30 NBA players who were traded before becoming stars

20. Jason Terry

Guard Jason Terry has the distinction of being arguably the best player to never make an all-star team. Despite that, he was definitely a star during his 18-year career. Terry started his career in Atlanta, putting up terrific numbers and establishing himself as a lethal shooter thanks to his high-arcing shot.

However, his career didn't really take off until he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. There, he carved out a crucial role on the Dirk Nowitzki-led teams. Terry spent eight seasons in Dallas and was the second-best player on many of those teams.

He hit a dagger shot against the arch-rival Spurs in Game 7 of the West Semi-Finals, en route to the team's first-ever trip to the NBA Finals in 2006. He was also crucial to their 2011 championship run, averaging a career-best 17.5 points in the playoffs while shooting an unconscious 44.2% from three, helping Dallas win their first-ever title.

His shot-making paired well with Dirk, who commanded plenty of attention, and "The Jet" often feasted, particularly when coming off the bench. Without Terry, the Mavericks likely would have come up short and it's no coincidence that they were title contenders for most of his tenure in Dallas.