NBA Free Agency 2013: Top 10 Worst Contracts So Far
By Chris Philip
Apr 27, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets in game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Toyota Center. The Thunder defeated the Rockets 104-101. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
#4. Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves
4 years/$30M (2012-2013: $12.4M)
Age: 30 (2017-2018: 34)
Peers: Goran Dragic, Marvin Williams
Role: Starting Shooting Guard
2012-2013 Statistics: 77 games, 27.7 mpg, 14.0 ppg (45.0%/42.6%/89.0%), 2.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.1 bpg
Rationale: The Timberwolves need perimeter shooting. Kevin Martin shoots often and shoots well. Expect him to return to the starting lineup next season, along with an uptick in minutes played and shot attempts playing alongside Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love instead of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Unfortunately, hard as he tries, Martin is awful defensively. Between the loss of quickness which accompanies aging and downgrading from a top-five defense to a top-20 defense, Martin is guaranteed to regress on that end. Additionally, his other elite skill, drawing fouls, has eroded over the last several seasons. It remains to be seen whether his offensive contributions will justify his defensive limitations over the life of the contract.