NBA Trade Speculation: 10 Players Whose Talents Are Going to Waste on Their Team

The NBA is a superstar latent entity that allows athletes the opportunity to showcase their impressive talents in a highly competitive environment. That being said, what if such notion is merely that, a notion, and is not being actualized?

Every NBA team arguably has at least one talent that possesses a better than average level of allure. Each organization seems to have one, or more, players who put bodies in the arena, and cash in the owners' pocket.

However, what if such a courtesy isn't reciprocated? What if a player is leaving his heart out on the floor, putting people in the seats and receiving nothing but a paycheck in return? Winning is important to athletes, and failure to assemble a legitimately competitive roster can become easily frustrating to a competition driven athlete.

Additionally, what if a team is heading in the right direction, but perhaps at one athlete's expense? Is it fair for an athlete, who is more than capable at continuing to play at a high level, to be delegated to the bench in favor of another? Sometimes, what team's misconceive as depth, is actually excess.

In these specific situations, a player's talent is being wasted. We are not referring to Chris Bosh who is forced to relinquish a number of valuable touches in favor of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, rather we are talking about players like Chris Kaman, who is preparing to take a backseat to the up and coming DeAndre Jordan. We are talking about players like Steve Nash, who may be past his prime but still a top-tier point guard, wasting his remaining days playing for a team nowhere near contention.

This is by no means suggesting that exceptional players should not endure through a team's rebuilding stage nor is it to say that athletes, whether they be superstars or role players, are exempt from making necessary sacrifices.

All this argument is trying to establish is that sometimes the goals and paths of a player and his franchise do not always align. Whether the motivating factor is age, excess, bleak outlooks or difference of opinions and goals, there are some players who's talents are currently being wasted.

Let's take a look at 10 players who fit this criteria, and may be better off requesting that their respective teams explore trade options. 

Nate Robinson of Oklahoma City Thunder

Surprised to see Nate Robinson here? You shouldn't be, the 5'9" Robinson has some serious talent that is being wasted as he is now officially buried on the Oklahoma City Thunder's bench.

Robinson's talent has arguably been wasted since he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2010. In New York, he was capable of dropping points in bunches. Back in 2008, he dropped 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Robinson is undersized and hasn't developed into a true point guard, but his offense would prove very valuable to any number of teams. He is extremely quick, and we all know the serious vertical reach he boasts.

Yet despite his scoring abilities, he averaged a combined 6.8 points and 1.9 assists per game last season. The Thunder may be a title contender, but Robinson is wasting away on that bench of theirs. He is capable of so much more than we have seen the past couple of seasons.

It was Robinson who averaged 17.2 points during the 2008-2009 campaign. Were the New York Knicks a low and decrepit team then? Yes, but that doesn't mean he cannot score for a winner. Wouldn't his offensive capabilities be valued in New York even now with Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony? Of course.

The closest Robinson will ever get to an All-Star game is the slam dunk competition, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of making a difference. And as for the knocks on his floor general abilities, has he ever been under any real valuable tutelage? No.

Larry Brown was impatient with Robinson, Isiah Thomas gave him too much freedom, Mike D'Antoni hated that he wasn't Steve Nash, Doc Rivers saw him as almost a non-entity and Scott Brooks  doesn't have to worry about it with Russell Westbrook.

Is Robinson rightfully so a third or fourth string on the Thunder? Given their depth and talent level, perhaps, but he is one of the most capable third or fourth strings there has been then. He is better served on a team where he can showcase his talents by getting substantial minutes off the bench.

Kevin Durant and the Thunder may get Robinson closer to a ring next season, but sometimes that's not enough. Not when you're unable to contribute to attaining such a goal. 

Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets

Luis Scola's inclusion is by no means an attempt to belittle how much the Houston Rockets value him. Even with Yao Ming as the face of the franchise, he was the player they have been able to depend upon.

Now that Ming is officially gone, a new era is about to begin in Houston, one where the team is going to incur some growing pains, which is something Scola does not have time for at this point in his career.

