Worst Trades of All-Time

[freemeat]

The lop-sided move that brings Gasol to the Lakers made me wonder: what do you all think are the worst trades of all-time?

I think it goes without saying that the absolute worst ever involved Kareem Abdul-Jabar. Most people would not even be able to tell you who the Lakers gave up to acquire him. It was Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, and rookies Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. Not even the Shaq trade would top that. I had to do a bit of research to find WHO was involved in some of these lop-sided deals, because in a lot of cases all I could remember was that a top-tier player was traded for nothing. I asked around, yet found no one who could tell me all the names of the scrubs Phoenix gave up for The Round Mound.

MOST NOTABLE:

The Bulls gave Elton Brand to the Clippers for Tyson Chandler.

The Hornets gave up Kobe for Divac (and the Lakers, subsequently, get Divac back).

The Bucks gave up the 9th pick of the 1998 draft for Robert Traylor. The Mavs then use that pick on Dirk Nowitzki.

The Suns get Charles Barkley for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang from Philly.

The Washington Wizards trade Chris Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond.

I would also have to include the trade that brought Nazr Mohammed to the Spurs...not because Nazr is a great player (although he was a big piece of a championship run), but because the Spurs were able to dump the ridiculous contract of Malik Rose. With that extra money, the Spurs were able to sign more role players and make another run in 2007, while the Knicks went in the opposite direction.


I am curious if anyone has any thoughts on other obvious or even not-so-obvious "bad" trades that I am missing. Who was involved and what was the outcome?

[MaNu4Tres]

Bill Curley for Sean Elliott

[Tippecanoe]

I would also have to include the trade that brought Nazr Mohammed to the Spurs

i understand what your coming from, but that doesnt even compete with the likes of kobe for divac

[remingtonbo2001]

Any trade involving Shawn Bradley!

[freemeat]

Ah...and I failed to include the other two most recent.

-- Garnett to Boston
-- Iverson to Denver

Between Minnesota and Philly, Philly got hosed worse (but mostly because of Iverson being a complete prick at the time).

[freemeat]

i understand what your coming from, but that doesnt even compete with the likes of kobe for divac

I agree that the player-calibur is not nearly the same, but the overall affect it had on the two franchises raises the level of lop-sided for me. It didnt seem like such a big deal at the time, but dumping that retarded Malik Rose contract was HUGE for the Spurs in 2005 and 2007.

I guess I should also just throw in pretty much anything Isaiah Thomas has done for the Knicks.

[T Park]

The Hornets gave up Kobe for Divac (and the Lakers, subsequently, get Divac back).



While a bad one, the Hornets were hamstrung by Kobe with his "If you don't trade me, Im sitting out and going into the draft again next year"

[Solid D]

Don Ford to the Cavs (Ted Stepian's infamous trade) for #1 pick to Lakers - which became James Worthy. The Lakers drafted Worthy after winning the NBA Championship the year prior. :lol

Caldwell Jones for Moses Malone.

[Solid D]

Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale

[baseline bum]

Barkley for Hornacek is by far the worst I've ever seen. Nothing for Worthy is pretty bad, but almost nothing for the 2nd greatest PF ever is comedically bad.

[MaNu4Tres]

Portland : Randy Foye for Bradon Roy

Tyson Thomas for LaMarcus Aldridge



In 20 years people will look back and laugh at Minnesota and Chicago

[baseline bum]

Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale

OK, that one is worse than Hornacek/Barkley. Wasn't that our pick they shipped to Boston for McHale, too? :depressed

[T Park]

Yeah Portland owned a hell of alot of people in 06 and owned Phoenix this year.

The former spurs scout should be GM of the year.

[Bruno]

Bulls have traded Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler.
Then Bulls have traded Tyson Chandler for the one year rental of PJ Brown and JR Smith.
Then Bulls have trade JR Smith for a couple of second round picks.

It's maybe not the worst trade of the history but it's quite amazing to see that Chicago has turned Elton Brand into a couple of second round picks.

[freemeat]

Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale

Like trading 100 dollars for a handful of nickels...twice.

[MaNu4Tres]

Bulls have traded Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler.
Then Bulls have traded Tyson Chandler for the one year rental of PJ Brown and JR Smith.
Then Bulls have trade JR Smith for a couple of second round picks.

It's maybe not the worst trade of the history but it's quite amazing to see that Chicago has turned Elton Brand into a couple of second round picks.


lol very true. What's sad is Elton Brand is probably the best player they have ever drafted since MJ and Scottie.

[batboy]

Kareem for whoever the hell LA sent them.

