NBA free agency: Worst contracts of 2016
4. Allen Crabbe – Trail Blazers (4 years, $75 million)
In a vacuum, the Portland Trail Blazers choosing to match the Brooklyn Nets offers sheet given to young wing Allen Crabbe makes sense even at almost $19 million per year. Yes, that’s probably too much money, but Brooklyn was trying to force Portland’s hand and he’s a young player with obvious talent and room to improve as he gets into his prime. However, what makes this contract so awful on the books in Portland is how re-signing Crabbe and matching the offer sheet fits into what else they did in free agency and how their roster is already constructed.
Though Crabbe has seen some time at the three with the Trail Blazers, his most natural position is at the two. Therein lies the first obvious problem with the contract as Portland is signing a player that, given their roster construction, is going to be coming off of the bench. Whereas four years and $75 million might be too much for Crabbe regardless of role, that you’re paying that to a reserve player is absolute insanity.
On top of that, the Trail Blazers also went out in NBA free agency and signed Evan Turner, yet another player that’s going to take away minutes from Crabbe. Subsequently, the contract is now even worse as Crabbe is being paid to be a reserve at both his primary and secondary positions in the Portland system. This is just bad news all around and not a great move for a team looking to be on the rise after last year’s success.
Next: No. 3 Matthew Dellavedova