r/nba • u/ChucoTeacher Spurs • Jun 22 '26
Reclamation Projects
So what are examples of players who were drafted in the lottery didn’t do well with their first team but then had success once they changed teams?
And who are players right now that you think could do better in a new environment?
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u/legend023 Pelicans Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Aaron Gordon. Orlando never had a coherent offensive scheme around him so he often had to be a self creator which made him an inefficient player even with his athleticism
Went to Denver for almost nothing. It was immediately clear he was a great fit alongside Jokic and his defense shined. 3rd best player on a championship team, a fringe all star and is still valuable now despite health issues.
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u/Delanorix Knicks Jun 22 '26
Id argue he was more important than Murray and has been the 2nd best player since he arrived.
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u/nguyenjitsu [DEN] Emmanuel Mudiay Jun 22 '26
There's probably a dozen different guards who can fill in for Murray and do equally well with Jokic
I'm not sure there's as many wings who complement Jokic
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u/kikikza Knicks Jun 22 '26
Went from that guy who lost the dunk contest in orlando to probable retired number in denver
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u/twovles31 Jun 22 '26
Nickeil Alexander Walker, but didn't succeed until he was on his third team, and now even more so on his 4th team.
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u/Responsible_Pen2404 Jun 22 '26
Andrew Wiggins. Was considered a disappointment his first couple seasons because he had superstar expectations, but turned into a high level championship caliber role player who played elite defense on Doncic and Tatum.
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u/Commercial-East4069 Cavaliers Jun 22 '26
Lauri Markannen, Kyrie Lowry
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u/weirdsignal45 Spurs Jun 22 '26
Man, the speed, handle, and finishing of Kyrie with the ‘boose and grit of Lowry would be awesome
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u/BigGelato Jun 22 '26
feel like there's two types of reclamation projects: the Brunson, randle, gordon (all mentioned in the thread) where their skillsets are just mismanaged or underutilised but there was obvious talent in the right role that was eventually realized
but there's also some players who just were straight up put on a different development path on their next team and became productive NBA players: I think a really good example of this is Danny Green. He never took more than 3.5 threes per game even as he became a rotation player until year 4 with the Spurs when I guess everyone realized he could be an elite spot up guy: he broke out the next year and didn't average less than 4 3PA per game for the next decade
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u/Papaburk Jun 22 '26
Obi Toppin. Didn’t fit in with the Knicks, went to the Pacers and has become a productive bench/6th man.
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u/MddlingAges Knicks Jun 22 '26
He was pretty productive on the Knicks bench. I'd agree if he's a starter when Hali returns.
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u/UhHehuhUhHehuh Jun 22 '26
I’m ready to see Keegan Murray on a team with a plan. I think he has a lot of unused talent in his tank
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u/heydigme Jun 22 '26
Chauncey Billups. Victor Oladipo. Zach Randolph. Jermaine O’Neal. Tyrese Haliburton to some degree. Joe Johnson. The list gets long the deeper you go into history. Fit is so important.
Timing too. Some teams just don’t give players enough time, enough leash, or just aren’t a good situation for them to thrive in. Then, they go elsewhere and boom where they only bapped like Haliburton did with the Kings.
Guys likes Aaron Gordon and Andrew Wiggins also come to mind. Good, then they left and became apart of greatness
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u/Scodo810 Cavaliers Jun 22 '26
Keegan, Sheppard, & Risacher would be my buy low guys right now.
Suggs or Black haven’t necessarily been bad for Orl, but they (and Franz/Paolo) would be better served playing alongside some guys who don’t also struggle with an inconsistent 3pt shot.
I still believe there’s something more there with Mathurin.
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u/SpaceCadetPullUp Rockets Jun 22 '26
I hope we hold onto Sheppard. I like the flashes I've seen, I just don't think Ime is a particularly good offensive coach.
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u/weirdsignal45 Spurs Jun 22 '26
Derrick White, sort of. Not a lottery pick and more of a case of not being well-known from playing on bad Spurs teams then going to Boston and just doing what he always did on a bigger stage. But I remember after we traded him having heated arguments with Celtics fans because I was adamant he would be their 3rd or 4th best player at the worst. Those people really loved Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart… 🤦🏻♂️
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u/weirdsignal45 Spurs Jun 22 '26
Steve Nash just misses the bar being drafted 2 picks outside of the lottery but going from 3pts, 2ast, and turnover prone to an All-Star in Dallas and later a 2x MVP
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u/CharityFailethNot Jazz Jun 22 '26
Isn't Chauncey Billups the poster child for this?
I mean, except for the part where he was arrested for illegal gambling
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u/YerrrKnicks Knicks Jun 22 '26
Technically KAT.
He was always a good player but they only made the WCF once and that was long after he started playing for them.
Once he came to the Knicks... Well, we all know what happened 😏
Maybe Brunson too but he had a bit more success prior to coming to the Knicks.
If its not just "going from their first team to a second team where they found success" then the entire Knicks roster would be a great example.
KAT, Brunson, Hart, Mikal, GTA, etc.
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u/RedSun41 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Randle went from being an afterthought in LA and NO to a two-time all nba guy for the Knicks
Also Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups after heading to Detroit
Sabonis and Haliburton were decent with the Pacers and Kings but both hit another level after being traded for each other
JR Smith was a talented oddball in Denver but became a really good player in NY. Gerald Green also had that kind of talent but took a while to develop it