- Behavioral issues are becoming widespread in the NBA right now
- Young players are struggling to keep focused on basketball
- There are three elite superstars who could be fighting for their place in the league
In the fast-paced world of professional basketball, the NBA is known for its constant evolution and roster changes. While some players enjoy long and illustrious careers, others find themselves facing uncertain futures in the league. Right now, there are a handful of players who might not be in the NBA for much longer.
Unfortunately, it is time to delve into the intriguing realm of NBA players who appear to be teetering on the edge of their careers. Some of these individuals, once touted as rising stars or integral components of their respective teams, now face a precarious journey as they strive to secure a place in the ever-competitive landscape of the National Basketball Association.
Due to a mix of behavioral issues and shocking incidents, these NBA players might not be competing in the best league in the world for much longer and it is quite a shame.
Kai Jones
Career Stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
In case you have not seen Kai Jones’ shocking video where he was spewing nonsense, the player is clearly treading on very thin ice. While a 22-year-old is allowed to make mistakes, clearly, being a professional for an NBA franchise means that any viral moment of negativity could spell major consequences.
As seen from the video, Jones was clearly intoxicated, spewing shocking statements. For an NBA franchise that is trying to uphold an image for children and families, this is a very bad look. To make matters worse, days after the video, Jones was found criticizing his own teammates Mark Williams and Nick Richards on Instagram. Saying he could beat LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal was also simply ludicrous and unprofessional.
The 6’11” big man has only played two seasons in the league but is at risk of not getting a second chance. While some other teams might take a gamble with Jones, his time with the Charlotte Hornets could be up and nobody should dispute that.
Kevin Porter Jr.
Career Stats: 15.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Kevin Porter Jr.’s behavioral problems are well-documented. The Cleveland Cavaliers gave the No. 30 overall pick a chance to play during the 2019-20 season but was faced with weapon charges towards the end of the season. Before he could even get back to the court, Porter Jr. quickly traded after 50 games played following an outburst in the locker room pertaining to the location of his locker.
Porter Jr. did not want to give up his place in the locker room for the newly acquired Taurean Prince, and there was apparently a food-throwing incident. No surprise, the Cavaliers traded him following this outburst of immaturity for a top-55 protected second pick from the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were rebuilding and found a chance to support Porter Jr. and maximize his potential as an offensive player who clearly had talent.
This week, Porter Jr. was arrested and charged with domestic assault for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. Based on the allegations, and if they are true, it could absolutely spell the end of Porter Jr.’s career.
Allegations as serious as the ones he is battling could even mean time in a cell, and one has to wonder why the 23-year-old would make yet another mistake that will end his career in the NBA. No surprise, the Houston Rockets are trying to trade him and move on from this horrific saga.
Miles Bridges
Career Stats: 13.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Miles Bridges got off to a hot start for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021-22 season, posting 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game over 80 games played. The forward showed athleticism, scoring ability, and formed a nice duo with All-Star LaMelo Ball on the court. However, Bridges faced serious allegations of domestic violence.
The NBA suspended Miles Bridges for 30 games following an investigation into 2022 domestic violence allegations against Mychelle Johnson, the mother of his two children. Images of the alleged abuse were shared online and they were shocking, to say the least. Miles Bridges pleaded no contest to one felony charge as part of a deal with prosecutors while the two other felony counts were dismissed.
Amazingly, the Charlotte Hornets franchise has decided to re-sign the player to give him a second chance following an internal investigation. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said the decision to re-sign Bridges was unanimous among all parties of the ownership group following the review of all documentation.
Bridges has come out and apologized, but the fact that these allegations are on a player’s resume could eventually spell the end of his career. No doubt, Bridges is on extremely thin ice.
Ben Simmons
Career Stats: 14.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Ben Simmons did not commit crimes outside of the basketball court. Some might argue that he committed them on the basketball court. The Australian star entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and was drawing comparisons to LeBron James among other legends due to his size, versatility, and basketball IQ.
He got off to a great start, winning Rookie of the Year by posting 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for the Philadelphia 76ers. In the next three seasons, Simmons made three straight All-Star Teams and two All-Defensive Team selections and seemed to be reaching his true potential despite the fact he was a liability from the perimeter.
However, during a game against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, everything truly unraveled. Simmons passed up a dunk against Trae Young because he was scared to go to the free-throw line, and the 76ers ended up losing the series.
While a single play can’t mean a team would lose a game, it led to widespread assault on Simmons from his own teammate, Joel Embiid, and his head coach, Doc Rivers. What ensued was a summer of drama as Simmons ghosted the team and only returned by force before getting kicked out due to a lack of focus in practice. Simmons would go on to miss the entire 2021-22 season due to back injuries and basically a holdout.
Simmons was finally traded, but with the Brooklyn Nets this past season, he averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game without attempting a single three-pointer. With only 42 games played and having zero impact on the court, many are wondering if the once-heralded star has what it takes to keep an NBA job right now.
Simmons cannot shoot at all. He is averaging a career 13.9% clip from three with 0.1 attempts per game and only 59.1% from the free-throw line as a point guard. His back injuries, fear of shooting the ball, and constant drama surrounding him could mean no NBA team wants to take him and his salary that will pay him $37,893,408 and $40,338,144 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Ja Morant
Career Stats: 22.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
What in the world happened to Ja Morant? Despite being the most explosive point guard in the NBA, Morant decided to take on an image that he thinks will boost him on social media. There was the incident about punching a 17-year-old which usually never ends well for any NBA star making major money in the league. What about the fact that Morant and his buddies pointed lasers from their car at Indiana Pacers players in their own bus?
