15 worst free agent signings in Cavaliers history
Worst Cavaliers free agent signings No. 1: Larry Hughes, 2005
In the summer of 2005, the largest contract that the franchise had ever given out was signed. Ready to put a winning team around LeBron James, the Cavs made overtures to elite free agents like Ray Allen and Michael Redd. When they signed elsewhere, the Cavaliers pivoted and signed Washington Wizards wing Larry Hughes to a five-year, $65 million contract.
Larry Hughes averaged 22 points per game the prior season in Washington, which sounds like an impressive number, especially for that era of basketball. That was just inside the top 20 that year. What the basic stat fails to illuminate is that Hughes reached that total while shooting just 43 percent from the field and 28.2 percent from 3-point range; a healthy diet of free-throws (hit at only 77.7 percent) propped him up too.
Joining the Cavs in 2005 Hughes immediately dealt with the injuries that had plagued him earlier in his career, and partially as a result and partially because of how his game was in the first place, he was highly inefficient. Hughes played 2.5 seasons with the Cavaliers and shot just 39.6 percent from the field on a robust 13 shots per game. His free-throws dropped off, his turnovers spiked, his defense was below average, and overall his time in Cleveland on teams that were supposed to be contenders was disastrous. His awful shot diet inspired a clever website title, but any success the team found was in spite of Hughes’ contributions.
The Cavaliers have a history of finding solid talent in the draft and via trade, but their track record in free agency is much more spotty. These 15 players illustrate the lowest points of Cleveland front offices, and Larry Hughes leads the way as the very worst free agent signing in the history of the Cleveland Cavaliers.