10 NBA Players Who Need a Change of Scenery to Fully Flourish
Sometimes, a change of scenery can breathe life back into an NBA player's dormant career. Across the league, there are numerous cases of guys in desperate need of a second chance elsewhere.
It could be because they are buried on their current team's depth chart or aren't being used properly. There's also the possibility that they've worn out their welcome and the motivation to perform at a high level just isn't there anymore.
Today, we take a look at 10 players that could use a new home this season. The list ranges from once-prominent stars that have been usurped by bigger names to promising prospects that aren't getting a fair shake in their current location.
We will break down what went wrong, what potential hurdles stand in the way of a trade and (if possible) a the next best possible destination. Some are names you've been hearing about for months, while others may be guys you've forgotten about.
As always, feel free to chime in with your own suggestions.
Omer Asik, C, Houston Rockets
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Let's get the most obvious name out of the way first. Since Dwight Howard's arrival in Houston this past summer, many wondered what the addition of the league's best center meant for last year's starter, Omer Asik.
The team tried to maximize the potential of their two marquee centers by playing the two together to give the Rockets one of the best defensive frontcourts in the game. The strategy had its positives, but it inevitably went down in flames.
Less than a month into the season, Asik was replaced in the starting lineup by Terrence Jones.
Asik, discouraged by having to take a backseat to Howard already, once again pleaded with the team to trade him (per The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen). The Rockets have been reluctant to deal the Turkish big man in the past and there seem to be no imminent signs of a trade coming.
While Asik has mostly handled this situation like a pro, a change of scenery would be beneficial for everyone involved. With roughly $20 million left on his deal for this year and next, Asik is an expensive backup center.
He's also a very valuable trade chip. Asik has his limitations on offense, but there are few centers as skilled on the defensive end and on the boards. Teams such as New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Denver (to name a few) should be chomping at the bit to trade for the 27-year-old.
The Rockets will wisely wait it out for the best possible deal, but don't be surprised if Asik rings in the new year in a new uniform.
Gerald Wallace, SF, Boston Celtics
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Even after the Celtics acquired him on draft night, Gerald Wallace's days in Boston seemed numbered. After all, he's a 31-year-old forward with a large contract on a team in the midst of a youth movement.
Furthermore, Wallace went from a potential contender in Brooklyn to a team not expected to win many games in Boston. That kind of change is sure to ruin anyone's morale. It certainly shows on the stat sheet.
Wallace is logging nearly 26 minutes a night but is averaging 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. His 1.6 steals per contest, however, leads the team.
A trade out of Beantown would probably work for both parties. The problem is few teams are willing to take on the $30 million the former Alabama product is owed over three years without sending an equally bad contract back in return.
While his salary isn't ideal, he could be a productive third or fourth option on the right team. When he's motivated, Wallace can provide ink across the stat sheet. He's a solid rebounder and defender that can get his share of points through sheer athleticism.
If a team with little concern over the luxury tax were to come calling, Boston might be able to make a deal happen.
Amare Stoudemire, PF, New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks would probably be delighted if someone were to inquire about a 31-year-old forward with aluminum foil knees that's owed close to $45 million for this season and the next.
The truth is, there's about as much of a chance of Amare Stoudemire staying healthy as there is of a trade happening; however, we have seen teams willing to take on worse contracts in the past (the Nets with Joe Johnson and Orlando with Gilbert Arenas to name a couple).
It may be a huge gamble to take on a declining big man with fragile (and uninsured) knees that hasn't been productive in a couple years. The other side of the coin is what if STAT manages to stay healthy?
When he's on the court, he's a talented scorer that can occasionally be dominant on the glass. He doesn't offer teams much on the defensive end, but that's something they can live with if he can regain the 17-and -8 form from two years ago (granted, that's a big if).
The Knicks have wanted to rid themselves of Stoudemire's albatross contract for quite some time now and, unsurprisingly, they haven't found many suitors. The best way to pique a team's interest is to showcase their prized forward and hope he stays upright.
In the meantime, Stoudemire has the best job in New York City. He'll make close to $22 million playing around 14 minutes a night for the next five or six months.
He may not be durable, but he sure is lucky.
Greivis Vasquez, PG, Sacramento Kings
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Greivis Vasquez was acquired from New Orleans in the offseason to give Sacramento some stability at the point guard spot. He's coming off a season where he led the league in total assists and averaged nearly 14 points per night for then-Hornets.
