Top 5 NBA Players Who Should’ve Stayed With Their Original Team

by Jeremy Block - 12/24/2025

NBA players who should have stayed with original team Kawhi Leonard

In the unpredictable world of the NBA, it’s easy to forget that some of the league’s biggest stars didn’t always rock the jerseys we know them for. Whether they were chasing that shiny new contract, trying to chase a ring before retirement creeps up, or just thinking the grass was greener somewhere else, a ton of players made moves that had the whole NBA world in shock or frustration.

But let’s keep it real—in hindsight, a lot of these players would’ve been better off just staying where they were. So, let’s dive into 6 NBA players who should’ve just stuck with their original teams.

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Kawhi Leonard

Kicking this list off with a controversial one: none other than Kawhi Leonard. Yeah, he "delivered" a title to Toronto, but let’s be real—that one championship is more of a brief blip in his career than a legacy maker. If he’d just stayed in San Antonio, who knows what could’ve been.

Think about it: before demanding that trade, Leonard was already an All-Star, NBA champion, Finals MVP, and posting solid numbers in his seven seasons with the Spurs—16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He was the perfect fit for their system: elite defense, efficient offense, and a team-first mentality.

Then came the shocking trade request, and boom, he’s off to Toronto in 2018. Sure, they built the system around him, but how long did that even last? Even though he was playing alongside legends like Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio, Leonard was next in line to receive the keys to the Spurs' kingdom, and was only a few seasons away. But instead of staying put, he decided to jump ship and chase another ring with a Raptors team that basically crumbled as soon as the 2019 title was in the bag.

And since then? Well, outside of that Raptors run, it’s been a whole lot of injuries and load management keeping him off the court for most of the seasons.

James Harden

It’s tough to find a player more tied to one franchise than James Harden was to the Houston Rockets. When Harden rocked that Rockets jersey, let’s be honest: the beard was Houston basketball. He made the city relevant again after years of mediocrity, leading them to the playoffs year after year and turning them into one of the most dangerous offenses the league had ever seen.

But then Harden’s impatience kicked in. Despite averaging 29.6 points and 7.7 assists per game, and having complete control of Houston’s offense, he demanded a trade and ended up with Brooklyn in 2020.

In theory, that sounded great—pairing up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, right? But spoiler alert: it didn’t work. Fast forward two years, and Durant and Irving are out the door, leaving Harden stuck again, back to square one.

Harden should’ve just stayed in Houston. His numbers were hitting career highs, and there were no signs of him slowing down. The Rockets were getting closer and closer to being legit contenders, making several deep runs into the Western Conference Finals, just a piece or two away from a title. A championship might’ve been a stretch, but he would've had a better shot sticking with the red and white.

Kyrie Irving

Outside of what LeBron James did for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving was also a hero in Cleveland, no doubt. Since entering the league, Irving spent his first six seasons with the Cavs, and it was nothing but promising—better results year after year, culminating in the 2016-2017 season where he averaged a career-high 25.7 points per game. Plus, his clutch shot in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals helped secure Cleveland’s first-ever championship.

But after his ‘peace out’ moment in 2017, when he demanded a trade from LeBron’s shadow, it all kind of went sideways. He thought the Celtics were his chance to shine and be the head of the table, but the results? Unfortunate, to say the least. The chemistry was off, leadership failed, and Irving’s time in Boston was defined by nothing but locker room mishaps. His journey didn’t get any smoother after that—briefly playing for the Nets and then landing in Dallas, where he accomplished nothing.

As NBA fans, we all know Irving should’ve kept his mouth shut and stayed in Cleveland. With James at his side and coming off a title run, there was no slowing that team down, and the entire league knew it. The Cavs could’ve built around him, and they might’ve had a real shot at contending for more titles, instead of watching him bounce around the league.

Steve Nash

Steve Nash's move to the Lakers in 2012 was supposed to be the final piece of their championship puzzle. After all, this was a Hall of Fame point guard still at the top of his game, coming off another All-Star season with Phoenix, where he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game.

But instead of building the powerhouse team they saw on paper with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, Nash's stint with the Lakers turned into a train wreck of injuries and missed opportunities. The chemistry never really clicked, and Nash’s career ended up being an unfortunate case of 'what-if' instead of it getting the grand finale it deserved.

Back in Phoenix, Nash was leading one of the most dangerous offenses the league had seen. If he had stayed, who knows what the Suns could've accomplished in the West? The team was a consistent playoff contender, just missing that extra scorer to spread the offense. But Nash chose the Lakers, and the rest was history.

What if he had stayed in Phoenix, playing in Mike D'Antoni's system and led the Suns to one more deep playoff run? We'll never know, but what we do know is this: his Lakers experiment was a dud, and he should've finished his career as a Sun.

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Start:	December 24, 2025 @ 11:00 PM
Expert:	Griffin Murphy
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Top 5 NBA Players Who Should’ve Stayed With Their Original Team

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