The NBA Draft is often referred to as a momentous event that can shift the fortunes of an entire franchise. And, undoubtedly, that is true, just not always in the way you’d think. On draft night, teams will make huge decisions on trades that have a ripple effect across the entire league, altering the landscape of the entire NBA for years to come.
Simple decisions like swapping Ray Allen for Jeff Green or Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac can alter the history of the league and affect things like other trades, team dynasties, and even the existence of other franchises. As the rumor mill surrounding tonight’s draft continues to churn out potential trades, it’s tempting to think ahead about how every transaction can impact both your favorite team and the NBA as a whole.
If history is any indication, something big will probably go down tonight. Before we start thinking about those moves and their potential effects, let’s take a look at 20 Important Draft Pick Trades That Changed the Futures of NBA Franchises.
The NBA Draft is often referred to as a momentous event that can shift the fortunes of an entire franchise. And, undoubtedly, that is true, just not always in the way you’d think. On draft night, teams will make huge decisions on trades that have a ripple effect across the entire league, altering the landscape of the entire NBA for years to come.
Simple decisions like swapping Ray Allen for Jeff Green or Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac can alter the history of the league and affect things like other trades, team dynasties, and even the existence of other franchises. As the rumor mill surrounding tonight’s draft continues to churn out potential trades, it’s tempting to think ahead about how every transaction can impact both your favorite team and the NBA as a whole.
If history is any indication, something big will probably go down tonight. Before we start thinking about those moves and their potential effects, let’s take a look at 20 Important Draft Pick Trades That Changed the Futures of NBA Franchises.
20. New York Knicks trade Nene, Marcus Camby, and Mark Jackson to Denver Nuggets.
The trade: Rights to No. 7 overall pick in 2002 NBA Draft, Marcus Camby, and Mark Jackson (NYK) for Antonio McDyess, rights to No. 25 overall pick in 2002 NBA Draft, second-round selection in 2003 NBA Draft (DEN)
While Isiah Thomas did his best to ensure the New York Knicks basically never had picks to trade, he had yet to arrive in 2002 when they drafted Nene, a raw but talented center who has become an excellent player. Unfortunately, GM Scott Layden dumped their new pick, along with center Marcus Camby and veteran point guard Mark Jackson to Denver in exchange for the oft-injured Antonio McDyess. Like many of the Knicks' moves, this one didn't work out; McDyess did not play during the 2002-03 season, then appeared in just 18 games during 2003-04 before being sent to Phoenix in the deal that brought Penny Hardaway and Stephon Marbury to the Knicks. Yikes.
19. Chicago Bulls trade Elton Brand to Los Angeles Clippers.
The trade: Elton Brand (CHI) for rights to No. 2 overall pick in 2001 NBA Draft and Brian Skinner (LAC)
If you evaluate this trade in 2011 terms, then it actually becomes a steal for the Bulls. Unfortunately for them, the Tyson Chandler they got did not resemble the Defensive Player of the Year and Olympian version he became. Instead, Chandler (who was supposed to form a "twin towers" of sorts with Eddy Curry) constantly battled injuries in Chicago and averaged just over 24 minutes per game. Instead of limping along with Chandler, the Bulls could have just hung on to Brand—an All-Star his first year with the Clippers—and built the team around him. They still might have struggled initially (they didn't win more than 30 games until 2004-05), but the rebuilding effort would not have taken nearly as long.
18. Houston Rockets trade Richard Jefferson to New Jersey Nets.
The trade: Rights to No. 13 overall pick in 2001 NBA Draft, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong (HOU) for Eddie Griffin (NJN)
This is a tough one because of the tragic end of Eddie Griffin's life in 2007, and his numerous off-court struggles with addiction. But from a basketball perspective, the Nets completely changed their destiny by making the deal. Jefferson quickly evolved into a 15-20 point per night scorer, and together with Collins helped get the Nets into consecutive NBA Finals during his first two years in the league. The Rockets missed out on a chance to use Jefferson with the dynamic Steve Francis-Cuttino Mobley backcourt, and possibly with No. 1 overall pick Yao Ming as well.
