There are more NBA players than NBA jobs

David Thorpe’s favorite players outside the NBA.

BY DAVID THORPE

It’s fairly safe to say that the NBA employs every one of the world’s top 50 basketball players. After that, it’s a crapshoot. There are plenty of overseas players—and even G-League players—who could help NBA teams nightly. Many were cut from NBA teams, then got better. Others chose to stay overseas. The NBA is full of huge talents who took a few years to really produce—from Draymond Green to Pascal Siakam. 

I’ve put together a list of players that teams hoping to add just one more rotation player might want to consider. For the purpose of this list, we are not including players who have already spent significant time in the NBA. Europe and China (CBA) are filled with such players, like Nikola Mirotic, Shane Larkin, Mike James, Jan Vesely, or Nick Calathes. Moving to the NBA makes less sense for them. Their employers pay their taxes and almost always provide a home and a car (think beachfront condo in Gran Canaria or walking distance to the Mediterranean Sea). More impor…