5 Active NBA players who have played for the most number of teams

Due to the sheer number of NBA players and the demands on them by the league's franchises, they are constantly on the move. Some, such as recent champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, may stay with their franchise for much of their career, while others become nomads, rarely being able to call one organization home.

In this article, we will look at five active players that have played with the most teams in the league, though they have to have played at least one game.

Which NBA players have played for the most teams?

Player moves can happen for a multitude of reasons and most often do not represent something they have done wrong. Teams may be trying to bring in a bigger star, therefore use their current assets to create a trade package. Or the players may be free agents, as many on our list are, and are seeking a new ball club. Alternatively, they could force a move if they are unhappy with the team they have moved to.

All of these reasons amount to plenty of movement during the NBA offseason.

#1 Ish Smith (11 teams)

Washington Wizards backup guard Ish Smith

Ish Smith is our joint-leader having played for 11 NBA teams in his career and is also the youngest player on our list. He has featured for as many sides as he has spent years in the league, only recently finding consistency with the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.

Smith may even take the outright lead for most teams represented by an active NBA player this summer as he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Staying healthy and playing considerable minutes as a backup guard has helped Smith solidify his game, with his best campaign coming in 2016 for the Philadelphia 76ers when he averaged 14.7 points and seven assists across 81 games.

Ish Smith came to play 😤 pic.twitter.com/0wDU3fiS7c

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 19, 2021

The 33-year-old has had multiple seasons cut short by injury but will be hoping there will be a minimum contract on the table for him with various teams around the NBA looking for depth in their backcourt at an affordable price.

#2 Anthony Tolliver (11 teams)

Anthony Tolliver has been around the NBA

Veteran forward Anthony Tolliver is tied with Ish Smith, having played for 11 teams throughout the NBA. After playing just 19 games in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs, Tolliver played arguably his best basketball with the Golden State Warriors, averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in the following campaign.

Tolliver has never spent more than two years with a franchise but has played with the Detroit Pistons for three seasons, though over two separate stints. After struggling with injuries early on in his career, Tolliver has been a very durable player off the bench, yet has been utilized in trades over and over again.

ANTHONY TOLLIVER OH MY 😱 (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/dyH6WKSegy

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 24, 2019

Despite playing just eleven times in the 2020-21 season for the Philadelphia 76ers, the 36-year-old could stay with the franchise for another year and help their young talent. His contract includes a second year if the organization decides to retain him.

#3 Trevor Ariza (10 teams)

Trevor Ariza is set to become a free agent this summer

Miami Heat forward Trevor Ariza has certainly been around the NBA and could well equal Ish Smith and Anthony Tolliver's tally of teams played for when he became an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Ariza was a valuable asset to the Heat after they acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder midseason. He never played a game for OKC but featured in 34 for Miami, averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and a steal per game. Although he earned $12m this year, it is likely a new contract will be considerably lower and the Heat would be foolish not to put an offer on the table.

The 36-year-old has been a reliable two-way forward throughout his NBA career and has averaged 1.5 steals per game and double-digit points. He is a former champion with the LA Lakers, having played every game that season, bringing with him experience on and off the court.

#4 Jeff Green (10 teams)

Brooklyn Nets veteran Jeff Green

Jeff Green did his chances of earning a greater contract in free agency no harm with his performances for the Brooklyn Nets this season. In a year where the Nets' biggest stars struggled with injuries, Green played in 68 games and impressed in their playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. He shot at 55% from beyond the arc in the postseason, including draining seven threes in game four against the Bucks.

JEFF GREEN HAS 24 POINTS ON 6-6 3 PT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pvU9SFbWQM

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 16, 2021

Green started his NBA career with the Seattle Supersonics, later becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he averaged 14 points and 5.8 rebounds across four seasons. He then played for the Boston Celtics for four and a half years, though missed the 2011-12 campaign with a heart condition.

After his time on the East coast, the 34-year-old bounced around the NBA before reuniting with former teammate Kevin Durant earlier this year. He too could be joining his 11th team this summer should rumors linking him with a move to Milwaukee come true.

#5 Garrett Temple (9 teams)

Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple

Another veteran free agent who could be joining yet another team during the NBA offseason is Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple. Temple is hoping to stay with the franchise this summer after being impressed by the organization's management and the young stars that they have at the moment, such as Zach LaVine and Coby White.

The 35-year-old has moved around the league with great frequency in just 11 seasons. In the 2009-10 and 2010-11 campaigns, he played with three different teams in both but was hampered by injuries, playing 51 games during that period.

Temple's health has improved dramatically in the past few years and featured heavily as a starter for the Bulls, Nets and Grizzlies in the previous three seasons. He averaged 7.6 points for Chicago and 2.9 rebounds while shooting at 41% from the field.