NBA players who may retire after this season

The NBA's oldest active player, 41-year-old Vince Carter signed with the Atlanta Hawks in August for his 21st pro season. In a perfect world, Carter would have spent what may be the last campaign of his storied career with the Toronto Raptors, the franchise he helped put on the map among fans not living up north. Who among passionate NBA viewers, wouldn't want to see Air Canada take flight one last time in the spring of 2019? 

Watching guard Tony Parker play for a team other than the San Antonio Spurs is going to be weird. As Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio explained, Parker left the only NBA home he had known to sign with the Charlotte Hornets largely because Charlotte offered him what Parker deemed to be a more desirable playing role. The four-time champion turns 37 next May. 

We're adding Al Jefferson to the list even though he moved on from the NBA to sign with Chinese club Xinjiang Flying Tigers in July. Per NBA reporter David Aldridge , the Indiana Pacers wanted Jefferson to return to the club for another season, but the veteran instead moved overseas for a "nice payday." The 33-year-old looked well past his prime for much of his 36 appearances last season.   

At least we know Richard Jefferson has a bright future as a podcaster and/or a broadcaster if he chooses to retire even before the end of the 2018-19 season. The 38-year-old, who is still a popular figure among fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, last played for the Denver Nuggets, and he is a free agent as of the middle of September. Perhaps he and the next person on the list can build upon the beloved "Road Trippin'" show once they retire. 

Per Spotrac , Cleveland Cavaliers big man Channing Frye may enter free agency at the end of the upcoming season. Unlike in previous years, the Cavs won't contend for a title now that LeBron James has taken his talents west to the Los Angeles Lakers. Frye, who will turn 36 next May, could consider eyeing different endeavors. He and Richard Jefferson would be a great in-studio commentary team. 

In July, 34-year-old guard Raymond Felton put pen to paper on a one-year deal to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Felton is no longer a starter, but he remains a popular backup and well-liked by teammates, as explained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. His numbers aren't what they were during the first half of the decade, but he's still able to go in 80-plus games a season. 

As ESPN's Tim MacMahon wrote, 37-year-old swingman Joe Johnson claimed he was "not thinking about" finishing his playing days following the 2017-18 season. Johnson may have to see the writing on the wall. He remains unsigned after playing with the Houston Rockets earlier this year, but some team could take a flier on him once injuries impact rosters. 

Guard Jason Terry turned 41 years old on Sept. 15. That may be a reason the Milwaukee Bucks haven't brought him back for another season, even though Terry apparently is not yet ready to retire. In August, BIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz claimed Terry would be playing in that competition "next year," but that wouldn't prevent the veteran from signing with an NBA club during the 2018-19 campaign. 

Jameer Nelson is one of a handful of available guards with plenty of tread on the tires. The 36-year-old who was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February averaged under four points per game during his brief stint with the franchise. His dwindling numbers suggest the end of his career is not far into the future. 

According to Spotrac , center Tyson Chandler is about to enter the final season of his contract with the Phoenix Suns. The former All-Star could help a contender if he is willing to accept a trade ahead of February's deadline, or he could hang tight and play out the rest of his deal, without having to uproot his life, before electing to retire. 

With several teams having a need at the position as of the middle of September, veteran guard Jarrett Jack should receive looks before the 2018-19 campaign tips off. The 34-year-old who turns 35 next month showed with the New York Knicks last season that he can still be a decent contributor coming off the bench, even if his shot is a shell of what it was during his best days. Jack probably shouldn't be starting over 50 games at this point, but a franchise could milk whatever is left of his career on a favorable one-year contract. 

Whether or not you think Zaza Pachulia is a dirty player (ask Gregg Popovich) won't take those two NBA championships off his resume, nor did such allegations prevent him from signing with the Detroit Pistons in July. The 34-year-old veteran of 15 NBA seasons won't win a title with his new club, and his contract is good for only one season. Pachulia will have little left to prove come next summer. 

In July 2017, guard JJ Redick explained that he wants to retire as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, per J essica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Redick has signed one-year deals to play with the Sixers the past two summers, and he's still a starter who can average 17 points per game. With that said, is he really part of the team's long-term and well-documented "process?"

