30 NBA players who were traded before becoming stars

5. Ray Allen

Hall of Fame sharpshooter Ray Allen spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks after a draft-night trade rerouted him there after initially being selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Allen didn't miss a game over the first five seasons of his career and emerged as one of the best shooting guards in the NBA in Milwaukee before being traded to the Seattle Supersonics, where his career really took off.

After making three all-star teams during his time with the Bucks, Allen made four straight all-star appearances as a member of the Supersonics and helped lead them within a couple of games of the Western Conference Finals during the 2004–05 season. Despite averaging a stellar 24.6 points and shooting 38.6% of 7.6 threes per game over his tenure with the Supersonics, he was sent to the Boston Celtics as a part of Seattle's rebuild.

There, he would finally win a championship in 2008 and another in Miami in 2013 before retiring in 2014 after 18 seasons. While the Timberwolves would later select Stephon Marbury as part of the Allen deal, it was clear that the Timberwolves lost that deal and the chance to pair him with fellow Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.