National Basketball Association

NBA: 10 Notable Names On Their Last Chance In 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Heading into the 2016-17 NBA season, here are 10 notable players who may be fighting for their last shot to make it in this league.

Feb 4, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Houston Rockets center Josh Smith (5) reacts on the court during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL’s acronym is often changed to “Not For Long,” but in the NBA, players come and go just as quickly. Whether due to injury, poor fits with certain teams or just a pure decline in talent, professional basketball players can go from borderline All-Stars to out of the league in a span of just one or two years.

Unlike the NFL, however, there’s always a somewhat decent chance of making it back into the league. Thanks to the D-League, playing overseas and 10-day contracts, players always have opportunities to prove their worth, boost their value and work their way back onto an NBA roster.

Just look at Michael Beasley, who put up absurd numbers in China last year before the Houston Rockets called him back stateside. Even Yi Jianlian, the former “next Yao Ming” who was called a draft bust once upon a time, will be returning to the league this season after a four-year absence.

However, the “success” stories are few and far between, and more often than not, when a player falls out of a regular NBA rotation, the odds are stacked against him to ever make their way back to relevance.

Younger players who fail to crack their team’s rotation could just need a change of scenery or to pay their dues until they’re fully ready, but there are plenty of well known, veteran players that could be on their way out very soon.

Bearing all this in mind, here’s a look at 10 notable NBA players who may be nearing their last chance to make it in this league in 2016-17.

Honorable Mentions:  Donatas Motiejunas, Tony Snell

Nov 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Anthony Bennett (15) looks on against the New York Knicks at Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

10. Anthony Bennett

Poor Anthony Bennett. After all, it’s not his fault the Cleveland Cavaliers made one of the biggest blunders in NBA Draft history by taking Bennett with No. 1 overall pick in 2013.

HOWEVER. Regardless of hype, failed expectations or just being in the wrong environment, the former UNLV stud is dangerously close to being out of the league within four years of being drafted.

To be fair to Bennett, he’s still only 23 years old, and with the stigma of being a No. 1 overall draft pick still attached, there’s a good chance someone will be willing to take a chance on him for the extended future.

But for a player who’s already going to be playing for his fourth NBA team in as many seasons, Bennett is fighting the perception that he’s one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. His career averages of 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game on 38.8 percent shooting don’t help his case much either.

Bennett failed to leave an impression as a rookie. He was a castoff from LeBron James’ new Cavs team, traded to the young Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the three-team Kevin Love deal before failing to carve out minutes there.

He barely saw the floor in 19 games in Toronto last year, and if he fails to earn minutes on this tank-tastrophe or a Brooklyn Nets team, it’s hard to see him ever getting his NBA career going.

Dec 26, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kendall Marshall (5) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

9. Kendall Marshall

True story: As someone who’s covered the Phoenix Suns for years and strongly disliked their choice for the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, my fantasy basketball team name for the last three years has been “Forgetting Kendall Marshall.”

After averaging a disappointing 3.0 points and 3.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game and shooting a dreadful 37.6 percent from the floor as a rookie, he was unceremoniously shipped off to the Washington Wizards in the Marcin Gortat trade.

Marshall was waived by the Wizards and eventually signed with the Lakers, enjoying his best season in 2013-14 for an awful Los Angeles team. He averaged 8.0 points and 8.8 assists per game — both his career-highs to this day — before being waived at the end of the season.

The Milwaukee Bucks picked him up off waivers, then sent him back to the Suns a few months later as part of the three-team Brandon Knight trade. Phoenix once again got rid of Marshall, immediately waiving him.

Get the idea? Marshall got some decent run with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, but was traded to the Utah Jazz in August only to be — you guessed it! — waived again.

With Marshall currently unsigned, a team in desperate need of backcourt depth will probably take a low-cost, low-risk chance on signing him. Just don’t expect him to stick there — assuming he lands anywhere at all.

Mar 28, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Josh McRoberts (4) takes a breather during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 110-99. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

8. Josh McRoberts

It was a surprise to hear the Miami Heat had assured Josh McRoberts he was still a part of their plans for the 2016-17 season, especially since he’s appeared in a grand total of 59 games in his two seasons with the team.

But it’s not a stretch to say McRoberts has been a massive disappointment since the Heat signed him to a four-year, $23 million contract in 2014. Any time a player misses 105 of a possible 164 games, they’re obviously not living up to their end of the bargain.

That’s not really McRoberts fault, of course, since he’s dealt with a right meniscus tear and a knee bruise in the last two seasons. Unfortunately, Miami’s bench never felt the full impact of a player that put up 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game the season before he moved to South Beach.

