NBA Trade Speculation: 11 Veterans Who Should Force a Trade to a Contender

The upcoming 2011-12 NBA season might never happen, alienating faithful fans who need their pro basketball fix.

Nonetheless, when there is a season and proceedings are back to normal, the same NBA veterans who were displeased with their teams will likely have little reason for a change of heart.

These veterans have toiled, spilled their bodies onto the court and sacrificed their playing years for teams that have either run out of gas or were never viable contenders to begin with.

Unlike rookies, sophomores or even NBA juniors, several experienced and talented stars will have the clout and the pull to try on a new team for size—one that would afford them the golden opportunity of professional triumph and/or redemption.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy, for these 11 champions and non-champions, is the end of the rainbow for all NBA athletes. Those who have never been to the top of the mountain want a taste of what it's like, and those who've been there can't wait to reach the peak again.

For players wallowing through the middle portion of their careers or, worse, at the tail end of their journeys will hear the calling of the almighty championship ring sound louder and more deafening.

The bell tolls for 11 NBA veterans in particular who should plot their way out of teams with bleak futures and onto championship-hopeful contenders.

Ray Allen

As a member of their power triumvirate, Ray Allen helped lead the Boston Celtics to one NBA championship in 2008.

Since then, he and his green-clad colleagues have lost a heartbreaking NBA Finals to the Lakers in 2010 before falling way short against the Heat this past spring.

Suffice it to say, the leprechauns are one-and-done for the foreseeable future.

Allen, who is still arguably the best pure three-point shooter in the NBA, has a lot left to prove.

Obviously, he can still be effective on a team that needs the occasional 23-footer to stretch the defense.

If he wants to add to his legacy, "Jesus Shuttlesworth" will make a call to Danny Ainge and demand to be traded to a rising contender like the Memphis Grizzlies, who need some veteran leadership to get to the next level.

Chris Paul

"CP3" was almost traded to the East Coast this past season—the rumored destination being the New York Knicks.

Still, the best all-around point guard in the NBA is being wasted on a team that couldn't even get past the imploded Lakers in the first round of the 2011 playoffs.

He would really flourish with the Miami Heat, who need a brilliant creator to get the ball to Dwayne Wade and Lebron James.

Someone as unselfish as he would not only placate the egos of the top two players in the NBA but bring the best out of them as well, which is an incredibly scary thought for non-Miami fans.

The odd man out on the Heat? Chris Bosh, of course.

Brandon Roy

If he's not the most talented player in the league, the injury-riddled Brandon Roy is undoubtedly its most cold-blooded phenom in a game's closing moments.

He's just barely a veteran, but his knees are senior citizen-esque.

The cartilage is worn in both legs, causing bone-on-bone friction whenever he's moving around on the court.

Although his knee arthritis can really debilitate him when he's active for long stretches of time, the Washington alumnus can still be very effective in small doses.

He was destined to lead the Blazers to the promised land after much hype and fanfare—especially following Greg Oden being chosen as the No. 1 pick—but unforeseen circumstances haven't allowed it.

The Chicago Bulls, who showed a propensity for offensive stagnation in the clutch, could really use someone like Roy to right the ship in critical moments.

Monta Ellis

If you haven't heard already, Golden State is the Stephen Curry show.

Monta Ellis, though very productive in bursts, tends to butt heads with the point guard on offense.

Without a shadow of a doubt, however, Ellis, who is touted by some as being the best offensive player in the league, would shine brightly on a team with a disciplined system of running things.

One organization that comes to mind is the Los Angeles Lakers. If there is any player on any team Ellis would defer to for the greater good, it's Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Monta looks up to Kobe more than any other player in the league. With the Lakers' winning tradition and venerable leadership from ownership on down, the Mississippi native would thrive in L.A.

Manu Ginobili

Hailing from Argentina, Manu Ginobili isn't impoverished by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to NBA rings.

In fact, he has three of them, the last one coming in 2007.

The Spurs, though, thanks in large part to Tim Duncan being officially over the hill, have still been a strong workhorse team, but not one to be really reckoned with.

Ginobili, who is Charles Barkley's favorite player and the most unorthodox magician in the league, can be extremely efficient on a team that is a little too predictable on offense.

For instance, as a playmaker on the Bulls or Thunder, Ginobili could utilize his controlled frenzy to get to the hoop, among other things, to give Derrick Rose or Kevin Durant a much-needed breather in nail-biting, end-of-game scenarios.

That being said, to get one has to give, and the Bulls or the Thunder will have to part with perhaps Taj Gibson or James Harden as the principal asking prices from the seller, San Antonio.

Deron Williams

After a rumored dispute with Jerry Sloan—which allegedly caused the coach to lose faith in humanity and his team—Deron Williams was traded from the Jazz to the black hole of the NBA, the New Jersey Nets.

It happened all so quickly, in a flash of light, surprising many observers.

