10 NBA Trades That Saved Players’ Careers

Throughout NBA history, trades between NBA teams have had significant repercussions, whether bad or good, in their aftermath. We have covered extensively covered the transactions that have changed NBA history and the ones that we thought were the most one-sided deals ever to go through. Today, we will be covering the deals that we think helped to save different NBA players and their careers. These deals will focus on the career of a player that may have been heading for a certain narrative about his legacy until a trade to another franchise redirected that narrative.

Some of these deals involve NBA legends who had failed for most of their career to deliver an NBA championship. Soon after these players were traded, that narrative shifted whether they were the No. 1 option or not during that title run. Some of these trades involve players who were headed into situations designed for them to fail until a trade came along and put them on a path to greatness. These deals were agreed upon at the perfect time for these 10 players, and we may view them differently today had they not gone down.

These are 10 trades that saved NBA players’ careers.

10. Jason Kidd To The Phoenix Suns

When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Jason Kidd in 1994, the organization had big plans for the future star point guard. He had a decent rookie season with Dallas, averaging 11.7 PPG and 7.7 APG in 79 starts. In his second season, Kidd was named an All-Star for the first time and averaged 16.6 PPG, 9.7 APG, and 2.2 SPG. Somewhere along the way, Kidd and the coaching staff’s relationship began to sour, and his play began to diminish because of it. After just 2 and a half seasons with the team, he was traded to the Suns in a package that included Michael Finley.

In Phoenix, Kidd became a superstar. Aside from an ill-advised bleached hairdo, Kidd’s game was flawless. He became a perennial All-Star and one of the league’s best at the position. In Phoenix, Kidd earned 3 All-Star appearances and led the NBA in assists 3 times while averaging over 2.0 SPG every year. Kidd had shaken off the early issues in his career to excel and go down as one of the game’s greatest players. Kidd and the Mavericks reconciled toward the end of Kidd’s career as he helped them capture the 2010-11 NBA championship.

9. Kevin Johnson To The Phoenix Suns

Another trade the Phoenix Suns pulled off to save a young and budding point guard’s career occurred in 1988. Kevin Johnson was a potential superstar coming out of the University Of California, and the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the 7th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. Johnson was stuck coming off the bench for the Cavs as he was behind Ron Harper and Mark Price for playing time. Johnson would appear in 52 games for Cleveland and 20 minutes of action per game.

The Cavaliers decided that they had no need for Johnson and decided they were going to move on from him midway through his rookie year. He was sent to the Phoenix Suns in a deal filled with draft picks. Johnson immediately became the full-time starter and an instant star in the league. Johnson would play out the entirety of his career with the Suns and earn 3 All-Star selections in 12 seasons. He was instrumental in a few trips to the Western Conference Finals and their trip to the NBA Finals in 1993. With his 5 All-NBA Team selections, Johnson is considered one of the best players in Suns’ history.

8. DeMar DeRozan To The Chicago Bulls

This deal is probably the most unique one on our list. DeMar DeRozan is most well-known for his days with the Toronto Raptors, where he and kyle Lowry shared some legendary moments as teammates North Of The Border. When DeRozan was traded to the Spurs in the deal that landed the Raptors Kawhi Leonard, he was devastated amid management telling him he was safe. His play suffered in San Antonio as they struggled to make playoff appearances and DeRozan looked like he was ready to call it quits.

When DeMar DeRozan agreed to a sign and trade that sent him to Chicago in 2021, many deemed it the worst offseason move made by any team across the NBA. How did DeRozan respond? He had an MVP-caliber season and was in the race for the award for most of the year. He averaged 27.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.9 APG to help the Bulls make the postseason. He has responded once again so far in 2022-23 as well as he is averaging 26.2 PPG through 20 games so far this season. If that isn’t a career save, then I don’t know what is.

7. Steve Smith To The Atlanta Hawks

Most fans of 90s basketball would agree that Steve Smith is one of the more underrated players of that era. When he was drafted to the Miami Heat in 1991, the organization had planned to make him a big piece of the 90s regime. Smith had a solid first few seasons, too, averaging 15.2 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG in his first 3 seasons. However, the Heat decided to move Smith during the 1995 season in exchange for Kevin Willis and a first-round draft pick. Smith was somewhat stunned by the deal, but he used it in his new city.

By the 1996-97 season, Smith became a 20.0 PPG scorer for the Hawks and was a huge part of their 56 wins that sent them to the NBA playoffs. Smith helped lead the Hawks to the playoffs5 times in 5 seasons. In 1997-98, Smith became an All-Star for the first and only time in his career. He averaged 20.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 4.0 APG that season. Smith is one of the Hawks’ best players of the 90s and still deserves far more recognition than he ever received.

6. Victor Oladipo To The Indiana Pacers

Victor Oladipo was a well-known prospect coming out of college at Indiana University. He was selected 2nd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA Draft. He spent the first 3 seasons of his career with Orlando, enjoying some solid seasons early on in his career. He then spent one season with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he disappointed mightily. Oladipo was quickly used as a piece in the trade that sent Paul George back to the Thunder and Oladipo to the Pacers.