Thirty-five-year-old guard Devin Harris began a third stint with the Dallas Mavericks when he signed with the club in August. While no longer a starter, Harris averaged 8.2 points and 2.5 assists after he was traded to the Denver Nuggets in February. The Mavs will likely be happy to get 15-plus minutes per game from him during what could be his last season. 

Find yourself somebody who loves you as much as head coach Tom Thibodeau loves signing former members of his Chicago Bulls teams. Luol Deng, who recently agreed to a buyout with the Los Angeles Lakers, joined the Minnesota Timberwolves to play under Thibodeau, and just about nobody expects the 33-year-old, who played in one game last season, to turn back the clock. There were rumors during the summer that Deng was considering retirement before Thibs came calling. 

Jose Calderon departed the sinking ship that is the Cleveland Cavaliers and returned to the Detroit Pistons in the summer of 2018. Calderon turns 37 before the start of the season, and he is no longer capable of nearing his career average of 9.2 points and 5.9 assists per game as a substitute. Despite what one internet glitch led some to believe, Calderon won't retire from the NBA as a billionaire. 

When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Kyle Korver in January 2017, the hope was that the veteran sharpshooter would help LeBron James and the Cavs topple the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. That didn't happen the subsequent June or in 2018. The 37-year-old can still drain roughly 46 percent of his attempts beyond the arc, and the veteran of 15 seasons has two more years left on his contract, per Spotrac. 

It's almost difficult to imagine the Miami Heat without forward Udonis Haslem, who first joined the franchise all the way back in 2003. Haslem turned 38 in June, and he decided to return to the Heat on a one-year deal even though he has barely been a bench option for the club the past two seasons. He appeared in only 14 games during the 2017-18 campaign.  

There is little doubt Tony Allen is one of the greatest players in the history of the Memphis Grizzlies. Once known as an elite defender, the 36-year-old dealt with multiple injury setbacks last season, and he appeared in only 22 games with the New Orleans Pelicans before the team dealt him to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls didn't bother playing him a single time before waiving him.

Good luck finding a piece about the worst contracts in the NBA today without seeing Joakim Noah's name. Once a defensive force with the Chicago Bulls, the 33-year-old Noah and the New York Knicks could go through a public divorce so the club could save some money against the salary cap over the next several years. He played in only seven games last season before he and then-coach Jeff Hornacek got into an argument in January that led to Noah's disappearance from the franchise. Maybe Tom Thibodeau can find a spot for Noah on his roster. 

In April, 38-year-old big man Pau Gasol told reporters he wants to play another three to four years. The San Antonio Spurs may have other plans. The Spurs' rebuild is inevitable, and Gasol won't be part of that process even if he can start 63 games and average over 10 points per contest. His situation and future intentions could change, considering all that occurs before July 2019. 

In November 2017, ESPN's Nick DePaula wrote that the often-injured Derrick Rose could lose out on millions upon millions of dollars from his deal with Adidas if he retires before that agreement expires. Rose, who turns 30 in October, has dealt with multiple serious knee injuries as a pro, and he has apparently considered retirement more than once over the past couple of seasons. Rose is scheduled to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. We'll see how dedicated he is to the cause by the time winter begins. 

In April 2018, Mac Engel of the Star-Telegram wrote why Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki shouldn't be all in on playing during the 2018-19 season. What's done is done, as the 40-year-old has already agreed to return to the club for a 21st season. But he needs to realize that it will be best for all involved if he retires next summer. Goodbyes can be difficult, but the Mavs need to start fresh without a declining former superstar. 

This prediction isn't as much of a stretch as some may believe. Carmelo Anthony agreed to join the Houston Rockets on a one-year contract, and the trio of Anthony, James Harden and Chris Paul could test the Golden State Warriors in a playoff series. Anthony, drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2003, has made over $220 million off NBA deals alone, per Spotrac, and winning a title could be enough to result in the 34-year-old choosing to retire. 

Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade has not yet agreed to return to the Miami Heat as of the typing of this sentence, but it would be surprising if the 36-year-old didn't finish where he started. Wade has earned the right to spend his summer months as he wishes. Besides, committing himself to the Heat in August wouldn't turn that roster into any more of a contender than if he does so in October. Unless he decides to play in China down the road, the 2018-19 season should be his last as a pro.