17. Houston Rockets trade Rudy Gay to Memphis Grizzlies.
The trade: Rights to No. 8 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft and Stromile Swift (HOU) for Shane Battier (MEM)
The Houston Rockets were always this close to breaking through in the Western Conference. Decimated by injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in 2005-06, the Rockets landed the No. 8 overall pick in the 2006 Draft and landed Rudy Gay, a player who would have greatly eased the burden on their two stars. Instead, they swapped Gay for Shane Battier, a fine player but not the "missing link" they had hoped. Houston watched haplessly as Gay made the All-Rookie First Team, quickly becoming a reliable (and durable) scorer. Without another option on offense, the Rockets bowed out of the postseason in the first round twice and the second round once over the next three years, then missed three consecutive playoffs entirely.
16. Golden State Warriors trade Vince Carter to Toronto Raptors for Antawn Jamison.
The trade: Rights to No. 5 overall pick in 1998 NBA Draft and cash (GSW) for rights to No. 4 overall pick in 1998 NBA Draft (TOR)
While Jamison has had a great career, Carter's has been the more noteworthy of the two. While both have scored over 20,000 career points, Carter had made four times as many All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams to Jamison's zero. The Warriors were never successful with Jamison, missing the playoffs every year and only winning more than 21 games once. Carter, on the other hand, was able to pair up with cousin Tracy McGrady in Toronto and vault himself to stardom in the process.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Brandon Roy to Portland Trail Blazers.
The trade: Rights to No. 6 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft (MIN) for rights to No. 7 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft (POR)
Randy Foye was a busy man during the 2006 NBA Draft. First selected by the Celtics at No. 7 overall, he was sent to Portland in exchange for a slew of players and contracts which were used a year later to acquire Kevin Garnett. Foye was then moved again, this time to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Brandon Roy. Foye had to battle for minutes his entire time in Minnesota, whereas Roy quickly emerged with the Trail Blazers, winning Rookie of the Year and then making three consecutive All-Star teams before knee injuries derailed his career. Had Minnesota kept Roy, though, he likely would have shown enough promise as a rookie that they would not have been shopping Garnett the following summer, which in turn changes the entire landscape of the Eastern Conference for the rest of the decade.
14. Philadelphia 76ers trade Brad Daugherty to Cleveland Cavaliers.
The trade: Rights to No. 1 overall pick in 1986 NBA Draft (PHI) for Roy Hinson (CLE)
The 1985-86 Philadelphia 76ers had won 54 games and owned the first pick in the draft, so they were obviously in a great position to both improve themselves in the short-term and set themselves up for the long term. They had a promising young frontcourt player in Charles Barkley, but their core of Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and others were all 10-plus years into their careers. Despite every indication they should draft their next franchise cornerstone, they traded the pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for forward Roy Hinson. He played a just over a year with the franchise, while Cleveland's pick Brad Daugherty was immediately named to the All-Rookie team and went on to make five All-Star teams.
13. Orlando Magic trade Chris Webber to Golden State Warriors for Anfernee Hardaway.
The trade: Rights to No. 1 overall pick in 1993 NBA Draft (ORL) for rights to No. 3 overall pick in 1993 NBA Draft, and first-round picks in 1996, 1998, and 2000 NBA Drafts (GSW)
While this was a trade that probably worked out for both sides in the end, it had a huge trickledown effect on both teams. The Shaq-Penny Magic were a tremendous team that made the 1995 NBA Finals and saw Hardaway named to four All-Star teams and two All-NBA First Teams. Still, one can't help but wonder how things would have differed with a Webber-Shaq frontcourt; could those two have formed one of the most skilled tandems ever to roam the paint? Would they have had a better chance to beat Hakeem Olajuwon and Co. in the 1995 Finals? As for the Warriors, would Hardaway have gotten along better with coach Don Nelson, whom Webber famously clashed with? Would he have stayed longer and formed "Run LAC" with Latrell Sprewell and Chris Mullin?
12. Dallas Mavericks trade Mark Price to Cleveland Cavaliers.
The trade: Rights to No. 25 overall pick in 1986 NBA Draft (DAL) for second-round selection in 1989 NBA Draft (CLE)
In June of 1986, the Dallas Mavericks took a look at their point guards, saw Brad Davis and Derek Harper, and decided "we're good." Rather than try to add some depth to their roster, they elected to send their second-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for a future pick. That guy they took? Mark Price, who only became one of the greatest free throw and three point shooters of all time, made four All-Star teams, and was one of just two players from the whole draft to be named to an All-NBA team.
