NBA Trade Speculation: 12 Veterans That Deserve to Be Traded to a Contender

Some players like Grant Hill and Kurt Thomas have been in the NBA for almost two decades and still don't even have one NBA championship ring to show for it.

The NBA is filled with plenty of star caliber players that are stuck on bad teams like Kevin Love with the Minnesota Timberwolves or Deron Williams with the New Jersey Nets.

The difference between these players and the grizzled veterans, is that they have plenty of time left in their careers to land on a contender.

The veterans who have been in the league for a long period of time are at a point in their careers where they may only have one or two seasons left before their quest for a championship comes to an abrupt halt.

These are the players we are paying homage to, whether it be age or injury plagued careers that are robbing them of the time they have left, they deserve to be recognized and here is where they'll get it.

12. Kenyon Martin

Although Kenyon Martin may be loud and too intense on the court for his own good sometimes, that's exactly what makes his game so fun to watch and so easy to root for.

The energy and ferocity which Martin approaches the game with would be an incredible asset to any championship contender in need of help in their frontcourt.

Martin not only brings endless energy and hustle, but a nice combination of athleticism, defense and rebounding. If he is able to stay healthy in the upcoming season he could be an asset to a contender as he is a free agent.

His current Nuggets team are certainly on the rise, but after 11 seasons in the NBA, Martin doesn't have the time to stick it out and wait with a young team that is sure to be among the NBA's elite in a couple years down the line.

11. Shane Battier

Shane Battier is who everyone thinks of whenever the words "glue guy" are mentioned, complementing a player's all-around ability to do everything well, and contribute on both ends of the floor.

After Bruce Bowen retired, Battier seems to have taken his place as the player who plays great defense, brings great experience and leadership and can also knock down the open jumper when called upon to.

Although the Memphis Grizzlies proved that they are one of the grittiest teams in the NBA in the playoffs last season, there is no telling how long it will be until they can get over the hump and truly compete with the top four teams in the NBA for a championship.

Battier can certainly play a solid role for the Grizzlies again next season, but if he can go to an immediate contender, he will not have to wait as long to compete for an NBA championship.

10. Andre Miller

Much like Kenyon Martin, Andre Miller has been in the NBA a long time and while he will certainly bring a nice leadership presence to a young team in Denver, his time is running out to compete for a championship.

He has been one of the most durable players in the NBA, playing over 80 games in all but two of his 13 NBA seasons.

He is one of the most efficient players in the game as well and his contributions often go overlooked, mainly because the way he plays is not flashy but has always been fundamentally sound and effective.

It is possible that his veteran presence on the team will help the young Nuggets mature and compete for an NBA title, but his chances of winning the first ring of his career are likely better on a team that is already built to contend for one.

9. Brandon Roy

Granted Brandon Roy has only been in the NBA for five seasons, but his persistent knee injuries have made him age a lot quicker than you would expect a 27 year old to.

Before injury struck, Roy made three All-Star appearances and was quickly looking like the next superstar in the NBA.

Unfortunately for him and the Trail Blazers, once his injuries began they constantly persisted shortening the career of what seemed to be the next superstar. That being said, he still has a very high basketball I.Q. and would be a great offensive weapon off the bench for a contending team.

Out of all the players in the NBA, Roy is likely to benefit the most from a prolonged lockout, which is likely to result in a shortened season. If he is able to train hard and come back ready, we may see one more golden season out of Roy before his injuries get the best of him.

8. Antawn Jamison

Since his second year in the NBA, Antawn Jamison has hovered around scoring 20 PPG for his entire career, while also tossing in some rebounds as well.

Unfortunately, he's always been doing it for teams that have a ton of potential and fizzle out or teams that are just downright awful.

Even after 13 seasons in the NBA, he still can perform at a very high level and is a lot more deserving of being on a contender than his fellow teammate and longtime NBA player Baron Davis.

7. Jamal Crawford

Ever since his days with the New York Knicks, Jamal Crawford has made a living hitting game winning shots, converting four point plays and breaking ankles with his devastating crossover.

