Every NBA Team’s Biggest Mistake Since 2000

For NBA teams, many can be remembered for their failures as much as they can be for their success. It isn’t too far-fetched to say that some NBA teams are remembered more for where they came up short than where they have succeeded. Over the last 24-plus seasons, every NBA team has made at least one mistake within their front office that has haunted them and will continue to haunt them for years to come.

From draft day selections that never panned out to rich contracts given out to players that didn’t live up to them, every NBA team has had at least one decision come back to haunt them since 2000. Today, we will break down every NBA team’s biggest mistake on a front-office level and the repercussions facing that franchise as a result. You will see that no team is exempt or can proclaim to have been perfect over the last 24-plus seasons.

This is every NBA team’s biggest mistake since 2000.

Atlanta Hawks – Drafting Marvin Williams Over Two Franchise Point Guards In 2005

In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks were in a prime position to draft their next franchise superstar. In possession of the second overall pick, the Hawks had their chance to add to their already talented roster which included Joe Johnson, Al Harrington, and Josh Smith. That is why many were perplexed when the Hawks decided on forward Marvin Williams over the likes of point guards Deron Williams (3rd pick) and Chris Paul (5th pick).

Marvin Williams would go on to have a decent career with the Hawks, spanning seven seasons averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He would even go on to play nine more seasons following his stint in Atlanta, finishing his career with averages of 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. While Williams’ numbers were solid, they were not worthy of a second overall selection.

Following Williams, the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets had two generational point guards fall into their laps. The Jazz were lucky enough to have three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team selection Deron Williams fall to them while future Hall of Famer Chris Paul went fourth to New Orleans. Paul has gone on to have one of the greatest careers for a point guard in NBA history with 12 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA Team selections, and nine All-Defensive Team selections. Rather than a star at point guard to run the show, Atlanta opted for a logjam at forward which ended up being the missing piece they needed for the rest of the 2000s and 2010s.

Boston Celtics – Drafting MarShon Brooks Over Jimmy Butler In 2011

The 2011 NBA Draft featured elite NBA talent such as Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, and Nikola Vucevic all being taken within the top 16 selections. With their success from the 2010-11 season, the Celtics missed an opportunity to select any of these franchise-altering stars. Little did they know that with the 25th overall pick, they had a chance but missed on another one.

With that 25th pick, the Celtics opted to go with MarShon Brooks of Providence College. The Celtics would then flip Brooks for JaJuan Johnson with the Nets. Johnson would end up playing 36 games for the Celtics that season, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Following the season, Johnson would be released and never play another minute in the NBA.

Meanwhile, a lesser-known guard/forward out of Marquette named Jimmy Butler would be taken with the 30th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. Instead of pairing Butler with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, he went on to become one of the better two-way players in the NBA over the last decade with six All-Star selections and five All-NBA Team selections. Butler has even led the Miami Heat to two different NBA Finals appearances in the last four years since 2020. There is no doubt that he could have been the missing piece to at least one more NBA title in Boston.

Brooklyn Nets – Trading For Paul Pierce And Kevin Garnett In 2013

In 2013, the Brooklyn Nets were under new ownership and desperate to make a splash with their already talented roster including Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez. In an absolutely stacked deal, the Nets would acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry in exchange for MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, and four first-round draft picks.

At any other point in their careers, acquiring Pierce, Garnett, and Terry would have been a genius move applauded by other executives around the NBA. This time, it would prove to nearly destroy the Nets from the inside out. Pierce and Garnett would each play just one season of mediocre basketball in Brooklyn while the Celtics turned the draft picks they acquired into a perennial powerhouse.

The Celtics turned their 2016 pick into Jaylen Brown and later flipped their 2017 pick into Jayson Tatum, one of the best duos in the game today. This duo has helped lead the Celtics to four appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and one trip to the NBA Finals. For a team yet to capture an NBA championship, this mistake still haunts them to this day and the dark clouds that lingered over the team have only recently begun to clear.

