Top 10 NBA Deals That Didn’t Live up to the Hype

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Throughout NBA history, many transactions have shaped teams’ championship window and competitiveness. But some deals have backfired or crippled teams.

Whether because of sudden injuries, locker room fit or misjudged draft upside, some deals didn’t age well and eventually hurt the franchise’s future. Here are the top 10 NBA deals involving superstars and NBA Hall of Famers that eventually resulted in absolute team disasters.

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#10 Seattle trading Scottie Pippen to Chicago in 1987

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The Seattle SuperSonics traded six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen after drafting him. - Source: Imagn — The Seattle SuperSonics traded six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen after drafting him. – Source: Imagn

The Chicago Bulls’ trade for Scottie Pippen during the 1987 NBA draft is widely considered one of the biggest draft-night trades ever. The Seattle SuperSonics acquired Pippen, selected with the No. 5 pick, in exchange for the No. 8 pick, Olden Polynice and future draft pick options.

The deal was a disaster for Seattle as they missed out on a future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. Polynice became an NBA journeyman, playing for five teams in his 15-year career.

Pippen won his first of six NBA championships in the 1990-91 season. Meanwhile, the SuperSonics did not make it out of the second round of the playoffs until the 1992-93 season. By then, Polynice was already with his third team, the Detroit Pistons.

#9 Milwaukee trading Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 draft night

The Bucks traded Dirk Nowitzki for a draft bust in 1998. - Source: Imagn — The Bucks traded Dirk Nowitzki for a draft bust in 1998. – Source: Imagn

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki with the No. 9 pick of the 1998 draft. He was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 6 pick, Robert “Tractor” Traylor. According to Yahoo Sports, the Bucks were seeking size during that draft.

However, Traylor turned out to be a “draft bust,” playing just seven seasons in the league. Nowitzki, by contrast, went on to have an illustrious 21-year career with Dallas, leading the franchise to its first championship in 2011. He is regarded as the greatest European player of all time.

#8 The Warriors sending Robert Parish and Kevin McHale pick to Boston

The Golden State Warriors had an all-time fumble with Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. - Source: Imagn — The Golden State Warriors had an all-time fumble with Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. – Source: Imagn

In 1980, the Golden State Warriors acquired the No. 1 pick of the draft and an additional first-round pick from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick. The Warriors drafted Joe Barry Carroll with the top pick and Rickey Brown with the No. 13 pick, while the Celtics got Kevin McHale with the third pick.

The deal was franchise-altering for Golden State as it missed the playoffs in eight of the 10 seasons following the trade. On the other side, Parish and McHale teamed up with Larry Bird to deliver three championships to Boston during the 1980s.

#7 The Charlotte Hornets trading Kobe Bryant on his draft night

The Charlotte Hornets traded five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant during his draft night. - Source: Imagn — The Charlotte Hornets traded five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant during his draft night. – Source: Imagn

During the 1996 NBA draft, the Charlotte Hornets traded the draft rights to Kobe Bryant to the LA Lakers for center Vlade Divac. A past report said that the Hornets never actually intended to draft Bryant.

While Divac had a solid stint with Charlotte, leading the team to 50-win seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances, he left in free agency in 1998. The franchise struggled in the postseason for years after, including having playoff droughts.

Meanwhile, Bryant played his entire career with the Lakers, leading them to five championships. He won his first title in 2000, just four seasons removed from the Charlotte trade.

#6 Philadelphia’s acquisition of Julius Erving in 1976

The then-New York Nets traded Julius Erving for cash considerations. - Source: Imagn — The then-New York Nets traded Julius Erving for cash considerations. – Source: Imagn

The trade that sent Hall of Famer Julius Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers resulted from the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. To enter the NBA, the then-New York Nets had to pay a hefty fee, and sending Erving to the Sixers in exchange for $3 million would help with the expense.

The deal was widely regarded as one of the most lopsided in history. In the two seasons following the trade, the Nets became the worst team in the NBA, recording back-to-back 20-win seasons. Meanwhile, Erving transformed Philadelphia into playoff contenders and led the franchise to the 1983 NBA championship.

