Biggest Blockbuster Trades in Sports History
Though most sports franchises do everything they can to keep their top talent, every so often a tantalizing blockbuster trade emerges, sending true superstars down a path no one thought they'd ever take.
While they are far from common—and sometimes difficult to believe—blockbuster trades have forever been a part of sports and, in some cases, have included legendary, franchise-altering athletes.
The very best example of such a shocking move occurred back in 1988 when, believe it or not, the Edmonton Oilers actually traded away the great Wayne Gretzky.
Of course, that was only a year after the Los Angeles Rams said goodbye to Eric Dickerson, which was a good 12 years after Milwaukee got rid of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
More recently, too, the sports climate has given way to future Hall of Famers on the move, with elite competitors like Kevin Garnett, Ken Griffey Jr. and Marshall Faulk proving susceptible to trade as well.
Intrigued by the deals that included the aforementioned superstars, we decided to delve deeper into the many other similar moves, specifically exploring the 25 biggest blockbuster trades in sports history.
In creating our list, we were particularly interested in who each star was at the time of the trade and what he had accomplished prior to it, rather than what he became after the fact. More specifically, we wanted to explore the moments in which teams decided to deal big-name athletes who were in or near their prime years, so we didn't include deals for rookies—like Kevin McHale and Kobe Bryant—or for promising but unestablished prospects (like, say, Babe Ruth and Nolan Ryan) as result. Also, soccer was completely excluded from this discussion, as the sport's system of "transfers" is just far too different to compare on equal ground.
Now, with all that said, it's time to revisit some of the craziest trades in the history of sports, when true superstars who were way too good to be traded actually were.
Close, but No Cigar
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While we've highlighted the 25 biggest blockbuster trades in sports history, there are plenty of others worth mentioning. With the others in mind, this is our blockbuster list of honorable mentions:
- Green Bay Packers trade Brett Favre
- Philadelphia Eagles trade Donovan McNabb
- Dallas Cowboys trade Herschel Walker
- Minnesota Vikings trade Fran Tarkenton
- New Orleans Saints trade Jimmy Graham
- Chicago Blackhawks trade Max Bentley
- Tampa Bay Lightning trade Martin St. Louis
- Los Angeles Kings trade Butch Goring
- Philadelphia Flyers trade Eric Lindros
- Philadelphia Phillies trade Curt Schilling
- Texas Rangers trade Mark Teixeira
- Oakland Athletics trade Mark McGwire
- Boston Red Sox trade Nomar Garciaparra
- Cleveland Indians trade CC Sabathia
- Toronto Blue Jays trade Roy Halladay
- Dallas Mavericks trade Jason Kidd
- Oklahoma City Thunder trade James Harden
- Orlando Magic trade Dwight Howard
- New Jersey Nets trade Stephon Marbury
Revis Jets to Tampa
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Tampa Bay Received: Darrelle Revis
New York Received: 13th pick in 2013 and Tampa's third-round pick in 2014
Throughout his eight-year professional career, Darrelle Revis has had a way of getting what he wants. So, when he wanted out of New York in early 2013, the Jets acquiesced, trading the elite corner to Tampa on April 21.
In New York, Revis became somewhat of a sideshow, but he was also a complete superstar at the same time.
When the Bucs landed the six-year vet before the 2013 season, Revis Island was more than just a corner; he was a four-time Pro Bowler, a three-time First Team All-Pro and the 2009 AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
Boston Says Bye to Manny
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Los Angeles Received: Manny Ramirez
Boston Received: Jason Bay, Josh Wilson
Pittsburgh Received: Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen
Despite providing more than seven years of stellar play, Manny Ramirez eventually wore out his welcome in Boston, and it all culminated in July 2008, when the Red Sox sent the polarizing outfielder to Los Angeles as part of a three-team trade.
Yet even while rubbing Red Sox ownership and fans the wrong way, Ramirez remained one of the most prolific players in baseball.
He led the Red Sox to World Series championships in both 2004 and 2007 and—in his seven complete seasons in Boston, from 2001 to 2007—Ramirez managed to hit .313 while also contributing 36 homers and knocking in 114 runs per year, including three seasons of 125 RBI or more.
At the time of the deal, the man affectionately known simply as Manny was a 12-time All-Star, a nine-time Silver Slugger, a batting, home run and RBI champion, and a World Series MVP! It's also worth noting, Ramirez made the All-Star game and won the Silver Slugger award in 2008, the same year in which he was traded to L.A.
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Clippers Pry Away Paul
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Los Angeles Received: Chris Paul, two future second-round picks
New Orleans Received: Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2012
Fearing Chris Paul would eventually leave via free agency, New Orleans took the less risky route, electing to trade the NBA's best point guard to the Clippers on December 14, 2011.
The move was a franchise-changing one for L.A., as it teamed Paul up with Blake Griffin, who together immediately created Lob City.
