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Each year, teams anxiously await the start of NBA free agency to begin negotiating deals.
However, oftentimes, teams get a little too overzealous and end up drastically overpaying players. This usually happens when teams pay role players like fringe stars or stars like superstars.
There were numerous bad free agent deals handed out throughout the 2010s, with many coming in 2016 after the league experienced a salary cap spike. A lot of these deals haunted teams for years and now serve as a cautionary tale to today’s front offices.
So on that note, let’s take a look at some of the worst free agency signings of the 2010s in no particular order.
Chandler Parsons - Memphis Grizzlies
After being a standout second-round pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft, sharpshooting forward Chandler Parsons quickly became a hot commodity.
Parsons was poached by the Dallas Mavericks as a restricted free agent in 2014 after agreeing to a three-year, $46.1 million offer sheet. However, he only played two seasons in Dallas before opting out of the final year of his deal.
The Memphis Grizzlies then jumped in and signed him to a massive four-year, $94.5 million contract in 2016.
Parsons never lived up to expectations in Memphis as he struggled with injuries. He failed to average double digits in scoring during all three of his seasons with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2019. The forward was out of the league a year later.
In total, Parsons averaged just 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.1 3-pointers per game on 39.3% shooting over 95 games with the Grizzlies.
Luol Deng - LA Lakers
After thriving as a scoring forward over 10 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng had short stints with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. He was then signed to a four-year, $72 million contract by the LA Lakers in 2016, despite being on the downside of his career.
Deng only ended up playing two seasons with the Lakers before being waived in 2018. This included him sitting out nearly the entire 2017-18 season.
In total, Deng averaged just 7.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.9 spg and 0.9 3pg on 38.7% shooting over 57 games with the Lakers.
Timofey Mozgov - LA Lakers
Unfortunately for the LA Lakers, Luol Deng wasn’t their only disastrous free agent signing in 2016. The team also overpaid Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov.
LA awarded Mozgov a four-year, $64 million contract despite him being a relatively unskilled big man. Mozgov lasted just one season in LA before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. He was out of the league the following year.
Mozgov averaged just 7.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.8 apg and 0.6 bpg on 51.5% shooting over 54 games with the Lakers.
Joakim Noah - New York Knicks
Joakim Noah was widely viewed as one of the best defenders in the NBA during most of his nine seasons with the Chicago Bulls. Noah made two All-Star teams and was the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year among other accolades.
However, by the time 2016 free agency came around, Noah was well past his prime and injury prone. Unfortunately for New York Knicks fans, that didn’t stop the franchise from signing the aging big man to a four-year, $72.6 million contract.
Noah only ended up playing two seasons for New York before being waived in 2018. In total, the big man averaged just 4.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 spg and 0.7 bpg on 49.1% shooting over 53 games with the Knicks.
Nicolas Batum - Charlotte Hornets
Nicolas Batum enjoyed a successful seven-year tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The forward was awarded a massive five-year, $120 million deal by the Charlotte Hornets in 2016. Batum proved to be a solid two-way role player over his five seasons with Charlotte. However, he was constantly limited by injuries before being waived in 2020.
In total, Batum averaged just 12.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.6 3pg on 41.9% shooting over 308 games with the Hornets. Charlotte only made the playoffs once in his five seasons with the franchise, losing in the first round to the Miami Heat in 2016.
Batum currently plays for the LA Clippers.
Also read: What are the top 5 Free agency signings of the 2010s? Taking a closer look
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
