Trades in the NBA have a more profound effect on the organization than in any of the other professional sports. Whether the trades involve one player or several teams, the organizations need to evaluate the talent and decide what is best for the team.
When a trade is successful, it can lift a team into the postseason or help secure a championship. If a trade turns sour, the organization will feel the ripple effect of the trade long after the careers of those involved have ended.
Here are those five worst trades that have occurred in the history of the NBA and deserve never to be forgotten.
1) Charlotte Hornets trade the draft rights for Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac (1996)
At the time of the trade, the Hornets were not sold on the future of Kobe Bryant and were looking to add Divac to their lineup. With his seven foot frame, the Hornets had planned on Divac being a solid fixture with the team for years to come. Divac only played two seasons with the Hornets where he averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game before he signed with the Sacramento Kings as a free agent. On the West Coast, Bryant has averaged 24.8 points per game and has won three championships with the Lakers.
Had the Hornets kept the draft rights to Kobe Bryant, the team’s current situation may have not changed. Six years after the trade, the Charlotte Hornets had to relocate to New Orleans because the team was the victim of poor attendance. One could only surmise with the star potential of Bryant that the Hornets would have been able to stay in Charlotte and remain a fixture in the NBA. This trade is a perfect example of how a bad trade can affect the team on numerous levels.
2) Milwaukee Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki & Pat Garrity to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Traylor (1998)
What is interesting about this draft is that it occurred on draft day before the 1998 season. Going into the draft, the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics were both interested in Nowitzki. To ensure the Mavericks received the players they wanted, they orchestrated a three team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. By the time the draft was over, the Mavericks received Nowitzki and Steve Nash, while the Suns received Pat Garrity and the Bucks received Traylor.
Nowitzki has gone on to be the prime time player in Dallas where he averages 21.7 points 8.4 rebounds per game. Nowitzki has helped keep the Mavericks at the top of the Western conference in recent years and was able to win his first MVP award in 2007. Steve Nash’s career did not really take off until he left the Mavericks a few years ago and rejoined the Phoenix Suns as a free agent. Both Traylor and Garrity had little success in the league and both found themselves looking for everyday jobs within a few years of being drafted.
3) Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns for Andrew Lang, Tim Perry, & Jeff Hornacek (1992)
The 76ers decided to part ways with Barkley in 1992 possibly as a result of the spitting incident in 1991, along with media confrontations. The 76ers voiced their concern for the wear and tear on Barkley’s body. Barkley showed his old team that he still was a prime time player when he led the Suns to a 62-20 record in 1992-1993 and earned MVP honors by averaging 25.6 points, 12.2 rebound, and 5.1 assists per game.
Barkley went on to have several more productive years with the Suns, leading them to the playoffs in the four seasons he was with them. The 76ers did little with the players they received during the same length of time as they did not make the playoffs once and were unable to win more than 26 games in any season. Barkley’s trade is a prime example of a team giving up on a one of the best players in the NBA who were not able to win a championship.
4) Philadelphia 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain to the Los Angeles Lakers for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark, & Darrall Imhoff (1968)
This trade marked the first and only time a NBA Most Valuable Player was traded the season after he won the prestigious award. This trade was significant because Chamberlain helped increase the popularity of the NBA along the West Coast and made the Los Angeles Lakers a household name.
During his five year stint with the team, Chamberlain helped secure his second NBA championship ring. The only thing of significance for the players dealt to the 76ers revolved around center Darrall Imhoff. Imhoff was the center playing opposite Chamberlain when Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game.
5a) Detroit Pistons trade Grant Hill to the Orlando Magic for Ben Wallace & Chucky Atkins (2000)
When this trade took place, the majority of fans and the media believed the Pistons were getting the short end of the stick. The Pistons were forced by Hill to complete a trade with the Magic, who were looking for the next superstar to help lead their franchise. Rather than a star, the Magic received a player who would only play a total of 47 games, as a result of injury, over the span of four seasons.
The Pistons ended up receiving the key player, in the form of Wallace, who won the defensive player of the year award three times with Detroit. Wallace was the start of the revamping project by GM Joe Dumars that would help turn the franchise around and ultimately win a NBA championship for the Pistons in 2004.
5b) Memphis Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol to Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, & two First Round Draft Picks (2008)
The Lakers pulled off another heist in 2008 when they snatched Pau Gasol away from the Grizzlies for not much of anything. They fleeced the Grizzlies by giving them an array of young players and the hopes that if you polished a pile of **** enough you can create a shiny gem.
In return, the Lakers picked up Gasol who was entering the prime of his career. During his seven years in the league, Gasol came over with a career average of 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. As a result of this trade, the Lakers secured two more NBA titles, while the Grizzlies are still rubbing.
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