Image via Getty/Nathaniel S. Butler
Aside from the actual selections during the NBA Draft, the potential for league-changing trades makes it perhaps the most interesting in sports. Whether it’s a swap of picks, a trade for an established star, or teams trying to clear cap space for that next big free agent, the landscape of the league can change wildly every late June.
Since most NBA Draft prospects, save for your occasional consensus No. 1’s like LeBron James or Anthony Davis, are relatively unknown commodities, it’s not always immediately clear what teams will come out on top of prospect trades. Many of them fly relatively under the radar for years—who remembers where they were when the Nuggets traded Rudy Gobert to the Jazz? How many people even knew Rudy Gobert was drafted by the Nuggets?
It takes a while for the legacy of these trades to be cemented. But when they are, they can live in infamy. Just ask the Hornets what they think about Kobe Bryant, the Sonics how they feel about Scottie Pippen, the Warriors about their trade of Vince Carter, or the Pacers about Kawhi Leonard’s hour-long tenure with them. While these players may not have been household names at the time of their respective deals, their careers made these overlooked trades some of the most notoriously one-sided in league history.
This year’s NBA Draft looks ripe for trades, especially with the news of Kawhi Leonard’s desire to leave the Spurs and LeBron James’ likely upcoming free agency. So with this year’s draft here, let’s take a look at some cautionary tales for would-be dealing NBA teams. These are the 20 worst NBA Draft day trades.
20. Bulls trade Elton Brand to the Clippers, 2001
Elton Brand was the initial face of the post-Jordan Bulls. 1999’s No. 1 overall pick averaged 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over his first two seasons in the NBA, and was just 21 at the time of the 2001 draft.
But instead of building around Brand and fellow up-and-comer Ron Artest, Bulls GM Jerry Krause decided to pull a head-scratching 180. Krause traded Brand to the Clippers in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick, which was used to take high-school center Tyson Chandler and journeyman forward Brian Skinner (who was immediately traded to Toronto for an aging Charles Oakley). Krause had high hopes that Chandler and No. 4 overall pick Eddy Curry would be the core on which the Bulls would build around.
Needless to say, that didn’t work out well for Chicago.
19. Knicks Acquire Antonio McDyess, 2002
There’s nothing the Knicks love more than overpriced, washed-up former stars. So on draft day in 2002, the Knicks sent Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson, and the rights to No. 7 overall pick Nene to the Nuggets in exchange for Antonio McDyess. McDyess had been an All-Star during the 2000-01 season, averaging 20.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, but played just 10 games during the 2001-02 season due to a knee injury. Despite this, the Knicks took a gamble on him—and it didn’t pay off.
Another knee injury struck McDyess during the 2002 preseason, which forced him to sit out the entire 2002-03 season. When it was all said and done, McDyess played in a grand total of 18 games for the Knicks. His time in New York ended when he was traded to the Suns as a part of a trade that brought the Knicks another overpriced headache: Stephon Marbury.
18. Warriors trade Penny Hardaway to the Magic, 1993
After drafting Chris Webber No. 1 overall in 1993, the Magic immediately traded him to the Warriors for No. 3 overall pick Penny Hardaway and three future first rounders. This move caused outrage among many Magic fans at the time, as Hardaway was hardly the household name that Webber, who was the face of Michigan’s “Fab Five” teams, had been. But Hardaway quickly became one of the most dazzling point guards of the 1990s, and helped lead Orlando to an NBA Finals appearance in 1995.
While Webber would become a five-time All-Star in his own right, he lasted just one season with the Warriors after a dispute with head coach Don Nelson. He was traded to the Bullets the following season for Tom Gugliotta and three future first-round picks: Todd Fuller, Vince Carter (more on that later), and Chris Mihm. This trade wouldn’t have been awful for Golden State had they been able to keep Webber happy, but they couldn’t. They effectively traded Penny Hardaway for a few journeymen and one year of Chris Webber.
17. Wolves trade Brandon Roy to the Blazers, 2006
This trade would have looked a whole lot worse for Minnesota had Roy’s knees not given out on him.
Roy was one of the league’s best scorers for a short period of time; averaging 21.1 points per game from 2007-08 through 2009-10 before knee injuries effectively ended his career at 26. Portland acquired him in a 2006 draft day trade that sent Randy Foye and cash considerations to Minnesota. That’s all it took to get someone who became (albeit for only a short period of time) one of the NBA’s best players.
16. Cavs trade Charles Oakley to the Bulls, 1985
Immediately after drafting Oakley No. 9 overall in 1985, the Cavs sent him to the Bulls in exchange for No. 11 overall pick Keith Lee and journeyman guard Ennis Whatley. While Oakley went on to become a vociferous defender for the Bulls and later the Knicks, Lee played just two seasons for the Cavs, and Whatley just eight games.
