Tracking the Journeys of Free Agents and Traded Players

In the opening days of NBA free agency, players have shuffled around the league. Add this to a handful of trades, and there will be new faces in new places next season. Basketball is a business, though, and these players have been through this before. See just how many organizations those in the news this week have played for over the years, and where their new team ranks them in the list.

1

Dwyane Wade: Drafted by the Miami HEAT with the fifth overall pick in 2003, Wade has played his entire career for the team.

Jimmy Butler: His free agency was highly anticipated all last season, but in the end Butler decided to stay with the Chicago Bulls, who selected him 30th in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Draymond Green: The former 35th pick turned NBA champion agreed to mega deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Kawhi Leonard: He had been touted as the future face of the organization on a veteran team. Leonard, only 24, will stay with the San Antonio Spurs on a major contract.

Brook Lopez: In spite of his name being constantly mentioned in trade rumors, Lopez will return to the Brooklyn Nets, the organization that drafted him in 2008.

2

Paul Millsap: Millsap played the first seven years of his career with the Utah Jazz. He signed with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent in 2013 and reached a deal to return.

Kevin Love: Will he stay or will he go? That was the question all season. Love opted to remain in Cleveland, his second organization after beginning his career on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Greg Monroe: Following five seasons on the Detroit Pistons, Monroe agreed to a max deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, citing his opportunity to win.

Khris Middleton: His rookie season with the Detroit Pistons was lackluster, but since then Middleton has flourished on the Milwaukee Bucks – so much so that he agreed to a five-year extension with the team.

Danny Green: Green will return to the San Antonio Spurs, where he established himself as an NBA player. He played his rookie year for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Nicolas Batum: Following seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Batum will change coasts to play for the Charlotte Hornets (via trade).

Jae Crowder: The Boston Celtics became Crowder’s second team last season when he was traded to them by the Dallas Mavericks. Crowder agreed to a five-year deal to stay in Boston.

Iman Shumpert: Following their NBA Finals run, Shumpert will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was traded to from the New York Knicks last season.

Aron Baynes: Baynes got his start on the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent. After three years with the veteran team, he agreed to sign with the Detroit Pistons.

Ersan Ilyasova: The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Ilyasova back in 2005. Since then he had only been on one NBA team before the Bucks traded him to the Pistons in June.

Lavoy Allen: The Philadelphia native was traded by the hometown 76ers to the Indiana Pacers two seasons ago. He agreed to return to the Pacers.

Jonas Jerebko: Like Crowder, the Celtics acquired Jerebko last season from his only team, the Detroit Pistons. He reached a two-year contract to return.

Kyle Singler: Singler will stay with his second team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, reaching a five-year agreement. He was traded there from the Detroit Pistons last season.

Nik Stauskas: Second season, second team. The Sacramento Kings traded Stauskas to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jason Thompson: Time flies in Sacramento. Thompson played the first seven years for the Kings and will now will be a Philadelphia 76er via trade.

3

Wesley Matthews: Matthews played his rookie year on the Utah Jazz before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was much more in demand this time around, opting to join the Dallas Mavericks.

Goran Dragic: Dragic, who has played for the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, agreed to a lesser contract to help the Miami HEAT with salary cap flexibility.

Amir Johnson: After four years on the Detroit Pistons, Johnson played the past six with the Toronto Raptors. He will stay in the Eastern Conference on a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics.

Omer Asik: The big man was once heavily involved in trade rumors, but this offseason’s talks were much more quiet. He agreed to re-sign with the New Orleans Pelicans, his third team after playing for the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets.

Brandon Knight: The Phoenix Suns didn’t want Knight on the move again after they acquired him from the Milwaukee Bucks. He began his career with the Detroit Pistons.

Shane Larkin: The point guard is heading to his third team in as many seasons. Larkin has played for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and next will be the Brooklyn Nets. In 2012, the Nets traded the pick eventually used to draft Larkin to the Hawks in the Joe Johnson deal.

Thaddeus Young: Young spent the first seven years on the Philadelphia 76ers, only to be traded twice in less than a year to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets. He will stay with the Nets.

Jeremy Lamb: Lamb was drafted by the Houston Rockets and traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Kevin Martin deal before the start of his rookie year. Following three years on the Thunder, he was moved to the Charlotte Hornets.

Lance Stephenson: Everyone wanted him, then no one knew what to do with him. After a successful stint with the Indiana Pacers, last season on the Charlotte Hornets was a bust for Stephenson. He will try to find renewed success being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

4

Paul Pierce: Once thought to be a Boston Celtic for life (15 seasons), Pierce is heading to his fourth NBA team. He will add the Los Angeles Clippers to his list of stops, which includes the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards since the summer of 2013.

Mike Dunleavy Jr.: Entering his 14th season, Dunleavy will return to the Chicago Bulls for the third straight year. He has previously played for the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Ed Davis: The Portland Trail Blazers will become Davis’ fourth stop (via free agency), following the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers.

Alexis Ajinca: After bouncing around between the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors, Ajinca will return to the New Orleans Pelicans.

5

Greivis Vasquez: Drafted five years ago, Vasquez has been traded to his fifth NBA team. He has played for the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, who dealt him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Spencer Hawes: A trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Charlotte Hornets sent Spencer Hawes to his fifth team. He previously played for the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thomas Robinson: Robinson was only drafted in 2012, but he has already made his way through the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers. Stop number five will be the Brooklyn Nets.

Arron Afflalo: Afflalo will head to the Big Apple to play for the New York Knicks next season. He has previously played for the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers.

Carl Landry: After playing for the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, then-New Orleans Hornets and Golden State Warriors, Landry joined the Eastern Conference via a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jared Dudley: A trade to the Washington Wizards makes team number five for Dudley. Drafted in 2007, he has played for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.

6

Tyson Chandler: Considering he was drafted in 2001, the fact Chandler is going to his sixth team, the Phoenix Suns, doesn’t seem like such a drastic number. He previously played for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, then-Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.

DeMarre Carroll: Carroll is best known for this past season with the Atlanta Hawks, but he has been in the league since 2009 and had played for four other teams prior to that (Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz). He agreed to sign with the Toronto Raptors, making them his sixth.

Brandan Wright: Wright played for three teams alone last season (Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns). He agreed to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, and has also played for the Golden State Warriors and then-New Jersey Nets.

8

Luke Ridnour: Ridnour was traded four times in one week (Orlando Magic to Memphis Grizzlies to Charlotte Hornets to Oklahoma City Thunder to Toronto Raptors) last month. He began his career with the Seattle SuperSonics (turned Thunder) in 2003 and has also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks and then-Charlotte Bobcats.

9

Caron Butler: Butler was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he previously played. Actually, where hasn’t he played? Since 2002, Butler has been a member of the Miami HEAT, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

10

Shawne Williams: Drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2006, Williams has been a member of the Dallas Mavericks, then-New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, MiamI HEAT, New Orleans Pelicans and most recently the Detroit Pistons, who traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

11

Matt Barnes: To track Barnes through the NBA, go back to 2002 when he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies. From there he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, got waived; signed with the Los Angeles Clippers; signed with the Sacramento Kings; got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers; signed with the New York Knicks, was waived; signed as a free agent with the 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers; got traded to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the Grizzlies (going full circle) two weeks later in June.