NBA teams are constantly looking to improve. Ever since the league’s inception, franchises have traded and signed players as a way to make their roster better. Most such deals go unnoticed, but every now and then one changes the course of history.
There have been many trades in the NBA, but only a few turned the entire league on its head. A strong swap can make a losing franchise a winner, change how the public perceives a player, and even strengthen a weak locker room.
Notable Historical trades
Making a trade is inherently risky. Gutting a team for something that doesn’t pan out can set a franchise back for years, if not decades. It also can cost people jobs and alter the legacy of coaches and players alike.
That’s why trades like the Celtics getting Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson going to the Bucks, and the Lakers making a move for Kareem Adbjul-Jabbar were so impactful. They didn’t just change one team. They changed the NBA forever.
Bill Russell to the Celtics (1956)
When it comes to the biggest trades in NBA history, it’s hard to see one more monumental than when the St. Louis Hawks dealt Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics in 1965. While the Hawks saw him as a strong player, they really wanted Boston’s center Ed Macauley due to his strong inside presence.
Boston coach Red Auerbach also wanted Russell, which prompted him to contact St. Louis in order to make a trade. While the Hawks entertained the deal, they didn’t move on it until the Celtics gave up Macauley and Cliff Hagan.
That trade, while lopsided at the time, gave direct rise to the greatest dynasty in NBA history. Russell went on to lead the Celtics to 11 championships and cemented them as one of the top franchises in the sport. Few moves can match that impact.
Oscar Robertson to the Bucks (1970)
For years, Oscar Robertson was one of the strongest and most prolific scoring guards in the NBA. A shifty player with a high IQ, he averaged a triple-double during his first five seasons in the NBA with the Cincinnati Royals.
However, out of nowhere in the 1970 offseason the team traded Robertson to the Milwaukee Bucks. Though nobody knows why they did it, it is known that Robertson had problems with both coach Bob Cousy and the Royal’s upper management.
That move did not work out for the Royals, but it did for Roberstson. It allowed him to team up with Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and take home a trophy in the 1971 NBA Finals. That cemented Robertson’s legacy and gave the Bucks’ the only trophy they would have for almost fifty years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabaar to the Lakers (1975)
Robertson played well with the Bucks. Even so, he retired in 1974 after he and the team couldn’t agree on a new contract. That then prompted the team’s other superstar, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, to request a trade of his own.
He managed to land on his third choice: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks traded him and center Walt Wesley for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers, Junior Bridgeman, and cash.
It was a big haul, but one that worked out for Los Angeles. Abdul-Jabaar became a centerpiece of the Showtime Lakers. Alongside Magic Johson, he led the franchise to five championships during the 1980’s, and gave rise to one of the best NBA dynasties of all time.
Modern Era Blockbuster Trades
The above trades helped shape the early NBA landscape, but they are far from the only ones that changed history. Many trades impacted the current NBA, and altered rings over the past few decades.
Out of all the potential examples, none were bigger than Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat, Kevin Garnett to the Celtics, and LeBron James leaving Cleveland. Not only did the moves give rise to new teams, they shifted how franchises approach stars as well.
Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat (2004)
Shaquill O’Neal was always a big name and, unlike others who were traded, he saw massive success before the deal. The center won three championships with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers during the early 2000’s. However, soon after the team and Shaq’s relationship soured.
After losing the 2004 Finals, Kobe and Shaq began to fight. On top of that, the staff members openly blamed the big for coming up short of another ring. After Shaq demanded a huge raise, the Lakers moved him to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, and Brian Grant.
That move didn’t do much for the Lakers, but it did give Miami what they needed. Teaming up with Dwayne Wade, Shaq returned to top form and eventually gave the Heat their first ring in 2006. It proved he could win on his own, and set back the Lakers for the next five seasons.
Kevin Garnett to the Celtics (2007)
There have been a range of trades that shifted dynasties, but few impacted the NBA like Kevin Garnett going to the Celtics from the Timberwolves in 2007. The big was one of the best players in the league, and he wanted to go to a contender after several disappointing playoff losses.
In July of that year, Garnett went to Celtics for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, and Boston’s 2009 first-round pick. That is still the most players traded for a single person in NBA history.
Though the move gave the Timberwolves a lot, it also allowed the Celtics to put together the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. The trio gave Boston its first ring in two decades, showing the power of super teams and laying the groundwork for the next decade.
LeBron James to the Heat (2010)
While not a strict trade, LeBron James going to the Heat in free agency during the 2010 season was another move that forever altered the landscape of the NBA. After his contract ended, several teams contacted the superstar to try and bring him to them.
After some deliberation, James decided that he would sign with the Heat and join up with all-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The move led to a short-lived Heat dynasty that went to four straight championships and won two of them.
It was also important because it solidified super teams, and directly led to the rise of squads like the Kevin Durant Warriors and Big Three Brooklyn Nets that took over the league during the mid-to-late 2010’s.
Analysis of Trade Impacts
Trades are hard to evaluate when they occur. Sometimes there’s an obvious winner, but more often than not it takes time to see how players pan out. Even so, most of the time one team wants something to help them right now, and one wants to lay the groundwork for the future.
The team that wants to win as soon as possible usually trades future prospects or draft picks to land a big star. The team getting the younger players typically knows they can’t win now, but wants to set something up for the coming years.
Both teams are looking to improve, but that doesn’t mean it always works out. Not only can prospects turn into busts, but the chemistry might be off. Players need to get along, and if they don’t it can derail even the most skilled locker rooms.
When deals don’t work out, a toxic locker room is often the cause. Most organizations know what they want and what they’re getting. It’s how the new players will gel with everyone else that’s hard to predict.
Conclusion
Trades are one of the gears that turn the NBA, but there’s a lot of risk to them as well. Well-structured deals that help both teams, or ones that lead to championships, are always looked on favorably. Ones that dismantle a team or cripple a franchise are not.
Some deals work out for everyone, while some only work out for one team. Regardless, they are a key part of the NBA.
It’s hard to tell what big trades are coming next, or how they’ll shape the future. However, as long as players have the power and want to win, there’s no doubt more super teams will come together. There could even be a team of foreign-born allstars as well.
