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5 NBA free-agent signings who have disappointed so far this season

By Desmond Novack

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 26: Evan Fournier #13 reacts with Kemba Walker #8 of the New York Knicks during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on October 26, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User ex, 3 reasons why the Knicks should fire Tom Thibodeaupressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 26: Evan Fournier #13 reacts with Kemba Walker #8 of the New York Knicks during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on October 26, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User ex, 3 reasons why the Knicks should fire Tom Thibodeaupressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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NBA Free Agents
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 17: Kemba Walker #8 and Evan Fournier #13 of the New York Knicks pose for a photo after a press conference at Madison Square Garden on August 17, 2021 in New York City, 5 NBA free-agent signings who have disappointed so far this season. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

It seems as if every year there are a handful of free agents who do not live up to their contract. Whether it be a player who got a max contract, or even a player on a smaller contract with little expectations.

This season has been no different. We are about 33-38 games into this season and there are several free-agent signings who have not been living up to their contracts. Some of these players are heavily discussed for their shortcomings, while some are not.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at 5 NBA free agents who have disappointed so far this season.

5 NBA free agents who have disappointed so far this season: Kemba Walker/Evan Fournier, New York Knicks

These are probably the players that come to most people’s minds when they think of free agency disappointments this season. They’re so iconic, in fact, that I decided to pair them together.

Kemba Walker signed a 2-year, $17M  deal alongside Evan Fournier’s 3-year, $73M deal during the 2021 offseason

As a Knicks fan, it has been painful to watch both Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier not live up to their contracts. While Kemba was more of a low-risk, high-reward signing, it does not change that he has been worse than most people expected.

As for Fournier, well, he has had some bright moments, but his lack of defense coupled with inconsistent play offensively has cost the Knicks heavily at times.

On the season, Kemba Walker is averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, on 41.4 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three. While these numbers are not necessarily terrible, when you take into consideration the expectations Walker had before the season started, alongside his sometimes nonexistent defense, you begin to see why people consider the signing to be a disappointment.

Things hit rock bottom for Kemba Walker when on November 19th of 2021, when Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau announced that Walker would be taken out of the rotation indefinitely. Walker would then remain on the bench until a COVID outbreak struck the Knicks, forcing Kemba back into the rotation.

Kemba Walker exploded onto the scene with an incredible 29-point performance against the Boston Celtics and would proceed to follow this up with a 21-point game against the Pistons, and a remarkable 44 point performance against the Wizards.

These games, along with a triple-double the following game against the Hawks, would help Kemba Walker earn an Eastern Conference Player of the Week award.

However, since these performances, Kemba Walker has slowed back down. He put up a measly 10 points on 27 percent from the field against the Timberwolves the game after his triple-double, and in the next game dropped only 2 points on 20 percent from the field in 18 minutes of action against the Pistons.

Kemba Walker has missed the last 2 Knicks games due to a knee injury. When the Knicks signed Kemba Walker, I was very excited. The Knicks have been lacking in the point guard department for years and it finally seemed like they had the star in that position that they desperately needed. While I knew it was not the Kemba of old, I certainly did not expect him to be at this low of a level.

On the season, Evan Fournier is averaging 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, on 40.7 from the field and 36.7 percent from deep on about 7 attempts per game. Similar to Walker, these numbers are not necessarily terrible, except when you consider the fact that Fournier is getting paid around $18M a year.

Fournier stole the hearts of Knicks fans in the season opener against the Celtics, dropping 32 points to help the Knicks start the season off right. However, this love for Fournier would quickly fade away as his flaws started to become very apparent.

While Fournier can be an elite shooter, he is far too inconsistent, dropping less than 10 points in 14 games this season, alongside 18 games where Fournier failed to shoot above 33% from three.

Another huge issue in Fournier is his extreme lack of defensive effort at times, which has led to several Knicks fans, including myself, becoming very unhappy with Fournier.

While I did not expect him to play very well defensively, it is usually masked by his great offensive play. This has not been the case at all this season.

There is still plenty of time for Fournier and Walker to turn their seasons around. However, if they do not, there is a good chance that they are both traded by the February 10th trade deadline.