2012 NBA Free Agency: Top 5 Losers in Free Agency

2012 NBA Free Agency – Top 5 Losers in Free Agency: Not every NBA team hits it big during the free agency period. Whether it is simply a matter of a player deciding to sign with a different team or the front office just making bad moves, there are always several teams that come out of the offseason in worse shape than when they entered. From a betting standpoint, knowing which teams struggled in free agency can definitely help when it comes to placing NBA futures bets. With that in mind, here are the biggest losers in NBA free agency thus far.

2012 NBA Free Agency: Top 5 Losers in Free Agency

1.      Dwight Howard

While I am kind of cheating with this pick because Howard is a player and not a team, there is no question that the big man has looked horrible throughout the free agent process. Howard has attempted to hold the Orlando Magic hostage and force a trade to Brooklyn, but now that the door has closed, nobody knows when he will be traded or where he will be traded to. The silly thing with the whole situation is that Howard made the choice to opt in to the final year of his contract in Orlando when he could have already been a free agent. He can’t make up his mind, and he is essentially pouting until he gets his way. Howard needs to worry less about where his millions will be coming from and focus instead on trying to make some free throws.

2.      Houston Rockets

One of the strongest suitors for Howard has been Houston. The Rockets are poised to offer a huge package of young players and future draft picks for the big man, banking that he will decide to sign with the franchise long term once he experiences the city and the team. The problem is the Rockets have committed to this strategy, and of the three possible outcomes, two of them are bad. The ideal scenario is that Houston lands Howard, he resigns, and the Rockets have a franchise player to build around. However, Houston could also end up mortgaging the future for a player that stays only one season. The Rockets could also fail to land Howard all together, leaving them with a roster that features mainly big men and rookies that was supposed to be trade bait and not a long-term roster. Houston has been on the verge of making the playoffs for two years in a row, and it is strange to see the franchise act so desperately.

3.      Utah Jazz

It seemed like the Jazz were heading in the right direction, building a playoff-caliber team around one of the better frontcourts in the Western Conference. However, the team’s moves in free agency can be described as strange at best. First, Utah attempted to solve its point guard issues by bringing in journeyman Mo Williams. Granted, Williams has been able to provide some offense off the bench at some of his stops, but he has never lived up to expectations as a full-time starter. Worse yet, the Jazz also worked a deal to bring Marvin Williams to town. The former No. 2 overall pick has been a huge bust, struggling to find any kind of an offensive game other than a streaky jump shot. Sure, Utah made some moves, but the bottom line is that the Jazz still don’t have a backcourt they can count on.

4.      Toronto Raptors

Toronto threw a huge contract at Steve Nash with the hopes of luring the Canadian back to home country. The Raptors even went as far as to throw a contract offer at New York’s restricted free agent Landry Fields, hoping that the Knicks would run out of cap space for Nash once they matched the offer to keep Fields. Instead, Nash ended up going to the Lakers, and New York decided not to keep Fields. Without Nash, Toronto still doesn’t have a point guard or a face of the franchise. The Raptors also got stuck with a player that they didn’t really want in Fields. Toronto’s master plan came up empty.

5.      Phoenix Suns

Trading Steve Nash to the Lakers for a collection of draft picks could potentially pay off long term, but in the meantime, Phoenix needs a game changer. The Suns tried to solve the issue by offering a huge contract to shooting guard Eric Gordon, but New Orleans decided to match the offer on the restricted free agent. In the aftermath, Phoenix is left with a roster that ranks among the NBA’s worst. Without a star-caliber player to shoulder the scoring load, the Suns are about to experience what life is like when Nash isn’t getting everyone on the court easy looks at the basket. It isn’t going to be pretty.

Get the latest NBA vegas odds daily on NSAwins.com plus visit for 2012 NBA expert predictions and updated 2013 NBA Championship Odds.