Denver Nuggets

5 NBA players in need of a change of scenery

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:12 p.m. ET

Fansided, Philip Rossman-Reich/Fansided

Sometimes situations in the NBA do not work. With the trade winds blowing, there are several players who should be hoping to get into a new situation.

The NBA’s trade market is officially open.

The floodgates have opened with every player who signed a contract this summer now eligible to be included in trades. Fans are busily heading over to ESPN.com’s Trade Machine to seek ways to improve their teams.

General managers and executives around the league are likely playing out scenarios in their heads too.

It is still very early in the season so it’s hard to say very many teams are out of the playoff race at the moment. So the motivation to make a deal is not very good right now, as the trade market is not fully developed.

But there are already some players who desperately need a new place, and teams who might already be able to find value trading away some disgruntled players. Or, at least, just need to get rid of players who seem superfluous and unnecessary before attitudes completely kill value.

Teams are going to be shopping and looking around for the next few months but the urgency will pick up in these special situations.

Whether it is just a player underperforming, seeing himself entering a logjam thanks to poor roster moves or an up-and-coming player, there are just some situations that need a change. And, frankly, some good players just need to get out of a bad situation that does not get the most of their skills — if they are even bothering to play them at all.

There are good players to find around the league,as well as good players who desperately want out.

Here are five players who are in desperate need of a new situation.

Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers

Nerlens Noel has not made it a secret he is unhappy in Philadelphia.

This summer he questioned the 76ers plan to play three young big men and wondered aloud if he was the odd man out. After all, Joel Embiid was the third overall pick the Sixers drafted knowing he might very well miss a season (and then waited another season for him). And Jahlil Okafor was the second overall pick and anchor offensively.

Noel can be a very good player. His offense has come a long way and his defensive acumen is still one of the best. But with his injury history, he knew he was the one the Process would chew up and spit out. He was understandably frustrated.

That frustration has boiled over now that Noel is healthy.

Noel had offseason knee surgery, quelling some of the frustration. But it allowed the Sixers to get into a rhythm with its two bigs.

Now that Noel is back, he expected a return to the rotation only to find there are no minutes available, and the Sixers even formally announced Noel is out of the rotation for now as they evaluate him. That has certainly frustrated the young player, to the point that he has all but asked out of Philadelphia.

The sad part is, the Sixers could use Noel. He is a better pairing for Embiid with his ability to float to the perimeter and work near the basket as a shot blocker and rim protector. That is something Jahlil Okafor is simply not known for.

It seems the relationship for Noel and the Sixers is beyond repair. He does not believe in the team they have built and the players in the frontcourt rotation. Noel is a good player and should get an opportunity elsewhere.

Nov 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) against Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss (0) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 118-114. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

Kenneth Faried is another player with some talent and ability that just does not have a place in the rotation. The Denver Nuggets have used Faried inconsistently this season. One game he had a DNP-Coach’s Decision, the next he dropped a double-double on the Orlando Magic.

Before that Magic game, coach Mike Malone said he and Faried had a discussion about his role. There was a push back between the two at first, but ultimately an understanding was met. His game log this month remains bizarre. He plays 25-plus minutes one night and then less than 10 the next.

That does not mean the situation is good, or that Faried may not want out.

Denver has clearly moved in a different direction with its post players. There are barely enough minutes for Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic to split at center. Throw Darrell Arthur and the young Juancho Hernangomez into the mix too and Faried is slowly getting squeezed out.

It also does not help that Faried’s production has fallen off mightily since he signed his contract extension; he has three years left on a four-year $50 million contract. Faried is averaging 9.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, so he can still produce.

And Faried, since he came into the league, has always been a rebounder and hustle player. That is something many teams could find a use for somewhere, even at his salary.

The Nuggets are probably more desperate to get rid of him. As teams come calling about some of their other more available players, they will surely be looking to get out from under his deal.

And for Faried, a new team and a new situation would probably be best for him too.

