NBA Free Agency 2012: Jamal Crawford and More Signings That Will Not Pan Out

The 2012 NBA free-agency signing frenzy began on Wednesday in earnest.

Following a 10-day moratorium, plenty of teams made some major upgrades going into next season.

However, not all of these moves were wise, and a number of GMs will be disappointed that they doled out contracts to players that will not live up to expectations.

Let’s take a look at three of these guys.

Rashard Lewis: Miami Heat, 2 years, $2.8 million

Shard hasn’t been a relevant player in three seasons. He was never that great, although his abilities as a stretch four with insane three-point shooting abilities made him one of the highest-paid players in the league until being amnestied.

The Heat are hoping he can return to his elite form on a cheap contract, but it’s just unlikely that the 32-year-old does anything more than ride the pine for the defending champions.

He’s too old and doesn’t have the heart or desire to compete at a high level anymore.

Steve Novak: New York Knicks, 4 years, $15 million

This is a lot of money dedicated to a guy who is most known for doing the “discount double check” celebration that he lifted from Aaron Rodgers after making a three-pointer.

He’s deadly accurate from beyond the arc, but his use beyond that is limited to nothing. If Novak isn’t hitting threes, he’s literally doing nothing on the court.

Considering the Knicks are doling out dollars left and right to their superstars and free agents, this was a frivolous and unnecessary contract for an easily replaceable player.

Jamal Crawford: Los Angeles Clippers, 4 years, $25 million

The Clips direly needed a SG, but signing a relentless 32-year-old gunner was not the right direction to go in.

Crawford has been on the decline lately and does not fit in with a pass-first group that likes to run-and-gun up and down the court.

The career 15.3 PPG scorer averages 13.1 field-goal attempts per game, and he has come off the bench for a majority of his time in the NBA.

With Chris Paul running the show in LA, they should have targeted a more accurate shooter that thrives off the ball.