Which NBA Players Played for the Most Number of Teams?

There were players like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki who played at least 20 seasons with a single franchise. But for every Kobe and Dirk, there are a handful of NBA players who have played for more than one NBA franchise.

Michael Jordan didn’t just play for the Chicago Bulls. He also suited up for the Washington Wizards before he retired for good. Karl Malone played one year for the Lakers after a long stint with the Utah Jazz. Dwyane Wade also played a single season for the Bulls while LeBron James has played for three NBA teams already.

Then some players played even more than three teams. A handful have played for at least 10 teams. Let’s take a look at the list of NBA players who have played for the most numbers of NBA teams:

Antetokounmpo

1. Chucky Brown (12)

Chucky Brown was the Cleveland Cavaliers 43rd overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft. Aside from the NBA, Brown also played for Grand Rapid Hoops and Yakima Sun Kings in the CBA, and the Panna Firenze team in the Italian league. Brown was a member of the 1995 title team of the Houston Rockets. That year, he became the second player to win an NBA title and CBA championship in the same season. Brown scored a total of 4,125 points during his NBA career. With his vast NBA experience, he became the head coach for the West Johnston High School in North Carolina in April 2019.

2. Jim Jackson (12)

Jim Jackson was the 4th overall pick of the 1992 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Together with Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn, they formed the Three Js trio in Dallas. The trio was dissolved after Kidd and Jackson allegedly fought over singer Toni Braxton. Jackson averaged in double-digits in eight out of his dozen NBA stops including 19.6 points per game in five season with the Mavericks. He wore the #24 jersey with the Los Angeles Lakers before Kobe Bryant did. Jackson is currently a basketball analyst for Fox Sports.

3. Tony Massenburg (12)

Tony Massenburg was the 43rd overall pick of the 1990 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Massenburg played alongside David Robinson in San Antonio but was sent to Italy to rehab an injury. Upon his return, he played in just one game before he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. That started his journey as he would go on to play for a total of 18 games for four teams during the 1992 season. He went to Spain and then back to the NBA again. Massenburg scored a total of 4,238 points in a 15-year NBA career where he played a total of 683 games.

4. Joe Smith (12)

Joe Smith was College Player of the Year in 1995 and he was selected first overall in the 1195 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He played two and a half seasons in the Bay Area before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after his desire to return to the East coast. His numbers went down and his career never recovered. He was also involved in a salary cap scandal while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. From 2003-2011, he played for nine different teams. In March 2010, he became the 92nd player in the history of the NBA to play in at least 1,000 games.

5. Mike James (11)

Mike James was an undrafted player in the 1998 NBA draft after a collegiate career at Duquesne. James played in Europe before finally getting a chance at the Big League. He was signed by the Miami Heat in 2002. He was a member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons championships team but as a reserve. James started when he played for the Toronto Raptors where he became the first player in franchise history to score 30 points in four straight games. In 2014, James recorded the first triple-double for the Texas Legends of the G-League.

6. Kevin Ollie (11)

Kevin Ollie was undrafted in 1995 and he played in the CBA’s Connecticut Pride where he earned a job with the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. Ollie was named as team captain of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009. Kevin Durant credits Ollie for teaching him the ropes in Oklahoma City. KD also credited Ollie for changing the culture in OKC. In 2012, he was appointed to become the head coach of UConn, replacing the legendary John Calhoun. He led the Huskies to the 2014 NCAA title.

7. Ish Smith (11)

Ish Smith is another undrafted player on our list. The 6-0 guard signed with the Rockets in 2010 and was assigned to the NBA Developmental League. In 2014, Smith became the third Phoenix Suns backup guard since the 80s to record at least two 8-assists games in less than 20 minutes of playing time during a single season. In 2015, he averaged a career-best 12.0 points and 6.1 assists per game in 27.1 minutes of playing time with the Sixers. During the 2019-20 season, he played for the Washington Wizards, his 11th team in eight seasons.

8. Lou Amundson (10)

Like most players on this list, Lou Amundson was undrafted in 2006 after playing for UNLV in the NCAA. He was the NBA D-League MVP in 2007 before he was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers. Amundson was part of the trade that sent J.R. Smith to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After playing his first game for the Knicks, he became the 12th player in NBA history to play for at least 10 teams. Amundson also played professional basketball in the Philippines and Japan.

9. Earl Boykins (10)

Earl Boykins is the second-shortest player in NBA history after Mugsy Bouges. The 5-5 Boykins was also undrafted in 1998 after starring in Eastern Michigan. He played on short-term contracts for five different NBA teams before the Denver Nuggets signed him to a five-year deal in 2003. After his contract expired, he played in Italy. In 2017, Boykins competed in ESPN’s TBT for Paul Champions.

10. Mark Bryant (10)

Mark Bryant was the Portland Trailblazers’ 21st overall pick in 1998 after playing at Seton Hall in the NCAA. He was one of the first NBA players to complete the Texas Triple as he played for the three NBA franchises from Texas. He has been an assistant coach in the NBA since his retirement. Currently, he is part of Monty Williams’ coaching staff as an assistant for the Phoenix Suns.

*Drew Gooden, Anthony Tolliver, Aaron Williams, and Damon Jones played for 10 NBA teams.

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