30 NBA players who were traded before becoming stars

10. Robert Parish

Boston Celtics great Robert Parish actually started his career with the Golden State Warriors, where he spent the first four seasons. However, he was famously traded, along with a future first-round pick (more on that soon), for Boston's 1980 first-round pick, which became Joe-Berry Carroll. That trade helped the Celtics build a dynasty during the 1980s, going to five NBA Finals during the decade and winning three championships with Parish as their backbone.

He was key to helping slow down Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the Celtics' many battles with the Los Angeles Lakers. While there was no stopping Kareem, he did an admirable job, which resulted in Boston beating their archrivals twice.

Although Parish was never a dominant big man, as evident by his never averaging 20 points per game in a single season, he was remarkably consistent. He made a total of nine Eastern Conference all-star teams during his 14 seasons with the Celtics and scored more than 18,000 points and 11,000 rebounds, largely thanks to his durability, longevity, and, of course, his skill.

Parish would eventually leave the Celtics and play for the original Charlotte Hornets before retiring as a member of the Chicago Bulls. However, Parish will always be remembered as a Celtic and for the lopsided trade that got him to Boston.