He only has four seasons under his belt, but he is 31, and age is eventually going to catch up with him. Scola averaged 18.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season, serving as a real leader to a team that was in turmoil. He is at the top of his game, but for how much longer?

Kevin Martin is a great player, Chase Budinger has potential and the Rockets have an arsenal of guards in Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic and Jonny Flynn, who have all showed some promise. However, this is all part of the problem.

Houston is a team that is mostly filled with potential and promise, instead of proven players. This is not an organization ready to contend for a title right now. Is it out of the question in the next couple of years? No, but at that point, Scola's abilities could have entered a rapid decline, to the point where he isn't a major contributor anymore.

Scola's versatility, in-game intelligence and willingness to lead makes him a great asset for Houston to have. That being said, from the beginning, it is all about reciprocating, something that the Rockets would love to, but cannot do right now.

Is Scola the type of player to request a trade? Probably not, he is more of a passive athlete who lets his production do the talking, and this may prove to be unfortunate. It took him a while to get to the NBA, but now that he is here, he shares the same competitive drive as the right of these athletes. He wants to win a championship.

However, he is not one to rock the boat, so at this point, Houston may have to do it for him.

Sooner or later, preferably sooner, they are going to realize that Scola is not a part of the even bigger picture. At that point, they should move him while he is still worth something in return, while also giving him the opportunity to play for a team where his talents will not go to waste, but rather toward the pursuit of a championship.

Ramon Sessions of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Ramon Sessions is a rare combination of player, having achieved a moderate amount of individual success despite bouncing from team to team over his four-year career.

Last season, Sessions averaged 13.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. And this was amidst being mentioned in every trade rumor under the sun, a trend that continued after the season concluded right up until the NBA draft.

After all was said and done though, Sessions remained with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went ahead and added another point guard to the roster in Kyrie Irving. At 25, trade rumors and competition within your team may be a part of the business, but in Sessions' case, it has been taken to a whole new level.

Irving, Baron Davis and Daniel Gibson are all going to command a certain amount of playing time, which doesn't leave much for Sessions. Even if they were to split minutes equally among the four of them, Sessions deserves to be a steady starter after what he has shown.

As long as he is with the Cavaliers though, he lacks stability. Once the lockout is resolved, expect rumors regarding the point guard to run rampant again. It begs the question as to why Cleveland would waste Sessions' time.

At this point, it seems to be not a matter of if, but when the Cavs will move Sessions. This is no environment for him to further develop and harness his abilities in. Cleveland does not seem to appreciate what he is capable of.

Additionally, the Cavs are further wasting Sessions' time as continue this facade of building a championship caliber team, a level they are light years away from.

LeBron James left this organization in disarray, and there is no telling how long it will take them to fully pick up the pieces. Some view Kyrie Irving as a potential savior, but in reality, he is a stop-gap to hold them over until the next draft. And Tristan Thompson is not poised to do anything prolific, not yet anyway.

Sessions seems to be on the brink of reaching a whole other level. Given adequate playing time and the proper support from his team, he could easily be an 18 points and eight assists per game point guard. But it's not going to happen in Cleveland.

Sessions' talents are going to waste with the Cavaliers, as they attempt to usher in a new, and what they believe to be, better core of players. In reality though, all they have to do at this point is look within their organization to find the face of their future.

Perhaps Sessions' next team will put his talents to good use. 

Jose Calderon of Toronto Raptors

Jose Calderon is an extremely unselfish player, and it may be high time he exerted some selfishness by requesting for a trade, if the Toronto Raptors have not explored such a scenario already.

Calderon had a solid season last year, averaging 9.8 points, 8.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is an incredible distributor with a basketball IQ that is through the roof. His outside game has been criticized in the past, but he took major steps towards reversing such shortcomings last season.

Despite this, the proven six-year veteran finds himself preparing to battle the 23-year-old Jerryd Bayless for the starting point guard position next season. This is certainly not a predicament Bayless envisioned himself entering, especially with the semi-lucrative contract he is currently under.

