Chauncey Billups was drafted 3rd overall and then traded during his rookie season/played for 4 teams in 5 years before getting to Detroit, becoming an all star, and winning finals MVP

Dirk.

Cuban basically chose him over Nash, who went on to win back-to-back MVPs.

He got to the Finals, but then “choked” against the Heat.

Next year, he led the Mavs to 67 wins, the most any team had won since Jordan’s Bulls in the ‘90s. He was the league MVP and it looked like this was finally going to be his year. Instead he wound up losing to a Warriors team that JUST made the playoffs, becoming the first number one seed to loose to an eight seed since the first round changed to best of seven.

After 2007, he was completely written off as being soft, a choker, a regular season player who couldn’t cut it in the playoffs.

Then in 2011, he led the Mavs past the Kobe/Gasol Lakers that had gone back to back and were looking to threepeat, the OKC team that had KD, Westbrook, and Harden, and then the LeBron/Wade/Bosh Heat in the Finals, that playoff run justified the rest of his career to a lot of people.

The redemption arc doesn’t have the same heights, but Wiggins going from a largely derided historic bust to widely respected key component of a championship team fits the general narrative

Curry was pretty close to being written off after his string of ankle injuries and surgeries from 09-12. His 4 year $44 million rookie extension was considered an overpay by most fans and pundits, and there was debate to go with Monte Ellis instead.

Of course everyone knows what happened next.

Biased but you could say KAT. Number one overall pick, was constantly criticized for being soft, settling for 3’s etc, never won in Minnesota, called out by Jimmy Butler.

Now a champion. And he was a major factor in the Knicks historic run.

Kyle Lowry in some ways. Drafted late 1st by the grizzlies, played only 10 games as a rookie. In year 2 and 3 lost his starting minutes to Mike Conley. Picked up a “bad attitude” label. Traded to Houston. Didn’t start in Houston, and after 1.5 seasons his team almost let him walk: they let him test the market and only matched Cleveland’s low ball offer of ²⁶⁄₄. But a Houston coaching change led to conflict and Lowry was sent to Toronto.

A journeyman with a reputation as hotheaded? He initially competed for starting minutes with Jose Calderon. No one predicted that he would play for the raptors 9 seasons, and a total of 20 in the NBA. Nor make 6 all star appearances.

I don’t know about MVP caliber coming into the league, but Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash spent years being labeled as busts or roleplayers before they eventually had their big breaks. Embiid, in a similar breath, spent his first two seasons completely injured.

Andrew Wiggins is a good shout too, he was drafted first but didn’t do much besides put up numbers on a bad team for years, before he went to Golden State and became the second option on a title team.

Sean Livingston

Chauncey Billups, 3rd overall pick, didn’t work out really with Boston, even though it was apparent he was talented. Figured it out in Detroit, FMVP, champ, and led the Pistons to 6 straight East finals. Mr Big shot

Andrew Wiggins!!!! And I’m a Kings fan but that turnaround with golden state was incredible. They don’t win that title in 2022 without him!

Steve Nash comes to mind, but he never had any major team success.

Jermaine O’Neal. Great high school player who declared for the draft because he thought he was the next KG. Dropped to 17 and barely played in Portland for 4 years before finally breaking out in Indiana at age 22.

Won Most Improved Player, 6x All Star, 3x All NBA. Missed the Heatles by one year, played for the Big 3 Celtics right after the won the ring, and retired from the Warriors right before they won it all.

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Not even close to the caliber of player that Dembele has become, but one that I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned is Tyson Chandler. 2nd overall pick who didn’t really come into his own until year 6 (s/o CP3) and had a nice stretch as one of the premier rim protectors in the league.

Edit: JJ Redick too. The best example is definitely Billups though. Soon we will have another to add to the list when he makes All-NBA 3rd team this year. My glorious king, Mario Hezonja

Sheed. He wasnt exactly an underachiever but I do think ppl didn’t rlly see that dog in him and hed have probably been associated w that ‘Jail Blazer’ era forever.

Once he got to DET that basically ended. Hell….he was practically an elder statesman on that 2010 Cs team.

you guys do not remember how joel embiid was talked about in 2016. the fact he made 7 all star games, 5 all nba teams and won mvp is insane. he is a what if and also beat the what if allegations at the same time.

This sub is acting like all-star players who didn’t win a ring were busts.

Billups was a great answer. Here’s another one - Jermaine O’Neal. He was the second HS player drafted in ‘96. He was hyped as heck and then languished on the bench in Portland unable to break the rotation and was labeled a bust. When traded to Indiana he became a perennial all-star that many thought he could be when he was drafted.

Andrew Wiggins. I experienced it first hand.

Not sure many will fit your “MVP” expectations criteria, but some examples of hyped players, who started slow or lost hype, only to come surging back could be:

Jalen Johnson: huge name at Duke, for some reason his draft stock suffered, and was kind of an afterthought coming into the league…only to skyrocket the last few years.

