NBA Free-Agent Signings 2012: Grading Latest Offseason Pickups

There have been a flurry of free-agent signings the past few days, and some fanbases are pumped.  Most notably, the Boston Celtics brought in bench scorer and sharpshooter Jason Terry to be the team's sixth man.

Similarly, the Dallas Mavericks have been making moves of their own as they look to get back into title contention.

Still, there have of course been some contracts given out that are just head-scratchers. Just when the NBA went through a lockout that was largely brought on by bad contracts, some GMs clearly haven't learned their lesson.

Let's play teacher and hand out grades to some of the recently signed contracts.

Anthony Randolph

Randolph was selected 14th overall out of LSU in the 2008 draft, but he hasn't been the dominant inside presence he was in college. For his career, Randolph has averaged just 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and just over a block per game.

Those numbers aren't god-awful, but take this into consideration. Yesterday, the Denver Nuggets amnestied tough big man Chris Andersen and signed Randolph to a three-year deal worth $6 million.

The money isn't ridiculous, but given how soft Randolph has appeared on defense, he isn't exactly worth a multi-year deal. It isn't the worst contract that could have been given out, but you can't help but wonder what Denver GM Masai Ujiri was thinking.

Grade: C

O.J. Mayo

Mayo recently agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, and while financial terms have not yet been disclosed, this is an excellent signing for the team. They have a hole in the scoring department now that Jason Terry has gone to Boston, and Mayo's 15.2 career points per game will definitely fill that void.

On top of being a pure scorer, Mayo is also excellent when shooting from long range.  Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies last year, he averaged 12.6 points per game and shot 36 percent from downtown. For his career, Mayo has shot 37 percent from three-point land.

The man is clearly talented, but he still carries a small amount of risk. In Memphis, Mayo famously fell out with coach Lionel Hollins and went from being a starter to the sixth man.  That shouldn't be an issue in Dallas, but it is something to consider in the back of our minds.

Still, it's a solid signing.

Grade: A-

Kris Humphries

Humphries was looking for a multi-year deal, and the Nets granted him his wish, albeit in a small manner.  Yesterday, he signed a two-year, $24 million deal to be part of the inaugural Brooklyn season (via ESPN).

Simply put, Nets GM Billy King got a steal. Humphries had a career season in which he averaged 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game, so one would assume that he'd sign a big contract worth millions of dollars for another team. Instead, he took the hometown discount with the Nets, thus letting the team keep its dominant power forward who has the potential to lead the league in rebounding.

Grade: A

Jason Terry

Easily one of the best bench players in the NBA, Terry averaged 15.1 points per game on 38 percent three-point shooting for the Dallas Mavericks last season. Entering free agency, his 2011 championship ring upped his value to something Dallas couldn't really afford to retain.

Thus, with sharpshooter Ray Allen having departed for the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics went out and signed Terry for three years, $15 million. The money isn't the worst it could be, but it still seems a bit steep for the former Arizona Wildcat.

The Celtics are a team that needs to get younger and instead of using that money to go after someone like Courtney Lee, who they can now only offer the $1.9 million biannual exception, they spent it on Terry, who will be 35 in September.

Again, it's not a bad signing, but the money is just way too much.

Grade: B-

Jeremy Lin

It's official, folks. The Houston Rockets have landed Jeremy Lin for three years at the cost of a whopping $25.1 million. Simply put, they way overpaid for the Harvard grad.

Nothing against Lin, as I was a huge fan of his during the Linsanity craze in New York, but he's worth nowhere near that much money, particularly since the last year of the contract will pay him $14.8 million. Keep in mind, though he broke out last year, he still only played in 35 games and has just 64 career games under his belt.

On top of that, is he going to be one of the go-to guys in Houston's system? If he's just meant to be a passer and defender, then why the big payday? Keep in mind, Houston also has Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons and rookie Jeremy Lamb available to score points this coming season.

That said, I just have no idea what Houston GM Daryl Morey was thinking here. Lin is talented, but nowhere near worth that amount of dough.

Grade: D