NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Players Who Have Wrecked Their Market Value

An integral cog in the machine that is the NBA trade rumor-mill is assumption; assuming a particular player holds a certain level of value is the basis for most negotiations. What happens when an athlete wrecks his market value? Deals collapse and the ability to him can become non-existent.

With so much uncertainty surrounding this summer's free agency and the direction of numerous teams, the rumor-mill has been firing on all cylinders. Unexpected players have emerged on the chopping block as organizations look to instinctively improve their roster.

For some franchises, though, the art of upgrading or creating cap space will prove much more difficult than advertised, as there are a number of athletes steadily depleting their potential value. 

Amar'e Stoudemire of New York Knicks

Amar'e Stoudemire has taken a backseat on the court to Carmelo Anthony, but within the New York Knicks' rumor-mill, he is second to none.

As of late, Stoudemire for Dwight Howard rumors have surfaced, and while such a deal remains a long shot at best, the power forward isn't helping the Knicks lay any groundwork.

Stoudemire is averaging 17.6 points and eight rebounds per game while posting a PER of 15.12. He is settling for jump shots on the offensive end and has become a non-factor far too often. He isn't blocking shots either, which is the lone attribute he provides on defense.

Thanks to an uninsured contract and docket of health injuries a mile long, Stoudemire's trade value was questionable to begin with. Now, after a less-than-prolific start to the season, his market value overall—let alone in Howard talks—has taken a substantial hit.

Kirk Hinrich of Atlanta Hawks

After watching Jeff Teague and the Atlanta Hawks roll for the first part of the season, it has become abundantly clear Kirk Hinrich is an expendable asset, although at this point, I use the word "asset" loosely.

Hinrich's contract is expiring, which is a desirable quality in itself, yet at 31—and fresh off shoulder surgery—teams have little reason to give up anything of value in return.

Before Atlanta acquired the point guard from the Washington Wizards, other teams had an interest in his services, including the Los Angeles Lakers, but it remains to be seen if such interest on any organization's behalf could be rekindled.

In LA's case, Hinrich wouldn't be valuable as an expiring contract but as a means to run their exhausted offense. And while Hinrich hopes to be back on the court soon, who knows how effective he will be.

As far as expiring deals go, Hinrich's health, at this point, has rendered his one of the far less favorable ones to acquire.

Michael Beasley of Minnesota Timberwolves

As a walking public relations nightmare, Michael Beasley proves difficult to move to begin with. Add a lingering foot injury and staggering production to the mix, and the Minnesota Timberwolves' best option is to deal him in exchange for just about nothing of value in return.

The Timberwolves attempted to move Beasley prior to the lockout but failed, and the small forward hasn't helped their case any this season, averaging 12.9 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting under 40 percent from the field.

With Beasley on the floor, Minnesota's offensive flow has been visibly disrupted at times. His shot selection is questionable, and he has a tendency to hold onto it for too long.

Dealing the troubled athlete was never going to land the Timberwolves another superstar, but they perhaps could have netted some value in return. With the list of questions surrounding Beasley only growing longer though, Minnesota would be fortunate to find a team willing to take a risk on him at all. 

Boris Diaw of Charlotte Bobcats

Boris Diaw's stock has always been a complex one, but most recently, the bad seems to be outweighing the good.

Despite Diaw's wide skill set, the Charlotte Bobcats have placed him on the trading block, in addition to taking 29-year-old big man out of the starting lineup. While he can play all five positions on the court, Diaw's passion and work ethic come under question far too often, most recently by TNT's Charles Barkley.

Diaw can get hot from the field quickly, but his production has dropped off quite a bit compared to the past three seasons, and he is now officially better known for his poor conditioning than his range of abilities.

Big men—especially versatile ones—are a hot commodity in the NBA, but Diaw's increased tendency to under-perform has severely damaged his market value.  

Brendan Haywood of Dallas Mavericks

For the Dallas Mavericks to make the dream of Deron Williams and Dwight Howard playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki a reality, they are going to have to clean house, including Brendan Haywood's monster of a contract.

Haywood was always going to be difficult to move on account of his contract but will prove even harder to deal since he hasn't exactly risen to the occasion in an increased role for Dallas. He's averaging 4.9 points and 6.4 rebounds with a PER of 12.08 in over 21 minutes per game.

