How Much Longer Can Vets Like Ray Allen and Steve Nash Play in the NBA?

When the 2012 NBA season eventually comes to a close in the summer months, several teams are going to have to make some very tough calls on some of the best players this league has ever seen.

Father time catches up to even the best in the world, but knowing exactly how much a former superstar has left in the tank often means squeezing out every last bit of production from them.

Several of these stars—including Ray Allen and Steve Nash—have expiring contracts. Potential suitors have to be careful when judging exactly how much some of these veterans can still offer.

Here's a quick look at how much longer some of these former greats will still be able to play in the NBA.

Ray Allen

Allen is in his 16th NBA season, his time split between the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics and Boston Celtics.

The NBA's all-time leader in three-point shots made can still shoot it, which should keep him around the NBA for a little while longer.

Unfortunately his body is starting to get banged up. He's not having a great season either, averaging only 14.8 PPG, his lowest total since his rookie campaign in 1996-97.

He's still knocking the three-point shot down at a 47 percent clip though, so that should keep him around a little while longer as teams always need shooting.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years

Kevin Garnett

Garnett is in the same boat as Allen in the fact that his contract expires at the end of the season.

Unlike Allen though, his body takes much more of a pounding playing in the post, which will eventually catch up with him.

He's not having a terrible season, averaging 15.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG in just a little over 31 minutes per game.

At 35 and in the middle of his 17th season in the league, Garnett's time is probably winding down. Some team will be able to squeeze some more production out of him next year.

Projected time left in the NBA: one year

Steve Nash

The former two-time MVP is 38 and in the middle of his 16th NBA season. He's still been as good as ever, leading the NBA in assists at 11.2 per game.

When guys get to be as old as he is, with the miles he has on his body, they typically slow down, but not Nash. He looks as good as ever.

There's no questioning the fact that he has a few more years left in him. The only question is if he will finish his career chasing a championship or play things out in Phoenix.

Projected time left in the NBA: three years

Tim Duncan

Duncan is also getting up there in age. He's 35 and in the middle of his 15th NBA season. While it looked like he was slowing down early on in the season, Duncan has shown that he's got a little bit left in the tank.

While his MVP days are clearly behind him, he's still productive enough, averaging a solid 14.6 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Greg Popovich keeps him as fresh as possible and if he stays healthy, Duncan's got a couple more years left in him.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years

Kobe Bryant

In his 16th NBA season, at age 33, there's been a lot of wear and tear on Bryant's knees. It would have been natural to see him start to slow down by now. Instead, Kobe's put together a great season despite being injured throughout the entire season.

Instead of slowing down, Bryant's leading the NBA in scoring at 28.7 PPG.

You would think all the years in the league would eventually catch up to him. But we've learned not to doubt Bryant. He's playing at a high enough level that he's got plenty more to offer.

He's going to hang around long enough to make a run at the record books.

Projected time left in the NBA: four years

Grant Hill

Hill is in the middle of his 17th NBA season and at 39, he's showing signs of slowing down.

In terms of his production, he's having the worst season of his career, averaging only 10.6 PPG and 3.7 RPG. He's put together a fantastic career, averaging 17.2 PPG throughout, but there might not be much left in the tank for the former Duke product.

Hill could still comeback for another season and chase that ring, but there's also a chance that this could be it for him as well.

Projected time left in the NBA: retires after this season

Dirk Nowitzki

The future Hall-of-Famer has had an outstanding career, averaging 22.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG throughout his 14 NBA seasons.

Nowitzki got his ring last year as well, so he's really accomplished everything as a professional. He's still playing at a high level, dropping in 20.7 points per night this season. He's going to hang around a while longer and take another run at a title in Dallas.

Projected time left in the NBA: three years

Chauncey Billups

Billups' season came to a crashing halt after tearing his left Achilles' tendon back in early February.

That's a long road back for a 35-year-old with 15 years in the league. Billups doesn't want to see his career come to an end in that fashion, so I would expect him to make a comeback.

Before the injury he was in the middle of a good season, averaging 15.0 PPG, right around his career average. If he returns healthy, he should be able to squeeze out a couple more seasons.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years

Jason Kidd

Kidd's been doing it for 18 years now and the 38-year-old is finally showing signs of slowing down.

His numbers aren't pretty, averaging only 5.8 PPG and 5.6 APG even though he's been limited to only 28 minutes per night. Kidd's All-Star days are behind him, as are his days of playing major minutes.

But he still has value. He's a solid veteran guard who may be able to help a good team next season.

Projected time left in the NBA: one year

Marcus Camby

Camby turns 38 tomorrow and has been around now for 16 years.

He's still a capable big man but his minutes have been decreasing over the past couple seasons as is his production. Camby's averaged only 3.9 PPG this season and is shooting a poor percentage from both the field and the free-throw stripe.

He can still rebound the ball effectively, grabbing 8.7 boards in slightly over 22 minutes of action per night. Camby could still help a team off the bench next season.

Projected time left in the NBA: one year

Manu Ginobili

It's only Ginobili's 10th season in the league, but he will be 35 when next season starts and his body has been betraying him lately. A combination of injuries have limited him to only 15 games.

When healthy, though, he can still contribute. He's only averaging 12.5 PPG this season, but Ginobili's value has never truly been measured on the stat sheet.

Like everyone else on this list, health is going to determine how much Ginobili has left to offer. Ultimately, he's probably going to ride it out with Tim Duncan.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years

Derek Fisher

Fisher looks to have one more chance at another ring after it looks like he's come to terms with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He's always been a solid contributor, but he's in his 16th season at 37 years old and is probably going to ride this last stretch out.

He's always been very classy but ultimately he's going to have to produce. 5.9 PPG and 3.3 APG aren't' likely to get it done as there are always young and talented guards to be found.

Projected time left in the NBA: retire after this season

Richard Hamilton

It's been a rough first go around in Chicago for the 34-year-old Hamilton. Injury after injury has limited him to only 16 games played this season.

The injuries have started to become a problem as Hamilton hasn't been able to play 70 games in a season since 2008.

When healthy, he can still contribute but eventually the injuries are going to take a toll.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years

Antawn Jamison

Next season will be Jamison's 15th in the league and he will be 36 years old. As a grizzled veteran, Jamison's putting together a pretty solid season, averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

He's close to a 20-point-per-game scorer throughout his career and has shown he's not close to being done just yet.

Jamison won't be in Cleveland next season but he will find a home and should continue to be productive.

Projected time left in the NBA: three years

Vince Carter

Carter turned 35 in January and his 14th NBA season has been his least productive. He's  averaging a career low 10.2 PPG during a career low 24.8 minutes per night.

He's no longer the guy that averaged 21.7 PPG throughout his career, but he can still do a lot of good things.

Carter is a veteran that's still chasing a ring, so I'd expect him to hang around some more and try and get it.

Projected time left in the NBA: two years