Where Nets Coup Would Rank All-Time If They Nab Dwight Howard and Deron Williams

The old cliché in sports, “defense wins championships," should be changed to “offseason acquisitions win championships” in the NBA.

Throughout the history of the league, owners and GMs' shrewd summer moves have netted players that resulted in numerous championships for many franchises.

It seems that Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and GM Billy King are subscribing to this school of thought and have major plans to upgrade their roster in anticipation of next season.

The organization has already inked Gerald Wallace to a new contract and traded for Joe Johnson, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

If the franchise can swing a deal for Dwight Howard and convince Deron Williams to re-sign, would it be considered one of the best offseasons of all time?

Let’s open the history books and take a look.

No. 8: Houston Rockets Wind Up with Moses Malone (1976)

What Happened

When the ABA broke up in 1976, Malone’s Spirits of St. Louis team was not one of the fortunate ones to be merged with the NBA. He was entered into the ABA dispersal draft and the Portland Trail Blazers selected him No. 5 overall.

The 21-year-old Malone was then flipped to the Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers) for a 1977 first-round pick, which turned out to be Gail Goodrich.

In an even stranger turn of events, Moses was sent packing to Houston in exchange for two first-rounders from the Rockets after just six days.

The Result

Malone turned his career around in H-Town, winning the 1979 and 1982 MVP awards while leading his new team to the Finals in ’81. He jumped ship to the 76ers and won a championship and second straight MVP award in ’83.

No. 7: Brooklyn Nets Nab Dwight Howard and Deron Williams (2012?)

What Happened

With the Miami Heat becoming the most dominant team in the NBA, the Nets looked as if they had little hope to compete after failing to swing any major deals during the draft.

However, GM Billy King continued to work the phone lines and eventually found a way to acquire All-Star guard Joe Johnson and reached an agreement with Gerald Wallace, who had opted out of his contract.

Now, he is tasked with finding a suitable trade for D12 and convincing D-Will to stick around for the franchise’s first season in Brooklyn.

The Result

If King can pull these drastic moves off, it’s possible that the Nets and Heat will be battling for supremacy in the conference, and could be winners of many titles over the next few seasons. 

No. 6: Boston Celtics Form Big Three (2007)

What Happened

The Boston Celtics had absolutely no luck in the 2007 lottery, in which they had their sights set on Texas swingman Kevin Durant. They had the league’s second-worst record, but drew the No. 5 pick.

GM Danny Ainge didn’t let that discourage him and ended up flipping that first-rounder, plus Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the then-Seattle SuperSonics for Ray Allen and a second-rounder that became Glen “Big Baby" Davis.

Ainge wasn’t near done, as he called up his old teammate, then-Minnesota Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale, and negotiated a deal that sent Kevin Garnett to Beantown in exchange for Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and the rights to swap 2009 first-round picks.

The Result

Boston cruised through the regular season and the Big Three quickly built a rapport. They won a championship in 2008 and made it back to the Finals in 2010. The core of Allen, KG, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo almost made it back to a third Finals in 2012, but were thwarted in a tough seven-game series against the Miami Heat. 

No. 5: Boston Celtics Swindle Warriors for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale (1980)

What Happened

The Boston Celtics' original “Big Three” formed when Red Auerbach had a stroke of genius. He decided to swap the No. 1 and No. 13 overall picks in the 1980 draft with Golden State for established center Robert Parish and then used the No. 3 pick his team received in the deal on low-post superstar Kevin McHale.

The Warriors received Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown in the lopsided trade.

The Result

When Red paired these two big men with Larry Bird, they formed one of the best front lines in the history of organized basketball. The 1980s Celtics would go on to win championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986, while coming up short in the ’85 and ’87 Finals.

No. 4: Miami Heat Score LeBron James and Chris Bosh (2010)

What Happened

The 2010 free-agent class was one of the most hotly anticipated in NBA history. King James and Chris Bosh were the two crown jewels, and it seemed that every team was hording cap space for a chance to recruit one of them onto their rosters.

However, Dwyane Wade teamed up with Pat Riley to sway both of these superstars to South Beach with the promise of glory and titles.

The Result

After failing to overcome the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals, Miami came back motivated and destroyed the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games during the 2012 championship series.

This is the first of numerous banners that the “Three Kings” will have a chance to raise in American Airlines Arena. They are young, healthy and at the top of their game. It’s easily the most fearsome team in the modern league, and it doesn’t look like anyone has a chance to stop them.

No. 3: Chicago Bulls Steal Scottie Pippen (1987)

What Happened

The Chicago Bulls likely would not have won six championships in the Michael Jordan era if it were not for Scottie Pippen. However, most people forget that they had to pull a crafty move to land the point forward.

Before the ’87 draft, the Bulls' brass made a deal with Seattle to acquire the fifth pick (Pippen) in exchange for the eighth (center Olden Polynice) and a second-rounder, along with the option to switch picks in ’89.

The Result

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Chicago went on to win six championships, including two "three-peats" during Pippen’s time in the Windy City.

Pippen was a member of arguably the greatest team of all time (the 72-win ’96 Bulls) and revolutionized his position. 

No. 2: Los Angeles Lakers Poach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975)

What Happened

The Los Angeles Lakers caught a huge break when Kareem decided he could no longer live in Milwaukee (as he was playing with the Bucks) and wanted out of the Midwest. He requested a trade in ’74 and was soon granted one the next season.

L.A. was able to snag the superstar center with the signature skyhook for the low cost of Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. While those players weren’t awful and had some upside, Kareem was a transcendent player with an un-blockable shot. It certainly was lopsided, as we look back on it now.

The Result

Abdul-Jabbar brought five titles to the City of Los Angeles, became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, was selected to the most All-Star Games and played the most minutes of anyone before or after. He created a dynasty and passed the torch to Magic Johnson to ensure that the Lakers remained relevant for years to come. 

No. 1:Philadelphia 76ers Scoop Dr. J from Bargain Bin (1976)

What Happened

The New Jersey Nets were in financial disarray back in ’76 and decided the best way to revive the franchise’s fortunes was to literally sell Julius Erving to the rival Sixers.

Dr. J was purchased for a paltry $3 million and the rest is history.

The Result

Erving went on to help the franchise make four NBA Finals and capture the ’83 title. He was one of the most unique players in the game and helped transform the NBA into the exciting modern game we see today, full of high-flying athleticism, during a time when the league was struggling to embrace that identity.

Over the course of his career, he easily earned the $3 million it cost ownership to pluck him from the Nets during and is one of the all-time greats of the game.