Early Seasons (1995-1998)

With Isiah Thomas as the team's VP of basketball activities and previous Denver Nuggets VP Glen Grunwald as his collaborator, the club procured Brendan Malone as head mentor and turned its consideration toward the 1995 NBA Draft. With the seventh in overall pick, the team picked University of Arizona point guard Damon Stoudamire, who turned into the primary leader of the team.

While Stoudamire satisfied desires, leading the team in scoring and assists, the club faced difficulties in its debut season. The team ended with a 21– 61 record, however posted a couple of astounding wins over a portion of the top teams in the league, including the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics. Stoudamire was the MVP of the NBA Rookie Challenge amid All-Star Weekend and proceeded to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award.

Be that as it may, Thomas wasn't content with the club's execution. To improve the team's prospects, he hired Doug Christie and Sharone Wright and supplanted mentor Malone with Darrell Walker toward the finish of the period.

The club chose Marcus Camby the following season in the 1996– 97 NBA Draft, and the mix of Camby and Stoudamire, just as veterans like Christie, Walt Williams and Popeye Jones, saw the club make steady gains in its record, completing the season with 30 wins and 52 losses. In any case, inward hardship drove Thomas to separate ties with the club the following season. With Thomas out of the picture, Stoudamire requested an exchange, inevitably being transported to Portland as a feature of a six-player bargain. The club won just 16 games in the 1997– 98 season and were headed back to the NBA Draft lottery once more.