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.
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.
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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
Next: No. 10