The initial wave of NBA free agency has come and gone. Here are the three biggest losers so far.
NBA Free Agency is one of the most exciting and nerve-racking times for NBA fans. Stars and superstars are moving across the league to increase their chances of winning an NBA championship. For fans, their favorite players can leave their team, leaving them in agony, or join their team, leaving them with hope.
Free agency is one of the main factors in how a team will fare off in the upcoming season. If a team doesn't make any changes to their roster, they will see a similar performance to the prior year and a team that makes drastic changes has an idea on what direction the team is going.
As always, there are enormous winners in free agency and there are always enormous losers in free agency. Here are the 3 biggest losers in free agency so far this offseason.
No. 3 biggest loser in free agency so far: Chicago Bulls
In the 2021 offseason, the Bulls had some of the best moves, bringing in DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. At one point during the 2022 season, the Bulls were the No. 1 seed but finished the season as the No. 6 seed due to Ball suffering an injury.
Ball's injury would cause him to miss the entirety of last season and is a reason the Bulls would finish as the No. 10 seed with a record 40-42. The Bulls definitely underperformed last season. With DeRozan entering his 15th season at age 34, the Bulls needed to make drastic changes to their roster in order to compete for a championship.
They would try to make these changes by signing Jevon Carter to a contract of three years and $20 million, signing Torrey Craig to a contract of two years and $5.3 million, and re-signing Coby White to a contract of three years and $33 million.
Last season the Bulls finished 24th in offensive rating and 19th in pace. The moves that they have made so far this offseason are not going to change that nor put them in a position to win a championship.
There are two other factors that make the Bulls big losers this offseason. Based on multiple reports, it is believed that there is a chance Ball may never be able to play on an NBA floor again. Ball is the perfect fit for this team as he would solve their offensive problems but, if he's going to be injury-riddled, it would be better for them to move on.
The second factor that is hurting the Bulls offseason is the Zach LaVine trade rumors. The two-time All-Star has played his last six seasons in Chicago and has made the playoffs only once. The Bulls are looking to move on from him, and if they don't get a good package back for him, it may be time for them to blow up the team.
No. 2 biggest losers in free agency so far: Houston Rockets
It was no surprise to anyone when the Houston Rockets finished last season with the second-worst record in the league at 22-60. The Rockets were a young inexperienced team last season but had great young talent with guys like Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr.
The Rockets started off their offseason quite well as they had the fourth pick in the draft and used that to select Amen Thompson. The Rockets lacked depth and star-like ability at the small forward position and they got just that with Thompson.
When free agency rolled around, the Rockets really lost it. The first big signing they had was Fred VanVleet to a three year deal worth $128 million dollars, which is just under $43 million a year. Last season VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists on 39/34/90 splits. That contract is way too big for VanVleet considering what he did last season.
The signing of VanVleet means that the Rockets are more than likely looking to part ways from either Jalen Green or Kevin Porter Jr. Both players are still young and had just as good of a season as VanVleet statically speaking.
Another questionable signing for the Rockets was giving Dillion Brooks a contract of four years and $80 million. Brooks is coming off a bad season where he shot 39.6 percent from the floor and 32.6 percent from three. In the postseason he was abysmal shooting 31.2 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from three. Brooks hurt the Grizzlies more than he helped them.
There is the possibility of Brooks improving this offseason but it is more than likely the Rockets overpaid for another player. This signing is questionable for the Rockets because it leaves the play of Amen Thompson up to question. After giving Brooks that contract you have to play him but if Thompson outplays him then the Rockets are stuck with that contract.
The VanVleet and Brooks signings make the Rockets big losers for this offseason.
No. 1 biggest loser in free agency so far: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals, their fourth title since 2015, and entered this past season as a top team to repeat. They disappointed, as they finished the season with a record 44-38 and finished as the No. 6 seed. They did make it to the second round of playoffs but were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Warriors' struggles were immediate due to an altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole. This was a cause behind them doing so poorly, especially on the road finishing with the fourth worst road record in the league.
The Warriors had the option of doing away with either Poole or Green. They made the right choice in trading Poole because Green is the heart, soul, and engine of that team. The team would re-sign Green for four years and $100 million. In return for Poole, the Warriors got a 38-year-old Chris Paul.
The Chris Paul pickup wouldn't be as bad if it weren't for his huge contract that has two years and $60.8 million left on it. That is a lot of money to be paying someone for them to be just your sixth man. Taking on this contract means the Warriors are spending around $173 million between Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul.
This would cause them to lose Donte DiVincenzo to the Knicks, who was a very solid role player for them last season. More importantly, the Warriors don't have the cap space to answer one of their biggest weaknesses last season which was the lack of rim protection.
The Lakers took full advantage of that last postseason as Green and Kevon Looney couldn't do anything against Anthony Davis or LeBron James. If the Warriors want to win another Championship, they are going to be playing against teams that have great big men or teams with players who love attacking the basket.
The Warriors haven't made the necessary changes to their team in order to compete for a championship next season. Why will everyone have a little bit of hope for them, don't be surprised if they look a lot like last season. This makes them the biggest loser so far this offseason.