It rarely hurts to have some good natured competition within an organization, and forcing a player to rise above the curve by instilling it is by no means malignant. At what point does it become unnecessary though?

Bayless is a more than capable floor general, and if that is the direction the Raptors want to head than who is Calderon or anybody else to say otherwise? However, this situation is becoming increasingly similar to the Raymond Felton versus Ty Lawson debacle.

The Denver Nuggets started the aging Chauncey Billups over the younger Lawson last season, then traded for Felton, a clear upgrade, yet decided to delegate him to the bench. For half the season, such a decision was justifiable, but beyond that not so much.

Denver traded Felton before it became a real problem and the Raptors would be smart to do the same with Calderon. 

Handing the reigns over to Bayless is not completely unwarranted or illogical, but it is just that to bury Calderon on the bench, even if he becomes the sixth man. Calderon would be a starter on any number of teams, and at 29, he in his prime, not heading towards it.

By the end of last season, it became clear that Calderon's talents would not be showcased in a light that was beneficial in the best way to him or Toronto. He is a starting caliber point guard, preparing to begin life as a backup, and if that isn't a waste, what is?

If Bayless is the point guard of the present, and not the distant future, it would be better off for both Calderon and the Raptors if they were to sever all ties.

Al Jefferson of Utah Jazz

Al Jefferson flourished both alongside, and apart from, Deron Williams last season, averaging 18.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

However, it is the time spent apart from Deron Williams that means Jefferson's talents are being wasted with the Utah Jazz. Now that Williams is on the East coast, the Jazz are nowhere near playoff contenders.

Jefferson is only 26, but Utah is only just entering a rebuilding stage that is going to last at least four years, by which he will be 30 or older. Alec Burks may be an offensive powerhouse, but Andrei Kirilenko is dwindling and possibly out the door, and Derrick Favors got off to a less than impressive beginning to his career.

Favor's struggles can be attributed to having to withstand trade rumors in his rookie season, but even if he emerges next season or the season after, he and Jefferson alone are not going to be making incredulous volumes of noise.

Furthermore, Jefferson's presence on the Jazz may not even serve the best interests of the team at this point. Sure, he is athletic and a powerful presence in the low-post, but he will be a free agent in two years, and are the Jazz, especially facing the possibility of a cancelled season, going to show enough progress for him to want to remain in Utah? Probably not.

To call Jefferson's departure inevitable is a stretch, but he is wasting his talent at this point in his career as a member of the Jazz. Think of it all in terms of the aforementioned contract. Jefferson will be 28 when it ends, and he is certainly going to want to play for a contender, and Utah, even if they are headed in the right direction, will not be there.

This is by no means an insult to the Jazz. Over history they have proved to be one of the more level-headed franchises. However, this is no longer a favorable situation for Jefferson. He is a very good player, but he is no LeBron James and is not going to single-handedly propel this team to a finals appearance.

With Williams on board, Jefferson's presence made a load of sense. Now that the Jazz are no longer playoff contenders though, his prime years are being wasted.

As painful as it may be for Utah to trade away yet another franchise player, it may become a reality they have to deal with once Jefferson experiences the full weight of his current situation. 

Chris Kaman of Los Angeles Clippers

Chris Kaman had a solid season last year, averaging 12.4 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and while his potential hasn't yet peaked, his production levels may have as long as he remains with the Los Angeles Clippers.

DeAndre Jordan may be a restricted free agent, but he is going to return next season. No way do the Clippers let a promising 23-year-old center walk out the door. Even if they have to break open their piggy bank and pay top-dollar, Jordan will remain in Los Angeles, and you cannot blame the Clippers for that.

However, with Jordan set to take over the starting center position next season, what is to become of Kaman? He is only 29, and if last season was any indication, he still has plenty left in the tank.

It doesn't matter that Kaman is a free agent after next season. Spending a year as a backup to the center of the future while he is still a starting quality player is a downright waste, and would stand to diminish his ego and any production that comes along with it.

As per last season, Kaman proved he is extremely athletic for his size, runs the floor with ease, can be a dominant scorer in the low-post, is a very good rebounder and a solid defender. How is he to be rewarded for such prolific play? By spending some extra time on the bench. Forgive me for being ignorant, but I'm not fluent in that vernacular.

