Throughout the history of the league, there are quite a handful of players who blossomed after they were prematurely given up by an NBA team.
These mistakes happen quite often and the repercussions are always felt for years, with some even reaching decades. Whether it’s due to factors such as a great trade opportunity or lack of playing time for further development, we can’t help but ponder what could have been if they had the chance to stay with their team.
Today, we will select one player from all 30 NBA teams whom they regret moving on from. In this list, we will include players who were drafted by a team but later shipped to another franchise, free agency signings and those who were dealt in a trade.
Atlanta Hawks – Luka Doncic
The Luka-Trae draft day trade will always be a controversial one for years to come. No doubt that Young is good, but Doncic is just a couple of tiers above the former. Had they kept Luka, the Hawks are probably contenders right now.
Boston Celtics – Chauncey Billups
After drafting him 3rd overall in 1997, the Celtics inexplicably traded Billups after appearing in 51 games for the team. As we all know now, Mr. Big Shot became a player in the league and steered Detroit to a championship in 2004.
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Brooklyn Nets – Mookie Blaylock
The Nets had a point guard dilemma in the early 90s and had to choose between Blaylock and the then-newly drafted Kenny Anderson. Blaylock was traded for a bag of chips to Atlanta where he flourished as a floor general for seven years.
Charlotte Hornets – Alonzo Mourning
This was Charlotte being cheap rather than Mourning’s mistake. They just simply thought that Zo didn’t deserve the contract he demanded and went on to trade him at Miami. This ill decision haunted them for nearly a decade.
Chicago Bulls – Elton Brand
Brand came out ready to play right out of the gate. Chicago knew this but still traded him for an inexperienced Tyson Chandler after a couple of seasons with the team. Brand then became one of the best power forwards in the 2000s.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Lauri Markkanen
The Cavs had their hands on Markkanen for just a single season. They weren’t a believer in his potential that’s why they hastily traded him to Utah in 2022, where he has since flourished.
Dallas Mavericks – Steve Nash
Mark Cuban refused to offer Nash a significant amount of money to stay with Dallas in 2004 after six successful seasons with them. Phoenix swooped in and signed Nash. He instantly became a league MVP in 2005 and won the award again in 2006.
Denver Nuggets – Dikembe Mutombo
The towering Mutombo was a beloved figure in Denver, but the management balked at his contract demands in free agency. Dikembe bolted for Atlanta where he continued his excellence on the defensive end.
Detroit Pistons – Allan Houston
Houston gradually became one of the best young guards in the league while playing for Detroit in the mid-90s. But when his free agency came up, the Pistons lowballed their offer to Houston, prompting him to look for a better contract elsewhere.
Golden State Warriors – Mitch Richmond
Webber and Hardaway were considered for this position, but Richmond takes the cake for how he was dealt. The Warriors aimed to go bigger in 1992 and Richmond was traded to the Kings where he would make the All-Star game six straight times.
Houston Rockets – Sam Cassell
Cassell was part of Houston’s package deal that led to the acquisition of the aging Charles Barkley from Phoenix. Cassell went on to have a solid career in the league and was even named an All-star in 2004.
Indiana Pacers – Kawhi Leonard
Leonard was at the top of Indiana’s board even before the 2013 NBA draft arrived. San Antonio enticed them for a trade and they happily obliged. Leonard went on to become one of the best two-way players in the league.
Los Angeles Clippers – Lamar Odom
Then Clippers owner, the controversial Donald Sterling, told the talented Odom to search for a contract he liked during the 2003 free agency. Odom found one with the Heat and told Sterling not to match it.
Los Angeles Lakers – Marc Gasol
In all honesty, the trade worked out for both Memphis and LA. But what if they held on to Marc? The Lakers would have gotten a chance to start both Gasol brothers in their lineup and perhaps aimed for more success in the early 2010s.
Memphis Grizzlies – Kyle Lowry
Lowry was the obvious casualty when Memphis selected Conley as the 4th pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Lowry found a home in Toronto and became one of the best players in the team’s history.
Miami Heat – Steve Smith
Miami had Smith at their disposal but did not have the patience to wait for his play to ascend. They traded him to Atlanta for an aging Kevin Willis in 1994. Smith was then allowed to spread his wings with the Hawks.
Milwaukee Bucks – Ray Allen
This is a classic example of keeping your best player rather than your coach. Allen and then Bucks coach George Karl had an ugly feud that lasted for a couple of seasons. The Bucks simply traded their franchise player rather than fix the problem.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Kevin Garnett
Garnett was still in his prime but unfortunately, the Wolves were incompetent at building a proper roster around him. They traded KG to Boston and started their team’s rebuilding phase. KG became a champion just a season removed from Minnesota.
New Orleans Pelicans – Julius Randle
Randle’s time with New Orleans was largely forgettable but there’s no denying that he had the potential to become an All-star. That’s exactly what he did when he landed in New York.
New York Knicks – Kristaps Porzingis
As Porzingis was becoming New York’s beloved star, that did not sit well with Carmelo Anthony. Though it did not directly affect Porzingis’ trade request in 2019, it did play a part due to years of buildup within the franchise.
Oklahoma City Thunder – James Harden
It was basically a choice between keeping Harden or Ibaka, and the Thunder went on with the latter. To say this was a huge mistake is an understatement. It’s not always good to value needs over talent.
Orlando Magic – Shaquille O'Neal
In just his fourth season, O’Neal was already considered as one of the best big men in the history of the game. The Magic was hesitant to offer him a max contract and foolishly polled the public if O’Neal deserved one. Shaq then bolted to LA to form a dynasty.
Philadelphia 76ers – Jrue Holiday
Holiday was already an All-star with Philadelphia but for whatever unnecessary reason, they traded him to New Orleans in exchange for a bunch of underwhelming players. Just imagine Embiid playing with Holiday today.
Phoenix Suns – Joe Johnson
Johnson was instrumental in Phoenix’s 62-win campaign in 2005. Instead of re-signing him for an extension and continuing their progress, the Suns balked at matching the $70 million offer sheet the Hawks gave him.
Portland Trail Blazers – Jermaine O'Neal
O’Neal was slowly coming into his own after jumping to the NBA as a high schooler. The Blazers were in a win-now mode at that time and had no time to develop the young forward. They sadly missed out on O’Neal’s prime years which were spent with Indiana.
Sacramento Kings – Isaiah Thomas
Even though the diminutive Thomas was often replaced in the starting lineup by different point guards, he proceeded to outplay them all. Sacramento was still hesitant about giving him the keys to their offense and traded him to Phoenix without hesitation.
San Antonio Spurs – Dennis Rodman
While Rodman’s unpredictable nature took its toll on the Spurs, he was undeniably a great complement to their franchise star, David Robinson. With the Bulls, Rodman started at power forward and added three more championships to his resume.
Toronto Raptors – Tracy McGrady
McGrady’s rise was briefly halted due to the arrival of his cousin, Vince Carter to the team in 1998. Seeking a bigger role, he happily signed with the Magic in 2000 as a free agent. T-Mac went on to become one of the best players in the 2000s.
Utah Jazz – Mo Williams
Williams had a solid career in the association and even made an All-Star team in 2009 but there was a time when the Jazz chose Carlos Arroyo and Raul Lopez rather than extend the efficient point guard for a three-year $5 million deal.
Washington Wizards – Rui Hachimura
Washington did not have the capability to develop the talented Japanese forward and viewed his potential extension as a liability rather than an asset. The Lakers quickly traded for Hachimura in exchange for a bag of peanuts and has since played well alongside LeBron and Davis.
