1) Hank Finkel, ’69-’70 Celtics (Bill Russell)

In the one season between Russell’s Hall of Fame career ending and Dave Cowens’ rookie campaign, Finkel kept the seat warm at center in Boston. Facing adversity and stepping into a difficult position were nothing new for the seven footer, who had dropped out of his New Jersey high school to earn money as a sandblaster after his father passed away from cancer. Finkel certainly wasn’t bad in ’69-’70, averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, but he was also an easy target for Celtics fans’ angst, especially as the team slumped late in the season and missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Ready to retire that summer at age 28 rather than face the wrath of Boston fans and media again, Finkel was lured back in by Red Auerbach’s promise of reinforcements on the front line, and that help came indeed in the form of first round draft pick Cowens. Finkel wound up playing five more seasons on the Celtics as the back-up center and was rewarded with a championship in 1974. Despite his early misgivings with the city, Finkel remained in the Boston area after retiring from basketball and opened his own furniture shop in the suburb of Woburn.

2) Carlos Arroyo, ’03-’04 Jazz (John Stockton)

The ’02-’03 Jazz were arguably the greatest apprenticeship position possible for a young point guard. A 23-year-old Arroyo signed with the team in the summer prior and served as a third-stringer behind the all-time assists leader, John Stockton, and the man in second on that list, Mark Jackson. But in the summer of 2003, Stockton retired, Jackson signed with the Rockets, and Arroyo essentially fell into the starting point guard position, arguably a little too soon. He played decent enough, averaging career highs in points (12.6), assists (5.0), and rebounds (2.6) per game in ’03-’04, and led the Jazz to a surprise 42 wins. But later clashes with coach Jerry Sloan got Arroyo first benched in ’04-’05, then traded at the deadline to the Pistons. He lasted six more seasons in the NBA as a back-up point guard, then remained professionally active for another decade, with stints in the Turkish Basketball League, Israeli Premier League, Spanish Liga, the Big 3, and the Baloncesto Superior National league in his native Puerto Rico.

3) John Gianelli, ’74-’75 Knicks (Willis Reed)
4) Ray Williams, ’77-’78 Knicks (Walt Frazier)

When a valiant but short-handed Knicks team lost in the 1974 Conference Finals, it was readily apparent as the beginning of the end of a vaunted era that included two championships. Sure enough, four load bearing foundations of those title runs announced their retirements that summer: Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Dick Barnett, and, most notably, Reed. This left the back court of Frazier and Earl Monroe to carry the torch, with the front court in complete disarray. Gianelli had been New York’s starting center for most of ’73-’74 anyway, as Reed was nursing shaky knees, and filled in seamlessly if unspectacularly in ’74-’75 as the full-time starter, averaging 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. But the Knicks’ fall from grace was swift, with a first round playoff exit in 1975 followed by missing the postseason altogether with a losing record in ’75-’76. They seemingly landed a coup early in the ’76-’77 season, swapping Gianelli and cash to the Buffalo Braves in exchange for Bob McAdoo, who was just one year removed from earning league MVP. But this failed to revive the flagging team, which missed the playoffs again in 1977, leading to a second major exodus. Along with Frazier getting traded to the Cavaliers that summer, Bill Bradley retired and Red Holzman stepped down as coach (getting replaced by Reed). A rookie first round pick out of Minnesota, Williams injected some youthful energy into the Knicks back court but also chaos, with a reckless style that would eventually earn him the nickname “The Big Apple Turnover.” Coach Reed quickly turned over the point guard reins to veteran Butch Beard but Williams did take back over as New York’s starting point guard in the subsequent three seasons, with mixed results.

5) Kelvin Cato, ’01-’02 Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon)

After 17 seasons, two championships, and franchise records set in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals, Olajuwon decided his time in Houston was finished after the ’00-’01 season ended without a playoff appearance. He rejected a contract offer from his longtime team and asked for a trade to a contender. They obliged, shipping him off to Toronto, leaving the starting center position up for grabs in Houston for the first time since 1984. Cato had come to the team two years prior as part of a blockbuster trade that sent Scottie Pippen to Portland. Houston fans already viewed Cato as brooding, overpaid, and underwhelming, so stepping in to fill Olajuwon’s shoes certainly didn’t help his reputation. Starting 73 games at center in ’01-’02, Cato was serviceable, with 6.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, which were actually pretty similar numbers to what Olajuwon gave the Raptors that season. But it wasn’t nearly enough for Houston fans or management, who responded by drafting Yao Ming first overall in 2002. Cato stayed on the Houston roster for two more seasons and even started most games in ’03-’04 when Yao struggled with injuries, before finishing out his career with the Magic, Pistons, and Knicks. 

