Worst NBA Trades Ever
The NBA is a league where trades can make or break a franchise. A smart trade lands you an MVP; a bad trade leaves you explaining to fans why you swapped a future Hall of Famer for a bag of stale chips. We’re diving into the worst trades in NBA history—deals so lopsided they shocked the NBA world and still haunt teams like a bad jump shot in the final seconds. From the Nets’ infamous trade with the Celtics to the Hornets’ trade that gifted Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, these are the trades that turned draft picks into disasters and playoff dreams into nightmares. Let’s break down the five worst trades in NBA history and ask, “What were they thinking?”
Brooklyn’s Nets Trade: The Celtics Heist of 2013
In 2013, the Brooklyn Nets pulled off a trade that’s a contender for the worst trade ever in NBA history. Desperate to contend, they traded three first-round picks (2014, 2016, 2018) and a 2017 pick swap to the Boston Celtics for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. The Nets envisioned an All-Star trio storming the NBA Finals; instead, they handed Boston a treasure chest of draft assets.
Garnett, 37, and Pierce, 35, were creaky veterans. The Nets went 44-38 in 2013-14, got swept in the second round, and then collapsed. Garnett lasted one more season, Pierce fled to Washington, and Terry averaged 4.5 points. Meanwhile, those draft picks became Jaylen Brown (2016) and Jayson Tatum (via the 2017 swap)—two Celtics stars who won a title in 2024. The Nets missed the playoffs for years, watching Boston thrive.
What were they thinking? Nets GM Billy King traded the future for a pair of retirees, making this one of the worst trades in NBA history. The Nets trade still stings—Boston fans owe Brooklyn a fruit basket.
Hornets Trade Kobe Bryant: Lakers Steal a Legend (1996)
On draft night 1996, the Charlotte Hornets made a trade that haunts franchise history. They selected Kobe Bryant at No. 13 in the NBA draft, a wiry 17-year-old with limitless potential, then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. Yep, they swapped a kid who’d become an MVP for a center who’d peak at “decent.” What were they thinking? That Vlade’s 16 points a night beat a high schooler’s upside.
Kobe turned into Kobe—five rings, 33,643 points, and an MVP in 2008. With the Lakers, he averaged 25 points over 20 seasons, torching defenses and the Hornets’ pride. Divac gave Charlotte two solid years—14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds in 1996-97—before leaving for Sacramento. The Hornets never reached a final, while the Lakers built a dynasty.
This trade in NBA history is a dagger. The Hornets traded away a Hall of Fame player for a stopgap, cementing it as a worst trade ever. Kobe’s Lakers legacy mocks Charlotte to this day.
Bucks Trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Milwaukee’s 1975 Meltdown
In 1975, the Milwaukee Bucks made a trade that ranks among the worst in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an MVP who’d led them to a 1971 title, requested a trade out of small-market Milwaukee. They obliged, trading him to the Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Brian Winters, and Elmore Smith—a haul that screams “quantity over quality.” What were they thinking? That four role players could replace the best player in the NBA.
Kareem, 28, was averaging 30.0 points and 14.0 rebounds. In L.A., he won five titles, three more MVPs, and 38,387 points—the all-time mark until 2023. The Bucks’ return? Bridgeman averaged 13.6 points over a decent career, but Meyers flopped, Smith faded, and Winters bounced around. Milwaukee missed the playoffs until 1981, while Kareem dominated.
The Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deal is a classic NBA trade mistake. Trading your MVP for spare parts? That’s a lopsided trade that echoes in Milwaukee Bucks lore.
Sixers Trade Up for Fultz: Celtics Snag Tatum (2017)
In 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers executed a trade that’s one of the worst in recent NBA history. They traded the No. 3 pick and a future first-round pick to the Celtics to move up to No. 1 in the draft, selecting Markelle Fultz. Boston, grinning, took Jayson Tatum at No. 3 and cashed the extra pick later. What were they thinking? That Fultz’s YouTube highlights trumped Tatum’s polish.
Fultz’s jump shot vanished—7.1 points on 40.5% shooting as a rookie, derailed by injury or nerves. He played 33 games in two seasons before a trade to Orlando. Tatum? He averaged 23.4 points by year three, earned All-Star nods, and led the Celtics to the 2024 NBA Finals. That extra pick became Romeo Langford, a bust, but Tatum’s stardom sealed the deal’s infamy.
This trade makes Sixers fans cringe. Trading draft capital for a bust while Boston got a franchise player? It’s a terrible trade that handed the Celtics a gift.
Warriors Trade Parish and McHale: Celtics Build a Dynasty (1980)
Rewind to the 1980 NBA draft, when the Golden State Warriors made a trade that shocked the NBA world. They traded the No. 1 overall draft pick and Robert Parish to the Celtics for Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown. Boston turned that No. 1 pick into Kevin McHale via a trade with the Hawks. What were they thinking? That Carroll and Brown could outshine two future Hall of Fame players.
Parish and McHale became Celtics legends—Parish with 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds over 14 Boston years, McHale with 17.9 points and three titles. Carroll averaged 17.7 points for Golden State but never sniffed a final, and Brown was a benchwarmer. The Warriors floundered, while the Celtics won three championships in the ‘80s.
The Golden State Warriors for Robert Parish and McHale trade is a worst trade in NBA history. Trading two picks and two Hall of Famers for mediocrity? That’s a franchise-altering flub.
Bonus Bust: Hawks Trade Luka Dončić to Dallas (2018)
In 2018, the Atlanta Hawks traded Luka Dončić, drafted No. 3, to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young (No. 5) and a 2019 first-round pick. Luka’s an MVP contender—28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists by 2024—while Young’s an All-Star but not the best player on a playoff team. The pick became Cam Reddish, a role player. What were they thinking? That Trae’s flash beat Luka’s substance.
Dallas reached a final with Luka; the Hawks haven’t. This trade in NBA history isn’t the worst trade ever, but it’s one Atlanta regrets. Luka Dončić haunts the Hawks like a Slovenian ghost.
Conclusion: Trades That Define NBA Misery
The NBA thrives on trades—61 times in this article alone, we’ve said it—but these are the worst trades ever to scar the league. The Nets trade that built the Celtics, the Hornets trade sending Kobe to the Lakers, the Bucks trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Sixers’ draft-night Fultz fiasco, the Warriors’ Parish-McHale giveaway, and the Hawks’ Luka swap are NBA history’s lowlights. They traded MVPs, draft picks, and playoff hopes for scraps, leaving fans stunned.
Hindsight stats tell the tale: Kobe’s 33,643 points vs. Vlade Divac’s 13,000; Luka’s dominance vs. Young’s flair. These trades turned the Celtics, Lakers, and Mavericks into powers while the Nets, Hornets, Bucks, Sixers, Warriors, and Hawks licked their wounds. Whether it’s Pierce and Garnett flopping in Brooklyn or Milwaukee trading its best player, these deals are the worst trades in NBA history—proof that sometimes, the only winner is the team that originally called the trade.
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