Dec 20, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks at the Portland Trail Blazers bench during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

At this point, it feels inevitable for DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings to head for a split. He is the next star teams are circling around and trying to figure out how to pry away from his original team.

The Kings do not seem ready to deal but It just feels inevitable at this point that it will occur.

Cousins has only further soured the relationship and deepened the rot with his outburst at a reporter last week, his apology to the fans (but not to the reporter) and his moodiness with the local media.

It is not a good look for Cousins, who has to fight those perceptions on the court with his constant technical foul problems.

Cousins is undoubtedly an extremely gifted player. He scored 55 points in Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers — famously getting ejected and then un-ejected late in the game. He is a surefire all star and probably the best center in the league.

Cousins has never been in an environment that is conducive to winning. Sacramento just has not been the place for a young player like him to mature and succeed. They have let him run the place, essentially, and never given him the structure.

More than anything, NBA fans want to see Cousins out of Sacramento so he can escape the chaos that is that organization.

Sacramento has shuffled through coaches — six coaches since 2011 when Cousins was drafted. The Kings have failed to draft players to surround Cousins with the lotteries they have been through. There is a reason Sacramento has missed the playoffs every year since 2006.

Even with a star player in Cousins, the Kings cannot get out of their own way. For him to succeed and reach his potential, Cousins desperately needs to go to a locker room with strong veteran leadership and an organization that is much more stable.

Nov 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Mario Hezonja (8) passes the ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic

It is rare for a player taken in the top five to be a complete bust. Those players are rather memorable though — Darko Milicic, Anthony Bennett and the like. And it is tough for teams to bounce back from these misfires. Typically the teams drafting at No. 5 are the ones that need that talent infusion most.

The Orlando Magic had spent three years building up a cadre of young talent and hoped adding Hezonja would help get them closer to the top. They knew he would need some developing but figured his confidence and shooting stroke would fit well with what the team was trying to do.

Hezonja has failed to deliver, succumbing to the pressure of a young team pushing to win and facing winning expectations before it was truly ready to do so.

At this point, Hezonja cannot crack the rotation for the 13-17 Orlando Magic. His shooting percentages are poor — Hezonja is shooting 32.9 percent and 19.4 percent from beyond the arc. And Hezonja struggles mightily on defense, something you would expect from a young player.

For someone like Hezonja on a team trying to win now, it is tough to break through if he is still learning to defend and struggling to shoot. Hezonja’s mystique is a bit gutted.

There are still those true believers. Hezonja is still a very young player and he has that shooting ability in him. He just lacks confidence.

A young player like Hezonja probably needs to go to a situation with less pressure. Play for a team that is tanking or is earlier in the rebuild phase so he can play without fear of getting pulled for making mistakes.

Scott Skiles kept a tight leash on him last year and, while he improved, made Hezonja a bit too tentative. He struggled with the new coach in Vogel and he has moved on from him for the sake of winning.

Watching young players languish on the bench is always a bad thing. There has to be a place willing to give Hezonja the chance to grow.

Dec 19, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 115-108. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns

Brandon Knight is one of those players who can thrive and put up big numbers when given the opportunity and put in a starring role. He is not an All Star by any means, he needs help around him. But he can produce.

Certainly, more than he is producing now.

The Phoenix Suns brought Knight in after they broke up their three point guard experiment. And they still find themselves with a bit of a logjam at point guard. Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker appear to be the future, which leaves little room for Knight.

This year, Knight is averaging 12.9 points per game, a low since his rookie year. He is also shooting 38.3 percent overall and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, both on pace for career lows.

Knight is a better player than that. He can hit an open shot and create a bit. He is a combo point guard more than a true point guard, but can still play the position in a pinch. There are teams that need shooting guard help, and Knight just needs opportunity.

That is an opportunity he is struggling to get and take advantage of in Phoenix coming off the bench. The Suns have some motivation to move Knight with his rather large contract weighing down their flexibility.

But things are not working out with the two.