15 worst free agent signings in Cavaliers history

Worst Cavaliers free agent signings No. 3: Andrew Bynum, 2013

At one point in his career, Andrew Bynum looked like the next great NBA center. He played big minutes early on for the Los Angeles Lakers, starting 53 games as a 19-year old sophomore before breaking out in his third season alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, averaging a double-double on a team that went to the NBA Finals. He battled injuries over the next few seasons but made an All-Star team in 2011-12 before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Dwight Howard deal.

That was where he hurt his knee in a bowling accident, aggravating a preexisting injury and setting his career into a tailspin. He did not play for the 2012-13 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2013.

We’ve discussed that offseason multiple times in that piece; the Cavs were tired of losing and spent wildly in free agency. Their worst contract of the summer was handed to Bynum; despite his health record they decided to take a shot on him, signing Bynum to a two-year, $24.79 million contract.

The deal itself wasn’t overly damaging, as there were injury protections and the second year was a team option. It couldn’t have gone much worse, however, as Bynum played in only 24 games. He was not good when he did play, shooting just 41.9 percent from the field on a diet of only paint touches. He had a high usage, low efficiency and zero versatility to his game.

The Cavs shipped him out to the Chicago Bulls just a few months into the year as part of a deal for Luol Deng, and the Bulls waived Bynum immediately. He caught on for two games with the Indiana Pacers before his career was over.