NBA Free Agents 2013: Big Names Not Worth Massive Money

There are plenty of big names on the market during the NBA's free-agency period this summer. 

Good luck finding big names that are legitimately worth spending a lot of money on, though. 

From an overrated center to an undersized shooting guard, free agency has it all this summer, certainly plenty for teams to overpay for.

Here are some big names who are not worth massive money this summer. Some may surprise you.

Dwight Howard

There are many reasons why I wouldn't bother signing Dwight Howard this season.

For one, we all know about his tendency to create drama. After his last season with the Orlando Magic and his season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012-13, it's hard to argue that point. He had a rift with former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, then had a rift with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. He even had a rift for a little bit with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant. He just can't seem to get along with anyone.

Secondly, Howard's play has regressed over the past two seasons.

As Bill Simmons of Grantland.com noted in May:

"

From 2008 through 2011, Howard dragged a half-decent Magic team to a 219-102 record and one Finals appearance. These last two seasons, Howard's Magic/Lakers teams finished 75-55. Huge, huge difference. His offensive numbers dipped dramatically...

"

The numbers back that up this season. Even though averaging 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks seems outstanding, he ranked 38th in the NBA in PER (via Basketball-Reference.com), suggesting that his basic stats didn't line up with his overall impact on the court. And those who watched Howard play last season don't need advanced statistics to understand that. It didn't help that Howard appeared to dog it on defense throughout the course of the season.

On top of that, Howard suffered a torn labrum in January, yet another reason to be cautious when offering him top dollar.

Josh Smith

Josh Smith can be a do-it-all player for you. When he is attacking the rim relentlessly, he can be an absolute force. 

The problem is, Smith doesn't always attack the rim, instead opting to take fadeaway jumpers and three-pointers when basically everyone in the entire world is telling him not to. He's either stubborn or lazy in this regard, and neither are good qualities.

Smith averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals last season, but he registered a PER of 17.7, good for 70th in the NBA. He took 41 percent of his shot attempts from 16 feet out, despite shooting 32 percent from that range, per NBA.com. FYI: He shot 63 percent from eight feet in. 

Despite the evidence staring Smith right in the face, he continued to chuck up shots from the perimeter. And, no, that wasn't part of the Atlanta Hawks' game plan.

Smith could be so much more than he is, but he curiously refuses to look at the basic facts and tailor his game accordingly.

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis averaged 19.2 points and 6.0 assists last season for the Milwaukee Bucks. Good, right?

Wrong.

He also shot 42 percent from the floor and 29 percent from beyond the arc. He also had one of the worst assist-to-turnover ratios in the league among guards who averaged at least 30 minutes per game, via Hoopdata.com.

The thing is, the stats show that Ellis makes a bigger impact as a point guard than a shooting guard, which is scary considering his assist-to-turnover ratio. According to 82games.com, he registered a PER of 21.1 as a point guard with the Bucks last season, while he recorded a PER of 14.4 as a shooting guard. Altogether, Ellis registered a PER of 16.2 last season, good for 115th in the NBA, via Basketball-Reference.com.

The big problem, of course, is Ellis' size (6'3", 185 pounds), which doesn't match up to most shooting guards in the NBA. He averaged 2.1 steals per game last season, but he still ranked 190th in defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.com. Those who have watched him play throughout the years know that he gambles a lot instead of playing solid man-to-man defense—he's naturally going to rack up steals, and that tends to hide the rest of his defensive game from the outside observer.