Worst NBA contracts of all time

[Brankles]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Stupid argument. So they accept they aren't going to win a championship anyway so they go and blow all their money on a role player? That is nonsense...If they aren't going to win now they should be planning towards the future.

So with him instead of getting swept out of the first they get swept out of the 2nd. And still get no good picks regardless. And just spent a boatload of money to do so. If you're giving a guy max money he better be taking you to the next level and not limiting your future. Bonehead move by the Hawks.

It's not a stupid argument, it may be smarter for the Hawks to stay relevant rather than wait years to rebuild. Maybe they will time their signings of being about the 8th-10th best team in the league for 5 years with year 6 being their rebuilding year. At least that's keeping fan interest and some reason to keep people watching the team and financially keep them above water.

I'm with you, though Starling. I don't like that "good enough" way of thought. I believe Atlanta is better off taking the Supersonics/Thunder approach of letting Joe Johnson (Ray Allen) go and rebuilding with draft picks and development of their young players.

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

K, maybe I was a little harsh but you understand where I was going...

[Cebby]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Stupid argument. So they accept they aren't going to win a championship anyway so they go and blow all their money on a role player?

Absolutely not

However it's not a bad idea to spend money to resign your best player who has made the All Star team the last four years and was All NBA last year.

If they aren't going to win now they should be planning towards the future.

And how in the world would you do that? Between Marvin, Josh Smith, Horford, and Zaza they'll be tied up for between 35-40 million the next three years. So they'll have 15-20 million in cap while losing their top two scorers and their point guard who are their only perimeter scorers.

Turning this Hawks team into a championship team would require trading Josh Smith and Marvin for expiring, and then hoping that Horford will stay through 2-3 seasons of tanking while hoping to get a top 3 pick in a good draft.

If you're giving a guy max money he better be taking you to the next level and not limiting your future

But that wasn't the option.

The Knicks didn't choose to sign Johnson with capspace over Lebron or Wade. The Hawks chose to resign Johnson with almost no capspace.

There weren't any other max players they could have gotten because, even if they wanted to go to Atlanta, Atlanta couldn't offer them the max.

I believe Atlanta is better off taking the Supersonics/Thunder approach of letting Joe Johnson (Ray Allen) go and rebuilding with draft picks and development of their young players.

Those were completely different situations for two reasons:

1. Joe Johnson is a free agent and was being let go for nothing. The Sonics turned a long term contract in Ray Allen into expirings and the #5 pick.

2. Most importantly, the Sonics had the #2 pick and draft Kevin Durant. If the Hawks had Kevin Durant on a rookie contract then by all means resigning Johnson would have been stupid. However, instead of replacing Allen with Durant, the Hawks would be replacing Johnson with...errr...an old TMac...at best.

3. The Sonics were already awful. They finished with the 5th worst record so they were clearly in rebuilding mode. Losing Allen put them in tank and get a another great pick. The Hawks finished tied for the 6th best record and are way too good to tank even without Johnson.

[Brankles]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

I forgot to put in my earlier response Ray Allen/Rashard Lewis instead of just Ray Allen.

Anyway, I see your argument Cebby and it makes complete sense. I just don't think handcuffing yourself to Joe Johnson for the next 5 years is the best move, as you probably aren't going to win anything with him and you won't improve over those 5 years. Those seasons are going to be spent counting down the days to when Joe Johnson's contract expires and the team can finally start in a new direction. So many teams do that, they tie themselves down to being a second tier, non-championship team, and don't give themselves any room for flexibility.

We've basically seen the Hawks' ceiling this season and it ended in an easy sweep by Orlando. The East is only getting stronger. Ride out the LeBron/Wade/Bosh/Dwight/Boston tidal wave for 2 or 3 seasons and put the team in a position to win a title down the road.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

We've basically seen the Hawks' ceiling this season and it ended in an easy sweep by Orlando. The East is only getting stronger. Ride out the LeBron/Wade/Bosh/Dwight/Boston tidal wave for 2 or 3 seasons and put the team in a position to win a title down the road.

The problem is that Lebron and Bosh will be in their prime for another 5 years and if Wade is in Chicago his decline will be Noah and Rose's prime.

More importantly however, this is the NBA, not the NFL or MLB. In those sports you can build a team for the long haul by drafting well even if you don't have a top 10 pick.

In the NBA, you can't do that. Getting good enough players to turn you into a championship team requires either crazy luck in free agency (Lakers with Shaq, Suns with Nash), getting really, really lucky in trades (Pistons and Celtics), or a top pick (every other championship team ever).

