Best of: The Best And Worst Move From Every NBA Team In The 2017 Offseason
This offseason was truly the best we’ve ever had. From the insane free agency period, to all of the shocking trades, there has been an unprecedented amount of chaos. And for (almost) each team, there has been the good- but there has also been plenty of bad. Here are the best and worst moves made by each team during this historic summer.
Atlanta Hawks
Best Move: Drafting John Collins 19th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
While you can argue that a few other prospects might have been better options at #19, there’s no denying that in a franchise-altering offseason for Atlanta, this was a great pick. Collins seems like a lock to be a good NBA player, and has already showed flashes of great potential in the Summer League. If you need a dark-horse candidate to win Rookie of the Year, you’re looking right at it.
Worst Move: Re-singing Ersan Ilyasova to one-year, $6M contract
This being the worst move of the Hawks offseason is proof that new GM Travis Schlenk has done a great job thus far — this signing is truly harmless, Ilyasova is a fine veteran who can stretch the floor. This signing provides no long-term benefit to the team, as Ilyasova is way past his prime, but it doesn’t hurt either.
Boston Celtics
Best move: Signing Gordon Hayward to four-year, $128M contract
This one shouldn’t come as a shock- Hayward wasn’t the only player of high value that the Celtics acquired this offseason, but he’s the only one they didn’t have to trade anything for. Unlike Kyrie Irving, Hayward was a free agency signing — they did not have to sacrifice a major haul of assets- they just added one of the 25 best players in basketball.
Worst move: Drafting Jayson Tatum 3rd Overall in 2017 NBA Draft
The idea to trade down from the top pick and acquire an additional asset and pick at number three was certainly interesting, but to pass on Markelle Fultz in favor of a player in Tatum, whose play-style does not fit today’s NBA as well, was a head-scratcher.
Brooklyn Nets
Best move: Trading Brook Lopez and the 28th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov
Getting a player in Russell who was the second overall pick just two years ago for Lopez, who was only going to spend one more year with the team, was a brilliant trade by GM Sean Marks. Taking on Mozgov’s disastrous contract was certainly not a desirable choice, but they had significant cap space at the time.
Worst move: Drafting Justin Patton 22nd Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Patton isn’t a bad pick by any means, but like Atlanta, the Nets didn’t really make any bad moves this summer — like the Hawks, Brooklyn has a wise and forward-thinking guy running things.
Charlotte Hornets
Best move: Drafting Malik Monk 11th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
How Monk will fit in the NBA, and with current backcourt mate Kemba Walker, is still up in the air. He has the size and defensive abilities of a Point Guard and the offensive skills of a Shooting Guard. He and Walker are both ball-dominant, and poor defenders. What is not up in the air, though, is if Monk will achieve success in the pros. He’s just too gifted of a shooter and scorer to fail. Even if he becomes just a scorer, he will carve out a role in the NBA for a long time.
Worst move: Signing Michael Carter-Williams to one-year, $2.7M contract
Yes, the Hornets needed a Point Guard on a near-minimum salary. And yes, it never hurts to take a flier on a young player who has shown flashes of potential in the past. But Michael Carter-Williams is objectively one of the worst players in the NBA. There are many other guys they could have gotten instead of a guy who is more likely to have his three-pointer hit the side of the backboard than go through the net.
Chicago Bulls
Best move: Signing Justin Holiday to two-year, $9M contract
The Bulls had a horrible summer. This was their best move, and it wasn’t a very good one — Holiday is an underrated player, but he doesn’t fit their timeline. It was a fine signing, and that’s all it had to be for the Bulls to make their best move of the entire offseason.
