Sports Stars Who Might Flourish on New Teams
Athletes sometimes need a change of scenery. It's a cliche spoken by analysts and fans just about every year.
Kurt Warner may be the ultimate example. Warner served as the backup quarterback to Eli Manning with the New York Giants during the second half of the 2004 National Football League League season. Warner made a move to the Arizona Cardinals the following year, and he found great success leading the Arizona offense for several seasons.
A handful of athletes may want to follow Warner's career decision from over a decade ago.
At 33, Jay Cutler isn't getting any younger, and his days as the starting QB of the Chicago Bears may run out before the end of 2016. Mike Trout, 25, is one of the top young superstars in Major League Baseball, and he deserves to play for a winning club. Some NFL team out there may try to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo at some point this fall.
"A change would do you good," Sheryl Crow sang back in the 1990s. Each of the athletes mentioned in this piece may be humming that tune to themselves during the final few months of 2016.
Klay Thompson
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As Shams Charania of The Vertical explained, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson stated this past summer "my game isn't changing" after learning perennial All-Star Kevin Durant joined the Warriors. That transaction made the Warriors favorites, on paper, to win the championship for the 2016-17 NBA regular season.
It also clearly caused Thompson to think about his future on the court and with the club.
We've seen supposed "superteams" of the past. Somebody on such a roster loses opportunities to earn buckets during games. There is, after all, only one basketball to shoot and only 48 minutes per game. Thompson, Durant, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will all look to make impacts at the offensive end of the court during a contest.
It's understandable Thompson, a dynamic talent, would lose touches and shots while with the Warriors. Curry is maybe the greatest shooter in the history of the league, and he is the reigning two-time NBA MVP. Durant has an MVP award on his resume. Green is the muscle of the group.
Thompson is now, in a way, the fourth man standing apart from Golden State's Big Three.
Thompson would likely flourish with a new team. He may also be the top star of that squad were he to choose to leave Golden State in the near future.
Terrelle Pryor
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Terrelle Pryor is still learning how to play wide receiver on the job while with the Cleveland Browns.
Pryor couldn't make it in the NFL as a quarterback. He flopped while with the Oakland Raiders, and he couldn't earn starting roles with a handful of other teams. The Browns signed Pryor in 2015, and he eventually earned a spot on the team's roster as a wide receiver.
Pryor played well during a Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins. He finished that contest with over 140 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown. Pryor also played several snaps at the QB position.
Pryor is not yet a superstar. As of the posting of this piece, he's had one breakout performance as a wide receiver. One must remember Pryor has played with QBs Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown and Cody Kessler in 2016.
Perhaps Pryor would truly flourish if he featured for another team.
New York Giants QB Manning helped Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. all evolve as offensive weapons. Tom Brady has a reputation for making those around him in New England Patriots offenses better.
Pryor can enter free agency following 2016. He should consider all of his options before he even thinks about signing a new contract with the Browns.
Gareth Bale
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Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has the goods to put a team on his back.
Bale did just that while with Tottenham Hotspur during the 2012-13 Premier League season. He scored memorable goals against Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Arsenal and Southampton. The Welsh wonder was largely responsible for Tottenham earning 72 points and coming close to qualifying for the Champions League that season.
Bale notched multiple noteworthy tallies during his debut campaign with Real Madrid. He scored the game-winners in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals. However, Bale never had a chance of being the top superstar in the Real squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo reserved that spot well before Bale came to terms on a deal with Real.
Bale probably won't win a Ballon d'Or while playing alongside Ronaldo. Ronaldo turns 32 years old in February 2017, but there is no indication he plans to leave Real anytime soon. Bale could flourish and be recognized as one of the best footballers in the world if he moved to a club that allowed him to be the top player and top star in that squad.
Bale doing so could also spark quite the rivalry between he and Ronaldo.
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Carmelo Anthony
4 of 10
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe referred to New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony as an "overrated ball hog" back in 2013.
Shaughnessy isn't the only individual to hint Anthony rarely meets a shot he doesn't like. This past March, Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal pointed out how critics mention Anthony's "tendency to hog the ball."
While Anthony has enjoyed a successful career, he has never come all that close to winning a title as a pro. All would do well to remember Anthony never played for the best team in the NBA after he joined the Knicks in 2011.
The Knicks were never better than the Miami Heat from 2010 through 2014. The Cleveland Cavaliers were easily the best team in the Eastern Conference over the past two seasons. That will likely again be the case during the upcoming campaign.
Perhaps Anthony needs a change of scenery at this stage of his career.
Anthony wouldn't be asked to be the top scorer if he joined LeBron James in Cleveland. A trio of James, Anthony and Kyrie Irving would remove pressure from Anthony, and it would provide him with different defensive matchups that may allow him to flourish and thrive unlike anytime over the past five years. Anthony would, of course, have to give up some shots for such a team to find success.
We can only guess if he would actually do so.
Brian Dozier
5 of 10
Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has 42 home runs this season as of the afternoon of September 28. Casual sports fans with no ties to the Twins who care only about their favorite baseball teams may not have noticed Dozier's numbers because the Twins are awful.
