The NBA offseason is a time for optimism as the contending teams have the chance to add to their core while the teams that missed the playoffs get another chance to bid for top free agent talent and capitalize on their draft position.
However, NBA offseason moves don’t always pan out for both the team and players. As we approach the halfway mark of the regular season, let’s take a look back at three key offseason moves that haven’t panned out this season.
Lance Stephenson, Charlotte Hornets
Stephenson rose to prominence with the Indiana Pacers and there was no shortage of experts that anointed him as one of the next big things in the NBA. There was even a bit of drama when Stephenson wasn’t selected to the All-Star Game last season as many felt he was snubbed.
So when the Hornets took a chance and signed Stephenson to a three-year, $27-million it seemed like a smart move that would help fast track Charlotte’s transition from a perennial pretender in to a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. Remember, the Hornets finally made the playoffs last season and appeared to be a young team on the rise.
However, the short marriage between the two sides has been a rocky one to this point and there are already rumors that the team would willingly move Stephenson for the right price. The 24-year-old has averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game and while those aren’t terrible numbers, his attitude – combined with the fact that the Hornets expected so much more of him as a leader – it’s clear that his addition has not panned out the way they expected.
The thinking was that with Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson and Stephenson, they’d continue their ascent up the Eastern Conference standings. As it stands today, they’ve only won 12 of their first 36 games and wouldn’t even be in the playoffs if they started today.
Channing Frye, Orlando Magic
Frye, 31, was a key piece for the Phoenix Suns last season when he averaged 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench. He parlayed a strong year in to a new four-year deal with the Magic and while he was expected to put up better numbers in an increased role, his stats have actually regressed in his first season with Orlando. Frye has averaged just 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game despite playing a minute more per game and seeing more touches than he did with Phoenix last season.
Making matters worse is that Frye has dealt with nagging injuries, including a nagging elbow/triceps injury that have impacted his play and given his age things could get worse moving forward.
A lot of people ripped this signing in the offseason, deeming it a bonehead move and it’s panned out that way. It looks like the Magic could be regretting this deal for a few more years.
Jodie Meeks, Detroit Pistons
It might not be as egregious as the Josh Smith signing a couple of years ago but the three-year deal that Detroit gave to Meeks in the offseason is yet another example of how this team hasn’t been able to maximize its ability to add assets to the fold.
The Pistons have two excellent big men in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, and Brandon Jennings has done what has been expected of him, but one player that has not lived up to his billing is the veteran Meeks. Or maybe it’s the fact that the Pistons were expecting too much of Meeks, who was a marginal player to begin with. Meeks averaged 15.7 points per game for the Los Angeles Lakers last season but recall that Kobe Bryant missed most of the year and the team was completely depleted.
For his career, Meeks has averaged just 9.8 points per game and has never really stood out. At any rate, Meeks has not been a difference maker in Detroit’s backcourt. A lot of eyebrows were raised when they gave him $19 million to join and it looks like the skeptics are being proven right.
