30 NBA players who were traded before becoming stars

25. Chris Webber

NBA legend Chris Webber was a member of the famed Fab Five but opted to leave Michigan after just two seasons and join the NBA. He was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic, but he was traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he lasted one season. 

While Webber's talent was obvious, he clashed with head coach Don Nelson, and he requested to be traded. He was then dealt to the Washington Bullets, where he made his first all-star team. It was in his third NBA stop that he became a bona fide star. The Sacramento Kings acquired Webber and he became the missing piece for a talented team.

In seven seasons in Sac Town, Webber averaged a terrific 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals, making him one of the more productive players of his era. He also made four straight all-star teams and even finished in the top five in MVP voting one season. With Webber as their best player, they also came tantalizingly close to winning a championship in 2002 when they narrowly lost to the Lakers in Game 7 of the West Finals.

Had they won, they likely would have trounced the New Jersey Nets en route to a championship. That didn't happen, and Webber was eventually traded to the Sixers, where his career quickly flamed out. To his credit, he would still go into the Hall of Fame but he played fewer than 900 games with injuries, cutting his prime short.