10 NBA players who played for more teams than Dennis Schroder
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Just recently, the Golden State Warriors included Dennis Schroder in their blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler. Schroder ended up with the Detroit Pistons. With the move, Schroder has played for seven different teams in the past four seasons and nine in his career. No wonder Schroder compared the NBA Trade Deadline to slavery.
Although nine teams seems like quite a lot, there have been other players who exceeded that total. Here is a look at the 10 NBA players who played for more teams than Dennis Schroder.
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1. Ish Smith (13)
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors
Ish Smith holds the record for the most teams played for by a single player in NBA history. In 14 years in the NBA, Smith has been a reliable backup guard for various teams, including contenders. In fact, he was part of the Denver Nuggets squad that captured the 2023 NBA championship. After the 2023-24 season, Smith opted to retire and became a scout for the Washington Wizards.
2 (tie). Garrett Temple (12)
Teams: Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks
Among active NBA players, Garrett Temple holds the record for the most teams played for in the league with 12. Temple actually started his basketball career in the NBA D-League, now called as the NBA G-League, with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. After entering the league through the backdoor, he would become one of the most successful G-League call-up stories by carving out a lengthy NBA career that continues to this day with the Toronto Raptors.
2 (tie). Joe Smith (12)
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets
Tied for second place is former NBA center Joe Smith. Smith actually kicked off his career with a bang. In his rookie season, he averaged 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game to finish third in the NBA Rookie of the Year race. The 6-foot-10 center was also a NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.
However, injuries and an ugly illegal contract situation with the Timberwolves derailed his career. He was also often traded. To make matters worse, Smith actually blew through his NBA earnings after his career. Fortunately, the 16-year NBA veteran was able to financially bounce back.
2 (tie). Jim Jackson (12)
Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers
Jim Jackson was legendary for Ohio State. However, he turned out to be a journeyman at the NBA level. It wasn’t exactly due to his talent. Instead, it was attitude problems. Jackson actually started his rookie season with a dramatic holdout due to a contract dispute. Although the talent was there, teams soon found out that his ego was too much to handle.
2 (tie). Tony Massenburg (12)
Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (Vancouver Grizzlies), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey Nets, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets
When it comes to journeymen, Tony Massenburg earned quite a reputation. His best season came with the Vancouver Grizzlies, averaging a career-high 11.2 points per game. However, Massenburg actually enjoyed the privilege of doing something other NBA players couldn’t do, which was to end their careers with an NBA championship. The 6-foot-9 big man was part of the San Antonio Spurs team that won it all in 2005.
2 (tie). Chucky Brown (12)
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks
Another NBA player that collected various uniforms was Chucky Brown. In 13 years in the NBA, Brown actually managed to play for 12. His longest tenure was in Cleveland, having played for 155 games in his first stint before returning for a second go-round years later. In 1995, Brown could call himself champion after helping the Houston Rockets secure their second of back-to-back.
7 (tie). Jeff Green (11)
Teams: Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers
The second active player in this list is Jeff Green. Although Green has played for numerous franchises throughout his career, it’s hard to describe him as a journeyman. In fact, some would even qualify him as a starter-caliber talent, especially with 659 total games started under his belt. But more importantly, Green is a serviceable forward for playoff contenders. In fact, he helped the Nuggets secure the championship in 2023. Green continues to play for the Houston Rockets.
7 (tie). D.J. Augustin (11)
Teams: Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors
Another player tied with 11 teams is D.J. Augustin. He was teammates with Kevin Durant at the University of Texas. Despite standing at 5-foot-11, Augustine unexpectedly carved out a solid NBA career. He started his rookie season with a bang, averaging 11.8 points, which was enough to earn him a place on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Undaunted by bigger players, Augustine could score and even hit clutch shots.
7 (tie). Anthony Tolliver (11)
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Bobcats, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Anthony Tolliver went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft, the NBA D-League standout carved out a lengthy career in the NBA. His calling card was easily his remarkable defense. Tolliver never backed down from the challenge of containing the best forwards in the game, including the likes of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. At one point, he was even one of the top players in drawing charges.
7 (tie). Mike James (11)
Teams: Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons
There’s no question that Mike James was a popular journeyman. Having played for 11 different teams, he was also lucky enough to win an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, the same team that pulled off the upset against a Shaquille O’Neal-led Los Angeles Lakers. In the 2005-06 season, James surprisingly turned some heads by averaging 20.3 points per game for the season. Certainly, his production was unexpected, but then again, he played for a lowly Raptors squad.
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