Deni: High draft pick in Washington, honestly forgot all about him for his first few years, then had one solid season for the Wizards, got traded to Blazers got a hefty price and took off.

Lauri: Interesting case of a really promising rookie year, then he fell off and reinvented himself on the Cavs and then took a huge step on the Jazz.

Grant Hill is kinda sorta like this. He was a star immediately and injuries derailed his career, but eventually adjusted his game and became a strong contributor for a long time.

Aaron Gordon was seen as a disappointing player in Orlando. He got traded to Denver and has been imo their second most important player for a consistent contender

Billups

Didn’t go down as an NBA legend or anything, but Christian Laettner had a nice bounceback after being traded to the Hawks. He made an all-star team and went to the playoff three straight seasons.

JJ Redick is kind of another similar example in that he started slow and eventually found his groove. He didn’t initially look like a player who would have a 15 year NBA career and start more than half of his games.

Chauncey Billups is probably the closest, there isn’t really such an incredible redemption arc that Dembele had. Or perhaps Wiggins, although he was recast in a quite different role. Nash or Brunson are guys that came to the league expecting to be solid starters, or first options of the bench.

Most improved players - the ones you would expect in this category - are usually young guys that grew up, and unlocked their potential. T-Mac, Giannis, PG and the like. Incidentally, these three are the only MIP winners that became 1st team All-NBA players.

KAT. Drafted first overall. Multiple losing seasons. Some awkward embarrassing moments. Notable flaws. Bad playoffs in 22. Got more mature and now is a champion and was a huge part of the run

Just cannot believe Curry had the career he had after so many ankle injuries so early in his career.  Helluva gamble by GS.  

People thought that KD was done after rupturing his Achilles in the Finals since he was over 30 and barely any athletes come back at a high level. KD was extremely good in Brooklyn on Day 1 after a 1 year hiatus. 

Not to the same extent, but Klay Thompson missed 2 ½ seasons after tearing both his Achilles and ACL in back to back years. He came back and led the league in 3 pointers made (right before becoming a bum). 

Walton kinda fits but he actually had few elite years and a chip before injuries derailed him but then later he became a key role player for the mid 80s celts.

Embiid kinda fits this. And, he could do it twice, if he’s healthy next year & the Sixers meet their potential.

Joel Embiid was drafted number 3 overall then didn’t play a single game for his first two nba seasons with d8fferent injuries. This came after missing ncaa tournament with a back injury. Then played only 31 games in his third season before missing the rest of season due to injury. Nba2k16 had him ranked as the third best center on his own team behind nerlens noel and jahlil Okafor. Certainly I thought he would never be able to put together enough healthy time to develop or make an impact after all this and given the size of his body. Then he had seven consecutive all star seasons including 2x scoring champ and an mvp award.

Wiggins is definitely one of my go-to examples for guys who clawed their way back to a positive rep.

Tyson Chandler and Dirk are both solid examples for different reasons.

This isn’t an answer to the same question, per se, but Vince Carter’s second act completely reframed his career in such a fascinating way.

Steph curry and his ankles

Steve Nash

Cade is at the beginning of this arc. He went from a generational draft prospect, to constantly hurt on a terrible pistons team, to a first team all nba finish on a 60 win team

I’m not sure what a balloon door adds to my life, but I still want one.

Dembele was great at Barca, this was a weird one to single out. He was the only player of the Courtinho/Griez/Dembele trio Barca wanted to re-sign and keep wtf

Steph Curry

As of today I think Lamelo assuming he stays mostly healthy.

Julius Randle dlo Kuzma and a lot of the younger guys who played with Kobe in his final years stepped up when they were traded

Ben Simmons Roty and Lauded as the next generation Lebron. Falls out of the league. Now about to return and win back to back MVPs in the next couple of years.

Drazen Petrovic

Anthony Davis

Kristaps Porzingis

Vince Carter and Steph Curry came to mind. They were injured quite a bit in their early years but turned out nicely.

Could be Zion if he somehow magically wins MVP this decade.

Ben Wallace

Maybe not MVP caliber but Al Horford.

The ‘24 ring saved his career reputation. He would be looked at very different without it.

Scoot Henderson

Michael Porter Jr.  Had all those injuries early on, won a chip, traded to the nets averaging a career high in points last year. 

Lebron. What if Ray did not hit that three that year and he will be on grill that off-season with all the media attension on him again and imagine what kind of decision would he make that might altered his legacy.

KD

If he didn’t make the weakest move of all time he probably gets written off as another Carmelo

Most people would take that trade.

James Harden and Jalen Brunson come to my mind.

KD to an opposite extent… maybe if he stayed in OKC he would have retired earlier as a beloved hero. Now he’s toxic triple account holder taking jabs at younger player as a 38 year old uncle…

Kawhi really matches the blueprint. Early hype faded after knee issues and durability questions took over. He just keeps collecting championships while others chase individual awards. Proof that steady performers always finish ahead.