Which NBA Player Has Been On the Most Teams?

A comprehensive list of the NBA players who have played for the most teams in their careers.

NBA Players Who Have Been On the Most Teams

The NBA is a business, and like any business, there is a lot of movement. Players are traded, signed, and released all the time. This can make it difficult for fans to keep track of their favorite players, especially if they switch teams often.

So which NBA players have been on the most teams? The answer may surprise you. Here are the top 5:

1. LeBron James – 7 teams
2. Kobe Bryant – 7 teams
3. Carmelo Anthony – 9 teams
4. Dwight Howard – 9 teams
5. Amar’e Stoudemire – 10 teams

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant, who played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, is the NBA player who has been on the most teams. He won five NBA championships with the Lakers and was named the Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.

LeBron James

Akron, Ohio native LeBron James has played for three teams throughout his professional basketball career. He started with his home state team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2003. He then played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014. Finally, he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 and is still playing for them today. In total, James has played for three teams.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony, who was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Chicago Bulls on January 22, 2019, has now been on 10 NBA teams in his 16-year career. That’s the most of any player in NBA history.

The 35-year-old forward has also played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers. He was drafted No. 3 overall by the Nuggets in 2003 and won an NCAA championship with Syracuse in 2003.

Anthony is a 10-time NBA All-Star and was named NBA scoring champion in 2013. He has averaged 24 points per game during his career.

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade, who was recently traded to the Miami Heat, has now been on three teams in his career. He played for the Miami Heat from 2003 to 2016, then spent a season with the Chicago Bulls before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard has spent time with eight different NBA teams in his illustrious career. The eight-time All-Star has suited up for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.

Amar’e Stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire, who was most recently on the Big3 basketball league, has played for eight different NBA teams. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2002 and played there until 2010. From 2010 to 2011, he played for the New York Knicks. He then played for the Dallas Mavericks from 2013 to 2014. Following that, he took a break from the NBA to play for two years in China. After that, he returned to the NBA and played for the Miami Heat from 2016 to 2017. Lastly, he played for the Knicks again from 2018 until his retirement in 2019.

Vince Carter

As of the 2019-20 season, Vince Carter has played for a total of 8 teams in his NBA career. These teams are the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. He is currently in his 22nd NBA season and is the league’s oldest active player.

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP, has been on a few different teams throughout his career. Most recently, he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves but was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February of 2020. Prior to that, he played for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. In total, Rose has played for four different NBA teams.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul has been on the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Phoenix Suns.