The money he’s still owed is peanuts now that the NBA’s salary cap is skyrocketing, but his meager 3.8 points in 15.1 minutes per game on 41.8 percent shooting over the last two years is a letdown no matter how you slice it.

If McRoberts has another injury-riddled season in 2016-17, the Heat will either try to trade him or hope he opts out of his $6 million player option for 2017-18. Either way, this 29-year-old power forward is one setback away from having an “injury-prone” label permanently attached to his name that will make it hard for him to find future suitors.

Mar 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Kevin Martin (23) watches a free throw during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

7. Kevin Martin

How quickly things can change. In 2010-11, Kevin Martin was averaging 23.5 points per game for the Houston Rockets. In 2012-13, he was a potent sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder. And as recently as 2014-15, he was putting up 20.0 points per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Now, coming off a season in which he averaged a meager 6.2 points per game on 35.3 percent shooting for the San Antonio Spurs, K-Mart’s league-wide value is all but diminished.

Still unsigned after his 16-game stint with the Spurs, K-Mart and his flaws have been well-documented to this point. He doesn’t pass well enough, he’s a woeful defender and aside from a sixth man role, he really doesn’t have a place in this league.

Perhaps a team like the Detroit Pistons could use his shooting, or maybe even the Cleveland Cavaliers if they’re unable to re-sign J.R. Smith.

But with so many teams already hitting 15 guaranteed contracts, it’s hard to imagine anyone taking a flyer on him. After 12 seasons in the league, the 33-year-old Kevin Martin may be heading toward a career overseas very soon.

Feb 29, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger (10) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

6. Chase Budinger

Chase Budinger is one of the least notable names on this list, but it’s sad to see the way injuries and inconsistent roles have threatened his place in the league after it seemed like he had such a promising NBA career coming out of college.

Alas, in his seven NBA seasons, Budinger holds career averages of 7.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game. As a 3-and-D prototype, he’s never perfected the “3” or the “D” part of his craft, shooting a good-but-not-great 35.2 percent from three-point range for his career and failing to develop into a lockdown wing defender.

Budinger played 49 games for the Indiana Pacers and 17 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 4.1 points in 14.1 minutes per game and shooting 27.9 percent from three-point range.

Currently an unsigned free agent, there doesn’t seem to be much interest in Budinger at the moment, other than from the Boston Celtics over a month ago. For a 28-year-old swingman with a notable injury history, that’s probably not much of a surprise.

Mar 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

5. Roy Hibbert

Two years ago, Roy Hibbert was the defensive anchor of an Indiana Pacers team heading to its second straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Now, even in a summer where NBA franchises operated like they were being run Scrooge McDuck, Hibbert is playing on a meager one-year, $5 million contract to try and prove the small-ball era has not rendered him useless.

Though he’s always been a less than efficient scorer and an underwhelming rebounder for his 7’2″ frame, Hibbert’s rim protection and verticality were unparalleled in the NBA not long ago, when the Pacers were the league’s top defensive team and a legitimate threat to the Miami Heat’s reign.

I mean, there was once a place and time when LeBron James had to develop a floater JUST for Roy Hibbert, and that didn’t sound like a joke to everyone. That was a legitimate thing only two years ago!

In what was supposed to be a season of resurgence to build his value back up, Hibbert was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers to bolster a defense that had ranked 29th in the league the season before.

But with Hibbert on board to man the middle in a season that quickly went south, the Lakers’ defense actually regressed, going from surrendering 108.0 points per 100 possessions in 2014-15 to a league-worst 109.3 points per 100 possessions in 2015-16.

Steve Clifford’s brilliant defensive mind was able to cover Al Jefferson’s deficiencies on that end, so more than likely, he’ll be able to get something out of Hibbert. But if the big man struggles to resuscitate his career with the Hornets, he may quickly fade from the NBA landscape.

Jan 15, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) handles the ball in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

4. Nikola Pekovic

Between a myriad of injuries and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ thriving youth movement, Nikola Pekovic never had a chance.

Only two years ago, Pek was the NBA’s best living James Bond villain, averaging a career-high 17.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Wolves in 54 games.

But those 28 missed games were just the beginning of a disturbing trend. Despite carrying the reputation of being one of the NBA’s toughest players, Pekovic just can’t stay healthy. Over the last three years, he’s missed 28, 51 and 70 games, meaning he’s missed more games than he’s played in. It’s really too bad, because he has value in this league when healthy.

Coming off a season in which he played only 12 games and averaged 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in the contests he did appear in, however, it’s hard to assume he’ll be able to stay on the floor long enough to make a difference for anyone.

And even if he does finally have a healthy season, another year of playing behind Minnesota’s promising youngsters isn’t going to do much for his trade value or his free agency value. With two more years left on his contract, the Wolves would be better off moving him elsewhere.

