The Biggest Net-Busting Trades In NBA History
The Biggest Net-Busting Trades In NBA History
Luka Dončić's trade to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks for Lakers center Anthony Davis rocked the NBA world on February 4, 2025. In a trade that nobody saw coming, least of all Dončić, it got us thinking about some of the other big trades in NBA history. Let's go over some of the most historic ones.
Allen Iverson To The Denver Nuggets
Allen Iverson was a hot commodity in 2006, averaging 33 points per game, but his Philadelphia 76ers team was struggling; they were sitting around .500 for the season (on par with the last four seasons where they'd won 41 games). They hit the rebuild button, and beloved Allen Iverson went to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 Draft.
Kawhi Leonard To Toronto
In 2018, the San Antonio Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and the top 20 first-round pick in the 2019 draft. This was reportedly due to a rift between Leonard and the Spurs regarding injuries. Leonard only played nine games in 2017-18 for the Spurs before being traded to Toronto. It all worked out for Leonard (and Toronto), who won the NBA title for the first time in 2019.
Chris Paul To The LA Clippers
In 2011, the New Orleans Pelicans traded Chris Paul to the LA Clippers for three players: Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and Eric Gordon. While the deal for Paul to the Clippers allowed the Pelicans to begin a rebuild in 2011, this trade only happened because then-commissioner David Stern vetoed a trade by the Pelicans that would send Paul to the Lakers. He did this for "basketball reasons".
Tracy McGrady To Houston
Tracy McGrady was already a star with the Orlando Magic, leading the NBA in scoring for two straight seasons, so why would they get rid of such a star?
At the time, there was a certain hot commodity in Steve Francis, an all-star guard that the Magic wanted. The trade also included two other players from each team swapping jerseys.
Unfortunately for the Magic, Francis didn't retain his star power for long, lasting just one season before being offloaded to free up salary cap space.
