10 NBA players who need a change of scenery

With the NBA trade deadline approaching next month, we’re taking a look at 10 players who could use a change of scenery.

Most of these players haven’t received the amount of playing time they hoped to get this season and might be better suited going to a team where they will get more playing time. Others are performing well despite playing on teams with losing records and might benefit going to a contender.

Here are 10 players who need a change of scenery.

Rajon Rondo, Chicago Bulls

Rondo has climbed out of head coach Fred Hoiberg’s doghouse to play the last five games after five straight DNP-CD’s, but his future with the team remains uncertain. Although he signed a two-year, $28 million contract last July, it’s looking more and more like the Bulls will try to get rid of the veteran point guard at the trade deadline. Rondo’s numbers are the lowest they’ve been since the 2006-07 season, but there’s a chance a change of scenery might resurrect his career.

Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are “actively shopping” Rubio, and they have attached the veteran point guard to multiple offers with swingman Shabazz Muhammad to several teams around the NBA, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical at Yahoo. The former lottery pick hasn’t panned out in Minnesota, and the Timberwolves drafted Kris Dunn with the fifth overall pick last June to be their point guard of the future. Still just 26 years old, Rubio remains to be a highly skilled passer and could find success with a team in need of a distributor at the point guard position.

Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets’ asking price for Lopez is reportedly two first-round draft picks, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. The one-time All-Star is averaging 20.1 points and shooting an eye-opening 35.1 percent from the 3-point line this season. Lopez would be better served playing on a contender right instead of the rebuilding Nets. It’s highly unlikely that a team would give up two first-round picks for a player who has one year left on his contract after this season, but Lopez has too much talent to ignore. Imagine the possibilities if he played for a winning team.

Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have too many big men and not enough minutes to go around, which is why a change of scenery might be in Noel’s future. The former lottery pick is averaging just 14.9 minutes per game behind Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor and has become frustrated with the lack of playing time. It has become pretty clear that Embiid is the team’s starting center moving forward, so the 76ers should try to move Noel and get something in return for him.

Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns

The emergence of first-round draft pick Devin Booker last season prompted Suns coach Earl Watson to start the 20-year-old in the backcourt with Eric Bledsoe this season, moving Knight to the bench, where he is averaging 12.2 points and 2.6 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. It will be difficult to move Knight, who has three years left of a five-year, $70 million contract that he signed two offseason ago, but the 25-year-old guard might interest a team in need of scoring. The Sacramento Kings have reportedly been talking to the Suns about Knight, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings

Gay reportedly requested a trade from the Kings during the summer but a deal never materialized for the veteran swingman. He was also rumored in a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but an injury to the player the Kings wanted caused that deal to fall through. At 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, Gay is still a player worth pursuing and could greatly benefit to get as far as possible from the dysfunctional Kings.

Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks signed Monroe to a three-year, $50 million contract two offseason ago in the hope that he could give them the same production that he gave the Detroit Pistons over five seasons. And while Monroe didn’t disappoint on the offensive end with a healthy 15.9 points per game last season, he was limited defensively. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming the focus of the team, the Bucks no longer value Monroe and will likely look to trade the 26-year-old. Monroe isn’t what the Bucks were looking for, but one team’s trash could be another team’s treasure.

Andrew Bogut, Dallas Mavericks

Despite a recent hamstring injury, it is believed that Bogut, 32, will still have value on the trade market. The veteran center hasn’t asked for a trade, but says he won’t beg the team to not trade him either. Bogut was traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Mavericks last offseason in an effort to make room for prized free agent Kevin Durant. A starter most of his career, Bogut is coming off the bench for Dallas after it was discovered that he and Dirk Nowitzki didn’t play well together in the starting lineup.

Goran Dragic, Miami Heat

With the Heat struggling to win games this season, Dragic’s name has been brought up in trade rumors that would net Miami assets moving forward. The 30-year-old point guard, who is averaging 19.0 points and 6.4 assists this season, has drawn interest from the Orlando Magic, who are looking to upgrade the point guard position with a player who can create offense. Dragic has proven to be an effective scoring option and would be better served going to a team like the Magic that will be making a push for the playoffs.

Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets

After falling out of the starting lineup, Nurkic is reportedly being openly shopped by the Nuggets, who appear to have lost faith in the former first-round pick. Nuggets coach Mike Malone has leaned heavily on 21-year-old Nikola Jokic to start down low, with Nurkic coming off the bench. The Bosnian seven-footer was an All-Rookie second team pick in 2015. He missed the majority of last season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn left patellar tendon. Nurkic is just 22 years old and could still have a future in the NBA with the right team.