In his first season with the Pacers, Oladipo thrived being the main guy and became an All-Star right away. In 2018, he averaged 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG and led the NBA with 2.4 SPG. The following season, Oladipo was named an All-Star once more as he averaged 18.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.7 SPG. After suffering a knee injury in 2019, Oladipo has never been the same, as he can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to his health. Those 2 special seasons in Indiana were unforgettable and definitely earns him a nod to being on this list.

5. Kyle Lowry To The Toronto Raptors

For 6 seasons, Kyle Lowry traveled around the NBA in desperate search of a home where he would feel welcomed and used to his strengths rather than to his weaknesses. He spent the first 2 and a half years of his career with the Grizzlies, where he struggled in a role off the bench. He then spent 3 and a half seasons with the Rockets, where he struggled both off the bench and as a starter. Finally, in 2012, the Rockets traded Lowry to the Raptors for a draft pick and Gary Forbes. Lowry would make them regret that decision.

In his first full season with the Raptors, Lowry exploded for over 17.0 PPG and 7.0 APG per game. Two seasons later, Lowry was a 20.0 PPG scorer, an All-Star, and leading the Raptors to 49 wins. Lowry would help the Raptors become a mainstay toward the top of the standings and a contender once they got there. He earned 5 more consecutive trips to the All-Star game and helped the Raptors win an NBA championship in 2019 alongside Kyle Lowry. He is forever a legend in the City of Toronto, and many fans consider him to be the best player in franchise history.

4. Rasheed Wallace To The Portland Trail Blazers

Many fans may forget that Rasheed Wallace changed the game of basketball forever during his early days. Due to his constant acquisition of technical fouls, Wallace changed how the NBA disciplines those who accumulate too many. A few seasons before he gained that reputation, Wallace spent his rookie season with the Washington Bullets in 1995-96. It was clear that he wasn’t in the Bullets’ future plans, even in a starting role his first year with Washington. He was traded after 1 year in town for Rod Strickland of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wallace thrived and came into his own as a member of the Trail Blazers. He would become a consistent threat on both sides of the ball and one of the game’s great enforcers. By the 1999-00 season, Wallace was an All-Star averaging over 16.0 PPG and over 1.0 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. He would earn another All-Star appearance with the Trail Blazers before moving on to Detroit in 2004. He would help them win an NBA championship and earn 2 more All-Star appearances with the Pistons.

3. Jermaine O’Neal To The Indiana Pacers

Earlier this year, we named Jermaine O’Neal the most underrated player of the 2000s for his time with the Indiana Pacers. He was as good as they get on both sides of the ball, but it wasn’t always that way. O’neal made his debut with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1996-97 season. He spent 4 years with the Trail Blazers, coming off the bench in an extremely limited role at less than 15 minutes per game. He made just 18 starts in 4 years with Portland and never got a fair shake to showcase his talent. In 2000, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Dale Davis, and his career could finally begin.

O’Neal wasted no time getting to work in Indiana as he would be an All-Star by his second season with the Pacers. He evolved into an elite defensive big while also producing over 20.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG. He helped the Pacers make the playoffs 6 times in his 8 seasons there, and for a time, they were legitimate title contenders. This was a much brighter career than riding the bench in Portland. O’Neal was blackballed in a way after his role in The Malice At The Palace brawl and, as a result, hasn’t seen the recognition he truly deserves from the league.

2. James Harden To The Houston Rockets

Let’s be clear. James Harden was on his way to being a start in one way or another before he landed with the Houston Rockets. Harden made his NBA debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10. In 2011-12, Harden would be named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and helped take the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Harden was an All-Star-caliber player and a huge part of their success, but he was never going to be a No. 1 option as long as Durant and Westbrook were in the picture.

In 2012, Harden was traded in a massive deal to the Houston Rockets, where he would end up becoming a generational superstar. Harden would become an All-Star immediately after leaving the thunder, becoming a franchise cornerstone nearly overnight. Harden went on historic scoring tears and won 3 straight scoring titles from 2018 through 2020. He won the MVP award in 2018 and had the Rockets in constant contention for the Western Conference crown. Due to his historic output with the Rockets, Harden has climbed all the way up the all-time list as one of the best shooting guards in league history.

1. Kobe Bryant To The Los Angeles Lakers

Everyone knows the story and the legend of Kobe Bryant. The young kid out of Lower Merion high school dropped to 13th in the NBA Draft in 1996. He was finally selected by the Charlotte Hornets at No. 13 and immediately could tell that the situation was not for him. Kobe claimed that then-Hornets head coach Dave Cowens told him personally that he was neither needed nor wanted in Charlotte. Bryant knew he had to get out of there and struck a relationship with Jerry West, who eventually put the move in motion to bring him to Los Angeles.

The rest is history as far as Kobe Bryant goes. He became a global icon and one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA court. From a young age, Bryant became a winner, totaling 5 NBA championships with the Lakers during his 20-year career. His accolades include 188 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA Teams, 12 All-defensive Teams, 1 MVP, 2 Finals MVPs, and 4 All-Star Game MVPs. Something tells me that Bryant doesn’t become the player he is known as today while being buried on the bench in Charlotte and told he wasn’t needed.

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