More so than other sports leagues, the NBA frequently sees big trades shake up the league. In the modern era, big-name players are being traded all the time. For example, Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, and LaMelo Ball were all traded this offseason alone. Insane transactions aren't limited to the last few years, though. Superstars have moved from team to team throughout NBA history. Sometimes, trades work out for both teams. Other times, one team clearly fleeced the other. Bad trades can set teams back for years. So, what are the worst trades in NBA history?
15. 1776: Philadelphia 76ers-New York Nets trade
The deal: Nets send Julius Erving to 76ers for cash ($3 million)
The trigger can be pulled on bad trades for a number of reasons. Sometimes teams overvalue regressing players; other times a team can simply give up too hefty of a trade package. Regardless, a specific error in judgment can usually be pointed at to explain most bad trades. The New York Nets trading away Julius Erving wasn't necessarily their fault, though.
When the ABA and NBA merged, ABA teams were given hefty expansion fees to join the league. The cash-strapped Nets were practically forced into trading Doctor J to the Philadelphia 76ers in order just to keep their franchise alive. The high-flying, reverse layuping superstar already had a surplus of accolades from his ABA days, but he added 11 more All-Star appearances with the 76ers.
The Nets still being in existence is better than the other possible outcome that could have come with trying to keep Erving. Still, a deal that saw Erving traded for no picks, no players, and cash equal to what is about the minimum salary in the modern NBA has to be viewed at as one of the worst deals ever.
14. 1976: Buffalo Braves-Houston Rockets trade
The deal: Braves send Moses Malone to the Rockets two first-round picks
Only nine players have won three-plus MVP awards throughout the NBA's history. For whatever reason, Moses Malone is the least talked about of that prestigious group, but he is an NBA legend nonetheless. None of Malone's MVPs came with his first, second, or even third professional teams, though.
Malone was good but not great with the Utah Stars, Spirits of St. Louis, and Buffalo Braves, the latter of whom traded him to the Houston Rockets after he played just two games for them. During his second full season in Houston, Malone led the league in rebounds for the first of six times en route to winning his first MVP. The trade return Buffalo received for Malone consisted of just two first-round picks, which equated to Wesley Cox and Michael Ray Richardson. 1976 was a bad year for NBA trades.
13. 1992: Philadelphia 76ers-Phoenix Suns trade
The deal: Sixers send Charles Barkley to the Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang
Charles Barkley wanted out of Philly, but the pittance the Sixers received in June 1992 for the 28-year-old future Hall of Famer is mind-boggling — especially the lack of draft compensation. Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang combined for six forgettable years in Philly as the 76ers descended into the lottery for a half-decade.
Barkley won MVP and led Phoenix to the Finals in 1993. The Round Mound of Rebound is one of the most famous examples of a superstar who spent equal parts in two homes, and that was in thanks to a bad trade decision.
12. 2010: Los Angeles Clippers-Cleveland Cavaliers trade
The deal: LA sends Baron Davis and an unprotected first-round pick (Kyrie Irving) to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon
The Clippers included a first-rounder as a tax for Cleveland’s willingness to take Baron Davis (later amnestied in 2011). The Clips apparently liked their core of Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan, and preferred the veteran Mo Williams — under contract for a few more seasons — over another lottery pick.
Well, that pick ended up as the No. 1 overall, enabling Cleveland to expedite their (first) post-LeBron rebuild with Irving. The Duke product has made a case for himself as arguably both the best below-the-rim finisher ever and the best ball-handler ever.
11. 1972: Houston Rockets-Baltimore Bullets trade
The deal: Houston sends Elvin Hayes to the Bullets for Jack Marin
Jack Marin put up 22.3 points per game in 1972, but he was clearly inferior to Elvin Hayes, who was one of the league’s bright young stars and who had won Rookie of the Year and MVP in 1969. Somehow, Baltimore pulled off a straight-up swap. Hayes eventually led Baltimore to the 1979 title, while Marin played less than two seasons in Houston.
