Oftentimes, a superstar is the face of the franchise. Furthermore, that player does a lot of the heavy lifting to lead teams as far as they can go. When a superstar leaves a team, it often signals the rebuilding phase of the franchise. However, that isn’t always the case. In fact, some NBA teams still manage to do better whenever a superstar leaves the team. For this piece, let’s take a look at 10 NBA teams that did better after letting go of a superstar.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, and Isaiah Thomas

After the departure of Kyrie Irving, the Cavs filled the gap by surrounding LeBron with former MVP Derrick Rose, Big Three Heat running mate Dwyane Wade, and All-Star Isaiah Thomas. Although it looked formidable on paper, the Cavs dealt with injuries that hurt the team. But more importantly, these players no longer played at a level they once used to, as the team posted a 31-22 record. Midway through the season, the Cavs traded these stars in exchange for a slew of role players. James and the Cavs posted a 19-10 record for the rest of the season as they returned to the NBA Finals.

Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis

Back in the day, Monta Ellis was the face of the Golden State Warriors. However, with him at the helm, the franchise never elevated into a playoff threat. Because of this, mid-way through the 2011-2012 NBA season, Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Ekpe Udoh, Andrew Bogut, and Stephen Jackson. Bogut would become a crucial piece to the Warriors dynasty in the 2010s. Furthermore, the departure of Ellis gave the keys to Stephen Curry, who would win back-to-back MVPs and help the Warriors win four NBA championships.

Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram

Kobe Bryant’s retirement ultimately sent the Lakers into rebuilding mode. However, the acquisition of LeBron James changed all of that. To surround James with championship pieces, future All-Star Brandon Ingram was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball for Anthony Davis. Davis and James would form a formidable duo to lead the Lakers to a championship at the 2020 NBA Bubble.

Dallas Mavericks: Kristaps Porzingis

At first, the pairing of Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic brought excitement to Mavericks fans. The European duo seemed perfect to bring the franchise back to the championship conversation. However, injuries to Porzingis and chemistry concerns with Doncic marred their partnership. To make matters worse, with Porzingis on the roster, the Mavs could only go as far as the first round with both eliminations at the hands of the Clippers. In the 2021-2022 season, the Mavericks traded away Porzingis to the Washington Wizards. Later that year, Doncic led the squad as far as the Western Conference Finals before getting eliminated in five games by Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

Houston Rockets: Dwight Howard

After a dramatic fallout with the Orlando Magic and a disappointing run with the Lakers, Howard looked like the perfect partner for the Rockets’ James Harden. The All-Star center gave the team some much-needed star power to compete for a championship. Although Howard helped the team reach the 2015 Western Conference Finals, it was evident that Harden and Howard were never on the same page. After Howard’s departure in the 2015-2016 season, the Rockets continued to be a 50-win team, including a 65-17 record in the 2017-2018 season. But more importantly, the Rockets pushed the Western Conference Finals series to seven games before surrendering to the Warriors.

Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony

Selected as the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Carmelo Anthony was the face of the Denver Nuggets franchise. Although he was individually great and led the team to a Western Conference Finals appearance, Melo failed to elevate the Nuggets into a championship squad. Although the franchise wanted to keep him, Melo forced his way out of the team to play for the New York Knicks. However, losing Melo wasn’t all that bad for the franchise. With exception to the 2011-2012 season, the Nuggets went 57-25 to sit third in the Western Conference, despite the absence of a franchise star.

Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving

After dramatically ending his partnership with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving landed in a promising Boston squad. But despite the star power he brings, the Celtics didn’t really need him as injuries took a toll on Irving and Gordon Hayward. With the rise of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics emerged as an Eastern Conference threat even with Irving’s departure after the 2018-2019 season.

Detroit Pistons: Adrian Dantley

Adrian Dantley was one of the stars for the Bad Boy Pistons team in the late 80s. With him on the roster, the Pistons were legitimate Eastern Conference threats by making the Conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals once. But after Dantley had brewing issues with Isiah Thomas, the team sent him to Dallas in exchange for Mark Aguirre in one of the most gutsiest trades in history. But without the six-time All-Star, the Pistons did just fine as the team finally conquered the NBA championship in back-to-back fashion.

Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons

As an all-around player for his size, Ben Simmons was penciled to be the cornerstone of the Sixers franchise. However, injuries, playoff failures, and refusal to play ultimately forced the franchise to let Simmons go. While losing Simmons seemed like a big blow, the Sixers have been doing just fine. Without the off-court drama that Simmons brings, the Sixers continued with their winning ways. With Embiid now as the centerpiece, Philly posted a 51-31 record in the regular season to finish fourth in the East. Furthermore, Embiid has had a more reliable partner on the floor with James Harden.

Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson was the face of the Hawks franchise from 2005 to 2012. But while the Hawks were a playoff fixture with Johnson at the helm, the franchise never really had any memorable playoff runs. With his departure after the 2011-2012 season, the Hawks went into rebuild mode. With exception to the 2013-2014 season, the Hawks continued to be a winning team. In fact, they posted a 60-22 record in the 2014-2015 season with Al Horford and Paul Millsap taking charge. The squad also reached as far as the Eastern Conference Finals before getting swept by LeBron James and the Cavaliers.