5 Disgruntled Names Looking for New Homes at NBA Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline approaches, and with it, the last chance for some unhappy hoopers to find their basketball bliss elsewhere.
As jobs go, being an NBA player is better than most.
It pays pretty well, you get to travel a lot and at least 41 times a year, thousands of supporters pay money to convene for the express purpose of cheering for you while you work. Despite its seeming cushiness, an NBA gig is prone to the same workplace malaise that afflicts us all.
Some players don't like their co-workers. Others aren't feeling fulfilled. Still more simply want to check out the greener grass elsewhere.
Whatever the source of discomfort, plenty of the Association's employees are unhappy.
A few may get a shot to start fresh via a deadline move.
Honorable Mention: Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
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It's not fair to call Goran Dragic disgruntled. Short of one November observation, which can hardly be characterized as complaining, the Phoenix Suns free-agent-to-be has been a good soldier in an understandably tough situation.
"It's hard," Dragic told Paul Coro of USA Today of playing in a three-point guard rotation with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas. "That's sacrifice. If Isaiah's playing well, he's going to stay in. Me and Eric, it depends who is playing better and who is going to be on the court. The other guy is going to be on the bench. It's the way it is. We need to embrace that."
Dragic's role has diminished, and his production has dipped from its All-NBA third team levels of a year ago.
Understandably, he's been open about embracing his free agency this summer. So open, in fact, that B/R's Howard Beck reports the Suns have accepted the possibility that dealing him now might be the best way to avoid losing him for nothing.
Again, Dragic isn't outwardly cranky about his situation. He's not thrilled about it either, though.
That's good enough for an honorable mention.
Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz
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There is far less nuance to Enes Kanter's feelings on continuing to play for the Utah Jazz.
Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune reported Kanter, who has slipped behind both Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert in Utah's big-man hierarchy of the future, hopes to be traded by the deadline.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News noted Kanter's dissatisfaction was hardly a new development: "Enes Kanter's agent Max Ergul has been asking for a trade for years and has turned up the heat on Jazz management lately, per sources."
Kanter's situation is complicated by his impending free agency. He'll be restricted this summer, which means any team potentially trading for him could watch him walk away for nothing. His new squad would have the right to match an offer sheet, but it would only take one oversized dollar amount to make that move cost prohibitive.
And that's to say nothing of the red flags attached to Genessy's report. Kanter's only been in the league for four seasons. If it's true that his agent has been angling for a trade "for years," when did the dissatisfaction start?
The talent's there: Kanter is exceptionally strong, can hit a jumper and does good work on the offensive glass. But it's only fair to toss out a "buyer beware" label on this one.
Jason Thompson, Sacramento Kings
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DeMarcus Cousins hasn't seemed especially happy with the Sacramento Kings lately, but it's his teammate Jason Thompson whose workplace issues may have him on the move sooner than later.
According to Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports: "The camp for Kings forward Jason Thompson would like to get him traded before Thursday's deadline."
The upheaval in Sacramento cannot have been easy for the players on the roster. Three coaches in one season, a relatively new owner and a front office dealing with win-now mandates is a recipe for unrest. Perhaps that's why Thompson wants out.
Potential suitors should also be hoping the environment is to blame for Thompson's declining play.
His player efficiency rating is at a career low and has been trending downward for four consecutive years, per Basketball-Reference.com. He's also shooting just 46.8 percent from the field (also a career worst), which is a real issue for a big man who doesn't defend the rim or stretch the floor with his jumper.
It's difficult to judge any player on their performance with the Kings, who've struggled to develop their draftees for the better part of a decade. At 28, it's possible a new home could give Thompson the conditions he needs to improve his production.
Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Reggie Jackson has lost minutes to Dion Waiters over the last few weeks, but the genesis of his discontent resides all the way back in September.
"I don’t think about ever coming off the bench for any team," he told Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman in training camp. "If that’s the role I’m put in, that’s what I’m put in. But since the day I thought about playing in the NBA, I’ve always been a starter. Everything I’ve thought about, whether it be middle school, high school, kids leagues, I never envisioned coming off the bench."
Jackson got a reps as a starter when Russell Westbrook was hurt, seeing 38.2 minutes per game in 13 starts, but his role has diminished steadily of late. In February, he's averaged just 19.1 minutes per contest and hasn't taken the floor for an opening tip once.
He's a backup to a backup at this point, and given his clear preference for starting, that can't be sitting well with Jackson.
As is the case with Kanter and Dragic, free agency looms this summer. That'll complicate a deadline deal.
The 24-year-old combo guard is playoff tested and doesn't lack for confidence. If given a first-unit opportunity with a new team, he could thrive.
Lance Stephenson, Charlotte Hornets
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"Cause sometimes you lose your hunger," Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson explained to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News during the All-Star break. "You’ve been doing it for so long you forget all the hard work that got you here. So I’m just getting back on that, getting focused.”
Couple things here.
First, Stephenson's waning hunger may have to do with being relegated to the Hornets bench after performing many, many levels below the level he set last year with the Indiana Pacers.
Second, that telling comment came as part of a discussion about playing for his hometown Brooklyn Nets, a hypothetical scenario Stephenson told Bondy would be a "blessing."
Maybe it's a stretch, but if Stephenson is talking about losing his hunger in Charlotte and the divine fortune of potentially playing in Brooklyn, perhaps we can conclude he's not satisfied with his current employer. That's fine; his employer probably isn't all that happy with him.
A new workplace might be best for everyone, as B/R's Zach Buckley notes:
"Stephenson is a rugged on-ball defender, a great rebounder for his position and a sound secondary playmaker. He brings a moving truck's worth of baggage and spotty scoring, but on the right team, the positives outweigh the negatives.
The Hornets just aren't that team.
"
A trade could pick up Stephenson's spirits and productivity.
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