NBA Lockout: Where the 50 Top Players May Play Overseas If Negotiations Fail

With Matt Bonner considering the new CBA deal to be one of the worst deals in sports history, there is a large chance that there might not even be an NBA season to look forward to this October.

It's a case of millionaires fighting with billionaires and the only people truly suffering being the fans who have to deal with a possible loss of basketball for the next year. The average NBA fan couldn't care less about what this lockout is all about since all they want to see is their favorite players and teams play, but it might not happen with the way labor negotiations are being conducted.

However, there still could be a chance that we would be able to witness our favorite players in action. With All-Star point guard Deron Williams announcing that he would be going to Turkey if the lockout didn't end, it could lead the way for a number of other players to start playing overseas as well. It not only gives them playing time, but it proves to the owners that they're willing to wait for a better deal while still being able to play.

It's also surprising to see a player of Williams' caliber announce that he would play overseas since the most well-known players to play across the world have been Josh Childress and Earl Boykins. Williams could lead a pilgrimage of All-Stars and superstars playing basketball in nations that they have either had previous association with or that just want a new experience in life.

Here are 50 of the top players and where each of those players could be heading if these labor negotiations continue to strain.

50. Joakim Noah

Where he should play: France/Sweden

Why he should play there:

In honor of his parents, Joakim Noah should take his talents to their native homelands.

His father, Yannick Noah, was a singer and professional tennis player who won the 1983 French Open and had achieved a ranking as high as third in the world. His mother, Cecilia Rodhe, was Miss Sweden in 1978 and finished fourth in the Miss Universe pageant the same year.

49. Shawn Marion

Where he should play: Greece

Why he should play there:

Shawn Marion was a member of that dismal American team that won bronze at the 2004 Olympics after failing to even make it to the gold medal game. Marion hardly made an impact as the team would lose three games that one tournament compared to only losing twice in the entire history of the sport. Marion should join a club in Greece to redeem his name and the rest of the Americans that failed to win gold there.

48. Rodney Stuckey

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

Rodney Stuckey is a budding star in the league and what better place for him to begin promoting his name than China.

Stuckey has only been in the league for four seasons but has already been considered a leader of the Detroit Pistons and has averaged as much as 17 points and five assists per game.

47. Andrew Bynum

Where he should play: Puerto Rico

Why he should play there:

Andrew Bynum owes the island nation of Puerto Rico an apology after the malicious hit he put on its national hero in J.J. Barea.

He should play for free there as well just to give the country some retribution.

46. Brook Lopez

Where he should play: Cuba

Why he should play there:

The 7' up-and-coming star has ties to Cuba, where his father is a native.

Maybe he can help communism while he's at it. Crazier things have happened before.

45. Elton Brand

Where he should play: Japan

Why he should play there:

Elton Brand owes the United States national team a favor after his lousy performance during the 2006 FIBA Championships, which were held in Japan. He only averaged eight points and three rebounds per game in the tournament and the Americans placed third.

Brand needs to go back to Japan to redeem his name and for Americans everywhere in the sport of basketball.

44. Jameer Nelson

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

After being welcomed to the country with open arms, current Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard would most likely depart for China if he had the chance.

Teammate Jameer Nelson should follow suit to keep the duo together. Nelson's career has done very well as a result of having a player like Howard on the team. They even made the 2009 NBA Finals and could have put up more of a fight instead of losing in five games had Nelson not been hurt for the duration of the postseason.

43. Tim Duncan

Where he should play: U.S. Virgin Islands

Why he should play there:

He's a native of the American commonwealth, but has never played for the international team. He was on two FIBA championship teams and was on the 2004 United States squad that won a disappointing bronze medal at the Olympic games in Athens.

It seems like a nice place to retire as well.

42. Paul Millsap

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

Paul Millsap doesn't have many ties internationally, but if he should head anywhere it should be wherever the Big Three of the Miami Heat go.

Millsap was an absolute nightmare for the Heat during the Utah Jazz's 116-114 win over Miami in an early November game. The team was down by as many as 20 points before Millsap, a career 26 percent three-point shooter, made three consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead down to two points. On the final possession in regulation, Millsap would hit a game-tying lay-up at the buzzer to send the game to overtime where the Jazz would ultimately win.

41. Andrew Bogut

Where he should play: Australia

Why he should play there:

Andrew Bogut is a native of the island continent and has played for a number of the international teams, including the most recent team that lost to the United States at the 2008 Beijing games.

He helped lead the Junior World Championship team to a title in 2003, was a member of the 2004 Olympic team in Athens and helped the team advance to the round of 16 during the FIBA championships.

