A year can change a lot in the NBA, and this latest look at each team’s longest-tenured player shows just how quickly the league can turn over.
Some of the biggest names on last year’s version are gone from their old homes entirely. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had been in Milwaukee since the Bucks took him 15th overall in the 2013 draft, is now with the Heat after a summer trade. Jaylen Brown is out of Boston too after the Celtics dealt him to the Sixers, which leaves Jayson Tatum as the longest-tenured player on the Celtics’ roster.
Dallas also has a new face at the top of its list because Dwight Powell, who ranked No. 5 a year ago, is still a free agent and no longer counts as a Maverick. Memphis and Atlanta changed as well after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young before February’s deadline.
Both had been with their teams since the 2018 draft. And the churn didn’t stop there: the Hornets, Knicks, Lakers, Clippers and Cavaliers also have new longest-tenured players after parting ways with Miles Bridges, Mitchell Robinson, LeBron James, Ivica Zubac and Darius Garland over the past year.
At the very top, though, nothing has budged. Stephen Curry remains the league’s longest-tenured player with one team, having been with Golden State since 2009. He’s heading into his 18th season with the Warriors this fall.
If the list were built simply around who has stayed longest with their current team, Draymond Green would sit second behind Curry after joining the Warriors in 2012. Jamal Murray, who has been in Denver since June 2016, would also land near the top in that format.
Here is the current snapshot of each team’s longest-tenured player and how he arrived:
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (draft), June 2014
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (draft), June 2015
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum (draft), June 2017
Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac (draft), June 2017
Isaac was waived by Orlando this summer but was quickly re-signed by the Magic.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo (draft), June 2017
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson (draft), June 2019
San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson (draft), June 2019
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (trade), July 2019
Indiana Pacers: T.J. McConnell (free agent), July 2019
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (draft), November 2020
Jaden McDaniels was drafted on the same day as Edwards, but Edwards was selected No. 1 overall, whereas McDaniels was the 28th selection.
Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams (draft), November 2020
Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu (draft), November 2020
Houston Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate (free agent), November 2020
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Allen (trade), January 2021
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham (draft), July 2021
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes (draft), July 2021
Brooklyn Nets: Day’Ron Sharpe (draft), July 2021
New York Knicks: Miles McBride (draft trade), July 2021
Los Angeles Lakers: Austin Reaves (free agent), August 2021
Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis (trade), February 2022
Portland Trail Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe (draft), June 2022
Milwaukee Bucks: A.J. Green (free agent), July 2022
Utah Jazz: Lauri Markkanen (trade), September 2022
Dallas Mavericks: Kyrie Irving (trade), February 2023
Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller (draft), June 2023
Washington Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly (draft), June 2023
Memphis Grizzlies: GG Jackson II (draft), June 2023
Los Angeles Clippers: Jordan Miller (draft), June 2023
That’s the league’s current landscape as of September 6, 2026, and it’s only a snapshot. Some of these names will almost certainly still be in place next summer, but others won’t be. The question now is which players will be the next to move on and disappear from this list by 2027.
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