The Five Worst Trades in NBA History

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Since there isn’t too much excitement surrounding the NBA trade deadline, my thoughts have shifted to the five worst trades in NBA history.

The following trades had immediate and future impacts on their respective organizations that were long felt after the player’s careers were ended.

Milwaukee Bucks traded Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks (1998)
This trade took place on draft day before the start of the 1998 season. Going into the draft, the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics were both interested in Dirk Nowitzki. To ensure the Mavericks received the players they wanted, Dallas 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 Robert Traylor.

Nowitzki has gone on to be the prime time player in Dallas where he has helped keep the Mavericks at the top of the Western conference in recent years along with a MVP award in 2007. Nash’s career blossomed later on when 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 NBA and both found themselves looking for everyday jobs within a few years of being drafted.

Charlotte Hornet traded the draft rights for Kobe Bryant (1996)
At the time of the trade, the Hornets were not sold on the future of Kobe Bryant and were looking to add Vlade Divac to their lineup. With his 7’0″ frame, the Hornets had planned on Divac being a fixture for years to come. He only played two seasons with the Hornets where he averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game before jumping ship to Sacramento. On the West Coast, Bryant has become one of the best players in the NBA and earned four championships with the Lakers.

Had the Hornets kept the draft rights to Bryant, the team’s current situation may have not changed. Six years after the ill-fated trade, Charlotte had to relocate to New Orleans because the team was the victim of poor attendance. With the star potential of Bryant, you have to think the Hornets would have been able to stay in Charlotte and remain a fixture in the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns (1992)
The 76ers decided to part ways with Barkley in 1992 for a variety of reasons, on and off the court. 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 rebounds 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 the team. The 76ers did little with the players they received over the same four-year period and did not win more than 26 games in any season.

Philadelphia 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain to the Los Angeles Lakers (1968)
This trade marked the first and only time an NBA Most Valuable Player was traded after the season 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.

Detroit Pistons trade Grant Hill to the Orlando Magic for Ben Wallace (2000)
When this trade took place, the majority of fans and the media believed the Pistons were getting the short end of the stick. Hill actually forced the Pistons’ to trade him to 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 who would win 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.