11. Atlanta Hawks trade Pau Gasol to Memphis Grizzlies.
The trade: Rights to No. 3 overall pick in 2001 NBA Draft, Brevin Knight, Lorenzen Wright (ATL) for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and rights to No. 27 overall pick in 2001 NBA Draft (MEM)
The Grizzlies were a joke when they moved to Memphis, a punchline across the NBA that had never won more than 23 games in a season. The Atlanta Hawks inadvertently saved them, though, taking on Shareef Abdur-Rahim in exchange for young Spanish center Pau Gasol. The Hawks did not see any benefit from the deal, failing to climb above .500 until the 2008-09 season. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, struggled for two years but then saw Gasol emerge and help them to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The Hawks certainly could have used Gasol, as they lacked any sort of consistent interior presence for the better part of a decade amid a revolving door of bigs.
10. Chicago Bulls trade LaMarcus Aldridge to Portland Trail Blazers.
The trade: Rights to No. 2 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft (CHI) for Viktor Khryapa and rights to No. 4 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft (POR)
Imagine the Chicago Bulls frontcourt right now if you simply took Carlos Boozer and swapped him out with LaMarcus Aldridge. Obviously, that doesn't quite hold up because if the Bulls had held on to Aldridge, they probably don't do poorly enough to end up with Derrick Rose and/or Joakim Noah. However, if you throw Aldridge onto that 2006-07 Bulls team that won 49 games behind Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, and Ben Gordon, and you have a team built to win both in the short and long-term. Instead, they got three-plus seasons out of Tyrus Thomas before they flipped him to Charlotte for Acie Law IV, Ronald "Flip" Murray, and a future first round draft pick.
9. Memphis Grizzlies trade Kevin Love to Minnesota Timberwolves.
The trade: Rights to no. 5 overall pick in 2008 NBA Draft, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins (MEM) for rights to No. 3 overall pick in 2008 NBA Draft, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, and Greg Buckner (MIN)
Just a year after gift-wrapping Kevin Garnett and sending him to the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves General Manager Kevin McHale fell in love with a potential KG replacement: Kevin Love. Knowing the Memphis Grizzlies were equally enamored of USC guard O.J. Mayo, McHale grabbed Mayo and in the hours following the draft managed to bring both Mike Miller and Love to Minnesota as the primary pieces in an exchange for Mayo. Memphis, now Mayo-less, probably regrets this one now. While Zach Randolph has given them a strong presence at the power forward spot, Love has emerged as one of the top players in the entire NBA, and may have been the difference in getting them over the top in the crowded Western Conference.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Ray Allen to Milwaukee Bucks.
The trade: Rights to No. 5 overall pick in 1996 NBA Draft and Andrew Lang (MIN) for rights to No. 4 overall pick in 1996 NBA Draft (MIL)
While the Minnesota Timberwolves got two-and-a-half good years out of Stephon Marbury, they'd probably have preferred the calming professionalism of Ray Allen. However, a draft night swap sent Allen to the Milwaukee Bucks instead, where he made three All-Star teams and guided the Bucks to three playoff appearances (including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001). And, if you needed any proof that Allen would have been great with superstar Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, all you need do is check out how the 2008 Celtics season ended up.
7. Phoenix Suns trade Rajon Rondo to Boston Celtics.
The trade: Rights to No. 21 overall pick in 2006 NBA Draft and Brian Grant (PHO) for Cleveland's first-round selection in 2007 NBA Draft and cash (BOS)
The Phoenix Suns went through a phase where they were really into selling their draft picks. Owner Robert Sarver has never been accused of being a lavish spender, and with a talented roster already featuring Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, and Amare Stoudemire, he felt no need to use his first-round pick in the 2006 Draft. Instead of grabbing Rajon Rondo, having him go to Nash School, and become a game-changer off the bench, they traded him to the Celtics in exchange for a pick (Rudy Fernandez) which they then sold to Portland the following year. The lesson: Phoenix nickel-and-dimed their way right out of a possible title. You think Rondo doesn't help them in that battle in the Western Conference Semifinals against eventual champion San Antonio? Ouch.
6. Seattle SuperSonics trade Ray Allen to Boston Celtics.
The trade: Ray Allen and rights to No. 35 overall pick in 2007 NBA Draft (SEA) for rights to No. 5 overall pick in 2007 NBA Draft, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West (BOS)
The Seattle SuperSonics were feeling the pressure to move veteran Ray Allen, but their trade with the Boston Celtics radically shifted the NBA landscape. Not only did it give Boston an All-Star guard, but it also gave the Celtics the cache to get Kevin Garnett to accept a trade that also brought him to Boston. KG openly stated that he would not have gone to Boston without Allen, and naturally had he not gone then the Celtics would not have won the 2008 NBA title. Glen Davis also went to Boston and became a key bench player, while No. 5 overall pick Jeff Green spent three-plus years with the franchise before he, too, was sent to Boston in a trade.
