30 NBA players that got better after leaving their first team

30 NBA players who got better after leaving their first team: 19. Kevin Johnson

This may be cheating to an extent because most people who are familiar with the former mayor of Sacramento, CA think of Kevin Johnson as a member of the Phoenix Suns. However, he was drafted in 1987 with the seventh overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was brought in to compete for the starting spot but started just three games out of 52. He was shipped out at the deadline to the Phoenix Suns after averaging a meager 7.3 points, 3.7 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Johnson immediately took off in his second destination and would play the rest of his career in Phoenix.

Johnson was named the league’s Most Improved Player in his second season, putting up a line of 20.4 points, 12.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. The next season, he made his first All-Star appearance. He would make three All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams throughout the entirety of his career. The Suns immediately became a winning team once he was onboard. In fact, the Suns won the most games in the league over his first seven seasons. For reference, this is during the time of the first Chicago Bulls 3-peat.

Another hallmark for the Suns is they made the playoffs every season of his career following his rookie campaign. In 1993, alongside Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson pushed the franchise to their second (and most recent) NBA Finals appearance. Johnson would be hampered by injuries during much of his time with Barkley but the pair would still have the second-most playoff wins during their era. He is one of the great players of his time and doesn’t get enough credit because they came along at the same time as Michael Jordan.