New Orleans Pelicans: Worst free agent signings of the last 3 years

New Orleans Pelicans free agents: Signing Darius Miller was a huge mistake

Darius Miller

Darius Miller signed a contract extension on July 21, 2019,  a two-year deal worth $14.25 million.

About a month later it was announced that Miller would have season-ending knee surgery and he didn’t play a single minute in 2019-20.

I don’t blame Miller for getting hurt, injuries happen, and there is not much the Pelicans could have done to stop it but the real question is why they thought this guy was worth $7 million a year in the first place.

This is a guy who has averaged six points and 1.7 rebounds per game for his career. Yes, he has shot 38 percent from 3-point range, but that hardly seems enough to sign a guy to a lucrative contract, especially when there were much better players available.

Here are some small forwards who made around $7 million or less last season:

P.J. Tucker

Davis Bertans

De’Andre Hunter

Jae Crowder

Torrey Craig

Not all of these guys were available to the Pelicans but it gives you an idea of what $7 million should get you, which is a proven veteran contributor, which Darius Miller was not.

The Pels took a risk that he was going to improve when he was 28-years-old, which isn’t a good bet. Miller might not be the worst player the Pels ever signed, but that cap space could have come in handy, especially in the bubble where they had so little forward depth.

The Pelicans need to do better in free agency and avoid signing injury-plagued guys who collect money not to play.