6) Andre Roberson, ’16-’17 Thunder (Kevin Durant)

Not only did the loss of Durant to the Warriors cause a major talent drop-off at small forward for the Thunder in ’16-’17, it also fully shifted the strategic focus of the position. Whereas Durant was an elite scorer for Oklahoma City, winning four scoring titles in nine seasons with the team, Roberson was a defensive specialist. This was especially relevant since the Thunder also traded Serge Ibaka that summer in exchange for some offensive firepower in Victor Oladipo. Roberson was certainly game defensively and made the All-Defensive team for the first time in ’16-’17, while additionally finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But the fall off was just too steep from Durant’s 28.2 points per game in ’15-’16 to Roberson’s 6.6 in ’16-’17, which was a career high. It’s likely Roberson, then still just 25 years old, would have continued to develop along on both ends of the floor if not for a ruptured patellar tendon suffered during the ’16-’17 season, effectively ending his career just as it was getting started.

7) Jim McMillian, ’71-’72 Lakers (Elgin Baylor)

A rare case on this list where the replacement player was an immediate improvement on the legend he usurped. Baylor had been a cornerstone of the Lakers franchise ever since he carried them to the 1959 NBA Finals as a rookie. But his production steady declining after a devastating 1965 knee injury, and it was no secret that McMillian had been drafted in 1970 to replace him. During the 33-game win streak that immediately followed Baylor’s retirement, McMillian averaged 20.1 points per game, including a 41-point outburst against the 76ers, and compiled seven double-doubles. He finished the season third on the Lakers in scoring behind Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, and then averaged 19.1 points per game in the postseason as a dominant Los Angeles team won its first title since relocating from Minneapolis. Yet, when the Lakers were looking to rebuild in 1973 following Wilt Chamberlain’s retirement, McMillian was shipped off to Buffalo in exchange for seven footer Elmore Smith (see below). Though Baylor was not active for the 1972 playoffs, he still received a championship ring from the team, the first of his career after eight previous NBA Finals losses.

8) Brent Barry, ’98-’99 Bulls (Michael Jordan)
9) Brent Barry, ’02-’03 SuperSonics (Gary Payton)

When the dust settled on the lockout and play began for the ’98-’99 season in early February, the Bulls looked vastly different from the team that had just won three straight championships. The most glaring difference was obviously at starting shooting guard, where the journeyman Barry, playing for his third team in less than one calendar year, took over for the greatest of all time. The son of Hall of Famer Rick and surprise champion of the 1996 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, Barry possessed some solid offensive skills but struggled on the defensive end, which led to his quick ouster from Pat Riley’s Heat. He tallied 13 points before fouling out in his Bulls debut, a loss to the Jazz that portended how the rest of the season would go. Barry averaged only 11.1 points per game that season, then was shut down with 13 games left due to injury as the Bulls slumped to the bottom of the standings. Despite lavishing him with a six-year, $27 million contract, Chicago wasted no time trading Barry away in the summer of 1999 to the Sonics. He spent most of his time in Seattle starting at shooting guard alongside Payton until the latter was traded to Milwaukee during the ’02-’03 season. The Sonics also dealt away veteran backup Kenny Anderson on the same day, so Barry was shifted over to point guard for the remainder of the season, in the back court with newly acquired teammate Ray Allen. In his first game in the new role he set a career high in assists with 16 but ultimately averaged just 5.8 per game while struggling at times with turnovers. Barry did hold his job as starting point guard for most of the ’03-’04 season before returning to his more natural bench swing man role in later stints with the Spurs and Rockets.

