6 NBA Players That Desperately Need a Fresh Start with a New Team

Opportunity and fit are two of the biggest caveats when discussing the impact of the influx of talent brought by the NBA draft each season.

But somehow those two words fail to carry the same meaning for players who have already punched their NBA tickets.

Surely, there are players in this league whose careers have been stunted or nearly derailed by their opportunity to see the floor or their fit within their coach's system. With players like Earl Clark of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets both overturning their early career projections by finding the right situation to highlight their skill set, NBA executives are tasked with finding the next undiscovered gem.

It's part of the reason why there is so much excitement surrounding the league's trade deadline. Teams have film and an ungodly amount of statistics available to them, but those things don't always unmask the inherent limitations of a player working outside of his natural role.

Some of these players badly need a fresh start. The luster surrounding their careers has faded and a change of scenery is the only way to restore their shine.

Others are simply looking to carve out their niche in this league. The minutes that aren't available on their current team could be waiting for them elsewhere.

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors

The 2012-13 season couldn't have played out any worse for the former first overall pick.

He started the year on a good note, pouring in double-digit points in 16 of his first 20 games. 

But everything derailed in game No. 21, when a torn ligament in his right elbow forced him out of action just seven minutes into the game on Dec. 10.

He'd go on to miss the remainder of December and all of January. During that time, pass-first point guard Jose Calderon was traded away and scorer Rudy Gay was brought on board.

By the time Andrea Bargnani was healthy enough to play again, he'd fallen from the team's top offensive option to its third. His place in the starting lineup was lost, and the team's improved play of late suggests it's not likely to return any time soon.

He holds value around the league as a stretch big, although his perimeter struggles (sub-30 percent in each of the last two seasons) have dented that value. His rebounding woes (career 4.9 per game) have always been an issue.

Still, in the right situation he could rediscover his production. A physical, active center alongside him could do wonders for his career. He's still a talented scorer with the size (7'0") to find his shot over the defense.

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs

DeJuan Blair has never encountered many on-court problems in his four-year career.

His per-36-minute averages suggest he's got all of the tools to be a regular double-double threat: 15.0 points, 11.2 rebounds.

But it's simply finding his way to the floor that's presented the biggest challenge. Lost amid a talented Spurs frontcourt, Blair has never averaged more than 21.4 minutes per game. This season, that playing time has dropped to just 13.6 minutes a night.

Despite being a regular player on the league's rumor mill, San Antonio has yet to pull the trigger on any offers made for Blair. He's almost a stateside version of the talent that the Spurs have stashed overseas in recent history, a player not quite talented enough to crack Gregg Popovich's rotation, yet too talented to give away.'

He'd welcome a change of scenery, and rightfully so. He's produced every time he's stepped foot on the NBA hardwood, yet can't get himself out of that deep rotation role.

He was once again a widely discussed player leading up to the trade deadline, but reports suggest he won't find his way out of San Antonio before the season's over:

"

Among those mentioned in possible trades, told definitively that Danny Granger not going anywhere, and DeJuan Blair likely to stay put, too.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 21, 2013"

He is a free agent after this season, though, so he'll have a chance to redefine his NBA career elsewhere.

Monta Ellis, Milwaukee Bucks

When Monta Ellis landed in Milwaukee at the 2012 trade deadline, he did not bring the greatest reputation with him.

His scoring prowess was unquestionable (four straight seasons of 19.0 points per game), but scouts wondered aloud if Ellis' numbers were inflated by the Golden State Warriors' run-and-gun system. The fact that the Warriors had handed him the keys to the offense only furthered those questions.

His first full season with the Bucks has done nothing to silence his critics. In fact, it's brought them to a near fever pitch.

He's still scoring at an impressive rate (18.4 points per game), but his career-worst 40.0 field-goal percentage has screamed volume scorer. Playing alongside Brandon Jennings has limited Ellis to a four-year low usage rate of 26.3, yet his 13.2 turnover percentage stands above his career mark.

Ellis may never climb back to his Warriors heights, but in the right situation he could blossom. Perhaps his future lies in the supersub role that the defenseless duo Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford have made careers out of.

Corey Maggette, Detroit Pistons

At one point in time, Corey Maggette was one of the stronger scorers the league had to offer.

Despite the absence of a perimeter threat, he managed three seasons of 20-plus points per game over a five-year stretch with the Los Angeles Clippers. His relentless drives at the rim helped him get to the free-throw line at an impressive rate (eight-plus free-throw attempts in six straight seasons).

But those days are growing harder to remember. He's played on four different teams over the past four seasons, sacrificing numbers and playing time nearly step of the way.

By the time he arrived in Detroit last summer, he held his most value in his expiring $10.9 million contract. That fact was not lost on the youthful Pistons, who have given the 33-year-old an average of 14.3 minutes in his 18 games played.

He once based his effectiveness around his strength and athleticism. As the NBA mileage has continued to pile up, he's no longer the aerial threat he once was.

But he's not a garbage-minutes guy. In fact, he was a 15.0 points-per-game scorer just one season ago with the Charlotte Bobcats.

He'll likely get his fresh start over the summer and would be wise to seek out a veteran team needing depth at the forward position. 

Jermaine O'Neal, Phoenix Suns

This slide could probably be broadened to include Jermaine O'Neal's teammate Marcin Gortat, but O'Neal seems to be in greater need of a change of address.

Coach Lindsey Hunter's directive to focus on developing the team's young talent spells disaster for the 34-year-old O'Neal.

The team's acquisition of Marcus Morris on Wednesday night could be leaving O'Neal's days numbered:

"

Suns have to make roster move to make room for Morris deal. Teams have been expecting a Jermaine O'Neal buyout/release if not traded.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 21, 2013"

O'Neal's last two seasons were largely lost due to injury, but the famed Phoenix training staff appears to have once again worked its magic as he's already played his most games since 2009-10 (39).

He's still got something to add to a veteran team looking to bolster its frontcourt for the stretch run. His scoring may come and go, but he's still capable of producing consistent strong defensive showings.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons

Rodney Stuckey has always been an enigma in his six seasons in Detroit.

He entered the NBA as a miscast point guard, much more likely to impact the game with his scoring (career 13.5 points per game) than his passing (career 4.3 assists).

His future seemed to be away from the position, and he finally saw that transition come last season when he slid to the off-guard spot. But the addition of guard Jose Calderon and subtraction of forwards Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye has left the 6'5" Stuckey doing his best to spell starter Kyle Singler at the small forward spot.

Clearly, it's not a position he's built to play consistently.

But that hasn't been the only struggle he's had to overcome this season.

His playing time has dipped to 28.1 minutes per game, the least playing time he's seen since his rookie year. An apparent midseason dust-up with coach Lawrence Frank didn't help his case for more minutes and neither has his career-worst 38.7 field-goal percentage, a number confounded by his lack of a three-point shot (career 28.2 percent).

Stuckey's under contract for one more season ($8.5 million), but he could benefit from a move to a less crowded backcourt that doesn't need him to be a passer.