While Kaman is no grandpa, 29 is an age that you cannot mess around with. His prime is now, not later. Such shenanigans may have been more acceptable three or four years earlier, but he is not a kid anymore. And he is no backup center either.

Some may call it depth, but in reality, it's excess. With Blake Griffin and Jordan in the low-post, there is no room for Kaman, not really. Assuming a backup role while he is capable of starting is going to prove very damaging to his apparently bright, yet not-so-longlasting future.

One season spent in the shadows will prove more than enough to send Kaman into a state of regression. The Clippers would do best to ship him off where he is actually needed and can be an integral part of future plans for success. 

Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love is unquestionably one of the best glass-crashers the NBA has ever seen, yet his rebounding and scoring abilities are wasting away with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Why exactly? After all, Love is in no danger of losing minutes to any promising young players, he is the future of this team, isn't he? Sure, but the future of what?

The Timberwolves have a premiere player in Love, and they have chosen to pair him with the likes of Michael Beasley, Michael Beasley sans the attitude in Derrick Williams, Anthony Randolph and Ricky Rubio.

Not only does the core of Minnesota create an excess in the front court, but the Timberwolves are placing a lot of faith in the NBA untested Rubio, who was mediocre at best overseas. The team took a giant leap forward naming Rick Adelman as head coach, but this team is nowhere near playoff contention, let alone championship contention.

As previously stated, star platers are not exempt from suffering through rebuilding stages, and at only 23, one would think Love is the quintessential example of an athlete who must endure such circumstances. That being said, he may only be 23, but at the rate the Timberwolves are going, they will not be contenders even when he is 30.

Additionally, as long as David Kahn is involved, Love should not expect anything but disappointment. Give Kahn credit for generating an abundance of hype around an overseas talent that hasn't shown he is superstar material, but chastise him for the slew of roster moves that put the Timberwolves at the bottom of the pit to begin with, and then kept them there.

Becoming a contender takes time, effort and the ability to withstand growing pains along the way, but even with Love and his 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds per game, the Timberwolves are heading toward an era where there will be a hell of a lot more pain than growing. 

Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul has spent al six of his NBA years on the New Orleans Hornets, but now, more than ever, his talent is being wasted on a team that is nowhere near contending for a title.

Paul averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game last season, but more importantly, he averaged 22 points, 11.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game in the postseason. He singlehandedly allowed the Hornets to remain competitive against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite everything Paul did though, his supporting cast was not suited for that level of competition. Both losing and winning are team efforts, but the Hornets, as a whole, played to the best of their abilities in that series, and it was not nearly enough, nor is it going to get any better.

Paul is 26, and on a team that is neither rebuilding nor has the supporting cast of a contender, and this is bad news for the star point guard. Many may advise him to just tough it out one more season until he is able to bolt for greener pastures, yet after more than half a decade of mediocrity, he needs to get out now, not later.

When Paul first joined the Hornets, back in 2005, this was an acceptable state for he and the team to be in. At this point in time though, they are in a LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers type complacency, the kind where Paul is the only true championship caliber player on the roster.

Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, David West and Emeka Okafor are solid players, but two of them, Landry and West, could be gone by next season. Additionally, Okafor does not play up to his pay grade, and is part of problem in terms of finances as to why New Orleans lacks the means to build a contender around Paul.

As one of the most elusive, unselfish and complete point guards to ever play in the NBA, Paul deserves better. This is why he cannot wait until next summer, or even near the trade deadline to to make his move. He needs to exert his leverage now, or rather as soon as the lockout is over.

Paul's inconceivable talent level has been wasted for most of his career. He should be playing his way towards championships and building a legacy, not single-handedly preserving a confused franchise's mediocre reputation. 

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic remain competitive thanks solely to the efforts of Dwight Howard, who has singlehandedly saved this franchise from entering basketball oblivion.