Charlotte Hornets – Drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Over Damian Lillard In 2012

Coming off a season in which they won just seven games out of 66, the Charlotte Bobcats helped the second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. With this pick, they decided on forward Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, a highly touted forward from the University of Kentucky. Kidd-Gilchrist would go on to play eight seasons for Charlotte, averaging just 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Little did Charlotte know they could have had one of the game’s best backcourts if they just went with electric point guard Damian Lillard from the University of Washington who ended up going sixth to the Portland Trail Blazers. A duo of Lillard and Kemba Walker would have been deadly for the rest of the league as Lillard went on to have a Top 75 career as one of the game’s greatest three-point shooting point guards ever with seven All-Star selections and seven All-NBA Team selections to his name.

As the GOAT of the Portland Trail Blazers, a selection to the Hornets could have been former owner Michael Jordan’s greatest draft pick. Instead, Kidd-Gilchrist is just another reminder of his shortcomings in ownership and player evaluation.

Chicago Bulls – Trading LaMarcus Aldridge For Tyrus Thomas In 2006

The 2006 NBA Draft was a mind-bending draft class all the way around. After the Raptors opted to take Andrea Bargnani with the first overall selection, the Chicago Bulls were on the clock. With the pick, they would take talented forward LaMarcus Aldridge as the future star of their franchise. Inexplicably, the Bulls would then trade Aldridge to Portland in exchange for Tyrus Thomas out of LSU, a deal that would backfire tremendously.

Thomas would go on to play three and a half lackluster seasons with the Bulls. During this time, he would average just 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 45.2% shooting. Aldridge would go on to have a career on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. With 19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game for his career, Aldridge could be heading for the Basketball Hall of Fame earning seven All-Star selections and five All-NBA Team selections over 16 seasons in the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Selecting Anthony Bennett First Overall In 2013

In the current days of the NBA, when people hear the name Anthony Bennett, they think of one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. After losing LeBron James in free agency in 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers were desperate to land their next franchise star to pair with point guard Kyrie Irving and build toward the future.

Instead, they drafted Bennett first overall in 2013, making their biggest mistake of the last 25 years. Bennett would appear in 52 games off the bench for Cleveland in 2013-14, averaging 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Not exactly the production any team seeks from a first-overall pick. Bennett would go on to play four seasons with four different teams before heading overseas to continue his career.

Behind Bennett in the 2013 draft were plenty of other stars who could have helped the Cavaliers reach their championship goals sooner than they did in 2016. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most glaring pick they missed on who became a two-time MVP and a championship centerpiece for the Bucks. Other potential stars the Cavaliers missed on were Rudy Gobert, CJ McCollum, and Victor Oladipo. All of these players would have been a massive upgrade over what they received from Bennett.

Dallas Mavericks – Failing To Match The Phoenix Suns For Steve Nash In 2004

Before 2004, the Dallas Mavericks were steadily approaching championship status built around a Big 3 of Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, and point guard Steve Nash. From 1999 through 2004 with the Mavericks, Steve Nash averaged 14.6 points and 7.2 assists per game for a Mavericks team on the cusp of getting over the championship hump.

That is why when Nash entered free agency in 2004, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Mavericks were going to re-sign their floor general. However, the Phoenix Suns entered into the conversation and swooped in to offer Nash $20 million more than Dallas was willing to part with. On top of that, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban questioned Nash’s durability as he was turning 30 years old.

Nash agreed to join the Suns and the rest is history. The Suns would have one of the most potent offenses in basketball while Nash claimed back-to-back MVP awards in 2016 and 2007. It all worked out in the end for Dallas, who won their first championship in 2011 while the Suns failed to even reach the NBA Finals. However, more than one title was probably in the future for Dallas had they gambled and paid Nash what he inevitably was worth in 2004.