10. 1980: Cleveland Cavaliers-Los Angeles Lakers trade
The deal: Cavs send their 1982 first-round pick (James Worthy) and Butch Lee to the Lakers for Don Ford and a 1980 first-round pick (Chad Kinch)
After a 28-win 1980 campaign, Cleveland traded a future first-rounder to the defending champion Lakers. Shockingly, their return package of Ford and Kinch — minor role players — didn’t revitalize the franchise. The Cavs went 15-67 in 1981-82, giving L.A. the top pick. Worthy would become an elite third-wheel for three championship “Showtime” squads.
9. 1968: Philadelphia 76ers-Los Angeles Lakers trade
The deal: Philly sends Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrall Imhoff
Future beach volleyball legend Chamberlain was looking to finish his NBA career in L.A., but why the Sixers could only muster a measly return package remains baffling. Clark was an All-Star in 1971, Imhoff was in Cincinnati by 1970, and Chambers never suited up for Philly. Chamberlain averaged 17.7 points and 19.2 rebounds and won a title with the Lakers. This was a man who scored 100 points in a game, after all. The numbers were always there with The Stilt, but the championship success he found in LA really helped his legacy out.
8. 2012: Oklahoma City Thunder-Houston Rockets trade
The deal: OKC sends James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first-round picks (Mitch McGary, Steven Adams), and a second-round pick.
Fresh off a Sixth Man of the Year award and an NBA Finals appearance, the Thunder decided it was time to bail on Harden rather than paying him an extra $4.5 million.
OKC deeply underestimated Harden’s ceiling. Martin and Lamb were unable to replicate Harden’s scoring punch — even before Harden went up a level in Houston. The Thunder did end up with Adams, but Oklahoma City could have, at the very least, run it back for another season with Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
7. 2012-2013: The Brooklyn Nets debacle
The deal(s): Nets trade Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first-round pick (Damian Lillard) to Portland; Brooklyn then sends Wallace, Keith Bogans, Marshon Brooks, Kris Humphries, and three first-round picks to the Celtics for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White
This is a two-part saga authored by Billy King, who was admittedly in a tough position working for a semi-interested Russian oligarch with unreasonable short-term expectations looking to make a splash.
In March 2012, King acquired the nearly 30-year-old Wallace, his 13.3 points per game, and his 2012-13 player option ($9.5 million). Brooklyn sent Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a 2012 first-round pick to Portland. That pick turned into Damian Lillard, while Wallace played 1.5 unmemorable seasons in Brooklyn.
Wallace’s contract would help complete the infamous blockbuster trade with Boston on draft day 2013, when King acquired 37-year old Kevin Garnett, 35-year old Paul Pierce, 36-year old Jason Terry and D.J. White for Wallace, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and three (!) first-round picks.
Pierce and Terry played one year in Brooklyn, while Garnett was dealt early into his second. Boston wasted the 2014 pick (James Young), but turned the next two picks into Jaylen Brown (2016) and Jayson Tatum (2017).
6. 1996: Charlotte Hornets-Los Angeles Lakers trade
The deal: Lakers send Vlade Divac to Hornets for the No. 13 pick (Kobe Bryant)
It is hard to overly criticize teams who traded away draft picks that then went on to become superstars, but the Charlotte Hornets missing out on Kobe Bryant is too hard to ignore. During the early days of high schoolers finding NBA success, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA Draft.
The day before the draft, Los Angeles traded an aging center in Vlade Divac for the 13th pick, which they used on Bryant, who'd go on to spend his entire career with the Lakers. With five championships, 18 All-Star nods, nine All-Defensive First-Team appearances, and two scoring titles to his name, Bryant would go on to become one of the best NBA players ever. Divac, meanwhile, was arguably even more known for his future stint with the Sacramento Kings than his time in Charlotte.