10) Tim McCormick, ’86-’87 76ers (Moses Malone)

With Julius Erving rapidly aging, a young Charles Barkley blossoming into stardom, and the #1 pick in hand thanks to a fortuitous draft lottery, the 76ers attempted to rebuild on the fly in 1986, with disastrous effects. First, they traded that pick to the Cavaliers for forward Roy Hinson, then they dealt away Malone and two more first round picks to the Bullets for Cliff Robinson and Jeff Ruland. A two-time All-Star and 20/10 machine, Ruland made sense slotting in alongside Barkley in a revamped front court, but he suffered a lateral meniscus tear just two games into the season, effectively ending his career and leaving the center position open. Enter McCormick, whom the Sixers had acquired in the prior offseason but trading away another first round pick. He put up respectable numbers, averaging 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, but got dominated by Jack Sikma in a first round playoff loss to the Bucks. Erving retired in the subsequent offseason, McCormick was traded to the Nets, and the Sixers missed the playoffs entirely in 1988. Meanwhile, Malone continued his stellar play with Washington, dropping 39 points and 17 rebounds in his first match-up against his former Philly teammates, making his ninth All-Star team, and averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds for the ninth consecutive season. As for those draft picks the 76ers traded away? The #1 pick in 1986 was used by the Cavaliers on five-time All-Star Brad Daugherty and the 1989 pick acquired for McCormick was used by the Sonics on Shawn Kemp.

11) Rasho Nesterovic, ’03-’04 Spurs (David Robinson)

Robinson’s retirement was certainly no surprise for the Spurs. The franchise legend had announced his intentions before the ’02-’03 season began. The real stunner was their nonchalant attitude about it, considering that they headed into the offseason with a 40-year-old Kevin Willis as the only center under contract. But even after their first free agent target, Alonzo Mourning, spurned them for the Nets, the Spurs brass, coaches, and Tim Duncan were happy with their second option, Nesterovic. The Slovenian center had spent the prior four seasons starting alongside Kevin Garnett on the Timberwolves, meaning that this was not only an addition for San Antonio but also a significant subtraction for one of their biggest rivals. Nesterovic proved to be a steady presence for the Spurs in ’03-’04, averaging 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, though the season ended in a disappointing second round playoff exit. When the Spurs returned to championship glory in ’04-’05, Nesterovic was still on the roster but had lost his starting job to the recently acquired Nazr Mohammed. The Spurs traded Nesterovic away to the Raptors in 2006 for Matt Bonner, who became an integral part of their next two title teams.

12) Fred Hetzel, ’67-’68 Warriors (Rick Barry)
13) Sonny Parker, ’78-’79 Warriors (Rick Barry)

Thanks to an idiosyncratic set of regulations and circumstances in the 1965 NBA Draft order determination, the Warriors wound up with both the #1 and #2 picks. They made the curious decision to use those picks on two players at the same position, small forward, nabbing Hetzel and Barry #2. But the Warriors looked crazy like a fox two years later, when Barry jumped ship for the ABA and his replacement was already in place, groomed, and ready to step in. But while Hetzel had been the bigger collegiate star and #1 pick, it was patently obvious by 1967 that Barry was a far better player, destined for legendary status. Not that Hetzel played poorly in ’67-’68, as he averaged a career high 19.0 points per game. But even with four All-Stars on the roster (headlined by Nate Thurmond), the Warriors couldn’t repeat their 1966 NBA Finals run, instead getting swept by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Hetzel played one more solid season with the Warriors before getting picked up by the Bucks in their expansion draft and his fizzled out quietly from there. Barry returned to the Warriors in ’72-’73 for a second stint that included a title run in 1975, before signing as a free agent with the Rockets in 1978. He was once again replaced by his backup, this time Parker, who was entering his third season in the league. Parker was also decent but even less effective than Hetzel, and two years later was replaced by trade acquisition Bernard King.

“Following the most shocking retirement in NBA history, the ’91-’92 Lakers found themselves transitioning from the legendary Magic Johnson as floor leader to a sixth round pick journeyman, who had mostly spent his career playing shooting guard”

14) Anthony Parker, ’10-’11 Cavaliers (LeBron James)
15) Cedi Osman, ’18-’19 Cavaliers (LeBron James)