Worst move: Trading Jimmy Butler and 16th Overall Pick in 2017 NBA Draft for Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine, and 7th Overall Pick in 2017 NBA Draft
Trading Jimmy Butler was the right idea. Making this trade was the wrong idea. Consider these things about the three players they got — Dunn is already 23 years old and had an awful rookie season. Lavine currently only provides value on the offensive end, and while his game is reliant on athleticism, he just tore his ACL. And Lauri Markkanen, the choice the Bulls made at #7, is considered by many the worst pick of the draft because of his inability to do much other than shoot from deep. Those three players simply are not valuable enough to be worth trading Jimmy Butler for, and it gets even worse- the Bulls were somehow tricked into also giving up the 16th overall pick. The deal didn’t make sense before, and it makes even less sense after news broke that Chicago shipped the Wolves their own first-round pick- when they had already lost the deal.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Best move: Trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick, and Miami’s 2020 second-round pick
Somehow, the dysfunctional organization known as the Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Kyrie Irving saga well, ultimately getting a trade package from Boston that checks all of the boxes. While Thomas can fill in for Irving and keep Cleveland the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, the other pieces protect them in the case of a near future without LeBron James in the fold.
Worst move: Signing Kyle Korver to three-year, $22M contract
When your single goal is to beat a particular team in a seven-game series, and a 37-year old player fails to produce at all against that team, would the right decision be to get rid of them, or give them a three-year contract worth upwards of $20M? Clearly, the Cavs should have just let Korver go — but dysfunctional franchises are going to be dysfunctional, and that’s exactly what Cleveland did here.
Dallas Mavericks
Best move: Drafting Dennis Smith Jr. 9th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
DSJ will be the steal of the draft. At #9, the Mavericks got an explosive athlete with elite offensive potential as well as the tools to become a good defender in the NBA. If Summer League is any indicator, this guy is going to be fun to watch for a long time. Dallas fans should be thanking God every day that Smith somehow fell past eight different teams, right into the Mavericks’ lap.
Worst move: Not giving Nerlens Noel a long-term contract extension
This was the summer from hell for Noel, the Mavericks’ big trade acquisition last February. He and his camp failed to negotiate well, talking themselves out of a four-year, $70M offer. Noel ended up accepting the $4.1M qualifying offer, which means he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer- bad news for the Mavericks. Because given a full year to prove himself, Noel will play well enough to earn a huge deal next offseason, and the Mavericks are now in danger of losing him for nothing.
Denver Nuggets
Best move: Signing Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90M contract
Millsap is the perfect fit with Nuggets centerpiece Nikola Jokic. Where one struggles, the other excels. And they are both excellent passers as well as more than capable shooters. Bringing on Millsap makes the Nuggets one of the best teams in the entire Western Conference.
Worst move: Trading the 13th Overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft for the 24th Pick and Trey Lyles
This move was confusing when it happened, and since the Nuggets have signed Millsap, thus lessening the potential role of Lyles, it seems even more odd. Instead of taking a very good prospect like Donavan Mitchell, they moved down to a much less appealing spot, all to get a player who won’t play very much for them next season.
Detroit Pistons
Best move: Drafting Luke Kennard with the 11th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
This pick was fine. It was by no means a great pick, but Kennard will have a defined role in the NBA as a ball-handler who can shoot the lights out. There were a few guys who fit better at that spot, but Kennard will likely be a solid player for a good amount of time.
Worst move: Signing Langston Galloway to a three-year, $21M contract
Langston Galloway is a decent NBA player. He isn’t good, but not bad either. He fits in with Detroit’s roster as a combo-guard off the bench. But three years and $21M is way too much, especially for a team as financially inflexible as the Pistons are. It seems impossible that anyone was offering him nearly this much- and if they were, then Detroit should have moved on and pursued other options.
Golden State Warriors
Best move: Drafting Jordan Bell with the 38th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
The rich got richer this offseason, and that started in the offseason when the Warriors bought the 38th pick from Chicago in order to select Bell, a March Madness standout who provides immediate value to Golden State thanks to his size, interior defense, and athleticism. He’s ready to contribute right away and has a very high upside. He’ll be in the NBA for a long time, and the Warriors added yet another piece to the puzzle.
