NBA 2018-19 Free Agency: Worst Contract By Team - Southwest Division

#2 New Orleans Pelicans - Julius Randle

Randle doesn't fill the hole Cousins left

New Orleans' worst decisions this summer were linked to the players they let go, rather than the ones they brought in. The Pelicans lost Cousins to Golden State and Rondo to the Lakers, supposedly because of low offers. They found a decent and cheap replacement in the point guard position with Elfrid Payton, but in the frontcourt, they added the questionably fitting, Julius Randle.

Randle signed a 2-year/$17.7 million deal with New Orleans, after a breakout season with the Lakers, averaging 16.1 points and 8 rebounds. Even though he showed potential as a "point forward" in LA, it's not really what the Pelicans were missing. Cousins shot 34% of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc, leaving the paint to Anthony Davis. Randle, on the other hand, took 87% of his shots from inside the paint.

Teaming Davis and Randle might make New Orleans a good rebounding team, but will also create a spacing problem for them on offense.