Examining the worst NBA free agency deals of the summer

Despite the ever-increasing salary cap, at least in a pure monetary sense, the allocation of resources in the NBA is more important than ever, given the punitive nature of luxury and repeater taxes, and the new apron system.

Thankfully, NBA teams are now (almost) all exceedingly clever with how they dole out their money (at this point, the only team attending Bill Simmons legendary Bad GM’s Summit would be the Pelicans). That said, there are still teams who made moves ranging from head scratching to downright inexplicable.

Let’s look at a handful of the worst free agency deals signed this offseason.

Dennis Schroder – Sacramento Kings

Contract: $45 million, three years

The constantly trade-available German guard will suit up for his ninth team in the past five seasons. Schroder was moved three times on his previous deal, one which paid him a lesser annual value than the one he has just inked. That tells a story.

The veteran, who will be 32 years old when the season begins, is a good backup who can play starters minutes in limited doses and the right situation. With second year man (though already 23 years old) Devin Carter expected to be the long-term solution at the point and the Malik Monk/Zach LaVine/DeMar DeRozan triumvirate anticipated to soak up a lot of the ball handling duties, what exactly does Schroder offer this Kings side for his money?

He's a pesky defender, though hardly lockdown, and is a spotty shooter at best. The fit simply isn’t there, especially when either of the Jones brothers or D’Angelo Russell were available for less money.

Clint Capela – Houston Rockets

Contract: $21.5 million, three years

The Swiss Roll is a fading force. Almost entirely reliant on athleticism, the 31-year-old has regressed to the point where he lost his starting place in Atlanta to Onyeka Okongwu (only regaining it once Jalen Johnson was lost for the campaign) and was a near mainstay on the trade block (admittedly, on a much larger salary).

With Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams already in-house, is Capela simply expensive injury insurance? Or does general manager Raphael Stone have a larger play in mind? (Hey, Giannis!)

Myles Turner – Milwaukee Bucks

Contract: $108 million, four years

In a vacuum, paying $27 million per season for a defensive presence like Turner, who can shoot it reasonably well, is perfectly fine. He replaces the king of his player archetype, the 37-year-old Brook Lopez, in Milwaukee. Additionally, subtracting him from their hated rivals in Indiana sweetens the pot substantially. But when you look under the hood, examining what Milwaukee had to do to be able to get Turner in, the deal starts to look more dicey.

In waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s remaining $113 million, the Bucks have added $22.5 million of dead money to their cap for the next half decade. In that light, the Bucks are in effect paying north of $49 million for the privilege of Turner’s presence. That is an awfully steep price to pay for a good, though far from great, player.

Duncan Robinson – Detroit Pistons

Contract: $48 million, three years

The plan here is obvious. With Malik Beasley currently entangled in an alleged gambling scandal and Tim Hardaway Jr. heading to the Nuggets, the Pistons clearly want to shore up their defensively-deficient-three-point-flamethrower stocks.

At $18 million per season, though, he is a tough sell. This is similar to the money he made as a member of the Heat over the past few years, and given the distinct lack of interest in his services, it’s clear that the league views him as negative value.

Who was Detroit bidding against, here? While an elite shooter with great size, Robinson is amongst the worst defenders in the league and, at age 31, is unlikely to improve in that regard. Is he that much better than Simone Fontecchio, who the Pistons gave up in the sign-and-trade to get Robinson?