40. Caron Butler

Where he should play: Italy

Why he should play there:

One of the all time NBA success stories, Caron Butler was a drug dealer at the age of 11 before beginning to play the game of basketball at 15 years old while being housed in a detention center.

Currently, Butler is not only an All-Star-caliber player starting for the Dallas Mavericks, but is also an entrepreneur. He owns six Burger Kings and is also taking classes for business management at Duke University.

What better place for Butler to start a business than Italy? A number of the most-noted name brands are from the country and it seems that Caron would be a smart enough entrepreneur to get a business off the ground after his recent endeavors.

39. Kevin Garnett

Where he should play: United Arab Emirates

Why he should play there:

A strange country to play the game of basketball in, but since he's going to retire within the next few seasons, Kevin Garnett can begin to look for places in Dubai to settle.

38. Al Horford

Where he should play: Dominican Republic

Why he should play there:

The only NBA player to hail from the Caribbean nation, the Atlanta Hawks forward/center should make basketball a popular sport to play alongside baseball on the island.

37. Lamar Odom

Where he should play: Armenia

Why he should play there:

Not only is he a star in the NBA, but Lamar Odom is now a star on the tabloids after marrying socialite Khloe Kardashian.

What better way for more publicity and for his new show than to go play in his wife's ancestral homeland.

36. Kevin Martin

Where he should play: England

Why he should play there:

With the 2012 Olympics being held in England, Houston Rockets swingman and pure scorer Kevin Martin should take his talents to the United Kingdom to begin promoting his name and hoping for a spot on the team.

It's completely possible since a number of players from the 2008 team will not be returning.

35. Eric Gordon

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Eric Gordon was one of the many young players on the 2010 United States team to go to Turkey to take home the gold medal at the FIBA Championships.

Gordon averaged nearly nine points per game and finished second on the team in three-pointers made.

34. Tyreke Evans

Where he should play:Turkey

Why he should play there:

With Deron Williams already heading to Turkey, Sacramento Kings point guard Tyreke Evans should follow suit to not only give Williams some competition, but to learn a few more things about playing the point as well.

Evans would also be able to preserve his spot as a point guard instead of moving to shooting guard, which will most likely happen this season since the team traded for point guard Jimmer Fredette in this year's draft.

33. Ray Allen

Where he should play: India

Why he should play there:

Did you see He Got Game? Ray Allen's role as Jesus Shuttlesworth was just as good as any Tom Hanks or Denzel Washington role.

India has the largest movie industry in the world and Allen needs to continue making movies in a country where thousands upon thousands of movies are released each year.

32. Josh Smith

Where he should play: Czech Republic

Why he should play there:

With high-flyer Jan Vesely departing for the NBA, the Czech Republic could use another high flyer to be entertained by.

Look no further than Josh Smith, who is one of the NBA's most athletic and entertaining players to see. Smith won the 2005 dunk contest and is still performing these aerial assaults today.

31. David West

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

Since Chris Paul will go to China (according to this slideshow) during the lockout to join most of the other superstars, David West will need to join him since they have seemed to form one of the more formidable duos in the NBA.

Don't fix it if it isn't broken.

30. Luis Scola

Where he should play: Argentina

Why he should play there:

What better place for one of the NBA's most underrated players than to play in his native homeland of Argentina.

Luis Scola started out his professional career in Argentina in 1996 as a member of Ferro Carril Oeste before departing for Spain after two years. Scola did play on the Argentinean national team and was an MVP of the FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship as well as the MVP of the 2007 and 2009 FIBA Championships. He was also a member of the 2004 team that won gold in Athens and of the 2008 team that won Bronze.

Scola holds the Argentine record for most overall points and for most points in a single game when he scored 37 against the rival Brazilians.

29. Andre Iguodala

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Another member of the 2010 United States team that won gold in Turkey at the FIBA World's, Andre Iguodala will head back there to continue entertaining the fans that had come to get used to the athleticism and power of the Sixers swingman.

Iguodala doesn't have many international ties aside from playing in the Under-18 championship in 2002 where he won Bronze. A stop in Turkey would be the best bet for him to go since he is already well known there.

28. Tony Parker

Where he should play: France

Why he should play there:

A native of France, Tony Parker has played on quite a few of the national teams in the FIBA European Championships.

All in all, he has played on five national teams and won a bronze medal in 2005. He was planning on playing in the 2005 and 2010 FIBA World Championships, but was forced to back out due to injuries.

27. Steve Nash

Where he should play: Canada

Why he should play there:

Despite actually being born in South Africa, Steve Nash's roots are tied strongly to Canada, where he is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks and the MLS team there as well.

Nash has played on a few of the Canadian national teams, including the 2000 Olympic team that he led to the quarterfinals before losing to France. He did manage to pull off a few stunning upsets over heavily favored basketball nations in Spain and Yugoslavia before losing, however. Nash attempted to lead the Canadians back to the Olympics in 2004 but came up a spot short.

