Worst free agent signing, Sarver-era

[Griffin]

What was the Suns worst free agent signing so far during Sarver era? Take into account contract size.

 

[JS22]

Childress and it's not even close.

Beasley has been a pretty bad signing but at least he's had a few decent moments and his contract isn't completely horrible.

 

[SirStefan32]

Beasley is by far the worst player, but at least it was only a two-year guaranteed deal with a buyout option of some sort. Chilli's contract was just insane.

I would also include Channing Frye in this poll.

 

[Chaplin]

Marcus Banks. At a time where we should have gotten that one last piece for a championship, we sign... Marcus Banks??

 

[95pro]

Q wasn't bad, its just the spurs that took him out of the game by shutting him off from the 3pt line. and our coaches inability to adjust to that

 

[95pro]

and how does gordon even make that list? he's was never officially a sun.

it'd be another thing if he we on the roster for big buck and injured.

 

[95pro]

its a toss up between childress and banks, least childress could ball a little here an there. banks was pretty bad, but pringles refused to substitute him on D within those few little seconds left in the half lol.

banks it is

 

[Gaddabout]

Has to be Banks, because his contract was so punitive compared to his performance.

 

[slinslin]

Childress did not do anything more than Banks and his contract was bigger.

Beasley? Way too early to judge. He is a project, you don't judge that after 20 games.

 

[Covert Rain]

I am also going to say Childress because of contract size. However, Banks was bad bad bad. At least I had seen flashes out of Childress. Banks? I cringed every single time that dude touched the ball.

 

[Chaplin]

Think about the makeup of the Suns when Banks and Childress were signed. Banks wins.

 

[Ronin]

No love for Eric Piatkowski?
Dude got payed to sit on the bench...

 

[Covert Rain]

Think about the makeup of the Suns when Banks and Childress were signed. Banks wins.

Perfectly valid argument. Maybe the question should be Worst free agent signing based on contract or impact on the team. Banks would win hands down.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think that one has to look at it in terms of financial cost and contribution on the court. Since the two primary candidates, Banks and Childress, proved virtually worthless to the Suns (and the Suns had to pay the full salary of Childress), he wins the worst free agent signing in the Sarver era. Banks was included in the Marion trade for Shaq but that's another story and the Suns saved some salary there.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Write-in candidate, Steve Nash. If we hadn't signed him, Mike D's system would have failed and Sarver would have never become convinced he was a genius owner. Bob would have stayed out of the limelight and let basketball minds make basketball decisions and/or he would have sold off his stake after a year of futility. By now, we'd probably have a new ownership group and someone like Rick Carlisle as our Head Coach. We'd also quite possibly have several years of young talent primed to explode.

Steve

 

[Phrazbit]

Beasley is the worst player we've signed but when everything is factored in I think its gotta be Marcus Banks. Especially if you consider we went with him over going through the growing pains of developing Rajon Rondo... then played Banks in about 2 meaningful minutes during his entire tenure.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh

 

[Griffin]

I voted for Childress as well. The Suns overpaid to get him, essentially outbidding no one, gave up a second round pick too, but barely ever used him. He was out of rotation for two years. Seems like the Suns regretted their decision to sign him almost immediately and had no plan at all how to incorporate him into their roster (or completely misjudged what he would bring to the team).

Banks was a horrible signing too, but a less expensive mistake.

and how does gordon even make that list? he's was never officially a sun.

it'd be another thing if he we on the roster for big buck and injured.

The Suns made the decision to sign him to a maximum contract. I think that was the biggest guaranteed contract offer the Suns made during Sarver era. Considering other players the Suns passed on (or decided not to re-sign) during Sarver's tenure, the Gordon signing, and its potential ramifications if NO didn't match, should not be ignored.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns made the decision to sign him to a maximum contract. I think that was the biggest guaranteed contract offer the Suns made during Sarver era. Considering other players the Suns passed on (or decided not to re-sign) during Sarver's tenure, the Gordon signing, and its potential ramifications if NO didn't match, should not be ignored.

I dont think he really belongs either. I think if Gordon had made it onto our roster he would be our worst signing in a landslide, there would be no real point in paying attention other than on draft night for the next 3-4 years. But luckily New Orleans out 'stupided' us.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i've probably got to go with Banks. Banks was signed when? in the 2006 off-season? Yeah... that was a terrible singing at the same amount of money that we passed on TT for, who was a PERFECT fit for DA's system and a desperately needed big, who could hit the three and even create his own shot every once in a while... and gee wouldn't it have been nice to have TT in Game 5 versus the Spurs with Diaw and Amare out. as much as an offensive juggernaut as that team was, i think it literally would have been unstoppable with TT off the bench as well. and I think that Banks salary pushing us over the cap was a factor in having to trade away KT the next off-season as well. At 8 million over, Sarver couldn't stomach it, but I gotta believe that at 4 million over, he could have lived with that and geared up for one last run with a group that really deserved it, especially after having added Hill for pennies on the dollar.