The Cleveland Indians won the American League Central title. The Detroit Tigers remained in that race through the final week of September, and the Tigers may qualify for the postseason. The Kansas City Royals are the defending World Series champions who may finish the year with a winning record.
Minnesota, meanwhile, lost over 100 games in 2016.
Dozier clearly doesn't hit in one of the strongest lineups in the league. Consider how much better his numbers could be if he had more protection around him while playing for a contender. The New York Mets could use a slugger such as Dozier as they attempt to earn a postseason berth. That's just one landing spot where Dozier could potentially flourish if he were able to make a move from the Twins.
Jimmy Garoppolo
6 of 10
The New England Patriots are the most interesting team in all of the NFL this fall.
Starting quarterback Tom Brady sat through the first four weeks of the campaign due to suspension. Garoppolo played well in two starts filling in for Brady until he was sidelined because of injury. Jacoby Brissett impressed when New England dominated the Houston Texans on September 22.
Needless to say, head coach Bill Belichick found ways to win without Brady taking the field.
We currently have no reason to believe Brady is retiring anytime soon even though he turned 39 years old this past August. Garoppolo, meanwhile, turns 25 in November. Per Spotrac, Garoppolo can become a free agent after next season.
The Patriots will eventually need to make a decision on what to do with Garoppolo.
Brady is one of the greatest QBs in the history of the league. He's earned the right to start for the Patriots until his body betrays him. That makes Garoppolo an asset for New England beyond what he can do on the field. Garoppolo could be worth a first-round pick if a franchise believes he would continue to flourish away from Belichick.
Hugo Lloris
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Tottenham Hotspur No. 1 Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. One could argue Lloris is the top goalkeeper in all of the Premier League.
Lloris currently serves as the captain of a Tottenham side that made a return to the Champions League in September. While Tottenham hung with Leicester City near the top of the table up through last spring, Spurs were unable to catch the Foxes following April. Leicester won the league, and Tottenham fell to third behind rivals Arsenal.
Tottenham likely aren't winning the Champions League this time around. Striker Harry Kane is dealing with an ankle injury, and Tottenham had several noticeable holes in the overall squad even before Kane went down. All things considered, Lloris may be Tottenham's best player.
That's worrisome, as a goalkeeper can only do so much during a match.
Lloris has the goods to start and star for the best clubs in the world. Tottenham aren't yet at that level, and Spurs may not get there anytime in the near future. Lloris turns 30 years old before the end of 2016, and he may soon have to start thinking about life beyond Tottenham if Spurs fail to impress in the group stages of the Champions League.
Kevin Love
8 of 10
Forward Kevin Love was never going to be the top star on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers acquired Love so he could play a certain role as part of a trio that included James and Irving. James, the greatest player of his generation, is going to be the top player in any lineup until his physical skills begin to wane. Irving is a tremendous scorer who happened to hit the three-pointer that helped the Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, Love's offensive numbers have decreased since making the move from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Cavs. Per Basketball-Reference.com, Love is scoring three fewer points per game with Cleveland than he was as a member of the Timberwolves.
Love won a championship with the Cavaliers last season. Theoretically, there is nothing left for him to achieve or prove with the club. Love could produce more on offense if he joined a different team via a trade at some point over the next 12 months.
We'll see what the future holds for Love come February 2017 and the NBA trade deadline.
Mike Trout
9 of 10
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a terrible baseball team.
The Angels are guaranteed to finish the year with a losing record. They won't even flirt with winning 80 games this season. Passionate fans of the club have to be counting down the final innings of the campaign at this rate.
Outfielder Trout is one of the few bright spots for the Angels in the fall of 2016.
Trout is widely respected as one of the best young players in the sport. Jessica DeLine of Halos Heaven recently referred to Trout as "the greatest player at his age of all time." Trout turned 25 years old this past August, and he already owns one Most Valuable Player award.
He may soon win a second.
Imagine what Trout could be if he played in the biggest sports market in the country and featured for either the New York Yankees or New York Mets, teams with more talent and brighter futures than the Angels. Think of all Trout could achieve if he became a member of the lineup of the Cleveland Indians, a club playing postseason baseball this October. Trout is already a superstar, but he could earn even more recognition if he earned at-bats during playoff games.
He could also help lead a team to a World Series.
Jay Cutler
10 of 10
Cutler may no longer be the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears by the time you read this sentence.
As Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune pointed out during the final week of September, Chicago head coach John Fox hinted Cutler may not regain his starting job once he is fully healthy and ready to return to action.
Cutler's career with the Bears has been an up-and-down ride from the very beginning. Per Pro-Football-Reference.com, Cutler tossed 26 interceptions in his first full season with the Bears. Per Adam Hoge of CBS Chicago, Cutler held multiple franchise records when he put pen to paper on a new deal with the club following the 2013 season.
Cutler has never played in a Super Bowl. That stat on his resume stands out more so than any other. Cutler turns 34 years old next spring, and one can't help but wonder if it would behoove both Cutler and the Bears to part ways at the end of 2016 regular season.
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