Ranking the Top 10 Worst NBA Trades Ever – Biggest Regrets That NBA Teams Made

Trades are possibly one of the most exhilarating aspects of basketball, especially in the NBA. Since the NBA’s existence, some deals have led certain teams to greatness, while others have suffered due to ill-advised trades. 

Whether it’s trading potential superstars for short-term success or sacrificing important players for insignificant amounts of money, the following NBA trades are a reminder that a deal can turn bad quickly. 

Keep reading, and see which are the worst NBA trades in history!

#10 – Brooklyn Nets Trade for Boston Celtics Veterans for a Couple of Draft Picks

The list of the top 10 worst NBA trades of all time starts with the 2013 Celtics-Nets trade. The team from Boston traded the veterans Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett to the Nets and the young Kris Joseph. Meanwhile, the Celtics received five bench players (Wallace, Humphries, Joseph, Bogans, Brooks), three first-round picks (2014, 2016, 2018), and two swapped first-round picks in 2017. 

None of the four players who ended up in Brooklyn were successful while playing for that team. However, Boston picked up future team stars (Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) thanks to the unprotected first-round picks that they received.  

#9 – Utah Jazz Gifted Magic Johnson to the LA Lakers

In 1978, the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers were involved in a six-player trade. The Utah team traded Kenny Carr, Freeman Williams, and Sam Worthmen to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Lakers received a 1979 first-round pick, Essie and Jack Givens, and Gail Goodrich. 

Unfortunately, the Utah Jazz ended up last that season, and the players who arrived on the team were not very helpful. That last place gave the Lakers the first pick, and they selected Magic Johnson, who eventually became one of the greatest players in league history and arguably the best NBA passer of all time. In addition, Johnson won the NBA championship in his rookie year and also received the NBA Finals MVP award. 

#8 – Bucks Traded Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks

Image taken from YouTube.

In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks made a huge mistake by trading Dirk Nowitzki, a future NBA European superstar. However, at the time, he was just a top prospect from Europe. The Bucks traded Nowitzki, who was the 9th pick, as well as Pat Garrity for the 6th pick, Robert Traylor. 

When you compare Traylor and Nowitzki, it’s clear who the better player was. Traylor’s NBA career lasted seven seasons, averaging 4.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 0.7 APG. On the other hand, Nowitzki is a Hall of Famer, a one-time NBA champion, and one of the best scorers ever, averaging 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG. 

#7 – The Sixers Traded Charles Barkley for a Couple of Reserves, and Hornacek

One of the worst NBA trades ever happened in 1992. Charles Barkley was 28, at the peak of his abilities, and among the league’s finest basketball players. Surprisingly, the 76ers decided to trade him to the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Suns received Andrew Lang, Tim Perry, and Jeff Hornacek, too.  

Jeff was an All-Star, but he wasn’t playing at that level for the 76ers, while Lang and Perry sat on the bench for most of the time. Meanwhile, the Suns received an NBA superstar in Barkley, who reached the NBA Finals in his first year at Phoenix and was also the MVP that season. 

#6 – The Seattle Supersonics Traded Scottie Pippen to the Bulls

 

Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the GOAT, but he wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for his esteemed teammate Scottie Pippen. At the 1987 NBA Draft, the Supersonics chose Pippen as the 5th pick. However, the team from Seattle was in desperate need of a center, so they traded Scottie to the Bulls for Olden Polynice and future draft pick options. 

Polynice didn’t leave a huge impact while playing for the Supersonics, averaging 5.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG in four seasons. Pippen, on the other hand, was quite successful. He won the NBA title six times with the Bulls and was one of the best players ever to wear the Chicago Bulls jersey. 

#5 – Moses Malone Traded to the Buffalo Braves

The NBA and ABA merged in 1976. After this historic merger, the NBA decided to have a dispersal draft. During that draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected future NBA star Moses Malone as the fifth pick. Nevertheless, Portland decided to keep Maurice Lucas since they thought he would be a far greater player than Moses. 

Two months after the Blazers selected Malone at the draft, they traded him to the Buffalo Braves for a small amount of money and a first-round pick. Then, Malone was sent to the Rockets. In Houston, Malone became one of the best players in the league, averaging 24.0 PPG and 15.0 RPG in six seasons. 

#4 – The 76ers Gifted MVP Wilt Chamberlain to the LA Lakers

Surprisingly, the 76ers decided to trade Wilt Chamberlain to the LA Lakers in 1968, even though he had been the league’s MVP the year before. Moreover, he won the MVP award three more times while playing for the 76ers and was also a nine-time All-Star. Still, they decided it was time for Wilt to leave the team. In return, the 76ers got Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers, and Darrall Imhoff. 

Before Wilt joined the Lakers, they lost 6 out of 6 NBA finals. When Wilt came to the Lakers, they succeeded in winning the NBA title in 1972. The famous center was the Finals MVP with 19.4 PPG and a sensational 23.2 RPG. Wilt is 7th on the list of the all-time NBA leaders in scored points with 31,419. 

The 76ers made bad trades over the years, but this one was one of the worst NBA trades ever. 

#3 – The Bucks Traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a Couple of Bench Players

 

In 1974, after spending 6 seasons at the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem wanted to leave the team. He won the NBA title with them and was one of the best players in the league. Kareem eventually got traded to the LA Lakers. In return, the team from Los Angeles received four players (Smith, Winters, Bridgeman, and Meyers). 

While playing for the Lakers, Kareem won 5 NBA titles and the MVP award 6 times. When he retired, he was the best scorer of all time in the NBA. The four players that joined the Bucks were average at best while playing for them. 

The Bucks did nothing wrong since Kareem wanted to leave, but they should’ve got better players since they traded an NBA superstar. It can be said that this was one of the worst trades that the Bucks have ever made.  

#2 – St. Louis Hawks Traded Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics

After being selected as the 2nd pick in the 1956 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks, Bill Russell was traded to the Boston Celtics. In return, the Celtics received future Hall of Famers Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan, who won 1 title for the Hawks in 1958. Even though these two players were highly successful, Russell significantly surpassed them. 

While playing for the Boston Celtics, Russell won 11 NBA titles and five MVP awards and was a 12-time All-Star. Throughout his 13-year NBA career, he averaged unreal numbers: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG. He also cemented his legacy as one of the best NBA defenders of all time.

#1 – Charlotte Hornets Traded Kobe Bryant to the LA Lakers

Image taken from YouTube.

Arguably, the worst trade in NBA history was when the Charlotte Hornets traded future NBA superstar Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac in 1996. In their defense, the Hornets wanted to keep Bryant, but some contract disputes led to this unfortunate trade. Divac was a really good player, but he only played for 2 seasons for the Hornets. 

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant became one of the greatest players in basketball history. He won five NBA titles, was an 18-time All-Star, and was a one-time MVP. The Hornets were one of the worst NBA teams for many years after this trade, and they also moved their franchise to New Orleans. 

Featured image taken from YouTube.