Denver Nuggets – Trading Donovan Mitchell For Trey Lyles In 2017

The Denver Nuggets held the 13th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft which they eventually decided to use on talented shooting guard Donovan Mitchell out of Louisville. In a surprise move, the Nuggets would immediately send Mitchell to the Utah Jazz in exchange for power forward Trey Lyles who was the 12th pick in the draft two years prior.

Lyles would last just two seasons in Denver, averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Lyles has yet to appear in a game in 2023-24 after playing 74 games for the Kings in 2022-23. Meanwhile, Mitchell is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA these days as a consistent 30-point threat and incredible three-level scorer. He is a four-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA Team selection.

Could you imagine a championship core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Donovan Mitchell?

Detroit Pistons – Drafting Darko Milicic Over Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, And Chris Bosh In 2003

The 2003 NBA Draft class is widely considered one of the greatest draft classes in NBA history. With LeBron James the consensus number-one selection to Cleveland, all eyes were on Detroit with the second pick. They decided on Serbian big man Dark Milicic with the pick, overlooking the plethora of Hall of Famer talent that followed.

Of course, the deal did not affect Detroit in the short term as they went on to win an NBA championship later that same season. Milicic had very little to do with that run, however, with 34 games played off the bench averaging 1.4 points per game. Detroit probably doesn’t make a trade for Rasheed Wallace during the 2004 season either if the Milicic pick works out in their favor.

The Hall of Fame talent I speak of being taken after Milicic includes Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Two of these players went on to become NBA champions in Wade and Bosh while Anthony went on to become a top-10 scorer in NBA history. Any one of these three players could have meant a dynastic run for the Pistons during the mid-2000s but instead, they ended up trading Milicic two seasons after taking him second overall.

Golden State Warriors – Chasing Kevin Durant Out Of Town In 2019

After an epic collapse in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors made one of the biggest moves of the last 20 years, signing Kevin Durant to form one of the most dynamic teams ever assembled. Durant would help lead the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018 before an Achilles injury took him out in the 2019 Finals as they sought a three-peat.

Earlier in the 2018-19 season, an altercation between Durant and teammate Draymond Green sealed the Warriors’ fate following the season. According to reports, Green told Durant that the Warriors didn’t need him and that he should leave when his deal was up at the end of the year. With no support from his teammates or coaches, Durant did just that and left to join the Brooklyn Nets. It would be four years before the Warriors won another NBA championship.

Even with Durant’s Achilles injury, the Warriors would have been much better off with Durant than not. Both Durant and the Warriors know that hindsight is 2020 as his and the team’s legacies would be far different today had he remained in Golden State. Now, in 2023-24, the two are Western Conference rivals as Durant heads into his first full season as a member of the Phoenix Suns seeking his first championship since leaving the Warriors.

Houston Rockets – Drafting Marcus Morris Over Kawhi Leonard In 2011

During the early 2010s, the Houston Rockets were still feeling the effects of a failed star-studded squad featuring Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. With Yao still hanging on by a thread and McGrady long gone via trade, the Rockets needed to make a move during the 2011 draft to turn their franchise around.

The team decided to go with forward Marcus Morris out of Kansas coming off a solid college career. Unfortunately, Morris was not the star that the Rockets had hoped he would be and was traded out of town after just 71 games. Just one pick after Houston, Kawhi Leonard was taken by the Indiana Pacers and traded to the San Antonio Spurs.

As opposed to Morris, Leonard went on to become a star, leading two franchises to NBA championships with two Finals MVP awards, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the title of the best two-way player in the NBA for a period of time. Leonard could have been the star to lead the franchise onto the future and perhaps their first NBA championship since 1995. Instead, Houston still seeks that championship even after years of coming close being led by James Harden.

