Top 5 Biggest NBA Free Agency Fiasco's Since 2004
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — DeAndre Jordan was not the first free agent to verbally agree to a contract during the NBA's moratorium period, only to go back on that agreement and sign with another team.
The period before free agency officially begins allows for players to negotiate with teams, but no actual contract can be signed for a designated period of time. NBA players contracts normally expire June 30, but free agency does not begin till at least a week or so later.
This puts players and teams in a bit of limbo, and although it does not happen often, players can and have violated any verbal agreements they make during this period.
Here is a list of the top 5 biggest free agency fiasco's since 2004.
5. Hedo Turkoglu, Verbally Committed to Blazers, Signed with Raptors
After the 2008-09 season, Hedo Turkoglu was a free agent after opting out of his contract with the Orlando Magic. Turkoglu had helped lead the Magic to the NBA Finals and averaged 16.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game in the 2008-2009 season.
The Portland Trail Blazers had reportedly received a verbal agreement from Turkoglu that he would sign a five-year, $50 million deal. Turkoglu had met with general manager Kevin Pritchard and coach Nate McMillan over dinner when he allegedly gave them a commitment. Turkoglu, however, would go on to accept a five-year, $53 million deal with the Toronto Raptors instead, spurning the Blazers and leaving them shocked.
The Blazers had a large amount of cap space, $10.1 million to be exact, and had promised it to Turkoglu during their discussions. However, Turkoglu decided to take the larger deal in Toronto, worth about $3 million more than the offer Portland had given him. Apparently Turkoglu and his wife also preferred Toronto to Portland.
The move left Blazers fans furious with Turkoglu, and they would go on to passionately boo him in the following years he would play the Blazers in Portland. Fortunately for Blazer fans, Turkoglu never averaged more than 11.3 points per game after he left the Magic.
4. Jason Kidd, Verbally Committed to Mavericks, Signed with Knicks
Jason Kidd, now the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, had started his career with the Dallas Mavericks, so when he gave them a verbal commitment in the summer of 2012 to remain with the team, no one doubted that he was returning. Kidd had played the past four and a half seasons with the Mavericks but was a free agent after the 2011-2012 season
Kidd had agreed to a three-year deal worth $9 million to stay with the Mavericks but would not stick to that agreement. However, after playing a round of golf, Kidd apparently didn't feel right.
"In the morning I felt like I was going to be a Mav, then I went and played golf, and I just didn't feel right," Kidd said.
He went on to accept a similar contract with the New York Knicks, which shocked Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
"I'm sure I'll get over it at some point," Cuban said. "But as of now, I wouldn't put J. Kidd's number in the rafters."
The following year, Kidd would average 6.0 points per game while also averaging a career-low 26.9 minutes per game. He would retire after just one season with the Knicks and become coach of the Brooklyn Nets the following season.
3. Carlos Boozer, Verbally Committed to Cavaliers, Signed with Jazz in 2004
After the 2003-2004 season, Carlos Boozer was coming off a season in which he averaged 15.5 points per game and 11.4 rebounds per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers had drafted him with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft.
The Cavaliers had the option of making him a restricted free agent or keeping him under contract for one more year with a salary of $695,000. The Cavaliers were eager to keep Boozer and valued him at much more than the salary he was projected to make. The Cavaliers allowed him to become a restricted free agent under the pretense that they had an understanding with him that he would re-sign with the club for a contract worth $39 million over six years.
Cavaliers executives were under the impression that a handshake agreement had been made, so they allowed him to get out of his rookie contract worth only $695,000 over one year.
However, Boozer received an offer sheet from the Utah Jazz worth $70 million over six years. Since Boozer was a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers had the opportunity to match any contract offered to him, which would have kept him in Cleveland. However, due to salary-cap restrictions, Cleveland decided not to match the offer and let Boozer walk.
The backlash in Cleveland was not pretty, as owner Gordon Gund said: "I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return."
The Cavaliers would not make the playoffs until two years later, losing to the Pistons in the conference semifinals, as a young LeBron James had very little help from the team around him. The Cavs would get swept in the NBA Finals the following year by the Spurs, and just three years after that, LeBron James would leave for the Miami Heat.
2. DeAndre Jordan. Verbally Committed to Mavericks, Signed with Clippers
DeAndre Jordan was a free agent for the first time in his young career this summer and had never dealt with the difficult decision of where to play and who to play for. During the NBA's moratorium period, Jordan agreed to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks over four years worth $87.7 million.
After a few days of letting the reality of moving back to his home state to play for the Mavericks set in, Jordan seemed wary. He phoned Clippers coach Doc Rivers a couple of days before free agency began, telling him that he made a mistake. This led to a whole contingent of suitors from both the Clippers and the Mavericks rushing to Houston, Jordan's hometown, in an attempt to sway him one way or another.
The Clippers seemed to have the edge, as on the eve before free agency, Clippers forward Blake Griffin tweeted out multiple images inside Jordan's house, while Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had last heard from Jordan several days before.
Jordan ended up re-signing with the Clippers, igniting a firestorm on Twitter from Mavericks fans. Cuban was not pleased either, as he would get into a Twitter battle with ESPN reporter Chris Broussard regarding the facts of his own pursuit of Jordan.
Jordan's indecision had hurt the Mavericks deeply, as they had already passed up on other free agent centers like Tyson Chandler and Robin Lopez, under the impression that Jordan was signing with them.
1. LeBron James, "The Decision" on ESPN
Although LeBron James never actually gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a verbal commitment, LeBron's decision ignited absolute uproar in Cleveland. Fans burned jerseys, flipped over cars and some even cried.
James was born in Akron, Ohio, and played high school at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Ohio as well. James was drafted by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and played his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers.
James was Cleveland's hope to finally break their championship-less streak that dated (and still dates) back to 1964 when Jim Brown led the Cleveland Browns to an NFL title.
To Cleveland fans, James had committed one of the worst betrayals the city had seen, second only to Art Modell's relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.
Not only did James leave his hometown, but he had agreed to do a TV special with reporter Jim Gray called, "The Decision." James had planned to announce his decision live on television July 8, 2010. It was in this TV broadcast that James uttered the famous words, "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat."
The broadcast did raise $2.5 million for charity, but James felt an immense amount of ridicule and backlash for publicly humiliating Cleveland on live TV by declaring he was leaving.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert felt personally betrayed by the move as well, which prompted him to write an open letter calling out James. In the letter, Gilbert said "I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE."
Gilbert continued by saying: "This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his 'decision' unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment."
He addressed Cleveland fans directly in the letter, saying that they did not deserve such "cowardly betrayal" and that the "self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south."
In what he called a "shocking act of disloyalty," Gilbert illuminated the anger of Cleveland fans throughout Ohio and throughout the country with his open letter.
Cleveland fans were especially angry that James took to national television to announce his decision. ESPN showed videos from bars in Cleveland, where fans appeared like the world had just ended. The best player in the NBA had left their team, and they felt betrayed by the fellow-Ohioan James.