5. Milwaukee Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki to Dallas Mavericks.
The trade: Rights to No. 9 and No. 19 overall picks in 1998 NBA Draft (MIL) for rights to No. 6 overall pick in 1998 NBA Draft (DAL)
There were two teams hot after Dirk Nowitzki in 1998: the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. With both teams angling to get him, the Mavs struck a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to bring Dirk to Dallas (the Celtics got "stuck" with Paul Pierce instead), and then spun the other player they got in the deal (Pat Garrity) to Phoenix for a reserve point guard named Steve Nash. As for Milwaukee, well, instead of teaming up one of the greatest scorers of all-time with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson, they got the late Robert "Tractor" Traylor. He played there for two seasons before the Bucks got sick of dealing with his constant weight and injury problems, shipping him to Cleveland in a trade that netted them Jason Caffey and Billy Owens.
4. Seattle SuperSonics trade Scottie Pippen to Chicago Bulls.
The trade: Rights to No. 5 overall pick in 1987 NBA Draft (SEA) for rights to No. 8 overall pick in 1987 NBA Draft, a second round selection in either 1988 or 1989, and the option to exchange first-round selections in 1989 (CHI)
There's something about "Polynice and Jordan" that just doesn't sound right. When the Seattle SuperSonics agreed to swap picks with the Chicago Bulls and given them Scottie Pippen in exchange for Olden Polynice, they had no idea what they'd be missing out on. While Polynice did enjoy a 15-year career, it's safe to say a 7.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG average is not really Hall of Fame-worthy. Seattle posted consecutive winning seasons in Polynice's first two years, but missed out on the opportunity to pair Pippen in his third season with a promising but unheralded power forward named Shawn Kemp.
3. Golden State Warriors trade Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to Boston Celtics.
The trade: Rights to No. 3 overall pick in 1980 NBA Draft and Robert Parish (GSW) for rights to No. 1 and No. 13 overall picks in 1980 NBA Draft (BOS)
The Celtics' original Big Three would never have happened if not for the Golden State Warriors. That's because the Warriors decided they preferred Joe Barry Carroll (or "Joe Barely Cares," as he came to be known) and the No. 13 overall pick to four-year veteran Robert Parish and a promising prospect out of Minnesota named Kevin McHale. The two teams made the swap, and the impact was immediate; McHale made the All-Rookie First Team, and along with Parish helped the Celtics win the 1981 NBA championship and launch a decade of dominance. Carroll had a solid individual career in Golden State, but the team finished over .500 just twice in Carroll's six-plus seasons there.
2. Charlotte Hornets trade Kobe Bryant to Los Angeles Lakers.
The trade: Rights to No. 13 overall pick in 1996 NBA Draft (CHA) for Vlade Divac (LAL)
There was one player in the 1996 NBA Draft whom the Los Angeles Lakers coveted. He had come in, worked out with former Lakers Larry Drew and Michael Cooper, and had absolutely stomped them. GM Jerry West was enamored of him, so he dangled starting center Vlade Divac as a trade chip to get him. The Charlotte Hornets bit, and made Kobe Bryant the first guard ever selected out of high school in the NBA Draft. We all know what has happened with the Lakers since, but what of Charlotte? They would have been adding one of the 10 best players ever to a team that, in 1996-97, went 54-28 with Anthony Mason and Glen Rice leading the way. Had they just held on to Kobe, they might never have left for New Orleans, which means the Bobcats would never have existed, which probably would have been for the best.
1. St. Louis Hawks trade Bill Russell to Boston Celtics.
The trade: Rights to No. 2 overall pick in 1956 NBA Draft (STL) for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan (BOS)
In defense of St. Louis, Bill Russell was going to refuse to play for them anyway (given the racial climate in the city at the time), and was asking for a huge signing bonus as well. Plus, they did get two Hall of Famers back in the trade, so it wasn't as if they totally got taken to the cleaners. But still...Russell won 11 championships in 13 years, including three against the Hawks. He changed the way the game was played, won five MVPs, and is perhaps the beloved figure in the history of the NBA. It's impossible to not regret missing out on him, even if they did have some success without him.