He hasn't played for the Canadians since and doesn't plan on it in the future.

26. Danny Granger

Where he should play: England

Why he should play there:

Chances are that you didn't know Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger was a closet genius.

Before playing for Bradley University and the University of New Mexico in college, Granger was actually accepted to the prestigious Yale University.

With so much free time on his hands, Granger could travel overseas to England to attend college at the even more prestigious Oxford University.

25. Zach Randolph

Where he should play: Netherlands

Why he should play there:

Since the marijuana laws are so lenient in the city of Amsterdam, Zach Randolph could finally smoke in peace without having to worry if he's going to get caught once again.

Last year, he was accused of being a "major marijuana supplier" after a car registered in his name was found with marijuana and ammunition. The police also raided a storage space rented by Randolph and found controlled substances and cars with secret compartments.

24. Rudy Gay

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Rudy Gay was another member of the 2010 American team to go and dominate the competition in Turkey.

He can take his high-flying acrobatic skill to a country that may not know too much about the aerial assaults that we have witnessed from Gay.

23. Chris Bosh

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

With teammates Dwyane Wade and LeBron James heading to China (according to this slideshow), Chris Bosh can go join the two and stage another coup that wasn't planned at all.

Bosh was also a member of the 2008 team that won gold in Beijing. He averaged nine points per game and led the team in rebounding at six per.

22. Al Jefferson

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

With his career just beginning to bud, Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson should head to China to begin promoting his name to the people who have come to love the sport of basketball.

Jefferson has been having career seasons over the past four years and has led the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz.

21. Joe Johnson

Where he should play: Japan

Why he should play there:

Joe Johnson was a member of only one United States national team and it was basically by default.

He was a member of the 2006 team that disappointingly won bronze at the FIBA World Championships in Japan. He, along with the rest of that team, need to go redeem themselves to prove to the Japanese that the United States are no longer bronze-medal winners.

20. Paul Pierce

Where he should play: India

Why he should play there:

Considering his acting job during the 2008 NBA Finals where he needed to be escorted off the court after injuring his leg and then miraculously coming back to will his team to a victory, Paul Pierce needs to take his acting talents to Bollywood in India.

19. LaMarcus Aldridge

Where he should play: England

Why he should play there:

With Brandon Roy going down with a serious knee injury, it was up to LaMarcus Aldridge to save the Portland Trail Blazers.

He did so by averaging 21 points and eight rebounds per game while also leading the team to the postseason. With the next Olympics in England, Aldridge should head to the country to begin promoting his name since he might just become a member of the squad the United States sends overseas.

18. Manu Ginobili

Where he should play: Argentina

Why he should play there:

One of the all-time greats of Argentinian basketball, Manu Ginobili was one of the first players from the nation to make basketball a prevalent sport in his native country.

He started out his career in 1995 as a member of Andino Sports Club before heading to Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca for two more years. He led the Argentinian team to their first gold-medal victory during the 2004 Olympic games in Athens and then helped lead the team to a bronze medal in the following Olympics in Beijing.

17. Kevin Love

Where he should play: England

Why he should play there:

After helping lead the United States to a gold-medal win at the FIBA World's in 2010 and then leading the league in rebounding the year after, Kevin Love will need to take it to the next level if he wants to be regarded as one of the top players in the league.

A trip to England to promote his name for the Olympics would be a good start.

16. Monta Ellis

Where he should play: Italy

Why he should play there:

Monta Ellis doesn't seem too sharp on how to operate scooters.

After receiving a lucrative deal at the end of the 2007-'08 season, Ellis was involved in a moped accident that tore a deltoid ligament in his left ankle. He lied about the accident initially due to it voiding his contract, but was eventually found out and was suspended 30 games.

What better place for Ellis to learn how to drive a scooter than Italy where Vespas are driven across the nation.

15. Russell Westbrook

Where he should play: as far away as possible from Kevin Durant

Why he should play there:

After witnessing just how badly he wanted to be the number one scoring option on the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2010 post season, it's obvious that Russell Westbrook will need to play somewhere else if he wants to become that.

Rather than playing with someone who already averages nearly 30 points per game, Westbrook should keep his distance and play on a team far, far away from the prolific scorer.

14. Rajon Rondo

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Rajon Rondo was left off of the 2010 American team that won gold in Turkey, so it would be wise for him to showcase what they were missing.

It would also give Deron Williams some healthy competition at the point.

13. Pau Gasol

Where he should play: Spain

Why he should play there:

Pau Gasol still has extremely close ties with his native Spain and has had them since joining the NBA in 2001.

