Ranking the Worst NBA Free Agent Classes of the Last Decade
The midpoint of the calendar brings the excitement of NBA free agency, a moment when marquee players may decide to switch teams and shake up the power balance of the league.
However, it's not always a very dramatic time.
In some years, the list of available talent is simply underwhelming. That, incidentally, has been the case recently, and the 2023 cycle may end up extending a streak that dates back to 2020.
But the 2020s are not alone.
Two other summers in the last decade—despite having one major headliner—stand out as free-agent classes that, thanks to hindsight, we see lacked star power and high-end depth.
5. 2014
1 of 5
The main headline of the 2014 cycle featured LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given the team's championship two years later, that development remains a key piece of NBA history.
Beyond him, however, it was a modest year.
Chris Bosh and post-prime Carmelo Anthony otherwise stood as primary options. Key young talents were Eric Bledsoe, Kyle Lowry, Greg Monroe and Lance Stephenson, who were all quality players but viewed more as complementary pieces than true rising stars.
Dirk Nowitzki, not that he was going to leave the Dallas Mavericks, had a painless claim to a top-five spot as a 36-year-old.
Ultimately, the only non-LeBron players to change teams and sign contracts worth more than $20 million were Chandler Parsons, Channing Frye, Spencer Hawes and Pau Gasol.
4. 2021
2 of 5
Ah, 2021, otherwise known as the year the Chicago Bulls went for it.
Considering how cautious most franchises are during free agency, this effort is admirable. Chicago saw a competitive window opening, and they acquired both Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Unfortunately, injuries to Ball have dimmed the grand dreams once envisioned.
Another problem is three top players (Jarrett Allen, John Collins and Duncan Robinson) were restricted free agents. Along with headliners Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul, none of them seemed like strong candidates to change uniforms—which held true.
The next-best prizes, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley, were entering their age-36 and age-34 seasons, respectively.
It's fair to say 2021, although not necessarily a bad summer, didn't exactly bring a memorable July.
3. 2016
3 of 5
I am reasonably sure that context makes 2016 look worse. The salary cap suddenly soared from $70 million to $94 million, providing teams with an outlet to overpay in free agency if desired.
Friends, they did just that.
Because of the substantial jump, 24 players signed multi-year contracts worth at least $15 million per season. The list included Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Evan Turner, Kent Bazemore and Ian Mahinmi. And we won't even get started on the surprising players who landed in the lower eight-figure range.
The most expensive contracts that turned sour belonged to Andre Drummond, Nicolas Batum and Hassan Whitewide. Injuries derailed Chandler Parsons' career, too.
The redeeming quality is Kevin Durant's memorable switch to the Golden State Warriors, along with LeBron re-signing in Cleveland. Bradley Beal made his All-Star ascent in this contract, too.
Still, the frenzy of 2016 is not remembered fondly around the NBA.
.png?w=256)
2. 2022
4 of 5
The bright side for the 2022 class is time, in theory, hasn't run out. Perhaps some of them transform into go-to players.
Short of Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal and maybe Jalen Brunson, however, who could be on that track?
James Harden is likely past that portion of his career, while Deandre Ayton has become potential trade fodder. Mitchell Robinson, Anfernee Simons and Lu Dort are effective players, but in complementary roles—similar to others, such as Jusuf Nurkic and Bobby Portis.
As with any free-agent class, you can identify a good number of contributors. The issue is, relatively speaking, that 2022's top tier was mostly above-average talent and thin on legitimate stars.
1. 2020
5 of 5
Anthony Davis deserved his place as the No. 1 player available in 2020. Brandon Ingram, who the Los Angeles Lakers had shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans in return for Davis, easily led the restricted market.
The rest of the class lacked a punch, save for Fred VanVleet inking his first big-money extension with the Toronto Raptors.
Gordon Hayward had become a fourth option on the Boston Celtics, yet the Charlotte Hornets handed him $30 million annually. Veterans forwards Danilo Gallinari and Marcus Morris Sr. also commanded $16 million per season to hold quaternary roles, at best.
The next tier included floor-spacers Davis Bertans, Joe Harris and Bogdan Bogdanovic and young bigs Christian Wood and Montrezl Harrell.
Sure, there is decent production within this group. But only a couple have bolstered their landing spot in a truly hard-to-replace way.
.png?w=480)
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")