[MaNu4Tres]

Portland has Rudy Fernandez "Ballin" seasoning overseas too.

[UtownSpur]

How about the draft day deal by Seattle trading Scottie Pippen to the Bulls for Olden Polyniece (sp?)

[Twisted_Dawg]

While a bad one, the Hornets were hamstrung by Kobe with his "If you don't trade me, Im sitting out and going into the draft again next year"

And who was the Hornet GM who made that trade? Bob Bass, the same GM who Jerry West turned into his personal bitch while he was the Spur GM.

Some notable Spur bad trades:

Our first NBA trade: Two #1 draft picks for a old slow Mack Calvin.
Trading Frank Brickowski for a old, worn out Paul Pressey with bad knees who had not played much the two previous seasons.
Trading Kevin Duckworth for Walter "The Truth" Berry.
Trading a #1 pick for Sidney Green.
Trading for Steve Smith and his horrific contract.
Trading....or "selling like a slave" Vernon Maxwell for a whopping $50K to arch rival Houston.
TBD: The Scola Trade

Fortuneatly we have made more good trades than bad.

[ShoogarBear]

I think it goes without saying that the absolute worst ever involved Kareem Abdul-Jabar. Most people would not even be able to tell you who the Lakers gave up to acquire him. It was Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, and rookies Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. Not even the Shaq trade would top that. This is not even close to being the worst deal of all time. It was not even a bad trade. In fact, since the Bucks essentially HAD to trade Kareem (he didn't want to play for them any more), they made a damn GOOD trade.

Smith gave them one solid year at 16 pts and 11 boards before he was traded. Meyers had four strong years as a good 2-way player before he decided to retire early (IIRC for religious reasons). Bridgeman and Winters were in the top 7 of a Bucks rotation that would consistently win 50-60 games (back when Don Nelson actually coached basketball). They didn't have the 6th Man award back then, but if they did, then Bridgeman or Bobby Jones would have won it every year.

[nkdlunch]

also any trade with Keith Van Horn

http://joenetsfan.com/NetsSeason2000_2001/Gamex2000_2001Assets/Gamex76KeithFlower.gif

[Russ]

Lakers trade a fading Norm Nixon to the Clippers for the rights to rookie Byron Scott -- more championships follow.

[nkdlunch]

actually another really bad trade is Kwame for Butler. poor Kwame

[lefty]

The Utah Jazz draft and trade a young Dominique Wilkins for some guys :dizzy :dizzy :dizzy

[ShoogarBear]

Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown for Robert Parish and Kevin McHaleThat one was topped when Boston traded Rick Robey + two second round picks to Phoenix for Dennis Johnson plus a first-round + third-round picks. :dizzy

[Kermit]

Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson. Yet to be topped in any sports league in my opinion.

[dallaskd]

Scola.

[T Park]

Trading for Steve Smith and his horrific contract.

That was Pop but they had to make that deal or else lose out on getting anything for Derek Anderson.

[T Park]

Cardinals trading some mediocre guy for Lou HOF Brock.

Of course the Cardinals trading Steve Carlton :pctoss

[ShoogarBear]

Oh, well, if we're going to go outside of basketball, there's only one choice:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/photo/photogallery/mlb_mountain/ruth/01.jpg

[slayermin]

Of course the Cardinals trading Steve Carlton :pctoss


Ahhh, Lefty Carlton. My favorite pitcher of all-time. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for how great he was.

[T Park]

Would the Eddy Curry trade fall into this distinction?

Or did the Bulls fucking up of that draft pick, make it less worse?

[Russ]

Baseball?

How about Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Dennis Menke and Jack Billingham for . . .

Lee May and Tommy Helms.

[T Park]

Ouch...

[Kermit]

Oh, well, if we're going to go outside of basketball, there's only one choice:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/photo/photogallery/mlb_mountain/ruth/01.jpg

Wasn't exactly a trade.

Herschel Walker for three Super Bowls was, however. That's a bad one.

[ShoogarBear]

Wasn't exactly a trade.
It was even worse. They got NO players back. Can't top that.

[T Park]

They got a nice curse back.

Wich is of course now dead.

[Kermit]

It was even worse. They got NO players back. Can't top that.
They got culture, No, No Nanette and four Tonys. Fucking ungrateful Sox fans.

[Budkin]

2004 Magic-Rockets: T Mac for Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, and Cuttino Mobley.

[T Park]

Eh, with the success T Mac has had, I'd say that trade is a push.

