The NBA is no stranger to moves that shake the league up, especially in recent years. Over the last two seasons, we have seen league-shaking moves that have seen players like Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and so many more switch teams in massive trades. But there are a few blockbuster trades that started this trend that have had enough time to age for us to look back on them.
- Luka Doncic And Trae Young Got Traded For Each Other On Draft Night
- The Lakers Went All-In To Acquire Anthony Davis
- Clippers Traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander For Paul George
- Houston Rockets Traded Everything For Russell Westbrook
- The 76ers Hoped James Harden Would Be The Point Guard To Bring Them A Title
The big trades in the 2023 offseason had brought the aforementioned Lillard and Holiday to new teams, but there were big trades at the end of the 2010s that have already aged to give us an indicator of which team won that deal. There’s even a blockbuster trade from just a year ago that seems to have already met its end.
So, which teams managed to score some big wins in massive trades over the last few years?
Luka Doncic And Trae Young Got Traded For Each Other On Draft Night
Mavericks Receive: Luka Doncic
Hawks Receive: Trae Young, 2019 First-Round Pick (DAL)
Who won the trade: Dallas Mavericks
A trade that wasn’t considered blockbuster when it went down and looks league-altering in hindsight, the 2018 Draft saw the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks draft their future franchise cornerstones. The Hawks had the No. 3 pick in the Draft, while the Mavericks had the fifth pick. With a burning desire to make sure Luka Doncic ended up in Dallas, the Mavericks gave up their fifth pick and a protected 2019 first-round pick that ultimately became Cam Reddish for the Hawks. Even with both Young and Reddish, we can fairly say the Mavericks won that deal.
Both have reached similar levels of success over their careers so far, but Doncic’s 32.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists average in the playoffs and ability to carry a team has been proven as better than Young’s. The Hawks guard has impressive playoff averages of 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, but not nearly close to Doncic’s, making Dallas the winner of this deal.
The Lakers Went All-In To Acquire Anthony Davis
Lakers Receive: Anthony Davis
Pelicans Receive: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, 2019 No. 4 Overall Pick (LAL), 2021 Top-8 Protected First-Round Pick (LAL), 2023 First-Round Pick Swap (LAL), 2024 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2025 First-Round Pick Swap (LAL)
Who won the trade: Los Angeles Lakers
The win-now trade that changed the NBA more than anything in recent years was the Lakers trading out their core of fantastic young talent and six years’ worth of picks for Anthony Davis. Davis was entering his prime after seven disappointing seasons with the Pelicans, yearning for a chance to compete at the highest level which he got with this trade. He made the most of the opportunity as well, winning a title in his first season with the Lakers in 2019/20.
The Pelicans would’ve been winners of this trade, but their future hasn’t been as bright as many expected. The only player still on the team from the deal is Brandon Ingram, who is All-Star caliber but hasn’t even made it to the second round so far. Lonzo and Hart left the squad within two years of joining up and the Pelicans haven’t gotten any great return from the acquired draft picks as well. It’s clear that the one title for the Lakers in 2020 made this deal worth whatever they paid, especially given the trade their cross-town rivals made.
Clippers Traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander For Paul George
Clippers Receive: Paul George
Thunder Receive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, 2021 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2022 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2023 Protected First-Round Pick (MIA), 2023 First-Round Pick Swap (LAC), 2024 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2025 First-Round Pick Swap (LAC), 2026 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Who won the trade: Oklahoma City Thunder
This may be the most one-sided win for a franchise as it can get. The Clippers needed to land Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2019 to make sure he didn’t join the Lakers. They did so by giving up a total of seven first-round picks, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, to acquire Paul George after an MVP-caliber season from the then-Thunder forward. Unfortunately, this trade wouldn’t work out for the Clippers.
As of 2023, the Clippers haven’t even made it to the NBA Finals with their superstar duo of George and Leonard. Meanwhile, the player they gave up in the deal is an All-NBA First Team talent who is expected to be in MVP conversations this season. The Thunder haven’t been as successful, but that was by design and to ensure Shai could develop into the superstar point guard we see today. With the lack of success coupled with the Clippers ultimately giving up the best player in the deal as well, there’s no way the Thunder won’t win this trade in a landslide.
Houston Rockets Traded Everything For Russell Westbrook
Rockets Receive: Russell Westbrook
Thunder Receive: Chris Paul, 2021 First-Round Pick Swap (HOU), 2024 Top-4 Protected First-Round Pick (HOU), 2025 First-Round Pick Swap (HOU), 2026 Top-4 Protected First-Round Pick (HOU)
Who won the trade: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Houston Rockets really wanted to maximize the James Harden era, and after Harden and Chris Paul’s relationship fell apart in 2019, they decided to move heaven and earth to get Russell Westbrook. The Thunder had already traded George at this point, so Westbrook was an inevitable piece that was going to fall. Despite that, Sam Presti squeezed every drop of value he could with a former MVP headed for a decline.
The Rockets gave up Chris Paul, who would lead a tanking Thunder squad to the playoffs and push James Harden’s Rockets to seven games in their eventual first-round matchup. Not only did they get the picks the Rockets sent them, they also traded Westbrook at the perfect time. Westbrook started to sharply decline after February 2020 and was traded after a disappointing playoff run in the Bubble. In one season, the Rockets traded him for nothing before beginning their tank.
The 76ers Hoped James Harden Would Be The Point Guard To Bring Them A Title
76ers Receive: James Harden, Paul Millsap
Nets Receive: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, 2022 First-Round Pick (PHI), 2027 Top-8 Protected First-Round Pick (HOU)
Who won the trade: Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets capitalized in 2021 when a disgruntled James Harden forced his way out of the Houston Rockets. However, they would fall victim to the exact same tactics from James Harden, as he forced the franchise to deal him to the Philadelphia 76ers just one year later. Even with the Nets taking on a confidence-less Ben Simmons, the Nets may be in the process of winning this trade with the other assets they have.
The Nets wanted to win at the time and prioritized win-now players like Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. Their roster ultimately fell apart, but the return they got for Harden, who’s now doing the same thing to the 76ers, is mindblowing in retrospect. Simmons looks to be on the mend and has shown flashes of the All-NBA player he used to be. The 2022 pick has already added a core piece for the Nets’ future in Dariq Whitehead and the 76ers are about to lose Harden either for nothing next summer or for a deflated trade price sometime this season. If this leads to the end of the Joel Embiid era, this has to be a big loss for the Nets.
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