It's funny to think how different NBA history would've been if it wasn't for trades. Would Kobe Bryant had become such a legend if he had stayed with the Charlotte Hornets? Would the Boston Celtics be as dominant if it wasn't for Bill Russell?
There's always something going on in the league. GMs are constantly trying to improve their team at someone else's expense, and what might seem like a great deal at the time could turn out to be a disaster.
Looking back, five trades have had a massive impact on the history of the Association, not only because of the pieces implied in the transaction but also because of how they paved the way for unmatched legacies. Here, we're going to talk a little bit about that.
5 Trades That Changed The NBA Forever:
5. Dirk Nowitzki To Dallas Mavericks
Trade Package: Dirk Nowitzki & Pat Garrity for Robert Traylor.
No one, not even the most optimistic Dallas Mavericks fan ever thought that Dirk Nowitzki was going to turn out to be as great as he was. He was just another skinny kid from Europe who wasn't fast or athletic but had a smooth jump shot.
The Milwaukee Bucks weren't exactly impressed by Dirk's shooting skills and used their 9th overall pick just to trade him away to the Mavs. Dirk's career got off to a terrible, slow start and he looked like a bust more often than not. Then, it all changed.
Nowitzki now has a shot at being considered the greatest foreign player of all time. He scored 31,560 points throughout his career and changed the power forward position with his ability to stretch the floor. He had one of the most incredible championship runs of all time and even won MVP.
4. James Harden To Houston Rockets
Trade Package: James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook & Lazar Hayward for Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, a 2013 1st round pick, a 2013 2nd round pick, and a 2014 1st round pick.
Regardless of how many draft picks Sam Presti manages to gather, he'll always be judged for this trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't keep both James Harden and Serge Ibaka, so he chose to re-sign the rim protector and trade away the Sixth Man of the Year.
That looked like the right choice at the time. He already had plenty of scoring with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Ibaka simply was a better fit for their needs. But looking back, the reality is that he traded James Harden over $4 million. FOUR million.
Harden went on to become one of the most explosive scorers in the league and the Thunder didn't make it to the NBA Finals again. Moreover, they didn't get much out of the draft picks they got, and neither Jeremy Lamb nor Kevin Martin could provide the explosive offensive spark that Harden gave them.
3. LeBron James To Miami Heat
Trade Package: LeBron James for a 2011 2nd round pick, 2021 2nd round pick, 2013 first round pick, 2016 first round pick, pick swaps in 2012.
Contrary to what most people think, LeBron James didn't just sign with the Miami Heat. It was a sign-and-trade and it got the Cleveland Cavaliers plenty of draft assets. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the fans to forgive him right away.
LeBron's infamous "Decision" and "Taking his talents to South Beach" made him one of the most hated players on Earth but it finally allowed him to blossom and win multiple NBA Championships.
James cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time and the Cavaliers were a bottom-feeding team once again. He spent the best years of his career side by side with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh before an epic homecoming that only made him more of a basketball legend.
2. Scottie Pippen To Chicago Bulls
Trade Package: Scottie Pippen & a 1989 1st round pick for Olden Polynice, a 1988 2nd round draft pick, and a 1989 1st round draft pick.
Yeah, believe it or not, the great Scottie Pippen could've played for the Seattle Supersonics. As a matter of fact, he could've been traded multiple times in his career but Michael Jordan demanded the Chicago Bulls to kill those deals over and over.
Pippen was exactly what the Bulls needed to turn the corner and become a competitive force in the Eastern Conference. He was the perfect complement for Jordan and his top-notch defense made them the best one-two punch in the league, and it wasn't even close.
Together, Pippen and Jordan went a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and turned the Bulls into the greatest dynasty of all time. They made the game global and dominated the league in an era that was just stacked with talent. He and Jordan are the reason why many Hall of Famers could never win a ring.
1. Bill Russell To Boston Celtics
Trade Package: Bill Russell for Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley.
The Atlanta Hawks franchise has always struggled to find success, but they only have themselves to blame for that. They could've had the winningest player in NBA history but instead traded him away for an aging star.
The Boston Celtics traded two players for the second overall pick, turning that pick into Bill Russell. Russell went on to become the most dominant force in the league, and perhaps the most dominant NBA player of all time.
Even if Russell's competition was far from the pros we see nowadays, he still made the Celtics the team to beat in the league. Winning 11 rings (8 consecutive) in 13 seasons, he's the reason why the C's are still tied for the most NBA championships all-time at 17. His numbers weren't impressive at all but he's one of the greatest rim protectors to ever live.