[TDMVPDPOY]

BULLS = RETARDed, if you look back the last 10 years who they had drafted and traded

seriously

brand
artest
fizer
crawford
robinson

seriously they had alot of good picks and continue to suck, fuck them and their repeatly tankn

[The Truth #6]

I can't remember how it went down but when Joe Johnson went to Atlanta I remember that Phoenix wasn't going to match Atlanta's ridiculous max contract but somehow got Boris Diaw and another first rounder or two out of the deal. That to me is the worst because Atlanta didn't need to give up anything to get Joe Johnson - their ridiculous contract was already enough yet they threw in a quality player and good draft picks.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I can't remember how it went down but when Joe Johnson went to Atlanta I remember that Phoenix wasn't going to match Atlanta's ridiculous max contract but somehow got Boris Diaw and another first rounder or two out of the deal. That to me is the worst because Atlanta didn't need to give up anything to get Joe Johnson - their ridiculous contract was already enough yet they threw in a quality player and good draft picks.

yeh karma got them back

sons traded away there picks anyway, they couldve had deng etc on there team

[slayermin]

I can't remember how it went down but when Joe Johnson went to Atlanta I remember that Phoenix wasn't going to match Atlanta's ridiculous max contract but somehow got Boris Diaw and another first rounder or two out of the deal. That to me is the worst because Atlanta didn't need to give up anything to get Joe Johnson - their ridiculous contract was already enough yet they threw in a quality player and good draft picks.

That happened another time but I can't recall what the trade was. The only reason I could think of is that Johnson said he wouldn't sign unless the Hawks gave up Diaw and the picks. But I don't get why he would want that unless he was worried about competing with a Diaw for minutes. And still it doesn't make any sense because you could trade Diaw and the picks to another team.

[dropstep4421]

washington bullets and the sixers
moses malone for jeff ruland

[hsxvvd]

The Utah Jazz draft and trade a young Dominique Wilkins for some guys :dizzy :dizzy :dizzy

I think it was just cash.

[hsxvvd]

That happened another time but I can't recall what the trade was. The only reason I could think of is that Johnson said he wouldn't sign unless the Hawks gave up Diaw and the picks. But I don't get why he would want that unless he was worried about competing with a Diaw for minutes. And still it doesn't make any sense because you could trade Diaw and the picks to another team.

I'm pretty sure, he needed a sign & trade to get the max money becuase only Phoenix could offer him the max.

[hsxvvd]

The Lakers Shaq trade to Miami is looking very one way (albiet 1 ring)

Shaq for Odom & Butler/Kwame/Gasol

[shelshor]

Does anyone remember who the Lakers sent to Philly in return for Wilt Chamberlain?

The Celtics supposedly got Bill Russell in return for Boston Garden letting the Ice Capades stay in which ever town they were in for an extra week, instead of moving on to Boston

[slayermin]

I'm pretty sure, he needed a sign & trade to get the max money becuase only Phoenix could offer him the max.

Your right. I should stop discussing capalogy now.

[dropstep4421]

the lakers sent the sixers archie clark jerry chambers darnell imhoff for wilt chamberlain

[WalterBenitez]

Not the worst, but Leandrinho to Suns, wasn't a beautiful move!

[m33p0]

what about the trade the jazz made to lakers for a first round pick that turned out to be magic johnson?

i forgot who the player was but he was good. the jazz wanted him so they could pair the guy with pistol pete. the lakers still had the rights to that player when said player signed with the jazz. after the ensuing legal case, it was finally decided that the jazz gave up its draft rights for the '79 draft. anyway, this player blew out his knees and retired soon after. the lakers got magic.

[lefty]

I think it was just cash.

Actually, 2 players ( John Drew, Freeman Williams) and some cash.

[Obstructed_View]

The only way to judge it is with hindsight, and we won't really know anything until the draft picks are made. Judging it before anyone even suits up for their new team borders on absurd.

[midgetonadonkey]

Scola traded to a Division Rival for Nothing!!!

http://www.interbasket.net/players/scola.jpg

:jack

[midgetonadonkey]

Rocky Dennis looking mother fucker.

[baseline bum]

what about the trade the jazz made to lakers for a first round pick that turned out to be magic johnson?

i forgot who the player was but he was good. the jazz wanted him so they could pair the guy with pistol pete. the lakers still had the rights to that player when said player signed with the jazz. after the ensuing legal case, it was finally decided that the jazz gave up its draft rights for the '79 draft. anyway, this player blew out his knees and retired soon after. the lakers got magic.

Gail Goodrich.

[Flo-Rida]

Doug Christie for Cuttino Mobley....