NBA Free Agency 2012: Trail Blazers Max Offer to Roy Hibbert Makes No Sense

Roy Hibbert was offered a maximum contract by the Portland Trail Blazers just days after the franchise selected Meyers Leonard with the No. 11 overall pick in the NBA draft. 

According to SI.com's Sam Amick, the deal is for four years and worth $58 million. Let's put aside the debate over Hibbert's choice to sign the deal or not. Instead, let's focus on the Blazers' offer.

Offering an up-and-coming center a maximum deal after drafting a big man in the lottery makes absolutely no sense. I don't understand general manager Neil Olshey's angle, and I wonder if he really does.

Hibbert is going to be a starter for many years to come, and Portland wouldn't offer him a maximum contract otherwise. Leonard's development will be dependent on his playing time, and he isn't going to get much behind Hibbert in Rip City. If you aren't going to develop Leonard, it's a wasted lottery pick.

It would be one thing if Hibbert was old, because you could argue that Olshey was simply signing a veteran mentor for his rookie center, but he's 25 years old. He's already made an All-Star team. He isn't going anywhere.

If Portland was planning on offering Hibbert a maximum deal, they should have avoided Leonard and selected a player at another position. Quality perimeter players were available, and Portland may need a replacement for free-agent Nicolas Batum. Instead of doubling down on a pivot, they should have gone with this route. 

Hibbert is a great player. In my opinion, he's going to go to anywhere between five-to-seven more All-Star games in his career. He's a quality player on both ends of the floor and a consistent double-double threat every night. Offering him a maximum contract makes sense for a team that's ready to win now, but he makes Leonard a "lame duck" prospect. 

Maybe the Trail Blazers' brass has something up their sleeve. If they don't, I'm going to file this move under the "bizarre" column. 

Portland could have drafted Leonard, saved their money and played for the future. Instead they drafted Leonard and offered a deal to a more established player at the same position. Talk about a head-scratcher.