Howard averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, carrying the Magic to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. How did his supporting cast thank him for picking up the slack during the regular season? By disappearing further and falling to the fifth seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

In his seven seasons, Howard has been to the playoffs five times, yet he has no hardware, nor is his team heading in the direction of obtaining such a prized possession. Next summer, the star center is a free agent, and most believe that he will bolt, yet Orlando is unwilling to admit it just yet.

The Magic still believe they have a fighting chance, so much so that they took a gamble, and lost, by acquiring Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu to pair alongside their franchise player last season. Arenas continued to be the disappointment he has been known to be, and Turkoglu continued to battle age.

The worst part about that trade is it prevents the Magic from starting over. Turkoglu and Arenas are eating up some serious cap space for the next three seasons, meaning if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is three-years from now, which is way too long to expect Howard to wait.

Josh Smith is known to be a target of the Magic, but even if the Hawks are looking for a straight up salary dump, is Smith really enough to propel Orlando to a championship level? No, the Magic would need at least one more piece to their disastrous puzzle.

Howard is one of the most reveled athletes to have ever played the game, and the most dominant center we have seen since Shaquille O'Neal in his prime. Given all of this, we should be watching Howard contend for titles, to securing his legacy among the league's all-time greatest, instead of having to fend off questions regarding his team's future.

The truth of the matter is that the Magic do not have much of a future, with or without Howard, and at this point, it seems more likely they will eventually be without him.

Orlando needs to cut their losses and trade their star sooner rather than later. The longer this drags on, the more bitter their inevitable split will be. Why? Because the more time Howard has to consider his options, the more likely it is he realizes "what could have been" and how his talent was wasted on a team incapable of anything except mediocrity. 

Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash is pretty much the epitome of a player's talent going to waste on his current team, given the fact that he is 37 years old and runs the risk of falling off his game completely at any time.

Nash averaged 14.7 points and 11.4 assists per game last season, more than respectable numbers, especially for someone as old as him. He is still one of the quickest point guards in the league, and he has a court vision that is matched by almost no one. His ability to penetrate through to the basket while still knowing where everyone is on the court, including the perimeter, is nothing short of breathtaking.

Yes, Nash is still prolific these days, but how much longer is that going to last? Most would have said up until about three years ago, but Nash shattered that vase of theory. His performance over the past few years is incredible, or maybe the word we are looking for is improbable.

At this point, Nash is running on borrowed time, and that does not belittle anything he has accomplished recently. The fact is, though rarely do we see a player like Nash stay on top as long as he has, and while it is spectacular to watch, the brutal reality of it all is he must come crashing back down to earth sometime. We just don't know when at this point.

But it has to be somewhat soon; Nash has defied the odds up until now, but do we really see a 40-year-old Nash playing 30 plus minutes and dishing out 10 or more assists per game?

It is because of risk, or rather inevitable reality that Nash's talents are being wasted with the Phoenix Suns. The organization only just entered a rebuilding stage, if you could call it that. They have no clear cut direction and as far as championship contention goes that is out of the question.

Channing Frye and Marcin Gortat are two promising big men that Nash has to rely on, but outside of that he has the likes of Josh Childress and Vince "past his prime" Carter. Nash needs a supporting cast who are in their primes because as prolific as he is, he isn't anymore.

How many more seasons can we picture Nash in the NBA? Three, at most, and even that is being generous. If he wants to contend for a title, it is going to have to be outside of Phoenix.

Nash can maintain all he wants that he wants to retire with the Suns, but do you think he is going to show a Chauncey Billups like disappointment if he is traded to the New York Knicks? Not at all.

In fact, it would serve Nash well to tell the Suns' front office to deal him to a contending team, in which case the Knicks become a legitimate option. Billups' expiring deal and Iman Shumpert, whom Phoenix loved prior to the draft, make an enticing enough package.

However, at this point, nothing is going to happen on any kind of trade front unless Nash initiates it. He is not known as that type of player, but desperate times call for unorthodox measures.

And if Nash wants an opportunity at a championship before he retires, I would certainly call this a desperate time.

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @DannyFavs2033.