15. Mavs trade Mark Price to the Cavs, 1986
All it took was a future second-rounder for the Cavs to acquire No. 25 overall pick Mark Price from the Mavericks, who was arguably their best pre-LeBron player. Price was a four-time All-Star who averaged 18.2 points and 8.2 assists from 1988-89 through 1993-94, and helped make the Cavs a relevant NBA franchise for the first time in their history.
Oh, and that future second-rounder the Mavs got? That became guard Jeff Hodge, who never played in a single NBA game. Dallas wishes it could have a do-over on this one.
14. Suns trade Rajon Rondo to the Celtics, 2006
The Suns’ fall from one of the NBA’s best franchises to one of its worst may have begun with this trade. In the 2006 Draft, Phoenix sent future star point guard Rajon Rondo to the Celtics with forward Brian Grant in exchange for a future first-round pick—that became Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez was then sent to the Blazers with James Jones for $8 million in cash considerations.
The Suns effectively traded a future superstar point guard for $8 million in cash considerations.
13. Bulls trade LaMarcus Aldridge to the Blazers, 2006
The Bulls drafted future five-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge No. 2 overall in 2006. But his time with the team was short lived, as he was immediately traded to the Blazers for the rights to No. 4 overall pick Tyrus Thomas and forward Viktor Khryapa. Khryapa averaged a total of 2.5 points per game with the Bulls in 42 games (zero starts), and Thomas would frustrate Bulls fans for four seasons—he occasionally showed flashes of talent, but was never able to put it all together. When you couple this with Aldridge’s subsequent success, you have the worst draft day trade in Bulls history.
12. Grizzlies trade Kevin Love to the Wolves, 2008
O.J. Mayo was one of the most sought-after college recruits of the Class of 2007, and was one of the NBA Draft’s top prospects leading up to the 2008 draft. He was selected No. 3 overall by the Timberwolves that season, but was traded to the Grizzlies in a massive trade following the draft. The Grizzlies ended up with Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner, while the Wolves ended up with No. 5 overall pick Kevin Love, along with Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.
Mayo looked promising in his first two seasons, averaging a solid 18.0 points per game. But he was never able to capitalize on that early promise, and was gone from the Grizzlies by 2012. Love, on the other hand, has become a perennial All-Star. Imagine what the Mike Conley/Marc Gasol/Zach Randolph Grizzlies teams of a few years ago could have done with Kevin Love?
11. Hawks trade Pau Gasol to the Grizzlies, 2001
Shareef Abdur-Rahim was the only bright spot of the Grizzlies’ time in Vancouver. Abdur-Rahim averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for a franchise that never won more than 23 games in a season. Vancouver traded their lone bright spot to the Hawks on draft night in 2001, when he was sent to the Hawks for a package highlighted by No. 3 overall pick Pau Gasol.
It initially looked like Atlanta would win this trade; Abdur-Rahim was named to the All-Star team in 2002 in what was one of the better years of his career. But while Abdur-Rahim was traded in 2003, Gasol emerged as a star for the newly-minted Memphis Grizzlies, and even helped lead the team to its first-ever playoff appearances. Gasol was traded to L.A. in 2008, and that trade helped the Grizzlies as well, as it granted them the rights to Pau’s brother, Marc.
10. Nuggets trade Rudy Gobert to the Jazz, 2013
The 2013 draft featured what is probably the weakest class of the last 15 years. Only three players from that draft have gone on to become stars: Victor Oladipo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Gobert. So one might think the Nuggets hit the jackpot by drafting Gobert 27th overall, right?
Wrong. Gobert was traded for second-round pick Erick Green and cash later on that night. Green played in just 46 games for the Nuggets, and averaged only 3.2 points per game. Meanwhile, Gobert has gone on to become one of the NBA’s best rebounders and defenders.
9. Sixers trade Brad Daugherty to the Cavs, 1986
The 1986 draft was thought of as a two-man show by many observers: There was UNC’s Brad Daugherty and Maryland’s Len Bias. The Sixers took Daugherty first overall, but reportedly didn’t view him as a franchise-changing player. They decided the best move would be to trade him to the Cavs, in exchange for Roy Hinson and $800,000. Given that Hinson had averaged 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in the prior season, the move seemed at least defensible.
But the trade quickly backfired for the Sixers. Hinson never lived up to the hype in Philly, and was traded to the Nets in 1988. Daugherty, on the other hand, became one of the NBA’s best centers, averaging 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over his eight-year career.
8. Blazers trade Deron Williams’ pick to Jazz, 2005
Hours before the 2005 draft, the Blazers traded the No. 3 overall pick to the Jazz in exchange for three first rounders. The first rounders became Linas Kleiza (who was also traded on draft day), Martell Webster (8.7 career points per game), and Joel Freeland (3.2 career points per game). The Jazz’s No. 3 overall pick became Deron Williams, arguably the NBA’s best point guard of the late 00s.