The Hawks likely wouldn't have had any of those so you do the next best thing.

Losing in the second round isn't ideal, but it's a hell of a lot better than being the team on the sporcle quiz that everyone forgets because you're a below average team every year.

[blackngoldfan]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Luke Walton 4yr 21mil.

He's slow and can't shoot. Dude gets 21mil because "He knows the triangle". If his name wasn't "Walton", he wouldn't be in the league.

[Taur3asi3]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

In regards to the Hawks, It's better to make the playoffs with your ceiling being the 2nd round and most likely losing in the 1st then spending another decade in the lottery. Only a handful of teams are championship contenders the best everyone else can hope for is a playoff birth and to make it into the 2nd round.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Tyrus Thomas is soon to be on this list as well. Just pay attention in the next few weeks and you'll see why I said this.

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

In regards to the Hawks, It's better to make the playoffs with your ceiling being the 2nd round and most likely losing in the 1st then spending another decade in the lottery. Only a handful of teams are championship contenders the best everyone else can hope for is a playoff birth and to make it into the 2nd round.

If they wanted their ceiling to be the 2nd round they could of done it alot cheaper than dropping max money on Joe Johnson...

[Cebby]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

If they wanted their ceiling to be the 2nd round they could of done it alot cheaper than dropping max money on Joe Johnson...

How?

This is about the fifth time you've said this yet you have not given a single reasonable way for the Hawks to replace Johnson with the roughly 5-6 million dollars they have available.

With the money they have available they couldn't even sign Drew Gooden, Amir Johnson, or Travis Outlaw, even though all three combined aren't as good as Joe Johnson.

So what is this move where the Hawks replace Johnson with 5-6 million?

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Well if my math is correct they had roughly 7 million to play with, and seeing Travis Outlaw just got signed for roughly 7 million a year, I would imagine that could of been an option. Of course referring to the fact that they have accepted only making it out of the first round.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Well if my math is correct they had roughly 7 million to play with, and seeing Travis Outlaw just got signed for roughly 7 million a year, I would imagine that could of been an option. Of course referring to the fact that they have accepted only making it out of the first round.

So Travis Outlaw, a guy who averaged 9/3.5/1 on 39% shooting could replace Joe Johnson with no problems?

I can understand "hating" some players, but Joe Johnson?

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

So Travis Outlaw, a guy who averaged 9/3.5/1 on 39% shooting could replace Joe Johnson with no problems?

I can understand "hating" some players, but Joe Johnson?

I don't hate Joe Johnson one bit. We were talking about their ceiling being the 1st or 2nd round and them signing someone for cheaper that could attain the same ceiling. Not saying Outlaw is Joe Johnson by any means but seeing Joe Johnson is non-existant in the playoffs I would imagine Outlaw could perform to the same level. They do play in the East and without Johnson have a good enough roster to compete.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

I don't hate Joe Johnson one bit. We were talking about their ceiling being the 1st or 2nd round and them signing someone for cheaper that could attain the same ceiling. Not saying Outlaw is Joe Johnson by any means but seeing Joe Johnson is non-existant in the playoffs I would imagine Outlaw could perform to the same level. They do play in the East and without Johnson have a good enough roster to compete.

Exchanging Johnson for Outlaw gives them the ceiling of a good lottery pick. That team isn't making the playoffs or is getting swept as the 7th or 8th seed.

Plus, as awful as the Hawks were prior to 2008, I'm sure the fans wouldn't be too pleased to watch them let their star player walk. That's a Clippers type move.

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: Worst NBA contracts of all time

Exchanging Johnson for Outlaw gives them the ceiling of a good lottery pick. That team isn't making the playoffs or is getting swept as the 7th or 8th seed.

Plus, as awful as the Hawks were prior to 2008, I'm sure the fans wouldn't be too pleased to watch them let their star player walk. That's a Clippers type move.

And I see you're point. I'm not trying to say your wrong. But I think you are giving too much credit to Joe Johnson. They didn't need to sign him and especially for that much money. Without him they are still making the playoffs. Crawford could of stepped in and did the same things that Johnson did in that offense. And if you say no, just look at the stats.

C - Horford
PF - Josh Smith
SF - M. Williams
SG - Crawford
PG - Bibby

Sign a decent bench guy like Korver/Outlaw and you are still going as far in the playoffs with that team out there.