy Bynum is small, but he is a very fiesty, tough defender who is similar to a young Lindsey Hunter (hounding the ball handler all the way up court). Kwame Brown is only good for rebounding and play post defense, but at least he can do it pretty well. Jason Maxiell is still there and he is a defensive powerhouse. I hate that they go rid of Arron Afflalo because he would have been a big time asset to them on defense. Yes, they are not as good as recent years on defense anymore, but they still have enough players to make their defensive systems (which have always been good) work. And wasn't that they excuse about why Ben Wallace was overrated? Because of how good the "system" was for the Pistons defense? That excuse can't work now? [ Reply to Comment ]
HurricaneDij39 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 12, 2007	Posted on: July 21, 2009 8:07 pm Score: 117 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far Good work on the blog. I'm interest in knowing what you think the Blazers need to do. I didn't think Turkeyglue was the answer here in Portland. That would have been a mistake. We need a backup PF, starting SF and another PG. Portland needs to shore up its toughness and defense. What say you?I agree with you in that the Blazers are a bit soft. However, I don't see the need to make any blockbuster moves. They just need to patch things up a bit. I don't know why they went after Turkoglu, because I don't see that he fits this team at all. That just sounds to me like your owner is trying to show off his wealth. The Blazers certainly don't need help at the wing positions. Some depth at PG and up front would be nice. All-in-all though, I think Greg Oden is key for your team to get to the next level. He was inconsistent last year and needs to have a breakout year and provide that toughness the Blazers need. [ Reply to Comment ]
HurricaneDij39 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 12, 2007	Posted on: July 21, 2009 8:09 pm Score: 88 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far Hey Big B, I heard that Ben Wallace was close to returning to the Pistons. I bet that's a sigh of relief on your part that he's not going to be playing for the Suns. [ Reply to Comment ]
The Big B Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 29, 2007	Posted on: July 21, 2009 8:14 pm Score: 123 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far Hey Big B, I heard that Ben Wallace was close to returning to the Pistons. I bet that's a sigh of relief on your part that he's not going to be playing for the Suns. Hehe, I knew he wouldn't staying on the Suns. They don't like defensive players, especially if they can't score 15+ points a game. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out and he comes back to Detroit. That would be great, and it would be a big help for their defense. Maybe he'll pick up right where he left off and proove the haters wrong. [ Reply to Comment ]
Bleemer Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 22, 2009	Posted on: July 22, 2009 12:41 pm Score: 139 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far I have to agree with the Cavs signing Anderson Varejao to a long term deal. He's a hustle guy that should never be in the starting line up. He's prefect to be the second guy off the bench to give a little energy to a team. But as a starter he's horrible. He can't shoot to save his life. He needs to be with 5 ft of the hoop to even have a prayer and even then its a toss up. His defense on other big men is weak. The few times he was up against Dwight Howard in the playoffs, he got man-handled. Overall way too much money for not enough skills. As far as Jamario Moon goes, the Cavs needed a guy who can play the 3 spot when LeBron is off the floor or when he shifts to the 4. They didn't have that player last year. Wally Szerbiac couldn't cut it and won't be on the team next year. Sasha Pavalic is gone (finally). So for the money that they put on the table, I don't think its a horrible move. Its a definite upgrade over what they had last season in that role. [ Reply to Comment ]
bighomie66 Reputation: 86 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 14, 2008	Posted on: July 22, 2009 12:56 pm Score: 121 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far I agree mostly with your blog. However i think in the honorable mention or possibly even in the top 5 should be orlando's decision to trade for an aging Vince Carter (selffish player, not a great passer, wont make Howards life easier) giving up a young talented player like Courtney Lee and letting Turkoglu go. Their chemistry last year and their length on the wings with Lewis and Turkoglu with Howard down low was what created the insane mismatches. Bad move on their part for trading for a name. Otis Smith has had a bad summer as GM also with resigning Gortat. Another honorable mention should be dallas offering J Kidd way more than he was worth. He has looked a step slower every year for the last three. Any thoughts? [ Reply to Comment ]
HurricaneDij39 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 12, 2007	Posted on: July 23, 2009 2:31 am Score: 117 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far However i think in the honorable mention or possibly even in the top 5 should be orlando's decision to trade for an aging Vince Carter (selffish player, not a great passer, wont make Howards life easier) giving up a young talented player like Courtney Lee and letting Turkoglu go. Their chemistry last year and their length on the wings with Lewis and Turkoglu with Howard down low was what created the insane mismatches. Bad move on their part for trading for a name.Well, Orlando needed a pure scorer to compliment Howard, not just a jump-shooter like Turkoglu. Granted Vince Carter quit on poor teams in the past, but he's older and more mature now and the Magic certainly aren't a poor team. They replaced Lee with Matt Barnes, which I think is an upgrade. Overall, I's say if you take away the Gortat signing, this as been a very good offseason for Orlando. Another honorable mention should be dallas offering J Kidd way more than he was worth. He has looked a step slower every year for the last three. Any thoughts?Yeah, I agree that Jason Kidd got too big of a contract, especially considering that he's already 36 as it is. However, bringing Kidd back in itself just made sense for the Mavs, as they had no other options at the PG position. [ Reply to Comment ]
f5alcon Reputation: 0 Level: Amateur Since: Jan 18, 2009	Posted on: July 23, 2009 12:52 pm Score: 65 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far i have a hard time seeing the thunder not improving, they wont start 3-29 again, so even if its 10-22 to start the season, they would be a 30 win team. Their projected starting lineup only played 17 games together last year, Krstic and mullens are better then petro and swift, so not even taking into account the impact of harden they should do better then last year. [ Reply to Comment ]
HurricaneDij39 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 12, 2007	Posted on: July 23, 2009 1:03 pm Score: 94 Top 5 Worst NBA Offseason Moves Thus Far I'm not saying they'll finish 23-59 again, but there's just too many holes in this team for them to make significant improvement. I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of 28 wins for next season. [ Reply to Comment ]

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