When the 2017 NBA Free Agency period began, news broke that the Washington Wizards had inked Jodie Meeks to a two-year, $7 million deal. The signing of the 6’5″ veteran shooting guard to a relatively low-end contract seemed innocuous, but it immediately raised several red flags.
Meeks was coming off three injury-plagued seasons and he played just 99 games during that span. The demand for his services appeared non-existent, and the Wizards decision to lock him up early, instead of waiting the market out for a similar or better player on a more team friendly cap number, was puzzling.