5 Teams That Should Consider Brandon Roy Next Season

Brandon Roy may have retired from basketball less than five months ago, but following a year of rest and rehabilitation, the 27-year-old guard is already hoping for a potential comeback to the NBA, according to King5.com.

The Portland Trail Blazers exercised the amnesty clause on Roy soon after learning of his retirement, which means that if a comeback is in the works, Roy won’t be able to sign with his former team until his current deal ends following the 2014-15 season (via Oregon Live).

Those who watched the three-time All-Star play last season realized that he was nowhere near the caliber of player that he had been earlier in his young career.

A player with that much talent and IQ, however, can learn to adjust his game, as long as his knees allow him to hit the court again next season.

It’s difficult to anticipate what kind of contract Roy would command, but forgetting about money for the time being, there are still a number of teams who could use his skill set to fill the needs within their rotations heading into the 2012-13 NBA season.

Chicago Bulls

Assuming his All-Star days are officially behind him, Roy has the opportunity to come in and be a veteran leader despite being just 27 years old.

Adding an injury-plagued player to an injury-plagued roster isn’t ideal, but with the news that Derrick Rose may miss up to 12 months  following his torn ACL (ESPN), the Bulls could use any weapons they can get their hands on next season.

In Rose’s absence this year, the Bulls had solid performances from their point guards; but having a player in Roy who can control the offense while adding depth to the two-guard position could be a great tool if Rose is out for a majority of the 2012-13 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves showed incredible improvement this year, and adding Brandon Roy’s leadership and clutch shooting should help their chances of returning to the playoffs next season.

Whether Roy earns a starting spot or provides minutes off the bench, he would help address the team’s issue at shooting guard right away.

The biggest issue here could be style of play. Even when Roy was healthy, he never played in a fast-paced offense with the Trail Blazers.

The Timberwolves played at the fourth-highest pace this past season, and such an up-tempo style could be troublesome for a slow-down player with bad knees.

In Minnesota, however, Roy wouldn’t be looked upon to run the point the way he was in Portland, so if he could establish himself as a shooter with the Timberwolves, he could be a nice option in the half-court offense.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors traded away starting shooting guard Monta Ellis for big man Andrew Bogut last season, therefore opening up a slot at the shooting guard spot in the rotation.

Roy’s minutes are likely going to be limited regardless of what team he finds himself on—whether it is next season or further down the road.

This should be fine for Golden State, however, as starting point guard Stephen Curry can step right into the shooting guard position whenever Roy hits the bench.

The Ellis trade may have been an unpopular one around the Bay Area, but the team needed a greater inside presence. If they can make a move to replace Ellis next season, it could help balance out the rotation moving forward.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns have been touted as having one of the best training staffs in the entire NBA, according to Sports Illustrated. They’ve been able to seemingly revitalize the careers of Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal—if even for a short amount of time.

Needless to say, Brandon Roy could benefit tremendously from such a highly regarded group.

Their fast-paced tempo is the complete opposite of Roy’s game, which is about as slow and methodical as it gets for an All-Star shooting guard. But with changes looming in Phoenix, Roy could be one of the pieces that helps bring in a new era of basketball for the Suns.

Jamal Crawford, Roy’s longtime friend, has already been linked to the Suns as a free-agent this season (via Yahoo Sports). If the team loses Nash and looks to make serious changes to next year’s roster, the two Northwest natives could finally find themselves teammates in the dessert next season.

New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets were the not-so-proud owners of the league’s third-worst record last season, and it’s possible that they could be without the services of Eric Gordon next year, who is a restricted free agent this summer.

At this point, you have to assume that Gordon’s ceiling is higher than Brandon Roy’s, but if the Hornets determine that Gordon isn’t worth the money he’s going to command as a free agent, the team could turn to Roy as an option.

Roy has already played alongside point guard Jarrett Jack and should be familiar with the coaching style of Monty Williams, who was an assistant under Nate McMillan with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Having once lifted the Trail Blazers out of the basement of the league, if Roy's knees can hold up for a second stint in the NBA, he could be the first piece that helps spark the Hornets back to Western Conference relevancy moving forward.