Still, despite starting all 13 games this season, Vasquez is logging less minutes than last year's starter Isiaiah Thomas (28.3 to 26.5). The Kings seem to prefer Thomas' offensive acumen over the pass-first stylings of Vasquez.
The knocks on Vasquez have been evident for awhile. He's a point guard trapped in a shooting guard's body. His tragically slow feet hinder him from defending the league's quicker point men as well as keeps him from pushing the pace at an ideal speed.
Offensively, he's a bit of a streaky shooter.
The upside to having Vasquez on the court is that he has elite size at 6'6", which makes him an uncanny rebounder for his position. He's also someone who enjoys getting others involved and doesn't require a ton of touches.
If the right team can live with his lack of quickness and defensive skills (total of five steals all season), they'll have themselves a 26-year-old that can be an adequate starter or, at worst, a viable third guard.
Jimmer Fredette, PG, Sacramento Kings
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Staying with the Sacramento theme, Jimmer Fredette's standing with the Kings is one of the NBA's biggest tragedies. An elite scorer at BYU, "The Jimmer" is buried in a crowded backcourt that features the likes of Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton and rookie Ben McLemore.
Fredette is logging just more than 12 minutes per game for Kings and averaging four points a night. He's played in just six of the team's 13 games. That's a real shame because the kid has the chops to be a solid contributor when used properly.
The one thing we learned about Fredette in college is that the boy can shoot. He's nailed four of his eight attempts from behind the arc this season and is a career 38.7 percent shooter from deep.
The problem with Fredette is he's too much of a 'tweener. He's too small to guard opposing 2-guards and doesn't have the speed to be a viable option at point guard.
Still, could he be a poor man's J.J. Redick on the right team? I believe so. Fredette is in the final year of his deal and will make around $2.6 million for this season. With his stock pretty low, he could be a steal for a team that covets his offensive skills.
Austin Rivers, G, New Orleans Pelicans
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New Orleans used the No. 10 overall pick in last year's draft on Austin Rivers with the hopes that he'd either be their point guard of the future or insurance for oft-injured shooting guard Eric Gordon.
After a horrible rookie season that ended in March due to a hand injury, Doc's son turned out to be neither. Making matters worse, the Pelicans spent this summer giving the point-guard throne to Jrue Holiday and signing Tyreke Evans to be their third guard/small-ball small forward.
The team even used a second-round pick on Baylor's Pierre Jackson and retained backup point guard Brian Roberts.
The message to Rivers was clear: You're going to have to earn your spot on this team, young man.
Through 13 games, the former Duke Blue Devil has yet to prove himself. He's playing just fewer than 10 minutes per game and the team has routinely opted for Roberts to spell Holiday.
The problem with trading Rivers is two-fold.
First, head coach Monty Williams is a friend of the Rivers family and there's clearly a personal attachment there. Second, he has almost zero value, as he's proven to be a bust thus far.
Rivers is a walking contradiction. He's a talented ball-handler and scorer that has become far too gun-shy in trying to make his transition to point guard work. He's also a emerging defender that has been known to have mental lapses on D from time to time.
For now, the Pels have safeguarded themselves from this recent draft disaster, but Rivers' best chances of reviving his career probably involve playing elsewhere.
With the Chicago Bulls suddenly needing a point guard in the wake of Derrick Rose's season-ending injury, perhaps New Orleans could ship Rivers off to the Windy City. One thing's for sure: Austin Rivers is no longer the future in the Big Easy.
Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Lakers
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The Lakers signed Chris Kaman as a relatively cheap stopgap option at center after the team lost Dwight Howard to free agency. On a team in desperate need of some size up front, this looked like the year Kaman would have a resurgence (especially in the offense-friendly Mike D'Antoni system).
Instead, Kaman has been outplayed by Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill through 14 games. Gasol is averaging 14.3 points and 10.6 rebounds, while Hill is contributing 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds on a nightly basis. As for Kaman, he's delivering a pedestrian 8.3 points and 5.3 boards per contest.
That's not the only problem surrounding Kaman. After struggling to stay healthy for the last half-decade, the former Central Michigan star has been dealing with a back issue as of late. If it continues to linger, he'll continue to slide out of the team's rotation.
