The 2016 NBA Free Agency Class: Where are Kevin Durant, Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov and the rest now?

Remember in early 2016 when people were saying it would be impossible to sign a bad deal because of the cap spike? It turns out that line of thinking may have been incorrect.

Let’s take a look back at every deal over $30 million from the summer of 2016 that involved a player changing teams and see how many of these high-priced marriages have stood the test of time.

KEVIN DURANT: 2 years, $54.5 million with Warriors

You’d think three straight NBA Finals appearances would be enough to convince a guy to stay, but this is the same guy who said no to his hometown friends and family.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

DWYANE WADE: 2 years, $47.5 million with Bulls

Actually, maybe KD was on to something. Sometimes you just can’t go back home without burning every bridge on the way through.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

TIMOFEY MOZGOV: 4 years, $64 million with Lakers

Mozgov was picking up DNP-CD’s halfway through his first season and was dealt to Brooklyn less than a year after signing his deal. Now, he’s playing for Khimki in Russia, where he can ride bears.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

LUOL DENG: 4 years, $72 million with Lakers

The Wizards were reportedly interested in Deng until the Lakers came through with an offer too good to pass up. He only lasted two seasons with the Lakers before they had to stretch the remainder of his deal to clear room for someone with a little more star power. Could you imagine if the guy who signed the Mozgov and Deng deals was in charge of a basketball team today? That would be wild.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? Only on the cap sheet.

JEREMY LIN: 3 years, $36 million with Nets

Lin only played 37 games over two seasons in Brooklyn before he was dealt to Atlanta. He won a ring with the Raptors last season, but did it while mostly riding the bench. Now, he’s off in China with the Beijing Ducks.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

AL JEFFERSON: 3 years, $30 million with Pacers

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

MIRZA TELETOVIC: 3 years, $30 million with Bucks

Sadly, Teletovic was forced into early retirement due to lung issues.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

CHANDLER PARSONS: 4 years, $94 million with Grizzlies

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

KENT BAZEMORE: 4 years, $70 million with Hawks

Bazemore had some nice moments in Atlanta, but it wasn’t enough to avoid getting traded for Evan Turner last summer.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

EVAN TURNER: 4 years, $70 million with Blazers

Turner made some big shots in the Blazers’ Game 7 road win over Denver last season, but it wasn’t enough to avoid getting traded for Kent Bazemore last summer.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: 4 years, $38 million with Bucks

Turns out he wasn’t as good without LeBron. Weird.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

SOLOMON HILL: 4 years, $48 million with Pelicans

If you’re part of a deal to move Chandler Parsons’ contract, that makes your contract bad too. That’s how it works.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

DWIGHT HOWARD: 3 years, $70 million with Hawks

The Hawks sat Howard down the stretch of their elimination game loss against the Wizards in 2017. Washington knew better than anyone what could happen to teams that had to rely on Dwight Howard past his prime.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

JARED DUDLEY: 3 years, $30 million with Suns

Dudley isn’t the GOAT, but he was traded by a guy who had goats in his office.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

E’TWAUN MOORE: 4 years, $34 million with Pelicans

Moore bounced around a lot early in his career, but he’s settled into a nice groove in New Orleans, in spite of the Pelicans’ turnover through the years.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? Yes.

JOAKIM NOAH: 4 years, $72 million with Knicks

Well, the good news is the Knicks learned their lesson from the Noah signing and never signed another big man to an overpriced deal in free agency ever again.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? Only on the cap sheet.

JON LEUER: 4 years, $42 million with Pistons

Leuer only played 124 games over three seasons in Detroit before he was traded and waived by the Bucks last summer. That’s over $338,000 per game Leuer played as a Piston.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

BISMACK BIYOMBO: 4 years, $72 million with Magic

Biyombo was traded for Timofey Mozgov in one of those trades that’s the real-life equivalent of Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

RYAN ANDERSON: 4 years, $80 million with Rockets

This coupling was so bad that Anderson reduced the guarantee on his contract so he could get traded. He wound up back in Houston after he was waived by the Heat last summer, only for Houston to waive him again.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

MARVIN WILLIAMS: 4 years, $54.5 million with Hornets

Death. Taxes. Marvin Williams in Charlotte. The Hornets going 36-46.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? Yes.

HARRISON BARNES: 4 years, $94 million with Mavericks

If you thought to yourself, “Boy, that’s a contract only the Kings could truly love” you’d be correct.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

AL HORFORD: 4 years, $113 million with the Celtics

Wild Finish.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

COURTNEY LEE: 4 years, $50 million with the Knicks

Well, the good news is the Knicks learned their lesson from the Lee signing and never put all their eggs in one basket with free agency ever again.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

AUSTIN RIVERS: 3 years, $35 million with the Clippers

Turns out father doesn’t always know best.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

ERIC GORDON: 4 years, $53 million with the Rockets

Gordon missed at least 15 games for seven straight seasons before he signed with the Rockets. But since he joined Houston he’s been a model of consistency and a key part of how the Rockets have reshaped the way we think about basketball.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? Yes.

PAU GASOL: 2 years, $30+ million with Spurs

Doubling down on aging, traditional big men hasn’t worked out great for the Spurs, but at least they didn’t trade a lights-out shooter to clear cap room for a player who reneged on his verbal contract so he could sign with the Knicks. That would be awful.

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? No.

IAN MAHINMI: 4 years, $64 million with the Wizards

Is he still with the team that signed him in 2016? YES.

Mahinmi is one of only four players who signed a deal worth over $30 million with a new team in the summer of 2016 who is still with that team today. Sure, he hasn’t had as much success as Gordon, Moore, or even Marvin Williams, but that’s why it’s so remarkable the Wizards and Mahinmi have stuck together. He is the most expensive player who signed with a new team in the summer of 2016 who is still actively with the team now.

You might say, “Well duh, he has an unmovable contract, that’s why he’s still here.” Counterpoint: Look at every other deal listed here. Chandler Parsons was traded. Timofey Mozgov, who made the exact same money and performed even worse than Mahinmi, was traded twice. He’s dodged every salary dump and stretch provision that’s come his way. Unless someone puts together a compelling package before the trade deadline, it looks like both parties are going to see this through to the end. Considering what some teams have had to do to get out of bad deals and how others have failed to keep good deals going, keeping Mahinmi around this long has to count for something, right?

Beyond that, let’s not forget the Wizards signed Bradley Beal to a five-year deal in the summer of 2016. He’s one of the few players who stuck with their team in 2016 and is still with that team now. What’s more, he’s blossomed into a near All-NBA-level talent and he’s already locked in for another season in Washington.

It makes you wonder: Did we have it wrong all along? Were the Wizards actually one of the winners of the ill-fated Summer of 2016?

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No, of course not. Don’t be stupid. But hey, congrats to Ian Mahinmi and the Wizards for sticking it out.