We managed to get a decent big man with a pick that was something like 47 or 52 in the draft; I know the guy has problems, but that’s pretty good value for such a late second round pick. Also, I would give the Foye and Miller trade an I, since neither could be with the team next year while Rubio could turn into the next Jason Kidd. I don’t think retaining Etan Thomas was really that horrible, either, since he was paid about what most quality backup bigs make and we didn’t really have another reliable center on the roster at the time.

Obviously, it’s too early on the moves this offseason, but I think the trade and the Oberto signing should both be Bs.

The other thing I noticed right off the bat is that you don’t have the Haywood extension in 05. That’s easily an A+ in my book.

Also, how would you rate the moves he hasn’t made? Like letting Roger walk?

Like Mike Prada, I think Haywood’s resigning was a real coup…. an ‘A’ , considering the salary….. A starting quality 7-ft Center for around $5 Million per year….

Same with re-signing Blatche. You just cannot find a good big man (even a bench player) for $3 Million a year, unless they’re still on their rookie contract. Although Ernie may have been aided by Batche’s own stupidity; there’s nothing in the ‘rules’ that say you can’t take advantage of someone if they make a mistake. Ernie’s grade = ‘A’ (Blatche’s grade = ‘F’)

Considering the fact that they never played him, nor did they send him to Dakota, extending Pecherov should have been a ‘D’…. They paid $1.8 Million but got absolutely nothing out of him last year. The only reason for not giving an F , is that he was part of the trade that brought Miller and Foye.

The Stevenson signing should be split… In 2006, when he decided not to match the ridiculous offer New York gave to Jeffries, Ernie signed DeShawn Stevenson to league minimum contract for $932,000 for the first year. He had a player option for the second year. THAT was a very good deal for the Wizards – and, for the price, and the fact that Stevenson started all 82 games, and easily had his best year in Washington (shooting 46% from the field, and 40% from beyond the 3-point arc) …. I’d give that signing an ‘A’.

Then, in 2007, with Juan Carlos Navarro already stating his intentions to play in the NBA, and with NO ONE knocking down Stevenson’s door after he opted out of the second year of his contract, Ernie signed Stevenson to a 4-year, $15 Million extension. Of course, the deal had probably already been discussed, and possibly even a verbal agreement in place (maybe even back in 2006) before Navarro negotiated his buy-out from his Spanish club…. Even so, the deal should have been for a shorter time… and considering how little we got out of Stevenson last year (invoking 20/20 hindsight here) , and the fact that the Wizards will be paying about $4 Million this year and next for a possible back-up, I’d give the second contract signing for Stevenson a ‘C’.

Extending Haywood was an A+

Extending Blatche for so cheap and so long was an A

The original signing of Deshawn was an B+

The extension of Deshawn was a D-. It was too expensive and too long while nobody was giving a competing offer. The only justification was to show the league that we took care of him after he signed with us for the vet minimum the prior year. But even under that pretense, it was clear to me that we should have signed him to a contract that expired in 2010, not 2011.

The Etan extension was a D- at the time. In hindsight (after seeing all the injuries) it was an E. His presence was a cap killer and a detriment to team chemistry. And he somehow convinced EJ to play him over Haywood far too often which made us worse. It was easily EG’s worst move of his tenure here.

The Daniels for James + Crittenton trade was a D in my book. Crittenton looks to be a dime-a-dozen 3rd string PG. If EG had done nothing, we’d still have that future first from Memphis and Abe would be saving $2.9M on Crittenton’s salary and luxtax fee.

I’d give EG a solid B for declining Jeffries’ extension, maybe even an A-.

The second Dixon signing was no worse than a C-. We only paid him the vet minimum. Who else was available that cheaply?

Makes us all look like geniuses.

I wanted the Wizards to get another guard. I wanted Rondo or Marcus Williams (I preferred Williams at the time) and I wanted to pull a Carville and put a trash can on my head when they took Pecherov.