Not enough immaturity? What about the fact that the superstar point guard reportedly terrified strippers after a gun incident, and decided to film it for his social media followers? Morant apparently spent over $50,000 over two days in his strip club visits as leaked pictures weren’t the best look. It has since snowballed from there.
Morant came out and made an apology, and while they seemed heartfelt at first, some are wondering if he did not even care to get his “fake” apology across. Most recently, Morant waved a gun on social media which marked the second time since March the 23-year-old has been suspended for showing a gun online. The NBA has since suspended Morant for 25 games to start the 2023-24 season.
While Ja is very fortunate not to have a longer suspension, it goes to show that the 24-year-old is dealing with behavioral problems and wants to focus on building a social media image that does not benefit himself or his circle. Hopefully, Morant can get his head right because one more incident could realistically spell the end of the superstar’s career.
Kyrie Irving
Career Stats: 23.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Where do we start with Kyrie Irving? Despite being arguably the greatest ball-handler in NBA history with a resume that includes an NBA championship, eight All-Star appearances, and a Rookie of the Year award, Irving is considered to be a toxic teammate based on his history.
Irving was always an independent thinker with his own polarizing views, but the first major incident stemmed when he forced his way out of Cleveland in an ugly fashion. Irving won a title alongside LeBron James in Cleveland but wanted the chance to have his own team and found his way to the Boston Celtics.
With the Celtics, Irving was not the best leader, as the team made the Eastern Conference Finals with the point guard injured. In other words, Boston was better without him. In the middle of this was Irving’s outspoken opinion about the “Flat Earth”.
After leaving Boston, Kyrie caused a hoopla with the Brooklyn Nets with his decision to not take the COVID vaccination, and that spelled the end of the “superteam” era with the Nets featuring Kevin Durant. Even with this drama going on, Irving decided to share an Alex Jones (major conspiracy theorist) post that led to confusion in the public about the Sandy Hook shooting and the New World Order. These distractions are never good for a basketball team.
Irving then was faced with Antisemitism allegations and that is never going to be a great look for the player or his team in the NBA. After another move to another team, the Dallas Mavericks, Irving was looking for a new start. Kyrie kept quiet for the most part and had a solid individual campaign with the Mavericks by averaging 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game over 20 starts.
But, the Mavericks held a playoff spot before the Irving trade but fell down to 11th place and missed the play-in tournament following the player’s acquisition. Luka Doncic was not happy and seemed to miss his former point guard, and there are serious questions about how Kyrie fits with the Mavericks.
With the drama that always follows Kyrie, one wonders if the player is one more allegation away from getting a suspension from the NBA. Or if the player himself is not interested in playing professional basketball anymore.
James Harden
Career Stats: 24.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
James Harden is one of the greatest offensive players of his era and that cannot be disputed. He has a regular-season MVP award, three scoring titles, two assist titles, and averages a career 24.7 points per game while being one of the players to change the game to what it is now. Harden has been an iconic foul merchant and whether fans like it or not, The Beard made a career out of getting to the free-throw line.
Despite Harden’s greatness offensively, he is not the most-liked player in the world by any means. James became Sixth Man of the Year with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the team made the NBA Finals in 2012, but the shooting guard had a poor series averaging 12.4 points per game on only 37.5% shooting from the field despite being the team’s third-best player. Unfortunately, that would become a trend in Harden’s career.
Harden reached superstar status following his trade to the Houston Rockets and became one of their greatest-ever players. Armed with ball-handing and unstoppable scoring ability, Harden guided the Rockets to the playoffs every season. However, the shooting guard never made the Finals despite having future Hall of Fame teammates including Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook.
A ton of blame was placed on Harden because his best chance to win a title came in 2018 when he faced the Golden State Warriors. The shooting guard was without Chris Paul in Game 6 and Game 7, but he could not manage a win in either game despite being up 3-2 in the series. His 2-14 shooting from three was often highlighted in the Game 7 loss.
In the 2020-21 season, Harden had an ugly exit from Houston in which he was late to training camp and was completely out of shape. Once he arrived in Brooklyn, more drama ensued. He forced his way out again despite having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving next to him and made it clear he wanted to be in Philadelphia with All-Star center Joel Embiid. Many of us assumed The Beard would be happy, finally.
But, despite being the assist leader in the regular season, the shooting guard once again failed to deliver in critical games in the playoffs. He went 4-16 from the field with 13 points in Game 6 and followed it up with a nine-point performance on 3-11 shooting in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs before crashing out in the second round.
Instead of taking the blame for the 76ers’ disastrous end to the season, he once again wants to leave and called GM Daryl Morey a “liar” in a public setting. Harden’s inability to perform in critical moments in the playoffs and his history of forcing his way out of teams only show that the player is solely interested in making maximum money and living his nightlife to the fullest. In fact, his lifestyle might have been the reason the player hasn’t achieved great success in the postseason.
Whether it is his inability to be reliable in clutch moments or the fact he destroys team chemistry with every team he joins, Harden is not exactly a wanted commodity right now which is why the reigning assist leader hasn’t been traded yet. It seems The Beard wants to enjoy his life more than basketball and he could be leaving the NBA soon with a move to Saudi Arabia, making perfect sense for all parties.