Indiana Pacers – Trading Kawhi Leonard For George Hill In 2011

Not so fast, Indiana. You do not just get off the hook for your decision to trade Kawhi Leonard on draft night in 2011. With the 15th overall pick in 2011, the Pacers had Leonard signed, sealed, and delivered. Instead, they wound up dealing him to San Antonio, pretty much handing the Spurs a chance at another dynasty while the Pacers fell short of a championship goal on multiple occasions.

While Paul George eventually led the Pacers to the Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014, Leonard could have been the piece that held LeBron James at bay in those series and put Indiana over the top as an NBA champion. Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP since that night while Hill was a journeyman guard and the Pacers have yet to appear in any NBA Finals since the 2000 season.

Los Angeles Clippers – Trading Baron Davis For Mo Williams And Jamario Moon In 2011

The Los Angeles Clippers are known for making panic moves to please their fanbase over the years. Perhaps none have had the effect that the deal to move off of Baron Davis’ big contract in 2011 had over the years. Owed $28.8 million over two seasons, Davis was dealt to the Cavaliers along with an unprotected first-round pick in the 2011 draft, receiving the Cavaliers’ pick in that same draft as well as Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, the Cavaliers’ pick would fall to fourth in the NBA Draft while the Clippers’ original pick, now belonging to Cleveland, gave them the first overall pick and Kyrie Irving. Instead of a core of Irving, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers ended up trading for Chris Paul, a move that also never resulted in a championship despite the potential. Irving, on the other hand, went on to win an NBA title with the Cavaliers in 2016.

Los Angeles Lakers – Drafting Lonzo Ball Over Jayson Tatum In 2017

As one of two teams in NBA history with 17 NBA championships, the Los Angeles Lakers are not known for their mistakes in the NBA Draft. In 2017, however, they made a decision that is still burning them to this day and has robbed them of years of dominance atop the NBA. After the 76ers traded up with the Boston Celtics to draft Markelle Fultz first overall, the Lakers used their second overall pick on Lonzo Ball.

Ball had tremendous potential and the buzz around his arrival in Los Angeles was tremendous. Unfortunately, injuries and underperformance plagued Ball and he would be shipped out in 2019 in the trade package that sent Anthony Davis to the purple and gold. With the third pick in the draft, the Celtics had Jayson Tatum fall into their laps, a fortune I am sure they thank the basketball Gods for every day.

Tatum has become one of the best young players in the NBA over the last seven seasons, helping the Celtics become a perennial championship contender. To add insult to injury, drafting Tatum could have led to a Big 3 of Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James if the Lakers were able to hold onto Tatum in any deal for Davis. This Big 3 would have three, maybe four championships by now. While the Lakers did win one in 2020, it has been a struggle ever since, something that would not be the case if Jayson Tatum had been there to hit the court.

Memphis Grizzlies – Drafting Hasheem Thabeet Second Overall In 2009

During the 2000s, the Memphis Grizzlies were applauded for getting the best out of their players and building a gritty and tough team that eventually was a Conference Finalist in 2013. However, in 2009, the Grizzlies had a chance to draft their first true franchise star in some time, holding the second overall pick in the NBA Draft.

With that pick, the Grizzlies decided on 7’3’’ big man Hasheem Thabeet out of UConn. Although expectations were high for Thabeet, the Tanzanian native would disappoint big time in the NBA. He lasted just one and a half seasons in Memphis, averaging 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Thabeet would last a total of six seasons with four teams in the NBA.

Behind Thabeet were multiple franchise-changing talents who could have been the face of the Grizzlies for years to come. Stephen Curry is the biggest miss by Memphis as the greatest shooter in NBA history, a two-time MVP, four-time NBA champion, and one-time Finals MVP. Other players they missed include James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, and Jrue Holiday. Any one of these former All-Stars would have been a much more rewarding choice than Thabeet for their franchise.