Worst move: None
This may seem like a cop-out, but the Warriors truly don’t make any bad moves. Everything else they did this summer- extending Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia, bringing in Omri Casspi and Nick Young- was smart. That’s why they’re on top, and it’s why they will stay there for many years to come.
Houston Rockets
Best move: Traded Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, 2018 top three protected first-round pick to Clippers for Chris Paul
Landing CP3 ranks near the top of the long list of impressive achievements from Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who may be the best executive in the NBA right now. This gives them a superstar duo of Paul and James Harden, two ball-dominant playmakers who will have to figure out how to coexist. But considering how smart the Rockets organization is, they will surely figure it out.
Worst move: None
Like their biggest competition out West, the Rockets failed to make a single bad move all summer. Their signings of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Nene and Tarik Black among others were fantastic, Isaiah Hartenstein was a solid second-round pick, and the Paul trade was a masterpiece.
Indiana Pacers
Best move: Drafted Ike Anigbogu with the 47th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
Anigbogu was slated to be picked in the back-end of the first round for most of the month of June, but fell to the latter half of round two, supposedly because of injury concerns. But if he can stay on the court, he will be one of the best picks of the second round thanks to his elite athleticism and high upside as a rim protector.
Worst move: Traded Paul George to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis
Here are some facts:
- Paul George is one of the 15 to 20 best players in the entire NBA, an elite player on both ends.
- Victor Oladipo has had an unimpressive career, and is on a massive contract that he isn’t worth. In fact, he is currently being paid more than George.
- Domantas Sabonis averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season
- The Pacers would have received a significantly better offer for Paul George from the Boston Celtics had they waited just a week.
Let’s move on.
Los Angeles Clippers
Best move: Signing Willie Reed to a one-year, minimum contract
Reed is not an amazing players by any means, but he is fully capable of being a consistent and reliable contributor, and the Clippers got him for the minimum. It was a very impressive signing that was certainly made by new executive Jerry West.
Worst move: Signing Danilo Gallinari to a three-year, $64M contract
Gallinari is a fine player, but these are just the facts — he struggles to stay healthy, isn’t a great fit with the Clippers’ current roster, and his play when he is healthy simply does not live up to the nearly $22M per year that LA is going to be paying him.
Los Angeles Lakers
Best move: Signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $17M contract
LA’s goal is clear- get LeBron James and/or Paul George in 2018 Free Agency. So, what did they do? They pleased the agent of James by giving another one of his clients a big one-year contract in KCP. But behind-the-scenes politics aside, Caldwell-Pope is a perfect fit with rookie Lonzo Ball due to his defensive versatility and overall elite defense on the perimeter. If LA strikes out on one of their two main targets, they should definitely look to bring back Caldwell-Pope as a long-term piece.
Worst move: Not trading Luol Deng
The Lakers still have a ways to go in order to clear enough cap space for two max contracts in 2018, but shedding Deng’s massive salary will do the trick. Granted, it will be very difficult to find a taker for the remaining three years of his deal. However, you have to find a way in the NBA.
Memphis Grizzlies
Best move: Drafting Dillon Brooks with the 45th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
Dillon Brooks has the potential to be a solid scorer in the NBA. He can play almost any position, can put up points at all three levels, and is not a bad athlete.
Worst move: Not re-signing JaMychal Green
If reports are true, the Grizzlies have no interest in bringing back restricted free agent JaMychal Green. This is not a wise decision, his decent shooting and excellent defensive versatility make him a valuable player in today’s NBA.
Miami Heat
Best move: Drafting Bam Adebayo 14th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Adebayo wasn’t expected to be picked as high as he was, but it was a good pick regardless. The way he fits with Hassan Whiteside is questionable at best, but his relentless motor and great rebounding ability make him a great prospect.
