Alright folks, buckle up. Been digging through old NBA stuff lately, mostly ’cause I’m tired of watching these mega contracts today and wondering where the real value went. Decided to see if I could find those hidden guys from way back in 2014, the cheap signings that actually worked out.
Starting Point: Just Looking
First thing I did? Honestly, just grabbed my laptop and fired up the old basketball-reference website. Didn’t even know exactly where to start. Scrolled down to the Free Agents section for 2014. Man, that list was long. Big names jumping out, like Carmelo opting out, or LeBron going back to Cleveland – all the noise.
But that wasn’t the point. Clicked the “Signed” tab. Then, I gotta filter this mess. Sorted guys by their salary for that first year after signing. Went low to high. Wanted to see the guys near the bottom, the ones teams paid pennies for. Min salary guys, partially guaranteed deals, that kind of thing.
Getting Down in the Weeds
Saw a bunch of names I barely remembered. Who the heck is Chris Johnson? Not that Chris Johnson! Okay, clicked on him. Played like 40 games for Boston and Utah that year? Not much to see. Kept scrolling.
Then names like Shaun Livingston pop up. Signed by Golden State for the… wait, seriously? Barely anything? Less than $6 million for the whole contract? That had to be worth a second look. Pulled up his stats for that season. Started watching some old highlights on YouTube. Dude wasn’t scoring tons, but just looked… steady. Like the kind of guy who made everyone else better without needing the ball every time. Huh.
Another one: Anthony Tolliver. Signed by Phoenix for peanuts. Knew he bounced around, but didn’t remember much. His advanced stats weren’t flashy, but he shot a decent clip from three that year for them. Okay, solid role player for cheap.
Hitting a Wall
Honestly? I got stuck for a minute. Scrolling through names like Dante Cunningham, Austin Daye… decent players maybe, but “hidden gems”? Felt like maybe just decent backups. Was starting to think maybe 2014 wasn’t that great for true steals.
Then I remembered something. Injuries! Who came back from injury on a cheap deal? Oh yeah! Alonzo Gee! Signed with Portland for basically nothing after coming off injury. Watched some tape. High-energy defender, athletic, didn’t do much else, but for the min, he gave them some minutes. Useful! Added him to my little list.
Kept digging through transaction logs. Saw the Mavs signed Richard Jefferson after the Jazz bought him out. Okay, veteran guy, past his prime obviously, but he actually hit some big threes for Dallas in the playoffs that year! For practically nothing? That counts as value.
Putting It Together
So after like two hours of digging through archives, watching short clips, and cross-checking stats and salaries, what did I really find? A handful of guys who delivered way more than their contracts cost that year:
- Shaun Livingston (GSW): The steal of the whole bunch. Perfect backup PG for them, won rings.
- Anthony Tolliver (PHX): Reliable floor-spacer on a budget.
- Alonzo Gee (POR): Minimum contract guy who brought energy and defense off the bench.
- Richard Jefferson (DAL): Veteran min, hit crucial playoff shots.
Why bother doing this? Besides being a history nerd, it just shows that good teams find these types. You don’t always need the big splashy signing. Finding a guy who does one thing well or fits a specific need without breaking the bank? That’s a legit skill. Was it easy? Nah. Had to sift through tons of forgettable names. But finding those few diamonds? Totally worth the hunt. Makes you appreciate the front office grunt work sometimes.
