Toronto Raptors: 10 stars you didn’t know played for the Raptors
2. Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups had a number of stops in his career before he settled in as an All-Star with the Detroit Pistons. The second of those stops came with the Raptors, part of a strange rookie season for the point guard.
The Boston Celtics picked Billups third overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, but the team gave up on him in just 51 games, sending him to the Raptors with a package of players for a group of players that included Kenny Anderson. Billups immediately vibed with the team, dropping 27 points in just his second game with the team.
In the 26 games Billups played with the Raptors during his rookie season, Mr. Big Shot averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. He also demonstrated some ability beyond the arc which would lead to the bestowing of the Mr. Big Shot moniker later in his career.
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His time in Toronto would be even briefer than his time in Boston, though. A year after the team initially acquired him, Billups was dealt to the Nuggets in a three-team deal that netted Toronto the fifth pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, which would go on to be Jonathan Bender, who never played for the team. Four picks later, the Suns selected Shawn Marion.
Billups would go on to make five All-Star teams, win one title (and one Finals MVP award) and have his number retired by the Pistons. None of those accolades stemmed from his time in Toronto.