Did Parker inherit the most thankless job in NBA history? At least there wasn’t a lot of pressure on him, in as much that Cavs fans weren’t expecting much after James took his talents to South Beach. But replacing the hometown legend and undeniable best player in the NBA would have been a task too big for any player, let alone a 35-year-old career journeyman like Parker. Add in a switch from his natural shooting guard position and, well, good luck. Parker certainly didn’t add enough scoring or defense to make Cavs fans even begin to forget about The King. But he did provide arguably the season’s biggest highlight, leading the way with 20 points and seven rebounds in a shocking late season upset of James and the Heat. Parker played one more season in Cleveland before retiring in 2012 and two years later James was back, this time leading the Cavaliers to four NBA Finals and a 2016 title. The talent cupboard wasn’t left quite as bare the second time James left, in 2018 for the Lakers, but it was certainly another shock to the system for Cleveland. A second year player out of North Macedonia, Osman spent his rookie season bouncing between the Cavs bench and their G-League affiliate, but was thrust into the starting lineup in ’18-’19. He averaged a respectable 13.0 points per game, as the Cavs expectedly dropped to the bottom of the standings. Osman spent three more seasons in Cleveland before returning to Europe, where he’s currently playing a starring role for the Greek club Panathinaikos.

16) Lindsey Hunter, ’93-’94 Pistons (Isiah Thomas)

As the final vestiges of the Bad Boy era were retiring or departing for other teams, the Pistons drafted a pair of guards in the first round in 1993, presumably to replace their longtime backcourt of Thomas and Joe Dumars. Allan Houston was the heir apparent at shooting guard but never got his chance in Detroit as Dumars wound up sticking around for the rest of the decade. At point guard, Thomas suffered a torn Achilles late in the ’93-’94 season which would turn out to be career ending. Hunter was thrust into the starting lineup for a few games and played well enough overall to be named 2nd-Team All-Rookie. He would, however, struggle to stay in the starting lineup over the next few years, splitting duties with Houston and Negele Knight in ’94-’95 due to injuries, and then Dumars in ’95-’96, when the veteran stalwart shifted to the point to make room for Grant Hill in the starting five. Hunter finally took over as the full-time starting point guard in ’96-’97 and guided the Pistons to 54 wins, their most since the ’89-’90 title season, but it ended in disappointment with a first round playoff loss. Traded to the Bucks in 2000, Hunter eventually wound up winning a title with the Lakers in 2002, then returned to Detroit in 2004 and came off the bench behind Chauncey Billups in that season’s title run.

17) Rony Seikaly, ’96-’97 Magic (Shaquille O’Neal)
18) Chris Mihm, ’04-’05 Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal)

In his 1992 NBA debut, O’Neal impressed with 12 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks in a Magic win over the Heat. The opposing center that night was Miami’s Seikaly, who afterwards compared defending O’Neal to “having a house fall on you.” Four years later, when O’Neal signed with the Lakers and the Magic traded for Seikaly to replace their superstar, Seikaly called it a “dream come true.” That dream turned into a nightmare in the 1997 playoffs, where Seikaly had a different domicile by the name of Alonzo Mourning fall on him, as his former Miami team eliminated his new one in the first round. Despite his postseason struggles which became the headline, Seikaly actually played quite well in the ’96-’97 regular season, averaging a career high 17.3 points per game at age 31 and winning over Magic fans who had previously reviled the Lebanese center when he played for the Heat. He was traded to the Nets during the ’97-’98 season and played in just 18 more games before retiring due to a broken foot. Things obviously worked out for Shaq in Los Angeles, with a league MVP and three championships, but by 2004 the situation with Kobe Bryant had become acrimonious beyond repair, and the big man was traded to Miami. Finding an immediate comparable replacement at center was recognized by the Lakers as impossible, so they went with a stopgap solution in the veteran Mihm, acquired from the Celtics in a trade for Rick Fox, Gary Payton, and a first round pick. The Mihm era in Los Angeles went about as poorly as you would expect. The veteran center averaged just 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his first two seasons with the Lakers, then suffered an ankle injury that necessitated surgery and cost him nearly two full seasons, during which he was replaced by Pau Gasol in a significant upgrade.

19) Bill Bridges, ’65-’66 Hawks (Bob Pettit)

There were obviously large shoes to fill when Pettit retired. He still stands as the only MVP in Hawks history, the all-time franchise leader in rebounding, and led the team to its one-and-only championship in 1958. When Pettit stepped away in 1965 after suffering a torn ligament, his replacement was Bridges, a former All-American at Kansas who was nonetheless overlooked in the 1961 NBA Draft, likely due to the ongoing, unspoken Black player quota. Bridges’ skin color also didn’t endear him much to the notoriously racist St. Louis fans, even as he averaged 14.5 points and 13.9 rebounds per game in his five seasons as a starter, while making three All-Star rosters. The Hawks also stayed competitive during that span, reaching the Conference Finals four times though they failed to return to the NBA Finals. Looking to rebuild in the early ’70s after moving to Atlanta, the Hawks traded Bridges to the 76ers, kicking off a journeymen end to his career. That included stints as the starting power forward for the ’72-’73 Lakers that reached the NBA Finals, and coming off the bench for the Warriors as they won the 1975 title. Though he failed to win over Hawks fans in his time, there’s no denying Bridges’ place in team history. He still stands second all-time in rebounds for the Hawks, trailing only Pettit.