But will any team want him? Will he stay healthy enough to build up his value around the league? And will he even still be in the league by the time he hits free agency in 2018? As of right now, the answers to those questions aren’t very promising.

Apr 18, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers guard Ty Lawson (10) looks on from the bench in the late stages of the game against the Toronto Raptors in game two of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Pacers 98-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ty Lawson

We saw it with Rajon Rondo last year: The Sacramento Kings are a haven for point guards of ill repute to try and rebuild their free agency value. Unlike Rondo, however, Ty Lawson may not have very much left in the tank at this point in his career.

Ever since his two DUIs during his time with the Denver Nuggets, it’s been a downward spiral for the former North Carolina Tar Heel. As recently as 2014-15, he averaged 15.2 points and a career-high 9.6 assists per game for the Nuggets.

But with Denver drafting Emmanuel Mudiay to replace him, Lawson and all his baggage were jettisoned to the Houston Rockets, where he was quickly demoted from the backcourt to bench duty.

What was supposed to be a star partnership with James Harden quickly unraveled into the Rockets cutting Lawson from the rotation and eventually buying him out altogether. The Pacers picked him up, but he hardly made a difference for their bench either.

All in all, Lawson is coming off a career-worst season in which he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 assists per game on .393/.333/.686 shooting splits. Now he’s been given one last chance — on a non-guaranteed deal — with a Kings franchise that needs a culture change.

Bringing Lawson into that cluster-f**k of an equation is a bold move to say the least. Here’s hoping he can continue to turn his life around and begin to do the same with his NBA career, because if he strikes out in Sacramento, his time in the NBA could be over far more quickly than anyone thought.

Apr 24, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Lance Stephenson (1) during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. San Antonio Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 116 – 95. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

2. Lance Stephenson

Out of all the still unsigned free agents, Lance Stephenson is one of the most surprising. Nonetheless, his reputation as a head case precedes him, and after watching him struggle to revitalize his NBA career ever since leaving the Pacers, perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise.

In 2013-14, Born Ready led the league in triple-doubles and was a borderline All-Star in the East, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent shooting from deep.

But after a disastrous stint in Charlotte that saw the Hornets win 10 fewer games than they had the year before, and then after watching the Hornets win 15 more games the season after he left, and then after watching him burn out with the Los Angeles Clippers, Stephenson’s value was in the toilet.

To be fair, Born Ready somewhat rebuilt his value in his 26-game stint with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, averaging 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on 47.1 percent shooting.

But those numbers came for an injury-depleted roster that really had no one else to turn to, and the way the Hornets thrived with their addition by subtraction with Stephenson may have sent a loud message to the rest of the league.

With the Grizz — the one team over the last few years that seemed like a decent fit — declining his meager $9.4 team option, Stephenson has yet to be signed by anyone. If his workout with the New Orleans Pelicans winds up being a bust, Born Ready might not be in the NBA next year at all.

Apr 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets forward Josh Smith (5) reacts to a foul call against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Josh Smith

Oh, how the mighty fall. Only a few years ago, Josh Smith was the best player on an Atlanta Hawks team that was a regular presence in the playoffs. And yes, in his prime, he was better than Joe Johnson, who somehow snatched up all the All-Star berths that should’ve gone to Smoove.

With his two-way versatility, his breath-taking athleticism, his ability to score in the paint, his rebounding and his shot-blocking, Josh Smith was as well-rounded a player as we’ve seen in this league in a long time.

Unfortunately, as his athleticism began to diminish, his major flaw — poor shot selection stemming from an unyielding desire to launch three-pointers — dominate any discussion about his game.

Part of the problem was the way he was pigeonholed into the small forward spot with the Detroit Pistons. Playing alongside power forward Greg Monroe and center Andre Drummond was a recipe for disaster for a historically poor three-point shooter, and with the Pistons trying to spread the floor for their bigs, the offense actually encouraged Smith to launch to his heart’s content.

That killed his league-wide value, and he’s been struggling to rebuild it ever since.

For a brief moment with the Houston Rockets, it looked like he had found the cure. Throwing lob after lob to his former AAU teammate Dwight Howard, Smoove had a resurgent playoff series in 2015, helping the Rockets overcome a 3-1 series deficit against the Clippers to reach the Western Conference Finals.

But ever since then, it’s been all downhill for Smith, who is coming off a miserable season in which he averaged 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game — all career lows — for the Rockets and Clippers.

Smith shot 36.4 percent from the field last year, and as a career 28.5 percent shooter from long range, his place in the league has never been more in doubt. With Smoove unsigned, turning 31 in December and still dealing with the reputation that he’s a surly individual, it’s starting to feel like his time in the NBA has come to a premature, disappointing end.

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