Even if Kaman can shake this latest injury off, he's the team's third-best big man. On an expiring contract worth $3.1 million, the Lakers might be able to fetch something decent by trading the well-traveled big man.
With a need for both youth and depth, the Lakers would be wise to dangle Kaman to lure teams needing size. They won't get a ton of bites, given Kaman's age (31) and injury history, but they might be able to snag at least one interested party.
As for Kaman, it would benefit him to salvage this season by playing for a team that can offer him a real opportunity to start. That way, he could secure one last payday next summer.
Rodney Stuckey, G, Detroit Pistons
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I know what you're thinking. Why should Detroit trade Rodney Stuckey when he's playing well in place of the injured Chauncey Billups?
The answer is that, while Billups is on his last legs, he'll be back eventually and the team drafted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to be its future at shooting guard. Plus, with Stuckey playing so well as of late (nearly 19 points a night in his last seven games), this is their best chance to sell high.
If Stuckey has proven anything throughout these last few weeks, it's that he deserves a chance to shine somewhere. He's not going to do that in Motown if he's spending his days splitting time with Billups and mentoring KCP.
A team looking for instant offense in the backcourt should dial up Detroit and ask about Stuckey. The $8.5 million price tag is a little steep, but it's only for this season. If anything, that's even more incentive for the Pistons to strike a deal.
Teams at the bottom of the league's scoring rankings, such as Utah and Charlotte, would be a nice fit for someone with Stuckey's talents.
John Jenkins, SG, Atlanta Hawks
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I'll admit I was dead wrong about John Jenkins this year. With Louis Williams hurt and the Hawks in a bit of a transitional phase, I thought this would be the year that Jenkins would live up to his vast potential.
Instead, Jenkins is at the bottom of Atlanta's depth chart and tallying around 13 minutes a night. He's averaging 3.2 points per game. Worst of all, Jenkins isn't even excelling at the best part of his game: shooting the deep ball.
A career 40 percent shooter from three at Vanderbilt, Jenkins is converting just 12.5 percent of his treys this season. Part of that could be from a lack of opportunity (just eight three-point attempts all season), but you aren't going to convince a team to give you touches if you can't hit the shots.
With Jeff Teague, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Korver and Lou Williams, the Hawks are set in the backcourt. That opens the door for the team to help him take his talents elsewhere. He's under contract at a reasonable price for the next few years and could have some value if he regains his shooting touch.
Of course, like any disappointing young player, Jenkins doesn't have much trade value. His best chance of a ticket out of town would be as a throw-in in a larger deal.
Still, he's still only 22 years old and coming off a rookie season where he shot 38 percent from behind the arc. If the Hawks aren't going to utilize him properly, some other team should.
Danny Granger, SF, Indiana Pacers
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Once upon a time, Danny Granger was one of the game's best young small forwards. He was the No. 1 option on a Pacers team that seemed to be on the cusp of title contention.
Inevitably, Granger's body failed him. Dating back to the end of the 2011-12 season, the former New Mexico standout has played in all of five games (mostly due to knee troubles). He has yet to make his 2013-14 debut.
In Granger's absence, Paul George managed to become a superstar and Lance Stephenson is well on his way to becoming an excellent sidekick. The Pacers jumped out to a 13-1 start after coming within a game of reaching the NBA Finals last season.
All of this has been achieved with Granger on the sideline, which essentially makes him the odd man out. The fact that the team has proven to be successful without him is all the incentive they need to move him rather than try to ease him back into the game plan.
There are a number of big hurdles in the way of trading the once-prominent forward.
First, Granger's injury history would scare off the most frivolous of teams. Nobody is dying to add a 30-year-old with chronic knee troubles that has yet to play a second this season.
Teams are even less likely to jump at trading for Granger when they lift up the price tag: $14.5 million.
As with Amare Stoudemire, there's a high risk, high reward in acquiring Granger. If he stays healthy and can return to his old form, he solidifies your small forward spot in the short-term. The big difference between Granger and STAT is that his deal expires after this season.
If the Pacers are willing to take on some long-term money, they could use Granger's expiring to get themselves one last piece that will get them over the hump. Naturally, any Granger deal is contingent on him proving he's healthy.
Still, Indiana is now Paul George's house and Lance Stephenson is his new roommate. The time has come for Danny Granger to find a new residence to rest his ailing body.