5. 1976: Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Jazz trade
The deal: Jazz are allowed to sign Gail Goodrich from the Lakers for three first-round picks and a second-round pick. The 1979 first became Magic Johnson
The early days of free agency were different than they are now. When Gail Goodrich signed with the New Orleans Jazz in, the Jazz weren't allowed to just use cap space to add him to their roster. Instead, they had to compensate his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The cost of adding one of the best scorers of the '70s? – Multiple draft picks, including the 1979 selection that would become the number one pick.
The pick turned into Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest point guard in NBA history and the catalyst of the Showtime Lakers. The Michigan State product one five championships, earned three MVPs, and led the league in assists four times during his career. Goodrich, meanwhile, was a shell of his former self with his new team.
Determining who is the best player in Lakers history isn't easy, but both Johnson and Bryant have a case. Amazingly, both players only joined the LA team because of dumb trades before they were even drafted. The Magic deal gets the nod as slightly worse, only because Divac did more after being traded than Goodrich did.
4. 2019: Oklahoma City Thunder-Los Angeles Clippers trade
Article Continues BelowThe deal: Clippers send Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two swap options to the Thunder for Paul George
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a potential dynasty on their hands. Sam Presti has added an unfathomable amount of draft picks to his roster in recent years, which he has turned into loads of star talent and an unrealistic amount of depth. It all starts with one trade, though. At the beginning of the team's rebuild, OKC traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers.
They received one of the biggest hauls ever in return. Five first-round picks and two pick swaps. Plus, a young, up-and-coming player named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA just so happened to turn into the back-to-back MVP a few years after he became the Thunder's franchise player. The draft picks the Thunder added have already started to pan out, too. One of the picks became Jalen Williams, who is already an All-Star. Another pick was used on Aday Mara in the 2026 NBA Draft, who the team has immediate high hopes for.
George's tenure in Los Angeles was marked by consistently falling short of expectations. He even earned the name Pandemic P for his postseason struggles.
3. 1975: Milwaukee Bucks-Los Angeles Lakers trade
The deal: Milwaukee sends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters
The Lakers have benefited more from lopsided, star-landing trades than any other franchise. In 1975, L.A. was re-tooling, and Abdul-Jabbar — a UCLA alum — had requested a trade out of the Midwest.
Abdul-Jabbar was easily the NBA's best player, and one who had also delivered Milwaukee its only title in 1974. The Bucks relented, dealing their once-in-a-generation talent to the big market. Bridgeman and Winters posted solid numbers in Milwaukee, but nothing like Abdul-Jabbar’s historic run in Hollywood. The Bucks' 2026 offseason trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo was eerily similar to this bad trade.
2. 1956: St. Louis Hawks-Boston Celtics trade
The deal: St. Louis sends Bill Russell to the Celtics for Ed Macauley and a draft pick (Cliff Hagan)
The Hawks used the No. 2 pick on Bill Russell, who was fresh off two NCAA championships, then swapped him for Macauley and Hagan, who they drafted at No. 7. Red Auerbach apparently prevented Russell from being taken no. 1 by the Rochester Royals by convincing Celtics owner Walter Brown to bring his renowned ice show, Ice Capades, to the upstate New York town. Macauley and Hagan each made six All-Star teams, equal to Russell’s 12.
This trade is particularly egregious due to the alleged racist motives, as Hawks’ ownership supposedly preferred two white players at a time of increased racial tension in the city. Russell won 11 titles in Boston, while the Hawks have not reached the NBA Finals since 1961.
1. 2025: Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks trade
The deal: Mavericks send Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, to Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick
Some trades take years to be established as good or bad. The Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade isn't one of those. The entire world was shocked when the Dallas Mavericks, less than a year removed from being led to the NBA Finals by their triple-double-getting Slovenian superstar, decided to trade the 25-year-old face of their franchise for an aging and injury-prone Davis.
With only one first-round pick coming over with Davis, this trade had fans screaming collusion. Predictably, this trade didn't pan out for the Mavericks. Davis only played 29 total games for the Mavericks before he was flipped to the Washington Wizards. The Lakers, meanwhile, have a megastar who seems bound to be one of the best players in the NBA for them for the next decade.