The 20 most notable one-year NBA wonders

Rose was on his way to a special career. In this third season, he averaged 25 points and 7 assists to lead a 62-win Bulls team and pick up the MVP award, the youngest player to ever do so at 22 years old. He never reached those heights again, though, after injuries derailed his career.

Even at 5'9", Thomas proved he was a standout offensive talent before reaching the Celtics, where in his first season he averaged 22 a night and made his first All-Star team. It was his second season there, though, that was special. He scored nearly 30 points and dropped about 6 assists per contest, and even found himself in the periphery of the MVP conversation. Injuries, though, prevented him from being the same player after that.

There was a stretch in the 2000s when Stackhouse was a consistent 20-a-night guy. One season in that run really stood out, though: in 2001, he averaged a hair under 30 points per game and led the league in total points. The year was really only good for Stackhouse, though, as the Pistons were terrible, finishing 32-50.
 

It wasn't even a whole season for Lin, but basically just the month of February 2012. This was, of course, his Linsanity moment, averaging 20 points and 8 assists per game. The moment was ultimately fleeting, but it did allow him to stick around the league for a good handful of years after.

After going undrafted, James played for six teams in his first four NBA seasons. Then, he found himself in Toronto for a one-year stint, during which he balled out. Despite reaching double-digit scoring averages just three times in his career, this year he unexpectedly put up 20 points per game and nearly 6 assists. He then bounced around the league and put up unremarkable seasons, making 2006 a true anomaly.

In the 2000s, it looked like Bynum was the Lakers' center of the future. He progressed at a nice rate, too, culminating in his 2012 season, when he was an All-Star and All-NBA player, averaging about 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. Knee issues, though, kept him from playing for much longer after that.

The Nuggets were awful in the '91 season, finishing with a 20-62 record. Adams made the best of the situation for himself, though, and stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points and 10 assists per game. Even though he got the sole All-Star selection of his career the next season, 1991 was the only time he scored over 19 points per game.

27-year-old Dana Barros had a career year in 1994-95, averaging more than 20 PPG for the only time in his career on his way to winning Most Improved Player while also making the All-Star Game for the only time in his last season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the bulk of his ten-year career, Brooks was alright, averaging double-digit points a few times. He balled out in the 2010 campaign, though, coming out of nowhere to average 19 points and 5 assists per game. It was enough to win him a Most Improved Player award, but then he reverted to being more of a role player for the rest of his career.

You can't really ask for a better start than the one Carter-Williams had: In his first game, he had 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, and 9 steals in a win against LeBron James' Heat. With averages of 16, 6, and 6, he easily won Rookie Of The Year. His sophomore season was also solid, but not as good, and the descent continued from there.

Türkoğlu was rock-solid for much of his career, but he approached All-Star status during the 2008 season. As part of Orlando's three-pronged offensive attack alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, Hedo averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, all career highs. He had a few strong seasons after that, but he was never quite that potent again.

Though primarily a role player, Beasley could go off and have big scoring nights on a somewhat regular basis. When he got the chance to be a top offensive option on the awful 2011 Timberwolves, he embraced the opportunity and averaged 19 points and 5 rebounds per game. That was his third year in the league, and in the seasons that followed, the closest he got to that scoring output again was a 13 PPG season.

Standing at an even 6 feet, Nelson held down the point guard position in Orlando for a decade. The apex of that run came in the 2009 season, when he averaged a career-high 16 points per game, along with 5 assists and a steal. He made his first All-Star team that year, but never earned that honor again.

Because he spent the bulk of his time in the NBA on losing teams, Jamison's career is underrated: Over 16 years, he averaged over 18 points and seven rebounds a night. Although he was an All-Star in 2005 and 2008, his statistical peak came in 2001, when he averaged just under 25 points and 9 rebounds for a 17-65 Warriors team.

Diaw made only a minimal impact in his first two seasons in the league with Atlanta. When he was traded to Phoenix, though, he thrived as a small-ball big man with a well-rounded game, averaging about 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game. This wasn't in vain, either, as that Suns team had a 54-28 regular season followed by a deep postseason run.

In 2013, it was looking like Sanders could be one of the league's next great defensive stars, averaging nearly 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. But, in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he played in just 50 total games, missing games for reasons related to injuries, drugs, and personal reasons. He later left the sport for mental health reasons before mounting a short-lived comeback.

Graham is still relatively young, not even in his 30s yet, but as of the 2026 season, he's no longer in the NBA. That would be shocking to hear for somebody who only remembers him from his 2020 campaign, when he averaged 18 points and 7 assists for the Hornets. But he never came close to that production again and was out of the league not long after.

After making a minimal impact in Chicago, Aşık had a breakout season in Houston. Playing and starting in all 82 games, he posted per-game averages of 10 points and nearly 12 rebounds, serving as the defensive anchor for the 45-37 Rockets. He had a reduced role the season after and regressed, though, although he enjoyed a few more years in the league as a useful rotation piece.

In 2003, Arroyo barely played for Utah. In 2004, a switch flipped, and he thrived as the team's starting PG, averaging 12 points and 5 assists per game. That was an aberration, though: He bounced around the NBA from there, playing complementary roles for a handful of other teams.

For a minute, it looked like Gordon was about to be a star in the NBA. In his third season, he averaged 22 points and four assists per game. That was about as good as it ever got, although Gordon has enjoyed an 18-year career as a valuable role player who can provide a scoring punch when called upon.