The start of the NBA regular season is upon us. Some teams will look very different entering the campaign, including the Philadelphia 76ers after they added SF Jalen Brown and PF LeBron James.
In terms of players changing teams via hefty contracts, there weren’t a ton of noteworthy moves. Given the circumstances of the modern CBA, a lot of player movement came via trades or re-signings with prior clubs.
With that in mind, let’s look at some deals that were signed over the summer and highlight the five worst NBA free agency signings from this offseason.
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5 Worst NBA Free Agency Signings This Offseason
Here are five of the worst NBA free agency signings of the offseason. This hoops season, you can make your NBA picks on PrizePicks for player stats, game winners, futures, and more!
SG Gary Trent Jr. Signs 4-Year, $64 Million Contract to Stay on Bucks
Gary Trent Jr. only averaged 21 minutes over 65 games with the Bucks last season. According to Basketball Reference, his usage rate was only 17.2%, which was the third-lowest mark of his career.
Known for his 3-point prowess, he also shot 36.0% from behind the arc. While that might be good for many players, that was his lowest figure since he appeared in just 15 games during his rookie season. That left him to average only 8.1 PPG.
If Trent isn’t making treys in bunches, he doesn’t bring much to the table. Last season, he only averaged 1.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.5 steals. Despite his lackluster production and the Milwaukee Bucks changing franchise directions by trading PF Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, Trent was brought back on a hefty deal.
The Bucks signing Trent to this large of a contract makes such little sense that the NBA is investigating the deal for possible salary cap circumvention. Even with his new pact in hand, Trent isn’t likely to serve as much more than a depth piece.
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Cavaliers Sign PG James Harden to 3-Year, $97M Contract
Regular-season stats are never the problem for James Harden. He's coming off another excellent campaign in which he averaged 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 3.1 3-pointers. He's also generally a healthy player, appearing in at least 70 games in each of the last three years.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired him last season in a deal that sent PG Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers, the hope was that the veteran could increase their upside and provide a more reliable option in their push for a title.
The problem with Harden is that he has a history of coming up short in the playoffs. The Cavaliers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Harden only averaged 20.1 points and shot 41.5% from the field on the path to get there.
The Cavaliers were then swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks, with Harden averaging 16.0 points and shooting 38.9% from the field.
Despite Harden struggling in big moments (again), the Cavaliers signed him to a big extension. While the team will likely have plenty of regular-season success, it’s difficult to feel good about their chances of winning a championship. Harden is 37 years old, so time isn't on his side either.
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C-PF Kristaps Porzingis Signs 2-Year, $40M Contract to Return to Warriors
Talent isn't the question with big man Kristaps Porzingis. He showed his significant impact when the Boston Celtics won a championship in 2024. His problem has been staying on the court.
He only played 42 games the year after winning the title, then the Celtics traded him to the Atlanta Hawks prior to last season. He was eventually moved again to the Golden State Warriors; he combined to play just 32 games across the two franchises.
Even with Porzingis missing so much time with a mystery illness and other injuries, the Warriors signed him to a two-year, $40M contract. Only $3M for the second season is guaranteed, but for an organization trying to help PG Stephen Curry succeed in the late stage of his career, even this feels like grasping at straws.
Porzingis is already out indefinitely as the season prepares to get underway.
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Heat Sign SG/SF Klay Thompson to 2-Year, $11.48 Million Contract
The Heat needed to replenish their depth chart after sending SG Tyler Herro, C Kel'el Ware, F Jaime Jaquez Jr., and PG Kasparas Jakucionis to the Bucks in the Giannis deal. With the franchise firmly in win-now mode, it decided to target veterans to help fill the void. One of them was Thompson, who's on a two-year deal.
Thompson isn't the player he was during his glory days with the Warriors. He averaged a career-low 11.7 PPG with the Dallas Mavericks last season and saw his playing time drop to 22 MPG. Of his 10.6 shot attempts per game, 7.6 came from behind the arc.
The problem with the Thompson signing is that he could start. That would mean he'd take minutes away from their promising young wing Pelle Larsson, who averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season.
Thompson is also not a good defender at this point, further diminishing his value to a team with championship aspirations.
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SF Saddiq Bey Signs 3-Year, $55.5M Contract to Remain in New Orleans
It’s difficult to figure out the New Orleans Pelicans’ plan right now. Despite finishing 26-56 last season, they brought back mostly the same roster. That included signing Bey to a three-year extension.
New Orleans was riddled with injuries, which contributed to Bey averaging 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 3-pointers over 72 games. He played a lot, too, logging 31 MPG. As they enter this season, he could come off the bench behind SF Herbert Jones, who appeared in just 56 games in the previous campaign.
The Pelicans have a deep bench, with players including PG Jeremiah Fears, wing Bennedict Mathurin, and C Derik Queen all potentially on the second unit.
For a team that likely won’t make the playoffs, paying a reserve that much over the course of three seasons isn't a wise move.
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We saw plenty of head-scratching signings over the offseason, including the Bucks singing Trent to a deal that appears so outrageous that it triggered an investigation by the league. The contracts for Harden, Porzingis, Thompson, and Bey could also lead to disappointing results for their respective franchises.
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