The Strangest Sports Trades Ever

When two sides agree to make a trade, the assumption is that both will come out equally satisfied with what they're getting in return.

Unfortunately, unlike a cut-and-dried deal in most business situations, the sports industry doesn't always offer that same type of guarantee, with future draft picks and unknown prospects being moved in place of an established player a lot of times.

Over the years, there have been a lot of strange trades that have left fans wondering how or why they even came to fruition. For that reason, here are the ones that really got my attention—and a lot of them didn't necessarily end up even.

Honorable Mention: Katie Nolan Almost Traded to Grantland

Editor's Note: Information begins around the 58-minute mark.

While it's rare—OK, unfathomable—that two sports networks would even discuss a trade between two media personalities, that's the rumor on the street that recently came out.

With everyone's favorite snarky sports fan Katie Nolan locked into a deal with Fox Sports during her show, Crowd Goes Wild, Grantland's editor-in-chief, Bill Simmons, had some talks that would have acquired Nolan, sending ESPN soccer commentator Ian Darke to Fox in exchange.

The deal fell through for various reasons, but this one would have been one of the weirdest sports has ever seen.

Eric Lindros to Philadelphia Flyers

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While Eric Lindros was a great player during his time in the NHL, the trade that sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1992 wasn't one that netted Philly the best of the players swapped.

Shipped out of Quebec by the former Nordiques—currently the Colorado Avalanche—Lindros put up All-Star numbers when healthy, even winning a league MVP in 1995.

But seeing as how Quebec received Peter Forsberg, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci and Jocelyn Thibault in return for the former No. 1 overall pick, building a team that won two Stanley Cups after relocating, this overhaul was a major steal for the Nordiques/Avalanche.

Marshall Faulk to St. Louis Rams

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Taken with the No. 2 overall pick in 1994, Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk proved to be one of the most dynamic players in NFL history when all was said and done, blending the ability to catch the ball as well as he could run it.

Finishing with 19,172 all-purpose yards—good for sixth all-time—you can't help but wonder what could have been had the Indianapolis Colts not traded him to the St. Louis Rams before the 1999 season.

Rather than build his career with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Faulk was part of the Greatest Show on Turf for the Rams, winning a league MVP and a Super Bowl while the Colts got just a second- and fifth-round pick for him, which resulted in serviceable linebacker Mike Peterson and defensive end Brad Scioli.

Yeah, the Rams won this any way you shake it.

Cam Neely to Boston Bruins

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After variable success for his first three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, future Hall of Famer Cam Neely found himself on the trade block before the 1986-87 season, getting shipped to the Boston Bruins along with the Canucks' No. 3 overall pick, Glen Wesley, for former All-Star Barry Pederson.

Bad move, Vancouver.

Pederson never tallied more than 76 total points after arriving in Vancouver, while Neely went on to become an all-time great.

Although Neely never won a Stanley Cup in his time with the B's, he established himself as a cornerstone for the franchise, becoming a part of its rich history and eventually winding up in the Hall of Fame.

Boston Celtics Get Robert Parish and Kevin McHale

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Like a few others on this list, when the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors swapped a few players and draft picks in 1980, one franchise's fate changed for the better—and it was the Celtics who took advantage.

After winning the NBA title in 1975, Golden State had missed the postseason from 1978-80 and wanted something to rejuvenate the franchise.

Trading center Robert Parish and the No. 3 overall pick to Boston in exchange for the No. 1 and No. 13 overall picks seemed like a pretty good deal to take.

Unfortunately, Boston used its pick perfectly, drafting future Hall of Famer Kevin McHale to form the league's first true Big Three alongside Parish and Larry Bird, going on to win three NBA titles together.

Golden State drafted Joe Barry Carroll first overall and Rickey Brown at No. 13, probably regretting ever pulling the trigger on this deal.

Mike Cisco to the Los Angeles Angels

There have been some instances in which players have been traded for a few wild things like bats and baseballs, but could you imagine being the athlete who was actually traded for nothing?

That has to sting a little bit.

Unfortunately, minor leaguer Mike Cisco experienced that back in 2013, when the Philadelphia Phillies sent him packing to the Los Angeles Angels for not a single player, dime or even equipment.