Worst move: Signing James Johnson to a three-year, $43M contract
James Johnson, who is now 30 years old, just had his first good full season. He may have been a key piece for Miami’s second-half surge, but last season may turn out to be a complete aberration.
Milwaukee Bucks
Best move: Drafting Sterling Brown 46th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Sterling Brown is a bit of a long shot, but possesses the tools to become a reliable backup on the wing. Considering the Bucks bought this pick for a small sum of cash, there is really no downside here.
Worst move: Drafting DJ Wilson 17th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Wilson is the typical Milwaukee Buck- long, skinny, athletic, and a bad defensive rebounder. While it’s true that this archetype has worked for them in drafts before, they need to add some size and strength at some point, or simply take the best player available. Unfortunately, Wilson does not check either of those boxes.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Best move: Trading Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and the 7th Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft for Jimmy Butler and the 16th Pick
Any time you can get a star of Butler’s magnitude for such a cheap price, you have to do it. Regardless, the fit is questionable- the Wolves remain desperate for shooting on the outside. Butler makes them a must-see team, but they still have questions surrounding them.
Worst move: Signing Taj Gibson to two-year, $28M contract
When he needed shooting, Tom Thibodeau called on a player who can’t shoot at all and doesn't help Minnesota where they need it. Gibson is a good player, but he simply doesn’t fit in well. Patrick Patterson signed for much less money, and would have been a great fit in Minnesota.
New Orleans Pelicans
Best move: Signing Ian Clark to one-year, minimum contract
With very limited cap space, New Orleans did exactly what they should- grab a player in Clark with ball-handling and shooting abilities, and hope he blossoms into more of an all-around player.
Worst move: Trading Tim Frazier to Washington Wizards for the 52nd Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
Frazier is an above-average backup, and instead of keeping him on a very team-friendly contract, New Orleans traded him for a meaningless second-round draft pick.
New York Knicks
Best move: Firing President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson’s tenure with the Knicks will go down as one of the worst runs by an NBA executive ever. He instituted a system that peaked two decades ago, refused to adapt to today’s NBA, alienated both of his stars, and failed to ever make multiple good decisions- his only accurate call was drafting Kristaps Porzingis in 2015.
Worst move: Signing Tim Hardaway, Jr. to a four-year, $72M contract
Hardaway Jr. entered the summer as one of the better under-the-radar free agents who could have been signed to a valuable contract.
But then, the Knicks happened.
Hardaway can shoot and score in spurts, but the second half of last season was the only time he ever did it for a long duration of time. And even then, he isn’t even close to being worth this much.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Best move:
See: Indiana Pacers-> “Worst Move”.
Worst move: Drafting Terrance Ferguson 21st Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Time well tell if Ferguson can become a reliable backcourt-mate for Russell Westbrook, but there were other prospects available who were simply better- Semo Ojeleye, OG Anunoby and Jonah Bolden to name a few.
Orlando Magic
Best move: Signing Jonathan Simm0ns to a three-year, $20M contract
After his mysterious break-up with San Antonio, Simmons hit the open market and the Magic pounced on the opportunity. This was one hell of a bargain for a versatile two-way player who can provide quality minutes at both wing positions.
Worst move: Signing Arron Afflalo to a one-year, minimum contract
The question I have about this move is: why? Afflalo is old, and not good anymore. Did Orlando just do it because he used to play for them once upon a time? Because this does not make any sense basketball-wise.
Philadelphia 76ers
Best move: Trading the 3rd Overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and the Lakers’ 2018 first-rounder or the Kings’ 2019 first-rounder for the 1st pick
Sixers fans were asked to Trust the Process, and those that did felt the ultimate sense of being rewarded when Philly was able to add its third player with superstar potential by acquiring the top pick to select Markelle Fultz. The trio of Fultz, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid has the potential to terrorize the league for many years to come.
Worst move: Not trading Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor is a terrible NBA player. There’s no way around that fact. He can’t defend, rebound or space the floor. His play-style is outdated. He has never once shown a lick of effort in a Sixers uniform. But all it takes is one team to trick themselves into taking a shot on the #3 overall selection in 2015.