Miami Heat – Drafting Michael Beasley Over Russell Westbrook And Kevin Love In 2008

In 2008, the Miami Heat were just two years removed from their first championship in team history. They held the second overall pick in the NBA Draft which they then used on the Naismith Player of the Year, Michael Beasley. At the time, it was the clear best pick they could make to immediately improve their team based on Beasley’s talent alone. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way for Miami, or Beasley.

Beasley would play just two seasons for the Heat in 2009 and 2010, averaging 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 46.1% shooting. Beasley would take three seasons split with the Timberwolves and Suns before returning to Miami in 2014 and 2015. Beasley would play his final game in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, finishing with career averages of 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

While Miami wasted their second pick on Beasley in 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves hit home runs with their selections just after that. Russell Westbrook would go on to become a triple-double machine and MVP with the Thunder while Love became an All-Star and eventually, an NBA champion with the Timberwolves and Cavaliers. Either one would have made a significantly better co-star alongside Dwyane Wade at the time, perhaps leading to more than one championship in the pre-LeBron era of Heat basketball.

Milwaukee Bucks – Drafting Jabari Parker Over Joel Embiid In 2014

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Milwaukee Bucks were seeking to get back to their days of consistent contention following a disappointing stretch of play. Although they didn’t know it at the time, the Bucks already had their next franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster from the 2013 NBA Draft. In 2014, they nearly created the greatest frontcourt in modern NBA history. They just made the wrong choice.

In the 2014 NBA Draft, and armed with the second overall pick, the Bucks landed on Duke University standout Jabari Parker as their choice. Parker had potential but injuries and inconsistency would be his downfall. In four seasons with the Bucks to start his career, Parker averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. However, he would play over 55 games just once as his knees and lower body began to fail him. He would remain in the NBA through 2021-22 but never quite live up to the hype as a second-overall pick.

With the third pick, the 76ers decided to go with Joel Embiid. After fighting off injuries of his own, Embiid slowly became one of the best big men in the league. In 2023-14, Embiid is coming off his first MVP season and second straight scoring title. He has made six All-Star teams, five All-NBA Teams, and three All-Defensive Teams up to this point as well. Now, could you imagine if all of this came to fruition while Antetokounmpo was also transforming into the best player in the world? Yeah, the Bucks truly missed out on a dynasty by selecting Parker over Embiid.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Selecting Ricky Rubio And Jonny Flynn Over Stephen Curry In 2009

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a long and murky history when it comes to mistakes during the NBA Draft. None of these mistakes hit harder or had more of a lasting effect on their franchise than the double-dose of mistakes they made in 2009. The Timberwolves were in the driver’s seat in 2009, holding both the fifth and sixth overall picks in that year’s draft. Desperate for their next great point guard, the Timberwolves took not one but two point guards with those picks and still ended up making the worst mistake in franchise history.

Their first selection was Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick who wound up going back to Spain for two seasons before joining the team in 2011-12. Rubio would be decent for seven seasons with Minnesota upon his return, averaging 10.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 2.0 steals in his time with the franchise. With the sixth pick, they chose Jonny Flynn out of Syracuse who wound up being a disaster, playing just three seasons in the NBA before joining pro leagues in Australia, Italy, and China in the mid-2010s.

With the seventh overall pick, the Warriors would have the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history fall into their laps, and eventually, a dynasty was born. Stephen Curry has been at the forefront of four NBA championships for the Warriors since 2015 with two MVP seasons, one Finals MVP, and almost every three-point record imaginable. Now, there is no way of telling if Curry leads the Timberwolves to an NBA title or not. One thing is for certain, they would have had a much better chance with Curry over Rubio and Flynn.

New Orleans Pelicans – Drafting Nerlens Noel Over Giannis Antetokounmpo In 2013

To be completely fair, 14 teams missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2013 NBA Draft, and in all honesty, it could be considered their team’s biggest mistake since 2000. However, for the Pelicans, this was a chance to form one of the most unstoppable frontcourts ever just like Milwaukee could have if they had taken Joel Embiid over Jabari Parker.

