Drew Gooden: After Playing for Nine Teams, Where Will He Go Next?

There are a few NBA players that seem to always be on the move because they sign ten-day contracts with multiple teams during a NBA season, or as a result of being included in trades (sometimes to make the salaries match up).

One such player, who enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at the University of Kansas, is Drew Gooden, who left the Jayhawks after his junior year in order to enter the 2002 NBA Draft.

Since entering the NBA, the California native has played for nine different teams in nine seasons. He might be the best player in the NBA to come close to matching the record for most teams played for by an individual player. The NBA record (which is spending time with 12 different teams) has been set most recently by Jim Jackson, Tony Massenberg, and Chucky Brown.

Will Drew Gooden tie or break the record? All we know is that he is a good rebounder, a decent scorer,  has interesting beard fashion, and has worn three different jersey numbers—zero, nine, and 90. We will have to wait and see what happens to the forward from here on out.

1. Memphis Grizzlies (2002-2003)

Gooden was drafted by the Grizzlies with the fourth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He averaged 12.5 points to go along with 5.8 rebounds his rookie season and played in 51 games with the Grizzlies including 29 starts.

Gooden was traded to the Orlando Magic along with Gordan Giricek, and cash considerations in exchange for Ryan Humphrey, Mike Miller, a first-round draft pick, and a future second-round draft pick.

2. Orlando Magic (2003-2004)

Gooden spent 19 games (including 18 starts) of his rookie season as a member of the Orlando Magic where he averaged 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He averaged 14.0 points and 12.7 rebounds during seven playoff games versus the Detroit Pistons that year as well.

During the 2003-04 season, Gooden averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds while playing in 79 games (with only 17 starts). Gooden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 24, 2004 along with Steven Hunter, and the draft rights to Anderson Varejao in exchange for Tony Battie and two future second-round draft picks.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (2004-2008)

The Cavaliers were looking to bring in another forward on their roster after Carlos Boozer decided to sign with the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers then decided to trade for an up-and-coming big man and brought in Drew Gooden.

After playing in 292 regular season games, and 33 playoff games with the Cavaliers franchise, averaging 11.9 points during the regular season and 9.8 during the playoffs, Gooden agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $23M during the summer of 2006.

However Gooden was traded in a three-team deal involving the Chicago Bulls and the Seattle Sonics on February 21, 2008 that was finalized one minute before the trade deadline period.

4. Chicago Bulls (2008-2009)

In the complex three-team trade, the Chicago Bulls received Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons and Drew Gooden from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for defensive-minded big man Ben Wallace, at the time, a member of the Bulls.

Gooden dealt with various injuries (including a groin injury that plagued him for the season) as a member of the Chicago Bulls but averaged 14.0 points and 9.3 rebounds while averaging a career-high 31.0 minutes per game during the 2007-08 season. Gooden went on to average 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds during the first 31 games of the 2008-09 season.

Gooden was traded along with Andres Nocioni, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons on February 18, 2009 to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Brad Miller (second stint with the Bulls) and John Salmons.

5. Sacramento Kings (2009)

Gooden played in only ONE game as a member of the Kings where he scored 12 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. However, the team decided to buyout the remainder of his contract, making the forward eligible to sign with a playoff bound team as his next employer. (LINK)

Gooden, now a free-agent, decided to join the San Antonio Spurs roster in order to help the team make a deep playoff run.

6. San Antonio Spurs (2009)

Gooden signed with the Spurs for the remainder of the 2008-09 season, where he appeared in 19 games averaging 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds mainly in a backup role.

7. Dallas Mavericks (2009-2010)

Drew Gooden after spending the last part of the season with the San Antonio Spurs signed with the Dallas Mavericks as a free-agent during the summer of 2009. Gooden averaged 8.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 46 appearances (including 11 starts) in 46 games with the team. Gooden was thought to be a great addition to the team with his ability to rebound and play behind Dirk Nowitzki.

However, Gooden was traded to the Washington Wizards along with Josh Howard, Quinton Ross, and James Singleton in while the Mavericks received Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson.

8. Washington Wizards (2010)

It was initially thought that Gooden would be released and would strongly consider re-signing with Dallas, but was traded four days (never did appear in a game with the Wizards) later to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Al Thornton in a three-team trade also involving the Cleveland Cavaliers.

9. Los Angeles Clippers (2010)

The Los Angeles Clippers obtained Gooden in exchange for Al Thornton in mid-February 2010. Gooden was not released by the Clippers, but instead went on to average a career-high 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in 24 appearances (including 22 starts).

10. Milwaukee Bucks (2010-Present)

Gooden signed a five-year deal worth $32M contract on July 1, 2010. He averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 35 games played (including 18 starts). He recorded his first career triple-double on April 9, 2011 against the Cleveland Cavaliers (one of his former teams) scoring 15 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and 13 assists.

So up to this point, Gooden has not been moved. Although he signed a long-term contract with the Bucks it does not mean that he may be traded, especially if there are changes to the collective bargaining agreement.