Media by Associated Press – A basketball drops through the net with the NBA logo in the background before a preseason basketball game with the Phoenix Suns and the Adelaide 36ers Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Grading NBA trades is difficult because unhappy superstars often force franchise’s hands by demanding they get moved to other cities. Many of those moves, in hindsight, reflect poorly on all involved, whether they result in a championship for either side or not. Here’s a look at three that have aged particularly badly.
Oklahoma City messes up the foundation
The Thunder realized it likely wouldn’t be able to pay Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant and still have enough left over to win an NBA title. Harden, who was named the Sixth Man of the Year during the 2011-12 season when the Thunder made their first NBA Finals appearance, was due $4.5 million extra.
Oklahoma City decided to stick with Durant and Westbrook and sent the future MVP to Houston, along with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward, for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and two first-round picks, and a second-round pick. The Thunder would use the first-round choices on Mitch McGary and Steven Adams.
Harden would play with Houston from 2012 to 2021 and be voted MVP during the 2018 season. Harden became one of the league’s top 3-point shooters but never helped Houston get past the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City would reach the conference finals in 2014 and 2016 but never got back to the big dance.
Bucks trade big man out west
The Los Angeles Lakers have brought in more than one unhappy superstar into their ranks from a smaller franchise over the years. While deals for Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol would both produce titles in Tinseltown, dealing for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975. Abdul-Jabbar, who had led Milwaukee to its first-ever title, was unhappy in the midwest.
The Bucks would bring back Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters in the deal. None of those players would be able to fill the gaping gap left by the Addul-Jabbar. Milwaukee wouldn’t return to the finals for another 50 years. Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar, once joined by Magic Johnson and others, would help the Lakers be the team of the 1980s. Los Angels would win five titles between 1980 and 1990.
Cavaliers launch Lakers’ dynasty
Ted Stepien was such a bad deal maker as an NBA owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers that the league changed the rules because of him. Stepien traded away five first-round picks from 1982 to 1985. The worst of those deals came in 1982 when Cleveland traded away its first-round pick and Butch Lee to the Lakers for Don Ford and a first-round pick.
The Lakers would get the No. 1 choice because Cleveland finished with the league’s worst record. Worthy would have a long career in Los Angeles, helping the Lakers win four titles while scoring 17.6 points per game.
The Cavaliers selected Chad Knich with the pick they got in the deal. He would only play one season in the league, which was split between Cleveland and Dallas. Knich would suffer through serious family tragedy, dying at 35 from complications of AIDs.
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