In 2013, Nerlens Noel was one of the top prospects in the NBA Draft after a stellar college career at the University of Kentucky. The Pelicans would take him with their sixth overall pick in the draft that season but deal him just two weeks later for Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson. Holiday would be for the Pelicans for seven seasons, averaging 17.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. However, New Orleans missed a chance to bring together two of the best frontcourt players in the NBA today.

With Anthony Davis already becoming a nightmare for opponents in New Orleans, the Pelicans missed on the chance to pair Giannis Antetokounmpo with him in their frontcourt. The duo of Davis and Antetokounmpo would have taken time to develop but ultimately, they would have been the perfect championship core. Two frontcourt players who dominated the glass and played defense at an elite level would have been impossible for the rest of the NBA to deal with. Who knows? The pair probably could have delivered the first title in franchise history to New Orleans.

New York Knicks – Trading For Andrea Bargnani In 2013

The list of things the New York Knicks have done right since 2000 is much shorter than the list of things they have done wrong. Their worst mistake since 2000 involves a former No. 1 overall pick who by the end of his days in New York, was loathed by fans and media alike for his lack of effort and extremely poor decision-making.

Andrea Bargnani’s time in New York may look good on paper with 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game but the amount they gave up to get him in 2013 did not match what he produced on the court. The Knicks sent Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, Quentin Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2014 and 2017 to Toronto for Bargnani, a decision that was not among their brightest.

Even if you wanted to excuse the move for him by the Knicks, a 2016 first-round pick included in the deal just cannot be justified. Toward the end of his tenure in New York, Bargnani had gone from a sign of hope for New York fans to the most hated man in the city and left town for the rival Brooklyn Nets via free agency. He was waived six months later. 

Oklahoma City Thunder – Trading James Harden Following The 2012 Season

Coming off a 2012 season that saw the team reach the Finals for the first time under the Thunder nickname, Oklahoma City had some tough decisions to make regarding their players and coaching staff that offseason. One of the players that had to be dealt with was James Harden, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year.

The Thunder offered Harden an extension of four years and $55 million, just $5 million shy of a max deal at the time. Harden soon rejected the offer which prompted the Thunder to trade him to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and three draft picks. Of course, Harden went on to thrive in Houston, becoming a three-time scoring champ and MVP. Meanwhile, the Thunder still haven’t been back to the NBA Finals since 2012 and have lost both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook along the way.

By failing to keep their championship trio intact, the Thunder robbed all NBA fans of what could have been for years to come. Would it have been a dynasty? That is too hard to tell. Would it have resulted in an NBA championship? That is almost a certainty at this point.

Orlando Magic – Trading Away Dwight Howard In 2012

During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Orlando Magic were regularly seen as a serious contender in the Eastern Conference thanks to one man, Dwight Howard. As a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard led the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance in 2009 and some of their best seasons in franchise history from 2005 through 2011.

Unfortunately, Howard got tired of Orlando’s approach to building around him from the coaching staff to the lackluster support he was getting from teammates. He soon requested a trade and went on to have a decent career with the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, and Wizards but never really returned to the player he once was in Orlando.

I am not saying the Magic should have catered to Howard’s every need but anything to keep their franchise player in town would have sufficed. At this time in the NBA, having an elite big man who played both sides of the ball at an elite level would have kept the Magic in contention for a possible championship. What followed Howard’s departure was rebuild after rebuild and heartbreak. Luckily, it finally seems to all be turning around for the Magic in 2023-24.

Philadelphia 76ers – Trading Up To Draft Markelle Fultz In 2017

In 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers were in the throes of what they labeled “The Process” which involved tanking regular season games to continuously build through the NBA Draft. There were some hits through this strategy and some significant misses that have set them back and have not allowed them to reach past the second round of the NBA playoffs. In 2017, their biggest mistake came to fruition when they decided to deal their No. 3 overall pick along with a 2019 first-round pick to the Celtics in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick.