Yet with all his reputed talent, the strongest point guard in the NBA made a minimal difference on the Jersey shore.

Granted, he was slumming it in an effort to show his displeasure with being on the team, often malingering to avoid the agony of playing in front of 300 fans at the Meadowlands Arena.

Williams is not a happy camper—and really, his kind of talent, notwithstanding his attitude, deserves to be playing for an organization that could really use him.

As of this moment, the New York Knicks are not a contender, but a swap of Carmelo Anthony for "D-Will" would cure the ills of both the Nets and their crosstown rivals.

Carmelo Anthony would still be in his home state of New York too—kind of.

Elton Brand

To this day, I still have flashbacks of Ralph Lawler, the Clippers announcer, gleefully bellowing, "Blocked by Brand!"

Elton Brand was a huge force on the Clippers and in his day was the most underrated power forward in the game.

Since making the move to the "City of Brotherly Love," though, No. 42 has had setback after setback, most recently rupturing his left Achilles tendon.

Brand's hard work during rehabilitation paid off, as did his perseverance, to return thus far at 75 percent of what he used to be.

His contract is rather pricey, and at $35 million left over the next two years, it will be very difficult to find a taker.

Nevertheless, it's up to the veteran to push the issue. If I were him, I'd aim for Chicago since a Carlos Boozer-Elton Brand switch would be the most feasible possibility out there.

Tony Parker

The former Mr. Longoria, also known as Tony Parker, is in the same dilemma his partner in crime Manu Ginobili is in—they're both in a sinking ship.

Parker will remember the Alamo and his championships with San Antonio, but while he is still an asset on the court, he needs to leave the "Lone Star State" behind.

The Frenchman should look to show off his repertoire of signature moves, like wiggling his body through the lane, negotiating double teams and finessing the most difficult of near-range shots at the rim, for a contender that needs a dribble-penetrator.

He might be the best non-dunking finisher at the basket and, along with a heady approach, would fit well on a high-IQ ballclub.

The Dallas Mavericks might be reticent to make a deal since winning the championship, but a Parker-Jason Terry swap just might prolong their window of opportunity.

Tayshaun Prince

The Compton, Calif. high school hero should be seeking a return to Los Angeles after stifling his favorite team growing up in the 2004 NBA Finals.

Given the fact that Prince is a free agent, a sign-and-trade would have to be engineered since most contenders—including the Lakers—will be above the cap and won't be able to offer him a yearly sum above the paltry minimum, which is way below his market value.

Overall, his long arms and ability to play in a regimented system under Larry Brown bode well for playing under a similarly inclined defensive coach like Mike Brown.

The Pistons are a shell of what they used to be, and Prince, formerly the adored royal in Detroit, has become its pauper.

Not old or feeble yet, Prince can do what the artist formerly known as Ron Artest has done, if not much better.

Moreover, he would also add a consistent outside shooting touch that eluded Metta World Peace this past season.

Prince would return to his roots, help the team he was always meant to assist and do it without adding unnecessary attention to himself, such as legally changing his name.

Steve Nash

Steve Nash's career, when it's all said and done, may have a legacy mired in ignominy. The two-time MVP has not even made it to the final round—though his lack of playoff success has been mostly out of his hands.

The Suns' pitfalls can be ascribed to mostly poor management decisions.

Losing Joe Johnson, Jason Richardson, Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion did the organization no favors.

Worst of all, adding the lumbering Shaquille O'Neal—in the twilight of his career—stifled Phoenix's frenetic, up-and-down offensive firepower.

Nash, who has two or three years left in the tank, would see his spirit rejuvenated playing for a team on the cusp of greatness.

The Thunder, Grizzlies and Lakers would be ideal destinations for the Canadian.

Oklahoma City could use Nash's sleight of hand and cunning selflessness in lieu of the egocentric Russell Westbrook (although he probably wouldn't be the outgoing party).

Secondly, Memphis might be motivated to give up Mike Conley as the main piece to procure the rights to a man who would fit their style of play.

Finally, the Lakers, if they can part with Lamar Odom as the principal, would love to have someone who can take the ball out of Kobe Bryant's crippled fingers.

Dwight Howard

It's no secret Dwight Howard has been unhappy in the land of the "Magic Kingdom."

He plays for a team that refuses to take advantage of him in the key, instead insisting on shooting long-range jumpers.

Of course, a fitting fate befell the Magic this past spring when they crumbled and lay at the Hawks' feet to be stomped on.

Their first-round exit spurred speculation that the "Superman" slam-dunk champion wanted to be traded to a city with bright lights and bushy tails, where his Hollywood personality could glow on the biggest stage.

This sounds eerily familiar to another defection from Orlando 15 years ago, doesn't it?

Shaquille O'Neal, then a free agent, was wooed by general manager Jerry West in the summer of 1996—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Will history soon repeat itself? Would the Lakers be willing to part with both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to land the 6'10" power forward/center?