NBA Trade Deadline: 10 Players Who Needed a Change of Scenery and Didn't Get It
This NBA trade deadline was one of the busiest in recent seasons.
Despite the flurry of activity that occurred, it seems that there remain some disgruntled players trapped on their current teams for the remainder of the campaign.
There were some big names rumored to be on the move who wound up staying put, and several teams are left toiling in mediocrity as a result.
10. Raymond Felton, PG Denver Nuggets
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Felton actually got his change of scenery when he was shipped to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster, but he couldn't have wound up in a more unfamiliar spot.
After signing on with the Knicks to be the starting point guard, Felton finds himself staring at a timeshare with the younger Ty Lawson, who head coach George Karl already stood by as his starter. While he did say that the two would see time on the court together, Felton simply won't produce like he did earlier this season.
It would've been much more beneficial to both the Nuggets and Felton if they had flipped him to a team in need of a starting point guard, but for now he'll just have to make the best of it.
9. Andris Biedrins, C Golden State Warriors
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The last time Biedrins played more than 30 minutes in a game was on December 14th.
Clearly not seen as a long-term fixture by the team, Biedrins' three-years and $27 million left on his deal make him rather unattractive to perspective teams in need of a big man. Additionally, the once-promising Biedrins has seen his potential somewhat sapped by injury and inconsistency over the last year and a half.
With the Warriors looking for a reason to give lottery pick Ekpe Udoh some playing time, Biedrins was thought to be dangled in several offers leading up to the deadline. Unfortunately for the Warriors, his value is about as low as it can get right now.
8. Jonny Flynn, PG Minnesota Timberwolves
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Flynn hasn't done much to endear himself to the Minnesota front office during his short tenure with the team and found himself at the heart of lots of rumors leading up to 3:00 PM EST.
Rather than showing the potential that he did at Syracuse, Flynn has fallen on his face when given the opportunity to start. He sports a terrible career 4.1:2.7 assist:turnover ratio, and he simply doesn't score enough to offset that shortcoming.
He already saw journeyman Luke Ridnour surpass him on the depth chart this season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him fall out of the rotation entirely if he continues to struggle with injuries.
7. Chris Kaman, C Los Angeles Clippers
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Kaman signed a five-year, $52 million extension back in 2006 when the Clippers envisioned him as a center piece in the long-term rebuilding picture.
Now it's 2011, the Clips are still re-building, and Kaman's contract is looking more like a burden than a blessing.
With DeAndre Jordan appearing to be on the verge of blossoming into a legitimate starting center and set to hit the open market in the offseason, the team will still be actively shopping Kaman in the offseason as they look to free up money to re-sign the much younger Jordan.
"The Cave Man" would be a great fit on a team like the Pistons, but we all know GM Joe Dumars is not looking to add a salary like that.
6. Antawn Jamison, PF Cleveland Cavaliers
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The biggest loser in LeBron's decision that nobody talks about, Jamison is a prisoner of Cleveland and its atrocious basketball team.
It's not surprising that the squad couldn't find a taker for his enormous contract ($15 million guaranteed for next season), but the fact that they added another overpaid, fading star in Baron Davis ($30 million guaranteed over next two seasons) is downright perplexing.
Although the tag team of Davis and Jamison would have been intimidating in season's past, both are in the twilight of their careers and neither are the player that they once were.
The Cavs would have been better off in sending Jamison to a team that would absorb his bloated contract even if they couldn't maximize the returns, because the way the roster is currently constructed, this team is just costing Dan Gilbert money.
5. JR Smith, SG Denver Nuggets
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Smith has been in and out of Coach Karl's doghouse for the last season and a half, and a deal that sent him out of town may have been best for both parties.
Although it was widely speculated that Smith would be sent to numerous locations following the Melo deal (most notably to Chicago), the hotheaded sharpshooter wound up staying put in Denver and will play out the remainder of the season with the Nuggets.
With his contract set to expire at season's end, the decision not to move him looked like an awfully curious one until recently. The team has come out and expressed a desire to keep him in Denver long-term, but that scenario could really backfire if Smith decides to get under someone's skin again in the near future.
4. Stephen Jackson, SF Charlotte Bobcats
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The Bobcats were looking to deal either Gerald Wallace or Stephen Jackson, and with Wallace having been shipped out west to Portland, Jackson is the unquestioned loser in this deal.
Now stuck on a team that is somewhere in between re-building and contending, entrenched firmly in mediocrity toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Jackson's temper is sure to be on full display for the remainder of the campaign.
Although he's never been shy about expressing himself, S-Jax is really going to be displeased now that the team's other best offensive option is no longer a piece of the puzzle.
He recently made the suggestion that the Bobcats should sign owner Michael Jordan to a contract, and with the group of players that are going to surround him for the remainder of this season, it's actually not a bad idea.
3. Steve Nash, PG Phoenix Suns
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The Suns' refusal to move Nash at the deadline makes them one of the biggest losers of all 30 teams.
Outside of the veteran Canadian baller, there is no piece on this Phoenix roster that can be seen as a legitimate one on a championship team. Instead, they boast a collection of role players and aging stars who are trying to figure out a way to play with one another.
Nash is under contract through the 2011-12 season, and that does not give the Suns enough time to build a team that will compete for a title. So instead of leveraging their best asset into a more promising future, they shall continue to be stuck in the middle both now and in the future.
If the two-time MVP had the chance to take back extending his contract when he made the choice to sign on the dotted line, I'm fairly certain he would.
2. Richard Hamilton, SG Detroit Pistons
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Rip either has a groin that refuses to heal, or he's milking the situation for all it's worth.
My vote is for the latter.
Hamilton has failed to see eye to eye with John Kuester throughout the entire season, and now the two have seemingly little interest in repairing the fractured relationship. Still inked for two more seasons and about $25.5 million beyond the current one, the former all-star desperately needs a change of team to revitalize his career.
He can still be a prolific scorer in this league, and it would be a shame to see Hamilton waste the back-end of his career as a bench warmer.
1. OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
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The Grizzlies attempted to move Mayo to the Indiana Pacers in a last-second deal, but they missed the cutoff by just a few minutes, so the USC product will remain in Memphis.
Owner Michael Heisley continues to insist that OJ is a long-term part of the plans for the Grizzlies, but the swingman can't seem to crack the rotation in any significant manner even with stud Rudy Gay sidelined.
The team was reportedly offered SG Ronnie Brewer and three draft picks in exchange for Mayo from the Chicago Bulls, and if that reported offer is indeed true, it's hard to imagine why they couldn't pull the trigger.