With that pick, the 76ers landed on Markelle Fultz who was the consensus No. 1 pick at that point and someone the Sixers had their eyes on for quite some time. However, the pick would haunt them for years with Fultz averaging 7.7 points and 3.4 assists per game in two seasons with the team. With the Lakers set on taking Lonzo Ball with the second pick, the Celtics had Jayson Tatum fall into their laps.

Tatum has gone on to become the face of the Celtics franchise, helping lead them to four Conference Finals appearances and an NBA Finals appearance since being drafted in 2017. If the 76ers had just stayed put, a duo of him and Joel Embiid could have been a championship core by this time. Instead, the 76ers are still looking to get past the second round of the playoffs since Embiid’s NBA debut.

Phoenix Suns – Drafting Deandre Ayton Over Luka Doncic In 2018

In 2018, the Phoenix Suns were in possession of the coveted No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. With their sights set on big man Deandre Ayton out of Arizona, the Suns made the selection with confidence and the belief that Ayton, along with Devin Booker, could help carry the team into the future.

While Ayton and the Suns nearly made that belief a reality in the 2021 NBA Finals, a superstar taken three picks after Ayton emerged before our eyes in Dallas. Luka Doncic became a superstar overnight in Dallas with his innate ability to control a game and put up elite numbers while raising the expectations for his team around him with every passing night on the court. Clashes with coaches and teammates eventually saw Ayton traded in Summer 2023 while Doncic continues to be an MVP-caliber player leading the Mavericks.

The Suns have done a tremendous job in building a new core consisting of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant. With Luka Doncic in the mix, something tells me they would already be NBA champions chasing more in 2023-24.

Portland Trail Blazers – Drafting Greg Oden Over Kevin Durant in 2008

The Portland Trail Blazers are another franchise with their fair share of draft mistakes in their team’s history. None of them affected their franchise quite like the one they made in the 2008 NBA Draft. With the first overall pick in 2008, Portland decided to take 7’0’’ big man out of Ohio State, Greg Oden.

Oden would be a major disappointment in Portland thanks to injuries. From 2008 through 2013, Oden played a total of 82 games in six seasons. This left Portland reeling considering they could have been real championship hopefuls with Damian Lillard, Brandon Roy, and LaMarcus Aldridge all with the team at the time. What also could have made them championship hopefuls is the player who went second overall in 2008, Kevin Durant.

Durant would go on to become one of the top players in the NBA as a four-time scoring champ and an MVP with the Thunder. He then went on to win two NBA titles with two Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018 with Golden State. With Durant in their lineup, the Trail Blazers could have been the premier team in the Western Conference for years to come. Instead, they still seek their first NBA Finals appearance since the 1992 season.

Sacramento Kings – Drafting Thomas Robinson Over Damian Lillard In 2012

The Sacramento Kings are a team with some of the worst luck in the NBA since 2000. From 2006 through 2022, the Kings went 17 straight seasons without reaching the NBA playoffs until they broke the streak in 2022-23. One of the many decisions, and their worst one, came in the 2012 NBA Draft when they selected forward Thomas Robinson with the fifth overall pick.

Robinson would last just 51 games with the Kings, averaging 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. By the end of 2016-17 with the Lakers, Robinson would be out of the NBA for good. Meanwhile, with the sixth overall pick, the Portland Trail Blazers would not only land the Rookie of the Year for 2012-13 but their next franchise cornerstone, Damian Lillard. Now, it is unknown if Lillard could have changed the Kings’ fortunes but it sure would have been easier.

Lillard has gone on to become a top 75 player in NBA history and one of the greatest three-point shooters ever while leading the Trail Blazers for 11 seasons through the 2022-23 year. This easily can be considered the Kings’ biggest mistake since 2000 as they would struggle to find their franchise player for another decade while Lillard led lackluster rosters to Conference Finals appearances.

