Top 15+ NBA All-Stars who were waived during their career

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NBA roster spots are not given out for nothing. Even if a player accomplished great things individually or with his team in the past, it's not a guarantee that it will be enough to keep them on the roster moving forward. We'll look back at 15 NBA stars who were waived during their career. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Damian Lillard: Milwaukee Bucks

Perhaps the most recent and most controversial example involves the Bucks cutting ties with Lillard. He tore his Achilles in the 2025 NBA playoffs, and the Bucks moved on from him a couple of months later. According to CBS Sports, Lillard was fine with Milwaukee’s decision to cut him while he was on the mend, but it came as a huge shock to the NBA community.

Dwight Howard: Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies

The 2018-2019 Nets are fondly remembered in NBA circles for overachieving under head coach Kenny Atkinson. They did it without the services of Howard, who was waived the summer prior. The Hall of Fame big man was cut in 2019 by the Memphis Grizzlies as well, before winning a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times called him a critical part of their bench that year.

Allen Iverson: Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson only played three games for Memphis in 2009-2010 before both sides decided they didn’t want to move forward. As noted by The Denver Post, Iverson was on an indefinite personal leave of absence in November 2009, before the team and player decided this partnership wasn’t going to work. He ended up finishing that season with the Philadelphia 76ers before calling it a career.

Dennis Rodman: Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks

Rodman’s 1999 waiver from the Bulls wasn’t much of a surprise, as the franchise went in a different direction in the post-Michael Jordan era. However, his stints, if you can call them that, in Los Angeles and Dallas were downright comical. Shaquille O’Neal called Rodman “his worst teammate” to Yahoo Sports, as Rodman didn’t seem to be all in with the Lakers.

DeMarcus Cousins: Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks

Cousins was a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player, but that feels like a disappointment considering the immense talent he had. He was never quite the same after tearing his ACL with the New Orleans Pelicans, and became a journeyman center shortly thereafter.

Dominique Wilkins: Orlando Magic

Basketball fans might forget that the ‘Human Highlight Film’ finished his career with the Magic in 1998-1999. Wilkins was well past his prime at that point, but managed to play in 27 games for the team that season. It was a transitional Orlando team who had fallen from grace in the mid 1990s. They ended up parting ways with Wilkins after the 1999 season.

Scottie Pippen: Chicago Bulls

It might be shocking to learn that Pippen was officially waived by the Bulls at one point in his career. He returned to the Bulls for a final goodbye in the 2003-2004 season, but was waived by Chicago in November 2004 before he could suit up for any games the following year. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports noted that the Bulls were one of the worst teams in the league during Pippen’s second stint there.

Chris Mullin: Indiana Pacers

Few players were more deadly from deep range than Mullin was in his prime. Even past his prime with Indiana, Mullin was still able to make defenses respect his long-distance prowess. He was on some great Pacers teams from three seasons before the team and player parted ways. Mullin’s mobility was significantly reduced when he was cut by the Pacers.

Vince Carter: Phoenix Suns

Carter spent one season in Phoenix, and according to AZ Central, the team was not willing to keep him around for another after 2011. They reported that “Carter’s waiver was planned since the time they acquired him nearly a year ago. His contract’s final year was worth $18 million but only $4 million of it was guaranteed.”

Paul Pierce: Los Angeles Clippers

Pierce was one of the best scorers in the NBA during his prime years, but was a spare part for the Clippers during his final two seasons in the league. Los Angeles decided that enough was enough. This paved the way for him to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Boston Celtics, the team he is most connected with.

Rasheed Wallace: Boston Celtics, New York Knicks

The Celtics reportedly waived Wallace in 2010 as it was understood that he was retiring, but he ended up joining the Knicks a couple of years later. This was an interesting decision, as Boston could have really used Wallace in the following year, as starting center Kendrick Perkins tore knee ligaments in the 2010 NBA Finals.

Derrick Rose: Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies

It’s not uncommon for former stars to get waived well past their prime, but Rose had a second act that Utah and many people didn’t see coming. The Jazz waived him in February 2018, and Rose would end up having productive seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons shortly after. The Grizzlies waived him in 2024 when the end was fast approaching for Rose.