If you change teams, you will change your life. These five NBA players become superstars after leaving the team, and their former boss regrets it.

The excitement of the NBA is not only reflected in the MVP performance at its peak, but also hidden in the stories of players who were reborn in the trough. Many players are hard to find opportunities in a team, but they have experienced explosive growth after transfers. Some people were originally defined as role players, but they played star value in the new owners; some people were restrained in the old system, but after changing teams, they were like fish in water.

Fifth place: Ju Holiday

Career data: 16.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals

Career honors: 2 All-Stars, 2 Best Defensive First Team, 1 NBA Championship (2021)

Although Holiday has performed stably during the 76ers and the Pelicans, it has always been difficult to gain national attention. Until he joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020, Holiday finally broke out on the playoff stage. In the 2021 Finals G5, he stole Devin Booker at a critical moment and assisted Antetokounmpo to complete an all-match dunk. This round directly changed the direction of the series. Holiday not only plays the top-notch defense, but also plays the core of the organization on the offensive end. His joining made the Bucks more wings and finally won the championship trophy.

4th place: Chris Middleton

Career data: 17.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, shooting percentage 46.0%

Career honors: 3 All-Stars, 1 NBA championship (2021)

Middleton was originally a second-round pick at the Pistons, and averaged only 6 points per game in the rookie season. Until he was traded to the Bucks, he gradually grew into the second leader of the team. Especially in the 2021 Finals, he scored 30+ key points in multiple games, becoming the most reliable offensive point around Antetokounmpo. In the finals G4, Antetokounmpo blocked Ayton and stole the spotlight, but Middleton scored 40 points was the key to the reversal. He broke the bias of "no limit for second round picks" with his continuous evolution after the transfer, becoming one of the most underrated mid-range killers in the league.

Third place: Cameron Payne

Career data: 8.5 points, 3.4 assists, 1.9 rebounds, shooting percentage of 43.4%

Payne was Westbrook's substitute during the Thunder and had almost no sense of existence. After many twists and turns, it was even considered to leave the NBA for a time. Until he joined the Suns, Payne seized the opportunity and in the 2021 Westpac G2 he scored 29 points and 9 assists in the absence of Paul, leading the team to defeat the Clippers. His speed and outside shooting were fully activated in the Suns system, and it took less than two seasons from being cut off to being MVP-level performance in the Western Conference Finals. Payne is the kind of player who is redefined after changing teams, which also proves how critical the opportunity and the system are.

Second place: D'Angelo Russell

Career data: 17.7 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, shooting percentage 42.5%

Career honor: 1 All-Star (2019)

Russell was notorious for the "video gate" storm during the Lakers and was labeled as a "dressing room cancer". But after being traded to the Nets, he ushered in a career outbreak. In the 2019 season, he averaged 21.1 points and 7 assists per game, led the Nets back to the playoffs, and staged a magical reversal against the Kings - scoring 27 points in the final quarter, scoring 44 points in a single game, and making the declaration that "I'm not a cancer." He not only regained his confidence at the Nets, but also won the recognition of the All-Stars, completely rewriting his career trajectory.

No. 1: James Harden

Career data: 24.4 points, 7.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 44.3% from the field, 10 All-Stars, 3 scoring champions, 1 assist kings, Harden was the sixth man in the Thunder. Although he helped the team to the finals in 2012, his time to hold the ball was limited and his data was compressed. Until he was traded to the Rockets in 2012, he was promoted from substitute to superstar. In his debut, he scored 37 points and 12 assists against the Pistons, and played a classic template of "exploding if the team changes". In the following years, he led the Rockets to the playoffs in a row, and played in scoring performances of 30+ per game many times. In 2018, he even won the MVP with an average of 30.4 points per game. His transfer not only changed the fate of the Rockets, but also made Harden one of the top cards in the league.