NBA Amnesty Clause: Best Fits for Brandon Roy if He Gets Cut

Ever since rumors of an amnesty clause emerged weeks ago, Brandon Roy has been a top candidate to be waived by the Portland Trail Blazers. Now that the lockout has ended, and there will in fact be an amnesty clause, it appears to be a more realistic fate for the three time All-Star.

With nearly $50 million guaranteed to him over the next three seasons, it would be a smart financial move for Portland to shed the majority of his contract off of their salary cap.

Roy's game has taken a serious hit over the last 19 months, as the physical condition of his knees—as well as his overall production—has decreased. The lack of cartilage in his knees has caused him to miss 52 games over the last two seasons.

If Roy was waved, it would be an unfortunate ending to his time as a Trail Blazer. He has meant so much to the franchise throughout his five seasons. He's done things such as lead the once troubled franchise back to relevancy, inspire playoff wins, score 52 in a game, win Rookie of the Year and earn All-NBA second- and third-team honors.

He doesn't deserve this, but perhaps a fresh start may be good for him.

With his high basketball IQ I have no doubt that he can retool his game and become a highly effective player, even if his knees never return to 100 percent.

With that said, here are five destinations that would be good fits for the once elite and promising shooting guard.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns medical staff has been known to work near-miracles in recent years.

They have accomplished feats such as limiting the oft-injured Shaquille O'Neal to a very small amount of missed games, help bring Amar'e Stoudemire and Grant Hill back to productive players after micro-fracture surgeries and prevented Steve Nash from slowing down at all even as he ages further into his late 30s.

Brandon Roy has been a poster child for troublesome knees the last two years. It would make all the sense in the world to sign with Phoenix and see what their medical staff could do for his health.

Roy has remained a pretty decent three-point shooter, so he could certainly blend in the Suns offense. When Steve Nash isn't in the game, Roy could flourish in handling the ball.

He would also serve as a nice insurance, should Grant Hill and/or Mickael Pietrus not return.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Five years ago, The Minnesota Timberwolves made the questionable draft-day decision of trading the rights to Brandon Roy for the rights to Randy Foye. They may have the chance to (sort of) make up for that.

New head coach Rick Adelman is rumored to have interest in picking up Roy should he be waived next month.

Adelman is an offensive brainiac, and Roy would give him another tool to work with.

He would join Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Derrick Williams on a team that could really use another veteran like Roy. His ball handling and playmaking ability would help solidify the offense as well as make Ricky Rubio's transition a little smoother.

The T'Wolves could very well take a step towards making the playoffs with the addition of Roy.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls need an upgrade at shooting guard and Brandon Roy could very likely fill that role as he may be looking for a new home soon.

He would give Chicago a second guy—Derrick Rose being the first—who can effectively create his own shot. That is what they lacked during the playoffs, especially during their final series last season against the Miami Heat when everyone but Rose was neutralized on offense by Miami's defense.

Even if he doesn't return to the level he once was at, he would still give the Bulls a nice positive shakeup, and bring them closer to winning a title.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers experienced a hard fall from grace last season. They are currently trying to piece things back together, one step at a time.

Drafting Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the draft back in June was a nice start this offseason. The roster remains pretty bleak at the moment, however.

Brandon Roy would help brighten up the team a little bit. He would be a nice upgrade from Anthony Parker, giving Irving a quality backcourt mate to assist and take pressure off of him as he gets a feel for the league. He would also help the progress of Tristan Thompson.

Having Roy in Cleveland could be the difference between them having another epically atrocious season and them having a positive and developmental one. 

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are gearing up for their final season before the relocate back to New York City. They haven't been pretty good the last few seasons, and they have been actively trying to change that.

Deron Williams' arrival in February gave them an elite player that they had been lacking. The team played better after his arrival and could very well carry that into this season.

They most certainly want that so Williams will stick around, as his contract expires this coming summer. Pairing Brandon Roy with one of the league's top point guards would be a start.

New Jersey is pretty ineffective on the wings at the moment. Roy would help beef up their perimeter play. Perhaps just enough for them to squeeze into the playoffs.

A postseason appearance will certainly make things more attractive to Williams, as they continue to climb the ladder with Brooklyn waiting for their arrival. 

You can follow Nigel Broadnax on Twitter @BroadnaxWrites.