5 Worst free agent signings in New Orleans Pelicans history
By Mat Issa
The summer of 2016 spending spree is one party the Pelicans shouldn’t have joined.
The summer of 2016 will forever live in agony in the hearts of many franchises, as that offseason marked some of the worst instances of over-spending the league has ever seen (we’re looking at you Los Angeles Lakers).
The Pelicans made sure they didn’t miss out on all the irresponsible fun, inking theoretical “three-and-d” wing Solomon Hill to a four-year, 52-million dollar deal.
We say theoretical “three-and-d” wing because Hill never really materialized into that type of player for New Orleans. He was a solid defender for his position, but far from someone who moved the needle for you at that end of the court. The Pelicans were actually better on defense with him off the floor in two of his three seasons in New Orleans.
And he was never really much of a shooter, either, averaging a conversation rate of 33.2% on the 4.1 threes he attempted per game during those three seasons.
The worst part about that signing is that the team was not only overpaying Hill, but they were also missing out on the opportunity to use those resources to get Anthony Davis the help he so desperately needed. Who knows, maybe if the money used to sign Hill had been used more thoughtfully, Davis would still be a Pelican.
It’s also kind of ironic that Hill’s final season with the team, 2018-19, was also Davis’.