NBA Free Agency: 5 worst contracts of 2015
By Brad Rowland
Omer Asik, New Orleans Pelicans – 5 years, $60 million
On the surface, I don’t understand a five-year investment in Omer Asik at $12 million annually. Amusingly, the deal looks even worse in context.
First, the Pelicans employ perhaps the game’s most intriguing talent in Anthony Davis. While Davis has been dominant at the power forward position, many NBA experts and pundits predict that he will be increasingly valuable if given some minutes at center when his body matures. And, well, Asik’s presence stands in the way of that potential progress. Beyond that, New Orleans invested a somewhat crazy four-year, $20 million deal with Alexis Ajinca (who nearly made this list) to create their own log jam up front for no apparent reason.
In a vacuum (again), Asik has value. He is a very good defensive player with length and the ability to protect the rim. Unfortunately, he is virtually a one-way player, and at the age of 29, it would be borderline crazy to expect any real development on the offensive end of the floor. In fact, Asik’s hands are the object of many jokes in the basketball world. He doesn’t have anything approaching a jump shot, and his lack of pick-and-roll versatility can be damning in the wrong lineup.
Asik’s age is what really makes this deal even worse. Paying five years for a player with his skill set (even in the interesting climate) is aggressive, but assuming that he will be able to hold up even at this level over five seasons is unrealistic.
Moving Anthony Davis to center might be the best option in the long term for New Orleans, and they’ve blocked that potential with a contract albatross. Yikes.
Next: Reggie Jackson