1. Brad Miller
In 2012, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Brad Miller to New Orleans.
We know what you’re thinking. Brad Miller, I remember him. He was an All-Star big man for the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings. He was ahead of his time because he was such a great passer. He filled in dutifully for the Kings that one year (2003-04) that Chris Webber was out for most of the year.
Okay, maybe that’s just how I remember him. But anyway, Miller is different than anyone else on this list. Yes, he never played a minute for New Orleans – the Pelicans or the Hornets. But that’s because he never played another minute in the NBA after being traded to the then-Hornets.
The Timberwolves moved Miller as a salary dump to clear some space for Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, and Nicolas Batum. They had to trade Miller with two second-round picks to get New Orleans to take his contract. The 36-year-old Miller never actually suited up for the Hornets and retired soon after the trade. So, you could say that New Orleans sent him straight into retirement.
We can’t retroactively analyze what it would have been like having Miller actually play minutes for New Orleans, since we don’t have any evidence of what he looked like after the trade.
But I will say, having Miller in his prime would have been awesome for New Orleans. Younger people may not know this, but as we alluded to before, he was a pretty modern big man. He could pass, shoot long midrange jumpers (and later in his career threes), and he was a sturdy body in the paint. Imagine having someone like that next to prime Baron Davis. Man, now I want to go back and watch some Miller film.