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NBA free agency: Each team’s worst signing in franchise history

By Josh Cornelissen

Eddy Curry, New York Knicks, Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Eddy Curry, New York Knicks, Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto Raptors
Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto Raptors. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Worst free agent signing in Toronto Raptors history: Hedo Turkoglu

5 years, $53 million

The development of the strategy and style of the NBA is fascinating to track, and certain teams have been instrumental in that process. The Phoenix Suns under Mike D’Antoni, for example, are a popular team to discuss in this way.

One team not as often discussed in this conversation are the Orlando Magic of the late aughts under head coach Stan Van Gundy. His best player was a center with no outside range whatsoever, and yet he built an elite shooting team by surrounding his center with perimeter players including a stretch-4.

Those Magic teams elevated their individual players up high, as everyone looked good in a scheme not yet solved by the league. One such player was Hedo Turkoglu, a point forward who excelled playing off Dwight Howard with the Magic. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2007-08 NBA season and became even more well-known when the Magic reached the NBA Finals in 2009.

After the 2008-09 NBA season, Turkoglu decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. He had multiple suitors, and got to the point of a verbal agreement to sign a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Yet before officially signing the deal, his wife prevailed upon him to consider the international population in Toronto, and he ultimately changed his mind and signed with the Raptors for five years, $53 million.

Toronto may wish that he had chosen Portland, since Turkoglu was hardly the winning player in Toronto that he was in Orlando. Despite all the local support for Turkoglu as a prominent Turkish player, he was largely a poor player in 2009-10, averaging just 11.3 points per game. He could not get a rhythm with the Raptors, frustrated to the point of speaking out in the media.

His time in Toronto did not last long, and the Raptors offloaded him and his contract when they were able to, sending him to the Phoenix Suns. Turkoglu would bounce back to the Magic before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Toronto’s move to sign Turkoglu ended up giving them nothing.