I'm not sure this helped his confidence much.

Pedro Martinez to Montreal Expos

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Similar to a guy who breaks up with his girlfriend and realizes he made a mistake, this is a classic case of not knowing what one has until it's gone.

Unfortunately, the "guy" in this case happened to be the Los Angeles Dodgers, who traded recently inducted Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos in exchange for second baseman Delino DeShields before the 1994 season.

Going 10-6 with a 2.43 ERA for the Dodgers in two seasons, the team gave up on the then-20-year-old righty way too soon, as Martinez eventually won three Cy Young Awards, 219 games, two World Series and the distinction of being one of the best pitchers of his era.

DeShields? Well, he lasted three uneventful seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the '97 season.

Steve Young to San Francisco 49ers

Although it took five years for Hall of Famer Steve Young to actually take over the full-time starter's role when he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1987, the swap between the Niners and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is still considered to be one of the most lopsided ever.

After being taken No. 1 overall in the supplemental draft by the Bucs in 1984, Young played just 19 games and compiled a paltry 3-17 record in Tampa Bay before the team all but wrote him off.

Finishing with a 91-33 overall record in San Fran, including six NFL passer rating titles and a Super Bowl XXIX MVP after throwing a game-record six touchdown passes, knowing that Tampa Bay got just second- and fourth-round picks for him has to be devastating to those who cheer on the Buccaneers.

Doc Rivers to Los Angeles Clippers

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After realizing that their window of opportunity was closing on winning another NBA title—which they did in 2008—the Boston Celtics not only traded away future Hall of Famers Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2013, but they also went into full rebuilding mode by shipping off head coach Doc Rivers.

While relieving a coach of his duties is much more common, sending him packing for another team isn't completely rare, as it has happened a few times in sports before.

With the Celts receiving a first-round pick for Rivers, who knew that a guy who draws X's and O's could be so valuable in rebuilding a team?

Frank Robinson to Baltimore Orioles

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With Cincinnati Reds general manger Bill DeWitt believing that former outfielder Frank Robinson was, "an old 30," the team traded away the 1961 NL MVP to the Baltimore Orioles for three players before the 1966 season.

The future Hall of Famer, Robinson, must have been using his cane as a bat that first season in Baltimore, because he went on to win the Triple Crown and a World Series title, eventually leading the team to three more Fall Classics in his next five years with the Orioles.

The two pitchers the Reds received totaled a record of 31-34 on the mound, while the outfielder, Dick Simpson, hit a combined .249 in his two seasons with the team.

Scottie Pippen to Chicago Bulls

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While Michael Jordan is often considered to be the best basketball player of all time, one has to wonder if he would have ended up with the six titles he did earn if not for the Robin to his Batman, Hall of Fame forward Scottie Pippen.

And it's really not too difficult to think about because it could have never happened.

Arguably the greatest duo in NBA history, MJ and Pippen only came together because of a draft-day trade between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle Sonics, with Chicago shipping No. 8 pick Olden Polynice and future draft considerations to Seattle for the No. 5 pick, Pippen, in 1987.

Polynice never once made an All-Star team and bounced around for his 14 seasons, while Pippen became one of the most versatile players in league history, going to seven All-Star Games and joining Jordan in the Hall of Fame with those six titles.

Wilt Chamberlain to Philadelphia 76ers

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Prior to Shaquille O'Neal, Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain is believed to be the most dominant player in the history of the sport.

Averaging 41.5 points and 25.1 rebounds per game in five-plus years as a member of the Warriors franchise, the team shipped Wilt off to the Philadelphia 76ers during the middle of the 1964-65 season, receiving three players and cash in return for the all-time great.

Although Chamberlain's individual numbers decreased slightly while with the Sixers, he did end up winning two titles and a league MVP in each of his four seasons in Philly.

Neither of the three players the Warriors received did anything, with the best being point guard Paul Neumann, who averaged 13.5 points and 3.4 assists during his three years for the team.

Dallas Cowboys Trade Herschel Walker

In the history of sports, there might not have been a bigger foundation-building trade than the one that occurred on October 12, 1989 between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.