7. Pacers Trade Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs, 2011
The Pacers selected Kawhi Leonard 15th overall in 2011, but sent him and two other players to San Antonio for George Hill.
As usual, Gregg Popovich outsmarted the rest of the basketball world to continue the Spurs’ dominance atop the Western Conference. Leonard is now one of the NBA’s best players, with two Defensive Player of the Year awards and an NBA Finals MVP to his name. Hill was solid for the Pacers, but he surely wasn’t worth an MVP-type player.
6. Wolves Trade Ray Allen to the Bucks, 1996
In what is widely considered to be the greatest draft class in NBA history, the Bucks took Stephon Marbury fourth overall, and the Timberwolves took Ray Allen fifth overall. Soon after those selections, the two teams swapped players, with a future first-rounder going to Minnesota with Marbury as well.
While Marbury was one of the better point guards of his day—at least before he went to the Knicks—he was certainly no Ray Allen. Allen retired as the NBA’s greatest 3-point shooter and a 10-time All-Star, and single-handedly took the Bucks within one game of the NBA Finals in 2001. Imagine what he could have done with Kevin Garnett in Minnesota?
5. Sonics trade Ray Allen to the Celtics, 2007
There’s no need to imagine what Ray Allen could have done with Kevin Garnett, thanks to another draft day trade.
The Celtics acquired the sharpshooter—and the draft pick that became Glen Davis—for Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and a 2008 second-rounder. Later that offseason, the Celtics would acquire Kevin Garnett, and a championship-caliber core was cemented.
The Sonics got little out of this trade, while Allen (and Glen Davis) became integral parts of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team and ensuing playoff teams. The Sonics should have known: trading Ray Allen on draft day is never a good idea.
4. Warriors trade Vince Carter to the Raptors, 1998
Yeah, the pre-Curry Warriors weren’t really that great.
Golden State drafted Vince Carter No. 5 overall in 1998, but traded the future superstar to the Raptors for No. 4 overall pick Antawn Jamison and cash. Jamison was a good player, but was nowhere near as dominant as Carter would become. “Vinsanity” quickly became the face of the Raptors franchise, and made the Eastern Conference All-Star team every year from 2000 through 2007.
Warriors bandwagon fans might be annoying now, but you’ve got to feel happy for their real fans who suffered through 35 years of this.
3. Sonics trade Scottie Pippen to the Bulls, 1987
Jerry Krause made a lot of mistakes as Bulls’ GM. But in 1987, he worked his greatest stroke of genius to set the Bulls’ dynasty up for the next decade.
Krause acquired No. 5 overall pick Scottie Pippen and a 1989 first rounder from the Sonics in exchange for No. 8 overall pick Olden Polynice, a 1988 second rounder (which became Sylvester Gray), and a 1989 first rounder (which later became B.J. Armstrong, who also ended up with the Bulls).
Pippen would spend the next 11 seasons with the Bulls, winning six championships in his role as Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame wingman. Without this trade, the Bulls’ dynasty never happens—and maybe Michael Jordan never wins a ring.
2. Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki to the Mavs, 1998
The Bucks could have had Dirk Nowitzki; instead, they wound up with Robert Traylor.
Nowitzki will be remembered as one of the all time great power forwards, an NBA champion, and a trailblazer for future international stars. The only reason Traylor’s name rings a vague bell 20 years after he was drafted is because he was traded for Dirk.
The Mavs drafted Traylor sixth overall, and the Bucks took Nowitzki ninth. To get the highly-coveted Traylor, Milwaukee sent Nowitzki, along with No. 19 pick Pat Garrity, to Dallas.
The names involved in this trade speak for themselves.
1. Hornets trade Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, 1996
You knew this one was coming. But first, a few points in defense of the Hornets:
Bryant reportedly said that he would never play in Charlotte.
The Lakers reportedly told the Hornets who to select with the No. 13 overall pick, in a planned trade for Vlade Divac.
The Hornets reportedly never even considered drafting Bryant before the Lakers told them to take him.
Regardless of how awful this trade looks on the surface, it’s pretty clear that Kobe was never going to play for the Hornets, nor was it ever Charlotte’s intention to take him on. That said, Charlotte traded Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac, and this trade will always serve as one of sports’ most infamous. There are few images more surreal than that infamous headshot of Kobe in a Hornets snapback.
Had Kobe stayed in Charlotte, the past two decades of NBA would likely look radically different. Kobe likely would have kept the original Hornets franchise in Charlotte, left the Shaq Lakers with a completely different roster, and maybe even cost the Jordan Bulls a chance at a sixth ring. This trade may have been one of the most influential in the history of sports, not just for the Lakers and Hornets, but for the entire league.
Technically, this trade didn’t actually go through on draft day—it became official July 11. But the framework for the deal was fully in place by then.