San Antonio Spurs – Trading Kawhi Leonard In 2018

As a team with four NBA championships since 2000, the mistakes made by the San Antonio Spurs are very few and far between. In the 2010s, they were being led by two-way superstar Kawhi Leonard who looked to be their cornerstone of the future after the days of the Tim Duncan/Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili dynasty were over.

In 2016, Leonard suffered an ankle injury during the NBA playoffs that seemed to linger on forever. As frustrations grew between the team and Leonard himself, the relationship became irreparable to the point that Leonard would be traded to Toronto in 2018. That same season he was traded, Leonard would lead the Raptors to their first championship in team history while the Spurs have yet to be back to even the Conference Finals since.

You would think that a team with leadership and tradition such as the Spurs could have kept a player like Leonard in town. However, the damage had been done and the Spurs have felt its effects ever since. A mistake may be an understatement in how they failed to keep a generational talent for the entirety of his career just as they had with their previous franchise stars.

Toronto Raptors – Trading Vince Carter In 2005

During the early 2000s, Vince Carter reached peak superstardom with the Toronto Raptors. His ridiculous athleticism and overall performance on the court made him one of the game’s biggest stars in the league at the time and Toronto was fortunate enough to have him. Despite Carter’s meteoric rise, the Raptors struggled as a team.

In 2004-05, they made the difficult decision to trade Carter to the Nets where he continued to thrive as an All-Star alongside Jason Kidd. The Raptors fell further into mediocrity for the majority of the next 10 seasons. While the prospect of Carter and Chris Bosh forming an all-time great duo was nice, it was the return for Carter that was even more disappointing.

The Nets sent Toronto Alonzo Mourning who never even reported to the team as well as Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and first-round draft picks that amounted to nothing for their team. Even if the duo of Bosh and Carter doesn’t move you, a better return for one of the league’s biggest stars should have at least been in the cards.

Utah Jazz – Drafting Trey Lyles Over Devin Booker In 2015

The Utah Jazz are one of the few teams in NBA history who have yet to win an NBA championship in their franchise’s history. Whether it be a lack of interest in free agents wanting to play in Utah or failure to build through the NBA draft and trades, the Jazz have not been championship-relevant since the late 90s in the days of Stockton and Malone.

Looking back, one of their worst mistakes came in 2015 during the NBA Draft. The Jazz held the 12th overall pick and decided on power forward Trey Lyles out of Kentucky. While Lyles was viewed as NBA-ready, he proved that to not be the case at the time, averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in two seasons with the Jazz in 2016 and 2017.

Little did Utah know, the better NBA talent from the same school was still sitting there in Devin Booker. Over the last eight seasons, Booker has evolved into one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA and the consensus best shooting guard in the league right now. At worst, injuries prevent him from being an All-Star. At his best, he has been an elite three-level scorer averaging over 28.0 points per game and helping lead his team to the NBA Finals. I guess it wasn’t all bad considering how we saw it pan out with Donovan Mitchell just a few seasons later.

Washington Wizards – Gilbert Arenas’ $111 Million Contract

During the mid to late 2000s, Gilbert Arenas had begun his rise to superstardom as an elite scorer and clutch player for the Washington Wizards. Due to his three All-Star and All-NBA seasons, Arenas was going to command big money in free agency, and rightfully so. Arenas even took a cut so Washington could afford to bring in Antawn Jamison but it would still cost the Wizards $111 million over six years to retain Arenas.

The deal ended up backfiring in a big way. Arenas’s body began to betray him with injury after injury. His ego also got in the way as he received one of the longest suspensions in NBA history after pulling a gun on a teammate at the team’s practice facility following an argument they had on the team plane previously. In four seasons with the Wizards after the deal, Arenas would play just 121 games. The Wizards were handcuffed to the deal for some time and missed out on building their team due to the money spent on Arenas. It was easily their biggest mistake since 2000.