20) Kevin Gamble, ’92-’93 Celtics (Larry Bird)

Needing essentially a warm body at small forward after an Achilles’ surgery ended Bird’s season, the Celtics turned to Gamble, who, at the time, was dominating the CBA as a member of the Quad City Thunder. Initially drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1987 after a star career at Iowa, Gamble had also spent time playing in the Philippines after Portland waived him during his rookie season. He played sparingly for the Celtics in ’88-’89, backing up Reggie Lewis, but impressed enough for the team to re-sign him. In ’90-’91, coach Chris Ford inserted Gamble into a small ball starting five with Bird, Lewis, Brian Shaw, and Robert Parish (Kevin McHale returned to the bench). The youngster blossomed, averaging what would turn out to be a career high 15.6 points per game. When Bird officially retired after the ’91-’92 season, Gamble retained his spot and helped the Celtics keep their streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances alive. Tragedy then struck with Lewis’ untimely death and in ’93-’94, Gamble lost playing time to a young Rick Fox as Boston shifted into full rebuilding mode. He signed that summer with the Heat, but found scant playing time in Miami or a later stint in Sacramento before retiring in 1997.

21) Elmore Smith, ’73-’74 Lakers (Wilt Chamberlain)
22) Elmore Smith, ’75-’76 Bucks (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)

The third overall pick in 1971 despite playing at Kentucky State of the NAIA, Smith averaged 17.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game in his first two seasons with the lowly Buffalo Braves. His career took a sharp turn in the summer of 1973 when the Braves dealt him to the Lakers for veteran forward Jim McMillian. Los Angeles was desperate for help at center after the retirement of Chamberlain, and the only other big man on their roster was the rapidly aging Mel Counts. As is the case with so many players on this list, Smith was obviously no Chamberlain but served as a respectable replacement, averaging a double-double while additionally leading the NBA in blocks per game. Smith remained the starting center in ’74-’75 but with Jerry West having followed Chamberlain out the door, the Lakers were floundering in the standings and looking to rebuild. Smith was packaged with Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, and Brian Winters and sent to the Bucks in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Thus, for the second time in his career, Smith took on the thankless job of replacing a starting center who was arguably the greatest of all time. The ’75-’76 Bucks remained competitive with Smith manning the middle, and he averaged a double-double for the fifth straight season. But he was replaced early in ’76-’77 by ABA alumnus Swen Nater and traded to the Cavaliers, where Smith played out his final three seasons backing up Jim Chones.

23) Sedale Threatt, ’91-’92 Lakers (Magic Johnson)

Following the most shocking retirement in NBA history, the ’91-’92 Lakers found themselves transitioning from the legendary Magic Johnson as floor leader to a sixth round pick journeyman, who had mostly spent his career playing shooting guard. Threatt had already played eight seasons in the NBA, logging only spare minutes for the 76ers, Bulls, and Sonics, when he was traded to the Lakers in 1991 for a couple of second round draft picks. Expected to be a backup to Johnson, Threatt instead became his replacement, taking over as the starting point guard on the eve of the regular season. He responded by setting career highs in scoring (15.1 points per game), assists (7.2 per game), and rebounds (3.1 per game), starting all 82 games as the shell-shocked Lakers managed to reach the playoffs. After putting up similar numbers as a starter in ’92-’93, Threatt returned to the bench in ’93-’94 in favor of dynamic rookie Nick Van Exel and two years later the Lakers released him. Though he’s a bit of a footnote in Lakers history, with his stint spanning the space between the Showtime and Shaq/Kobe eras, Threatt still has a special place in Los Angeles fans’ lore, especially for his performance in the 1993 playoffs, when the eighth-seeded Lakers almost stunned the #1 seed Suns in the first round.

---