He's won a gold medal, two silver medals and a bronze medal in the FIBA European Championships and led the team to a gold medal during the 2006 FIBA World Championships. He recently nearly led a stunning upset of the Americans during the 2008 Olympics before the United States pulled away in the final minutes.

12. Blake Griffin

Where he should play: Mexico

Why he should play there:

Obviously the United States leads the world when it comes to childhood obesity rates and obesity overall.

Go to any water park and you'll notice.

Blake Griffin started a campaign where he donates $100 for every dunk he does called 'Dunking for Dollars.' He won't be able to fight the war on obesity in the United States, but he can in Mexico which currently holds the world's second-highest obesity rate.

11. Amar'e Stoudemire

Where he should play: Israel

Why he should play there:

Amar'e Stoudemire recently revealed that he is of Hebrew descent, which came as a surprise to no one.

He even made a pilgrimage to Israel and could get an even better understanding of his roots by playing in his native homeland.

10. Deron Williams

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Deron Williams is the first player during the lockout to come out and openly state that he was prepared to join another countries league if the lockout persisted through the usual NBA regular season.

He announced that he would play in Turkey, a country that has already gotten a taste of NBA basketball after a few players devastated the world during the FIBA Championships.

9. Carmelo Anthony

Where he should play: Greece

Why he should play there:

Carmelo Anthony might have redeemed himself, as well as the rest of United States basketball, during the 2008 Olympic games, but it still doesn't erase the horrid memory of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Anthony was a co-captain of the team and even set the record for USA basketball for points in a game with 35. However, it didn't mean much as the team failed to even make the gold-medal game for the first time in American Olympic basketball history. The team placed third with a close win over Lithuania.

He'll have to redeem himself and the team by showing the people of Greece what USA basketball is really made of.

8. Dirk Nowitzki

Where he should play: Germany

Why he should play there:

Not only does it have David Hasselhoff, but Germany also happens to be Dirk Nowitzki's native homeland as well.

Nowitzki actually started his career in 1994, four years before joining the NBA, as a member of DJK Wurzberg in Germany. He has been a member of the national team since 1999, but has found little success aside from a bronze medal he earned during the 2002 FIBA World Championships and a silver medal during the 2005 FIBA European Championships.

In 2008, he led the Germans to their first Olympic appearance since 1992. They placed 10th.

7. Kevin Durant

Where he should play: Turkey

Why he should play there:

Kevin Durant did so well playing in Turkey the first time he went there, why wouldn't he go there to make a career out of it until the NBA gets its act together?

Durant led the United States to its first FIBA gold medal since 1994 after leading the team with 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal per game. He also set the record for most points in a tournament by an American as well as most points in a single game with 38.

6. Derrick Rose

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

With Derrick Rose winning MVP this past season, it's obvious that his rise to super-stardom has begun.

The best players in the NBA all seem to have their biggest followings in the United States and China where the sport has become one of the most popular in the nation. Rose should begin to make his influence presence felt for the billion plus that inhabit the basketball-fueled nation.

5. Chris Paul

Where he should play: China

Why should he play there:

Like mostly every other superstar, Chris Paul will be taking his talents to China.

Paul has been there once before as a member of the 2008 United States team that dominated the field and won its first gold medal since 2000. He played a key part off the bench and played the majority of the point guard position that was shared with Deron Williams and Jason Kidd.

4. Dwight Howard

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

He already seems extremely beloved there.

Dwight Howard was the starting center of the 2008 Olympic team that won gold as he contributed 11 points and six boards per game.

3. Kobe Bryant

Where should he play: Italy

Why he should play there:

It will come as a disappointment for the Chinese knowing that one of their heroes in Kobe Bryant won't be coming, but home is where the heart is for Bryant.

Bryant was born in Philadelphia, but was raised for the majority of his childhood in Italy where his father played basketball. During his time living there, Bryant learned how to speak Italian and Spanish and became a avid fan of soccer. Supposedly he would have become a soccer player if he would have remained in Italy.

2. LeBron James

Where should he play: China

Why he should play there:

To form a big three with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron James will be taking his talents to China this fall.

He was a key component of the 2008 Olympic team that won gold as he dropped 14 points, six rebounds and three assists in the team's victory over Spain in the finals. He already is an influential figure in China and should begin to directly spread his influence over the country to continue spreading his ever-expanding empire.

1. Dwyane Wade

Where he should play: China

Why he should play there:

Because that's where LeBron James and Chris Bosh will be heading.

Not only that, Wade left the country of China wanting more after his MVP-worthy performance during the 2008 Olympics. He led the team off the bench with 16 points per game on an absurd 67 percent from the field to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game. There's no doubt the NBA will miss him and the rest of the world will be ready to welcome him with open arms.