Involving star running back Herschel Walker—who had rushed for 3,388 yards in his three-plus seasons to that point—Dallas turned Walker into a king's ransom made up of Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers, compiling picks that helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls during the '90s.

Two of the high-profile players who came from the picks that Dallas received were Emmitt Smith—the NFL's all-time leading rusher—as well as safety Darren Woodson, who went to five Pro Bowls.

Walker rushed for just 2,264 yards in two-plus years in Minnesota, only reaching the postseason one time in his short stint with the Vikings.

John Elway to Denver Broncos

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Unwilling to play for then-Baltimore Colts owner Bob Irsay, incoming rookie quarterback John Elway threatened to pursue a baseball career if the Colts didn't trade him before the 1983 season began.

Forced to show their hand, the Colts traded Elway to the Denver Broncos for Chris Hinton, Mark Herrmann and a first-round pick.

And while Hinton was a solid offensive lineman who made six Pro Bowls in seven seasons, he'll always be remembered as just one of the guys traded for the future Hall of Fame signal-caller.

Considering Elway's career finished with five trips to the Super Bowl and two victories on Super Sunday, playing his entire career in Denver, the Broncos happily look back on this trade as one of their finest days in franchise history.

Bill Russell to Boston Celtics

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Like others I've mentioned on this list, the trade that brought Hall of Famer Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics from the St. Louis Hawks in 1956 is measured in one distinct way—championship rings.

After being drafted second overall by the Hawks, the team opted to trade him to the Celtics for Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley, two players who are both in the Hall of Fame, too, but didn't ever have the impact that Russell did.

Although those two players won a title together in their second season with the Hawks in 1957, Russell turned into an all-time great, finishing with 11 titles and entering the Hall of Fame in 1975 as the best champion the sport has ever seen.

Jon Gruden to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Arguably the most famous—and successful—trade of a head coach in NFL history, when the Oakland Raiders sent former head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back before the 2002 season, I'm sure they had no idea they would get bitten so hard in the long run.

While the Raiders did receive two first-rounders, two second-rounders and some cash, the Bucs showed the world why they got the better half of the deal when they defeated Oakland in the Super Bowl the first season Gruden was with Tampa Bay.

Talk about your all-time backfire.

Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles Kings

Even taking the time to compare who the Edmonton Oilers received from the Los Angeles Kings in the 1988 trade for Wayne Gretzky would be a slap in the face to The Great One.

That's because Gretzky became the most dominant player in any sport, rewriting the record books and going down as the greatest hockey player ever.

The Oilers may have gotten the quantity in this deal—receiving two players and three first-round picks—but the Kings got the quality by getting Gretzky.

Kobe Bryant to Los Angeles Lakers

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While Kobe Bryant has repeatedly said that he bleeds Los Angeles Laker purple and gold, he almost was forced to bleed the colors of the Charlotte Hornets.

That's because back in 1996, Kobe was drafted No. 13 overall by Charlotte out of high school and wasn't dealt to the Lakers until Kobe all but threatened the Hornets when asking them to trade him, saying it was his dream to play for the Lakers.

Getting his wish, the two teams swapped Bryant for Vlade Divac, with Kobe becoming the heir apparent to Michael Jordan's reign as the best player in the NBA, winning five NBA titles and currently sitting as the third-best scorer in league history.

Divac lasted just two seasons in Charlotte before signing as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings before the 1998 season, finishing with an average of 11.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in his Hornets career.

Babe Ruth to New York Yankees

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When there's an entire curse named after your departure, that usually means the effect was one that was felt for years.

That was the case with the Boston Red Sox following their sale of future Hall of Famer Babe Ruth in 1918 to the New York Yankees, where Ruth became the best bopper in MLB history until his records were passed years later.

Receiving $100,000 for Ruth, the Red Sox would have much rather had more World Series titles with the Sultan of Swat, who led the hated Yanks to four titles in his 15 seasons in the Bronx.

The Curse of the Bambino wasn't broken until the Red Sox won it all in 2004 in dramatic fashion, but this trade is still measured by what the Sox could have had had they held on to Ruth.