10 NBA figures we may not see after this season

The closing days of the 2018-19 NBA regular season provided fans with opportunities to offer best wishes and farewells to a pair of legends, one of whom entered the Association in the late 1990s. Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade announced his intentions before the tip of last fall's opening contest when he informed the world this campaign would represent "one last dance." Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks kept things closer to the chest until the night of April 9. Could that mean he's not fully committed to his decision before Easter?

History shows not every recognizable star yearns for the type of retirement tour enjoyed by Wade through the second week of April. Some, however, never receive the opportunity and honor. A future Hall of Famer and one of the most prolific scorers of his era was last an active player in early November, and he'll spend the postseason like the rest of us: a spectator. Logic suggests he should still have plenty left in the tank, but that may not be enough for him to get a look from an organization.

Honorable mention: Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki earned the right to step away from the Dallas Mavericks and retire on his terms. The veteran of 21 seasons who turns 41 years old in June waited until April 9 to officially announce that he'd played his last home game, and the fact he delayed a seemingly inevitable proclamation left many, including San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge, believing the future Hall of Famer would return for one more run, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News . While Nowitzki tallied 30 points against the Phoenix Suns in 33 minutes of action on April 9, it's been clear since mid-December this season should be the final chapter of his league story. We'll see if he agrees once he's spent portions of the offseason resting and recovering.

Tyson Chandler

On March 23, Los Angeles Lakers center Tyson Chandler informed reporters such as Mike Trudell that he feels he can still play at the highest level. The soon-to-be free agent will need to find a buyer before October to make that wish a reality. Chandler turns 37 years old in the fall, and the veteran does little than eat minutes, statistically speaking, at this stage of his career. He finished the season a forgettable figure for a Los Angeles side crawling toward the merciful conclusion of a forgettable campaign. Mentorship is important to teams in different places in the overall league standings, but Chandler nevertheless may struggle to locate a team willing to take him on for the 2019-20 season.

J.J. Barea

Thirty-eight games into the season, J.J. Barea was a key contributor off the bench, averaging 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG for the Dallas Mavericks, but the future free agent's campaign came to a crashing halt on Jan. 11 when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. The veteran of 13 seasons clearly enjoys Dallas, his basketball home since October 2014. He also turns 35 years old in June. Recovering from this particular physical setback is challenging for any athlete, let alone one in the twilight of his career. Barea hitting any hurdle in his rehabilitation could result in an unplanned end of his playing days.

Devin Harris

As Nick Angstadt of Mavs Moneyball wrote in September, Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris claimed on the Road Trippin' podcast "I got more calls about coaching this summer than I did actually about a contract" before returning to the Mavs for a third stint. Another fun fact delivered by Tyler Watts of The Smoking Cuban is that the 36-year-old has never signed a contract with any franchise but Dallas, as each of his other moves involved trades. Harris remains a fine bench figure even though his 6.2 PPG for the 2018-19 season is his lowest since his rookie year. Assuming he was telling the truth about the lack of playing offers he received last summer, he could begin the transition from player to coach this offseason.

Jose Calderon

Guard Jose Calderon was part of the 2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers squad that made it to the NBA Finals, and nobody can ever take that away from him. That's about as good as things are going to get for Calderon moving forward. The veteran in his 14th season averaged under three points per contest with the Detroit Pistons in what, more likely than not, will be his last trip around the league. From Feb. 4 through April 10, Calderon saw 30 total minutes of in-game action.

Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem's situation with the Miami Heat differs than any other on this list. As Ryan Yousefi of the Miami New Times pointed out, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra is keen on the veteran forward who turns 39 years old in June giving the franchise one last season as a player before going on to future endeavors despite pockets of fans publicly and openly speaking (tweeting) against that transaction. On the court, Haslem gives the Heat next to nothing. He averaged roughly five minutes per contest in fewer than 25 total appearances the last two years. Per Forbes' Steven Simineri , Haslem is already focused on non-basketball related businesses. It wouldn't be shocking to see him follow Dwyane Wade out the door.

Luol Deng

Somebody should probably tell Luol Deng that Tom Thibodeau isn't walking back into the Minnesota Timberwolves door or into any front office anytime soon unless the Los Angeles Lakers get desperate, and we can only dream of that Thibs-LeBron partnership. The "TimberBulls" experiment ended disastrously and with Thibodeau's ouster in January, Minnesota letting Deng hit free agency is part of the club's next steps toward moving on from that regime. This isn't a knock on Deng's production. As ESPN's Zach Lowe explained, the veteran who turns 34 years old before Easter helped Minnesota outscore opponents by 10 points per 100 possessions in his 392 minutes. But an Achilles injury sidelined him from the end of February through the last game of the season. 2018-19 may have been Deng's final act if no other team wants to take a flier on him this summer.

Joakim Noah

Expectations for Joakim Noah hit such a low ahead of his joining the Memphis Grizzlies last December that it's noteworthy he made it through half a season without suffering a significant injury or getting into an altercation with a head coach ( allegedly). Noah's averages — 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game — are decent numbers for a 34-year-old no longer close to his prime. But there are reasons other than age that, as he told ESPN's Zach Lowe, "Memphis was the only team that showed me any consideration." As previously joked, Tom Thibodeau doesn't have a job running a franchise at the moment. He and his former player probably aren't reuniting before the start of the next decade. Noah may want to embrace the notion there's something to be said for walking away with head held high following a better-than-expected half-campaign.

Pau Gasol

As it pertains to intangibles such as locker room leadership, basketball IQ and a winning mentality, several contenders could use a figure such as veteran center Pau Gasol this spring and next season. The mind and spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak, as understandable wear and tear that comes with playing professional basketball for two decades slowed him to a shell of his prime as of April 2019. After averaging under 13 minutes in 27 appearances with the San Antonio Spurs this season, a buyout agreement allowed him to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks in early March. He lasted all of three games before an ankle injury downed him for at least a month. He turns 39 years old in July, and there may be no chair left for him once the music stops this time around.

Vince Carter

Perhaps this one is wishful thinking more than anything else. After all Vince Carter, currently with the Atlanta Hawks, has repeatedly said, most recently in early April , he wants to return for the 2019-20 season. Dwyane Wade became a sleeper Sixth Man of the Year candidate by late March, largely because some wished to give him a tip-of-the-cap career achievement honor, but unnecessary swan songs are often more sad than memorable. That Carter kept his PPG number over seven following his 42nd birthday in January actually says more about the state of the Hawks than about what he could offer even an average side despite his improvements as a three-point shooter. Maybe the Toronto Raptors could bring Vinsanity home for some Air Canada flashbacks. If not, Carter either returning to Atlanta or reading the writing on the wall seems likely.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony's resume is well-known, as is his 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets that followed predictions he could compete for Sixth Man of the Year honors his first season with that organization. The Los Angeles Lakers and buddy LeBron James didn't bring 'Melo out west in March once it became clear the not-so-Showtime Lakers wouldn't play meaningful April basketball, and no other contender signed the 34-year-old ahead of the playoffs even though one would believe he'd be able to contribute as a scorer off the bench during a series or two. Unless King James convinces the Lakers a duel retirement tour can produce positive results for the franchise, Anthony's time in the NBA may have already expired.