Phoenix Suns
Best move: Drafting Josh Jackson 3rd Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Jackson is the perfect fit on the wing next to fellow Phoenix cornerstone Devin Booker. Booker’s offensive brilliance will mask (and help) Jackson’s struggles on that end, while Jackson’s defensive prowess will have the same effect for Booker.
Worst move: Drafting Devon Reed 32nd Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Reed provides shooting immediately, but not much else. Whether or not he can develop as a scorer or defender remains to be seen, but there were many other prospects who were much more polished still available. It isn’t a huge deal, but the Suns could have done better with this selection.
Portland Trail Blazers
Best move: Trading Allen Crabbe to the Brooklyn Nets for Andrew Nicholson
Crabbe is a very underrated player, but they desperately needed to get off of his contract- and they found the perfect taker in Brooklyn, who was anxious to get a player they once coveted in free agency.
Worst move: Not drafting any wings
Portland came into this summer desperate for help on the wing- and with three first-round picks in a wing-heavy draft class, they used two picks to trade up fora big-man, and spent their other pick on another big. This was a blatant misuse of three first-round draft choices by GM Neal Olshey.
Sacramento Kings
Best move: Drafting De’Aaron Fox 5th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Thanks to his John Wall-esque athleticism and stellar defensive ability, Fox is a lock to be a good NBA player. And when, not if, he adds a jump-shot and a more consistent knack for scoring the basketball, he will be a very good NBA player.
Worst move: Signing George Hill to a three-year, $57M contract
There is not a single aspect of this move that makes sense. Although Hill is a generally underrated player, he doesn’t fit Sacramento’s timeline at all, will win them a few more games than they should, thus damaging their odds of getting a top draft pick next summer. He also clogs the rotation- he will take up lots of minutes that should be going to Fox.
San Antonio Spurs
Best move: Drafting Derrick White 29th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
Every year, the Spurs seem to get a steal at the end of the first round. And while White doesn’t have extremely high upside, he will be a huge help to the Spurs right off the bat- he is pro-ready as a combo guard who can shoot the lights out.
Toronto Raptors
Best move: Drafting OG Anunoby 23rd Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
He is not going to play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL, but when he steps on the court, OG will prove to be one of the best players from this draft class. His jump-shot is a question mark, but he is primed to become one of the NBA’s best defenders. His phenomenal athleticism and freakish length give him the ability to guard all five positions with great success, which is not an easy feat.
Worst move: Not trading Jonas Valanciunas
The time has come for Valanciunas to go- in the small-ball era of the NBA, the Raptors would be much better off dealing him for perimeter depth and starting Serge Ibaka in the middle.
Utah Jazz
Best move: Drafting Donovan Mitchell 13th Overall in the 2017 NBA Draft
When we look back at this draft in a few years down the line, everyone will wonder how 12 teams passed on Mitchell. Because as a combo-guard, he possesses elite defensive potential. His skillset and ability is very much reminiscent of Avery Bradley, and there’s no reason why he can’t be just as good as Bradley.
Worst move: Signing Jonas Jerebko to a two-year, $8.2M contract
Jerebko is an okay player- his only true value comes in his floor-spacing abilities. He isn’t a good rebounder or defender, and doesn’t provide much when he isn’t shooting a jumper.
Washington Wizards
Best move: Trading the 52nd Overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans for Tim Frazier
When you’re as tied up financially as the Wizards are, you have to find ways to get quality players on cheap contracts. And the Wizards found one on the trade market in Frazier, then got him for the price of just an end-of-the-line second-rounder.
Worst move: Signing Jodie Meeks to a two-year, $6.7M contract
This is an example of the opposite of the Tim Frazier trade. When you don’t have much money available to spend, don’t give a one-dimensional player like Meeks over $3M per year for multiple years. It just won’t work.