The seven-foot center has never been an offensive force, but he has become less aggressive, and as a result less effective, on defense. While the Mavericks have the ability to amnesty his contract, they also have to worry about Shawn Marion's deal as well.

There is hardly ever a shortage of interest when a big man becomes available, but Haywood's contract—combined with his diminishing abilities—isn't going to make things easy for Dallas. 

Andray Blatche of Washington Wizards

According to Jason Reid of the Washington Post, the Wizards have not yet fully committed to rebuilding, because doing so would entail dealing a number of key players, including power forward Andray Blatche.

Blatche is averaging 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, production that exceeds the realm of his career numbers. That being said, he is shooting a grave 37.9 percent from the field and has become fairly turnover prone.

If Washington becomes extensively serious about dealing Blatche, his size will be the attribute that yields the most value in return. He may only be 25, but the big man is in his seventh season and past the point of potential; his bad habits will not be easy to correct.

Blatche was thought to have turned a corner last season, but as of right now, his breakout seems to be a mirage. If there was a time for the Wizards to capitalize off Baltche's market value, it was last year, not now.

Tayshaun Prince of Detroit Pistons

Tayshaun Prince inked a four-year, $27 million contract with the Detroit Pistons before the start of the season with the promise of progress. If anything, though, the team has regressed, making for a disappointed and potentially unhappy small forward.

We can try and move past the fact that Prince has just started playing under a Richard Hamilton-esque contract, but it's near impossible. If he was truly concerned with competing for a title, the 31-year-old would not have returned to the Pistons.

Progress is open for interpretation, yet even if Detroit exceeded the basketball world's expectations, it wouldn't be a title this year, or the next. Combine this notion with his lackluster 41.7 percent field goal percentage, and you have a risk not worth taking, not at his salary.

Prince is getting open looks,but he's not knocking them down as often as he should, and he has become even more of a defensive liability. The time for him to make his way to a contender was when he was a free agent by signing at a discount, not after he earned an unfavorable deal followed up by an underwhelming impact.

Brook Lopez of New Jersey Nets

Brook Lopez's injury has not made it impossible for the New Jersey Nets to strike a deal for Dwight Howard, but it as certainly negatively impacted his value in any such deal.

The Nets seemed on the verge of landing Howard back in December, but the Orlando Magic backed out, and soon afterward, Lopez was sidelined with a broken right foot.

Even if the Magic re-emerged willing to move Howard, any deal would have to be put on hold until Lopez returns, and it's difficult to predict how he will fare once back on the court, amidst rehabilitation and a flurry of trade speculation.

When healthy, the Nets' center held potential with a dash of uncertainty. While Lopez still has promise, the level of uncertainty surrounding him as increased substantially, and his market value has been severely shaken as a result. 

Stephen Curry of Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have emerged as strong suitors for Dwight Howard, and they have indicated a willingness to relinquish either Stephen Curry or Monta Ellis without a guarantee that the big man would sign a long-term deal.

At one time, it would have been easy to say that the Orlando Magic would rather have Curry over Ellis, and while this could still be the case, there is a very real chance it isn't.

Curry's lingering ankle issue is a red flag for the Warriors and any potentially interested teams. It has not reached the point where Golden State is selling low on the guard, but as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports admits, Curry's recovery from his surgically repaired ankle is crucial to his worth.

The 23-year-old Curry is far from immovable, but the uncertainty surrounding his health has wrecked his market value—especially in the scheme of making a play for Howard—for the time being.

Devin Harris of Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz must be given a mountain of credit for their improbable start, not only because of how young and inexperienced their roster is, but also for the sheer fact they are rolling in spite of Devin Harris' lackluster performance thus far.

Utah is reportedly looking to find a new home for Harris and the $8.5 million he is due next season, yet such a deal will have to have the makings of a salary dump more than anything else.

Last season, Harris averaged 15.8 points and 5.4 assists in his short time with the Jazz, and has followed that up this year with 8.1 points and 4.5 assists per contest, posting a lukewarm 11.90 PER in the process. It's also worth noting that he is shooting only 37 percent from field as well.

Currently, Harris is being outplayed by his backup, the older Earl Watson. That's not a reality Utah envisioned when they brought Harris in as part of the deal that sent Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets.

Prior to the start of the season, the market for Harris' services would have been hot. Now, however, the Jazz are looking at a tepid one at best.

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