There are some people in the NBA that are good at their jobs, and then there are some that make you wonder why they still have a job. As a fan of the Memphis Grizzlies, I wondered as much about our GM for almost half a decade, who has put the current rebuild into quite a pickle with his carelessness of trading away draft picks. We have already covered what I would consider to be the best offseason acquisitions of this past offseason. Some teams were spot on in their signings or trades, but then there are others that made some laughable decisions. Here are the worst offseason acquisitions from 2019.
Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving
I understand where the Nets were coming from in signing Kevin Durant. When healthy, there is absolutely a case that he is the best player in the NBA. Despite being out for the season with an injury, it was the right call to sign him. Not so much for Irving. I know Irving has been hurt for most of this year, but what exactly did he do during the time he was healthy? Yes, he had a 50 point game, in a loss to the helpless Minnesota Timberwolves. He got out-dueled by rookie Ja Morant in Memphis. That 50 game is really holding up his averages so don’t let that fool you.
Irving is not a leader on a championship winning team. He had a better supporting cast in Boston and wasted it. When Durant returns, perhaps Irving will win another ring. The only reason they are currently in a playoff spot is because the East sucks and the Nets role players have been balling as of recent. For now, this signing is a fat L.
Golden State Warriors: D’Angelo Russell
The other side of the Durant/Irving acquisitions was getting rid of Russell. I loved the Nets bringing in Durant, but did not like replacing Russell with Irving. For the Warriors, it was understandable not wanting to lose Durant for nothing. However, what where they thinking when they added Russell? Russell’s offensive game is nice, but his defense (lack there of) along with Steph Curry rivaled the the Portland Trail Blazers for the worst defending backcourt in the league. Adding Russell seemed like a desperate attempt to stay relevant and to add a big name to justify charging for someone’s left kidney to watch a game. Having Russell on this list isn’t as much as he’s playing terrible, but that it feels more like a waist of money for the Warriors. Maybe they try to trade him, but who has the cap space or assets for a player like Russell?
Houston Rockets: Russell Westbrook
This had to be the worst big name acquisition of the offseason. Why did the Rockets think it a good idea to add the cancer that is Westbrook to the squad? Over half the shots are shared between Westbrook and James Harden. This is not a winning formula. Westbrook cannot throw the ball into the ocean. His 23% from three has to be the worst percentage among other All-Stars that have taken as many threes as he has (0-8 3pt shooting night against the Warriors). The Rockets are a flashy team that will get bounced in the second round, and it will be Westbrook’s antics that are the cause of it.
Utah Jazz: Mike Conley
As much as it pains me to say it (the Grizzlies fan) Conley has sucked this year. It took him forever to finally make a basket and cannot seem to find his groove. We are over a quarter of the way through the season, if someone is not in their groove now then they are in trouble. The Jazz have been playing great while Conley nurses an injury, and even when Conley did play he was not a big part of the wins. The Jazz did not give up too much for Conley, but he expectations set by many for Conley and the Jazz are what makes this one of the more disappointing deals of the year.
Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier
Rozier finishes our look at the worst offseason acquisitions. Celtics fans saw this coming from a mile away. Besides Irving, Rozier was one of the worst parts of last year’s Celtics squad. All Rozier cared about was trying to convince someone to sign him, and he did so to the Hornets. The Hornets front office needs to stick with rebuilding through the draft, as they did a great job in trading for Devante’ Graham and drafting PJ Washington. Rozier is just a cap filler and a massive disappointment for Charlotte fans. I am truly sorry to Hornets fans everywhere that the front office bought into what Rozier was selling. Hopefully, for their sake, this mistake won’t have any lasting effects.
