NBA Players Whose Free Rides Are over

As we enter NBA free agency, there is one group of players on which I would like to focus. I'm talking about players who are well past their primes, but still play because of their ongoing quest to win a ring or recapture their former glory. Even sadder, they play for the veteran's minimum because they are so washed up that they can't command better deals.

For example, take Mike Bibby, most recently of the New York Knicks. A decade ago, he was one of the top scoring point guards in the NBA and came so close to bringing the Sacramento Kings to the NBA Finals in 2002. Now, he is little more than a three-point specialist and at age 34, chances are his days in the league could be over.

In fact, the same can be said for some other players as well. Let's take a look at six of them.

6. Mike Bibby

As I mentioned before, Bibby was once a top scoring point guard. Despite not ever making an All-Star team, he has averaged 14.7 points per game and has shot 38 percent from long range since being taken second overall by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1998 draft.

Last year, however, it became painfully clear just how little Bibby has left in the tank. The former Arizona Wildcat averaged a career worst 14.3 minutes in just 39 games as a three-point threat off the Knicks' bench, and only played when someone was hurt or if the game was a blowout. The sad part is that his long-range shooting was less than average at approximately 32 percent.

He's only 34, but he has little value anymore and could be better off retiring.

5. Jerry Stackhouse

Stackhouse was once one of the game's top scorers, averaging 24.1 points per game over a four-year period. Yet, starting in 2005, his numbers gradually started to drop before he found himself a player buried at the end of the bench. With each year that went by, it became clear that Stackhouse was just playing for a ring.

Today, he is 37 years old and spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks with no clear role. In 30 games, he averaged just 9.1 minutes, and with his contract now expired, the odds of him landing yet another deal are slim.

4. Rashard Lewis

Traded from the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Hornets not too long ago, Lewis is now back on the market following the buying out of his hefty contract. Once an effective scorer, Lewis is little more than an inconsistent three-point threat with bad knees today.

He's only 32 but if he wants to get a new contract, he's going to have to prove that he can stay healthy and contribute throughout the season.

3. Eddy Curry

Ever since being taken fourth overall in 2001, Curry has been a complete and utter bust. He has struggled with his weight and has never really showed a passion to be great.

He spent this past season with the Miami Heat, hoping to revive his career. Instead, he averaged six minutes per contest in just 14 games played, hardly a revival at all.

And yet, this is a man who has a championship ring. He's already proven over 11 years that he can't really be a dominant big man, at least not consistently, so it's highly unlikely that he'll get another contract for next season.

2. Juwan Howard

Over the past few seasons, it was obvious that the only reason Juwan Howard kept playing was so that he could try and get a ring. He spent the last two years with Miami, virtually a non-factor. Over that stretch, he appeared in just 85 games and averaged just 6.8 minutes.

That all being said, Howard now has his championship ring and is now a free agent. Given how he's 39 and no longer an effective player, there's no sense paying him any salary to just sit on the bench and play garbage minutes. His NBA ride is (and should be) officially over.

1. Brian Cardinal

Cardinal has not played significant minutes since 2005, and now only plays garbage minutes and nails the occasional three-pointer. Still, he continues to have a presence in the NBA because he's a "great locker room guy."

Look, I understand how team harmony is important, but there's no sense in paying a bad player a salary just to sit on the bench and keep people positive in the locker room. The regulars should be able to do that on their own.

That said, I think it's safe to say that not many teams will be making offers to Cardinal this summer.