Childress was an awful signing for sure, but that signing came when this team's present and future were already over and thus it doesn't matter as much to me.

 

[Griffin]

I dont think he really belongs either. I think if Gordon had made it onto our roster he would be our worst signing in a landslide, there would be no real point in paying attention other than on draft night for the next 3-4 years. But luckily New Orleans out 'stupided' us.

In terms of actual consequences I agree, Gordon's signing didn't cost the team anything (technically it did force them to use the amnesty on Childress in order to sign Scola while Gordon's offer was still pending). But in terms of poor decisions made by management, it's right up there with the others, or at least it seems that way at the moment while Gordon has yet to play a game this season for NO.

 

[JS22]

Write-in candidate, Steve Nash. If we hadn't signed him, Mike D's system would have failed and Sarver would have never become convinced he was a genius owner. Bob would have stayed out of the limelight and let basketball minds make basketball decisions and/or he would have sold off his stake after a year of futility. By now, we'd probably have a new ownership group and someone like Rick Carlisle as our Head Coach. We'd also quite possibly have several years of young talent primed to explode.

Steve

You are REALLY reaching. Not to mention your vote is completely ridiculous. Nash / D'antoni were responsible for some of the best seasons in Suns history. His last season or two was pretty brutal but you can't forget what he was able to do before that.

 

[Errntknght]

Pringles was a lot of the problem with Banks. Dude could defend like a demon when he set his mind to it but 'Antoni couldn't care less so Banks adopted that attitude. Give him a head coach who prized that ability at that stage of his career and it may well have taken an entirely different path.
On top of that Mike treated Marcus the worst of all the backup point guards that went through that revolving door - he would yank him out at his first mistake and bench him entirely for weeks. Barbosa was as bad or worse backing up Steve, and an awful defender, but Mike coddled him, bringing in his brother to coach and baby sit him for over a year, which helped Barbs recover. (Though not enough to ever be a PG in the NBA.)

 

[AzStevenCal]

You are REALLY reaching. Not to mention your vote is completely ridiculous. Nash / D'antoni were responsible for some of the best seasons in Suns history. His last season or two was pretty brutal but you can't forget what he was able to do before that.

Well, I never really take things like this all that seriously because there are just too many factors involved to compare fairly so I took a little liberty with the poll. I enjoyed the Nash/Amare years immensely but I cringed every time we treated a draft pick casually. I seriously doubt we'd have been giving away draft picks if we hadn't had immediate success with the Nash/Dantoni combo.

I'm not like many of the fans on this board. I don't demand a championship, I think that's unreasonable. I demand the team prepare and build towards a team that is capable of winning a championship and if they do that I'm a happy camper regardless of results. There is just too much luck involved in winning it all and I never lose sight of the journey itself.

Despite the entertainment of the Nash years, it was clear to most of us that we really weren't doing everything we could to build towards a championship. Oh sure, we could have won it all with Mike's system but our lack of depth created mostly by selling off picks left us with a very small margin for error. That margin of error was lessened even more by our unbalanced approach to the game.

So, while I have very fond memories of the Nash years, I can't help but think we'd have been better off had we never gone down that path. Of course, an even better way to go would have been to sign Steve and not make some of the incredibly dumb decisions we made along the way.

Steve

 

[Battle of Evermore]

It has to be Banks. 25 Mil for 5 years. We traded Rondo who we drafted to sign him. Childress was a bad signing too but it was not one that possibly cost us a championship.

 

[95pro]

Write-in candidate, Steve Nash. If we hadn't signed him, Mike D's system would have failed and Sarver would have never become convinced he was a genius owner. Bob would have stayed out of the limelight and let basketball minds make basketball decisions and/or he would have sold off his stake after a year of futility. By now, we'd probably have a new ownership group and someone like Rick Carlisle as our Head Coach. We'd also quite possibly have several years of young talent primed to explode.

Steve

shaking things up, i like it. but its really impossible to say that we'd be saddled with primed talent ready to explode. lol

those were some great years with nash amare and marion, even with jj. i'll never forget going to those playoffs, all series long lower level seats. good times