After the Knicks ignorantly shipped him off for Al Harrington, he converted himself into a sixth man for the Atlanta Hawks and became the team's secret weapon off the bench.

It's hard to believe, but Crawford has been in the NBA for 11 seasons now and although the Hawks are a perennial playoff team, I don't consider them a contender for the championship.

The dream fit for Crawford would likely be filling the void in Chicago at the shooting guard position, alongside Derrick Rose. Talk about an unguardable backcourt. I'm going out on a limb here and saying they would break the record for most broken ankles by a backcourt duo.

If they don't keep that statistic in the record books, they will likely find a spot for it if Rose and Crawford pair up.

6. Brad Miller

Brad Miller was one of the better passing big men in the NBA when he played for the Sacramento Kings and also has a soft touch on his mid-range jumper that made him a good complement to Chris Webber from 2003-2009.

Unfortunately, in his past couple of seasons, he played for the hustling Houston Rockets and now finds himself in basketball Siberia in Minnesota.

While I like the Timberwolves mindset to bring in an experienced veteran to help teach their young players the nuances of the game, the move for Brad Miller is a disaster, as he is not getting any younger.

Luckily for Miller, the Timberwolves are still in the process of rebuilding their team and adding the right pieces to get back into contention. 

Because of this, he may be lucky enough to get shipped off to a team that can use his veteran presence immediately to sure up their frontline and help them contend for a championship.

5. Marcus Camby

Marcus Camby has played for five teams in his NBA career and has been in the NBA for over a decade now.

Whether or not he gets to contend for a title will be interesting to see, because he already stated that he is planning to retire this off-season if he is not traded to a team he thinks can contend for an NBA title.

At any rate, if he does stick around the NBA for one more season, he would be a great addition to any team that is in need of help at the center position as he can still contribute at a high level in the shot blocking and rebounding departments.

4. Jeff Foster

Jeff Foster has been in the NBA for 12 long seasons and has pulled off the incredible loyal feat of playing for only one team during that time.

Foster is certainly getting up their in age at this point, but because of his ability to rebound the ball at a high rate, regardless of the amount of minutes he's given, he would make a tremendous amount of sense for a team like the New York Knicks, who need a solid big man to pair with an offensive minded power forward.

Since Foster is a legitimate seven footer with a solid build, he could be invaluable to a team that needs to sure up it's frontline before being able to truly compete for an NBA championship.

3. Kurt Thomas

Kurt Thomas is now 38 years old and is the oldest player in the NBA outside of Theo Ratliff who is also 38 years old.

He has been in the NBA for an incredible 16 years and has played for eight different teams in that time. For every team he played for, he always brought with him leadership skills and solid defense which has made him valuable even at 38 years old.

He may be on a contending team already if the Chicago Bulls are able to fill their need for a shooting guard who can create his own shot. Until then, they are still one piece away from being able to truly contend for an NBA championship.

2. Grant Hill

Like the two previously mentioned players, Grant Hill has also been in the NBA for 16 years and has been seemingly gotten better with age.

Although he is not playing at the All-Star caliber level he did years ago with the Detroit Pistons, he has been a valuable player to the Phoenix Suns, contributing across the board in scoring, rebounding and assists.

While his days of being a No. 1 scorer are over, he still has plenty left in the tank to play the "glue guy" role for a contending championship team.

1. Steve Nash

After watching his buddy Dirk Nowitzki win his first NBA championship, Steve Nash must've felt mixed emotions.

As happy as he had to be for his hard-working pal, Nash is entering his 16th season and his time to win a championship is running out. He has done just about everything there is to do in the NBA, except win a championship.

He will be a free agent in 2012, and I expect him to explore his options with contending teams, who could help him escape being part of the elite group of players who have never won a title. A group obviously no one wants to be a part of.

With only two seasons left at most, Nash will have to choose wisely when deciding who to sign with in 2012. I still think it would be great to see him head back to Dallas and win his final championship with Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban.

However, there are plenty of championship teams in need of his magician like passing abilities, so his choices certainly aren't limited.