The 25 most important trades in NBA history

Boston had a lot of faith in Russell, so much so that in a draft-night trade, they dealt Cliff Hagan and multi-time All-Star Ed Macauley for his draft rights. To say that worked out is an understatement. Aside from 13 years of personal success, he led the Celtics to an astounding 11 championships.

In his first few years in the NBA, Kareem won a title and multiple MVP awards with the Milwaukee Bucks. Still, he wanted out to play in a bigger market. So, the Bucks shipped him off to the Lakers, with whom he continued to amass MVP trophies and championships, cementing the "Showtime" Lakers as one of the most dominant teams of the '80s.

The 1968 season was the third consecutive year that Chamberlain was named the NBA's MVP. That didn't stop Philadelphia from trading him to Los Angeles, though. Grouped with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor on his new team, he managed to win a championship — his second — in 1972.

With how deeply associated Kobe is with the purple and gold, it can be easy to forget that he was actually drafted by the Hornets and then traded to LA. The face of the league in the 2000s, Bryant ushered in a new era of dominance for the Lakers, adding five championships to the franchise's total.

"Fo', Fo', Fo'" was Moses Malone's famous prediction for his new team's fate in the 1983 playoffs. He was nearly right, as he, Julius Erving, and company lost just one postseason game on their way to a championship in Moses' first season in Philly. This transaction immediately and profoundly altered the landscape of the league.

The Clippers nabbed George to secure a duo of him and Kawhi Leonard in the hopes of competing for championships. Oklahoma City got a lot in return for their star, most notably a young guard named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the Clippers duo didn't yield much of anything, SGA developed into one of the NBA's biggest stars and won an MVP trophy, and a championship, in 2025.

After eight frustrating years in Philadelphia, Barkley found himself traded to the Suns. The move quickly paid off: In his first season with his new team, he won his first MVP trophy and made his first NBA Finals (though they lost to Michael Jordan's Bulls in six games). That was the closest Chuck got to a championship, though, as he retired ringless.

LeBron needed a star running mate and he got one in AD. The transaction proved to be immediately successful, as the Lakers won a championship in 2020. The Pelicans, meanwhile, got a wealth of young talent that included Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart.

Thanks to a draft-night trade with the Bucks, Dirk found himself in Dallas. Mavericks fans know how that worked out: He spent over 20 years with the team as a perennial All-Star who helped make the Mavs consistently one of the league's best teams. Towards the end of his tenure, he managed to bring home a title in 2011.

Rodman was as unpredictable as they came, so the Bulls were taking a swing when they acquired him for Will Perdue, their starting center. It worked out, though, as his defense and rebounding were key to Chicago's three consecutive titles from 1996 to 1998. While he remained eccentric, he was still a perfect complement to Jordan and Pippen.

In a three-team mid-season deal that stunned the NBA, Dallas shipped Dončić and others to the Lakers for Davis and pieces. Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was widely mocked for the decision, and months later, he was out of a job, following a slow start to the 2026 season for Dallas. Dončić, meanwhile, continued to excel alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles.

The Celtics were frequently a middling — and even bad — team following the Larry Bird era. Their fortunes changed, though, when they landed Kevin Garnett in a blockbuster deal. He, alongside Paul Pierce and fellow new acquisition Ray Allen, immediately turned things around and won a championship in 2008.

A month before the KG deal, Boston got Ray Allen from Seattle. While landing a high-profile scorer like Allen was a big deal in its own right, it certainly made the Celtics a more appealing team for Garnett to join. As mentioned, Allen, Pierce, and Garnett were a new trio that had Boston as one of the league's top teams for a few years.

After years of tension, the Lakers' star duo of Shaq and Kobe was broken up when Diesel took his talents to Miami. It didn't take long for the move to pay off, as he won his first post-L.A. championship in 2006. Kobe, meanwhile, won a pair of titles after Shaq, proving that both players could do it without the other.

CP3 on the Clippers brought some renewed hope to the franchise, which was exciting for the first time in a long time thanks to Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. This deal is perhaps more notable for its context, though. Before this transaction went through, the Hornets agreed to a deal with the Lakers, but the deal was shut down by the league, which acted as the Hornets' owner at the time.

Rasheed's mid-season arrival pushed the Pistons over the edge. His ability to stretch the floor and offer defensive versatility made Detroit into a title favorite. That season, they shockingly bested the Lakers in the Finals, quickly incorporating Wallace into their crew.

After a strong run in the 2000s and 2010s, the Celtics felt it was time to start a rebuild. The Nets were willing to accommodate that, taking on Pierce and Garnett for a bevy of assets, most notably future draft picks. Those picks were what ended up being the biggest get for Boston, as they later used them to draft franchise cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Post-Shaq, Kobe got a new big-man partner in Gasol. The two gelled immediately and managed to win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. It worked out for the Grizzlies, too: They landed Gasol's brother Marc in the deal and he developed into a multi-time All-Star.

Iverson was the face of the Sixers for years, but by the mid-2000s, it was time to move on. He headed to Denver to form a promising two-man scoring punch with Carmelo Anthony. It didn't end up working out all that well, though, and the move marked the end of an era for Philadelphia basketball.

After being loyal and patient for years in Portland, Lillard wanted to be in a winning situation. The Bucks wanted in on that, so they offloaded Jrue Holiday to Portland for the privilege. An unintended side effect was the Blazers quickly dealing Holiday to Boston, where he was a key part of their 2024 championship.

A huge part of the reason for LeBron's success was surrounding himself with good players, and landing Kevin Love to form a new "big three" with Kyrie Irving was one of the most notable examples. For years, Love had put up big numbers on ineffectual Timberwolves teams, but in Cleveland, he was able to finally do some winning, including a championship run in 2016.

Wilkins was Atlanta's star, then suddenly, the team traded him in the middle of the season, despite being first in the East and seemingly having no need to shake things up like that. The Hawks sought flexibility with Danny Manning, but ultimately, neither team flourished after the deal. A great team offloading its star was one of the biggest head-scratchers of the '90s.

The Nets took a shot at getting a superteam together by recruiting Harden to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The potential was there, but health prevented the three from enjoying any significant playing time together. In not much time, all three were on different teams and the short-lived experiment left the Nets in a weak position.

After blossoming into a star in Denver, Carmelo, an NYC native, found his way home to play for the Knicks. He brought a new wave of excitement to New York basketball, as one of the league's best scorers was taking the court in the legendary Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were once again relevant in the East, while the large haul Denver got for 'Melo gave the team some solid depth.

In both 2003 and 2004, Magic star McGrady led the NBA in scoring. Then, Houston stepped in and made a big move to bring him on board, pairing him with Yao Ming. The hope was for the two-headed beast to lead Houston to the promised land, but injuries ultimately prevented the squad from reaching its potential.