#5 The St. Louis Hawks sending Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics

The St. Louis Hawks traded away 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell on his draft night. - Source: Imagn — The St. Louis Hawks traded away 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell on his draft night. – Source: Imagn

In 1956, the Boston Celtics acquired the draft rights to Bill Russell from the St. Louis Hawks in exchange for then-six-time All-Star Ed Macauley and the draft rights to Cliff Hagan. Although Macauley and Hagan are both Hall of Famers, the deal is widely considered a disaster for the Hawks.

Additionally, Macauley and Hagan led St. Louis to the franchise’s lone title in 1958, defeating Russell’s Celtics. However, Russell’s career achievements were unparalleled, and he is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Russell, whose jersey number is retired league-wide, won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons with Boston, building what is described as the league’s first dynasty.

#4 The Bucks trading away Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his prime

The Milwaukee Bucks' trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led to a multi-decade championship drought. - Source: Imagn — The Milwaukee Bucks’ trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led to a multi-decade championship drought. – Source: Imagn

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Milwaukee Bucks to the franchise’s first-ever championship in 1971, earning both the NBA Finals MVP and league MVP award. In 1975, the Bucks traded him and Walt Wesley to the LA Lakers in exchange for four young players. At that time, Abdul-Jabbar was 28 and had already earned three MVP awards and six All-Star selections.

Milwaukee lost a generational superstar, and the deal resulted in a multi-decade title drought for the franchise. On the other hand, the trade set the stage for the iconic “Showtime” Lakers in the 1980s. Led by Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the dynasty won five NBA championships.

#3 The Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade last year

The Luka Doncic trade rocked the NBA world in 2025. - Source: Imagn — The Luka Doncic trade rocked the NBA world in 2025. – Source: Imagn

In February 2025, the NBA world was surprised by reports that the Dallas Mavericks had traded Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers for Anthony Davis and a first-round pick. The deal sent the Mavericks to a complete reset after reaching the 2024 NBA Finals.

The franchise received intense backlash for trading away a beloved superstar. Additionally, just over a year after the blockbuster deal, Davis is now with the Washington Wizards after being traded by Dallas in February. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was fired in November 2025, and coach Jason Kidd followed suit in May.

In 2025-26, the Lakers won 53 games behind Doncic, who led the NBA in scoring at 33.5 per game. He continues to lead the league in scoring this season, averaging 36.0 points through the first four games.

#2 The Celtics-Nets trade involving Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce

The Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets trade in 2013 is arguably the most lopsided in NBA history. - Source: Imagn — The Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets trade in 2013 is arguably the most lopsided in NBA history. – Source: Imagn

The 2013 trade between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets is widely considered the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Brooklyn acquired aging stars Kevin Garnett (37), Paul Pierce (35) and Jason Terry (35) for a package that included three first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.

Two of those draft picks became franchise stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who have led the Celtics to multiple deep playoff runs and the 2024 NBA championship.

The Nets had Pierce and Garnett for just one season, resulting in 44 wins and a second-round playoff exit. Brooklyn’s rebuild in the following years had to start from scratch, and the team plummeted to become one of the NBA’s worst.

#1 The Paul George trade and Kawhi Leonard signing

The Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era was disastrous for the Clippers. - Source: Imagn — The Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era was disastrous for the Clippers. – Source: Imagn

In 2019, the LA Clippers acquired Paul George from the OKC Thunder in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. According to Sports Illustrated, the Clippers were pressured at the time to pair George with then-free agent Kawhi Leonard, who eventually signed a three-year contract.

The trade is widely considered a huge win for the Thunder and a major disaster for the Clippers. Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC to the 2025 NBA championship and has earned two MVP awards.

Meanwhile, in their five seasons together, the Leonard-George pairing reached just one conference finals for the Clippers. Additionally, George walked away in free agency in 2024. Last month, LA also lost five first-round picks as a result of the NBA’s salary cap circumvention investigation involving Leonard.

Edited by Aniket Rai

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