Dallas Mavericks: Kristaps PorzingisĪt first, the pairing of Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic brought excitement to Mavericks fans. Davis and James would form a formidable duo to lead the Lakers to a championship at the 2020 NBA Bubble. To surround James with championship pieces, future All-Star Brandon Ingram was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball for Anthony Davis. However, the acquisition of LeBron James changed all of that. Kobe Bryant’s retirement ultimately sent the Lakers into rebuilding mode. Furthermore, the departure of Ellis gave the keys to Stephen Curry, who would win back-to-back MVPs and help the Warriors win four NBA championships. Bogut would become a crucial piece to the Warriors dynasty in the 2010s. Because of this, mid-way through the 2011-2012 NBA season, Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Ekpe Udoh, Andrew Bogut, and Stephen Jackson. However, with him at the helm, the franchise never elevated into a playoff threat. Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellisīack in the day, Monta Ellis was the face of the Golden State Warriors. James and the Cavs posted a 19-10 record for the rest of the season as they returned to the NBA Finals. Midway through the season, the Cavs traded these stars in exchange for a slew of role players.
But more importantly, these players no longer played at a level they once used to, as the team posted a 31-22 record. Although it looked formidable on paper, the Cavs dealt with injuries that hurt the team. Cleveland Cavaliers: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, and Isaiah ThomasĪfter the departure of Kyrie Irving, the Cavs filled the gap by surrounding LeBron with former MVP Derrick Rose, Big Three Heat running mate Dwyane Wade, and All-Star Isaiah Thomas. For this piece, let’s take a look at 10 NBA teams that did better after letting go of a superstar.
In fact, some NBA teams still manage to do better whenever a superstar leaves the team. When a superstar leaves a team, it often signals the rebuilding phase of the franchise. Furthermore, that player does a lot of the heavy lifting to lead teams as far as they can go. Oftentimes, a superstar is the face of the franchise.
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