And the Clippers' instant success was hardly a surprise: In Paul, L.A. landed the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star, a two-time NBA assists leader and a three-time NBA steals leader.
During his six-year run in New Orleans, CP3 averaged an impressive 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.
Colorado Collects Canadien Charity
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Colorado Received: Patrick Roy, Mike Keane
Montreal Received: Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky, Andrei Kovalenko
Just 23 games into the 1995-96 hockey season, Patrick Roy and Montreal head coach Mario Tremblay nearly came to blows, which inspired the Canadiens to move the elite goaltender only four days later.
For Colorado, the trade was a godsend.
Forget what Roy did for the Avalanche over the next eight years; in '95, Colorado managed to acquire a goalie who had already won two Conn Smythe awards ('86, '93), two Stanley Cups ('86, '93) and four William M. Jennings trophies ('87, '88, '89, '92) in addition to having already made six All-Star appearances!
Eagles End McCoy Era
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Buffalo Received: LeSean McCoy
Philadelphia Received: Kiko Alonso
In just two NFL seasons, Chip Kelly has become known for his curious personnel decisions, most notably the one he made on March 10, 2015, when he shipped LeSean McCoy to Buffalo in exchange for Kiki Alonso.
Of course, trading Shady—arguably the top running back in football—was Kelly's oddest move to date.
The 26-year-old star is a three-time Pro Bowler—McCoy made the game in '11, '13 and '14—and led the league in touchdowns in 2011 (17) before leading it in rushing in 2013 (1,607 yards).
Last season, behind a porous offensive line, McCoy still managed to run for 1,319 yards.
Astros Acquire Johnson
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Houston Received: Randy Johnson
Seattle Received: Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, John Halama
After falling out of contention in June—and out of fear they'd lose him to free agency—the Seattle Mariners traded Randy Johnson to Houston on July 31, 1998.
In doing so, Seattle said goodbye to a five-time All-Star, a four-time strikeout champion and the 1995 Cy Young Award winner.
Even still, Johnson's very best was yet to come!
Celtics Grab Garnett
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Boston Received: Kevin Garnett
Minnesota Received: Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's two first-round picks in 2009
It's rare to see an NBA team trade a true franchise-changing talent, yet that's exactly what Minnesota did on July 30, 2007.
With Kevin Garnett craving a title and the Wolves providing little opportunity, Minnesota granted the Big Ticket his final wish, sending him to Boston in exchange for five players and two draft picks.
Minnesota's seven-player return represents the most an NBA team has ever received for just one player, which makes sense when you consider the Wolves traded away a 10-time All-Star and former league MVP (2004).
Of course, Boston won the NBA championship during Garnett's first year with the franchise.
Pittsburgh Picks Up Francis
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Pittsburgh Received: Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, Grant Jennings
Hartford Received: Jeff Parker, Zarley Zalapski, John Cullen
On March 4, 1991, the Hartford Whalers traded away a three-time All-Star in Ron Francis, sending their star center to Pittsburgh with just 14 games left in the 1990-91 season.
The move was a head-scratcher to say the least, especially when you consider what the Hall of Famer had done the two seasons prior—dishing out 124 assists and totaling 177 points in 147 games.
Chiefs Give Up Gonzalez
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Atlanta Received: Tony Gonzalez
Kansas City Received: Atlanta's second-round pick in 2010
On April 23, 2009, the Kansas City Chiefs shocked the NFL world, trading away Tony Gonzalez, the most recognizable player in franchise history.
While Gonzalez's elite status made the move surprising, the timing of it was particularly strange: In the future Hall of Famer's 12 years in Kansas City, he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons on only one occasion, accomplishing the feat in '07 and '08.
Simply put, the 14-time Pro Bowler's most prolific two-year stretch directly preceded Kansas City's decision to ship him to Atlanta, which makes total sense, right?
Marlins Move Miggy
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Detroit Received: Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis
Florida Received: Andrew Miller, Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz, Burke Badenhop, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo
The Florida Marlins have never been shy about trading away their best and most promising players, which is exactly what happened on December 5, 2007, when the Fish sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, landing six assets in return.
Of course, that's what happens when you trade away a player like Miggy, who, at the time, was already a four-time All-Star and the winner of two Silver Slugger awards.
In the three seasons prior to the trade, Cabrera hit .327 while averaging 31 homers and 116 RBI per year.
Los Angeles Welcomes Wilt
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Los Angeles Received: Wilt Chamberlain
Philadelphia Received: Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers
Believe it or not, Wilt Chamberlain was traded twice during his illustrious 15-year career. The more notable of the two occurred in July 1968, when the Philadelphia 76ers sent the mammoth center to L.A. in exchange for three forgettable names.
To put into perspective just how shocking and unprecedented the trade was, consider this: Chamberlain became the first player in NBA history to win the league's MVP award one year (1967) and then get traded the very next ('68).
That season, the Hall of Famer averaged 24.3 points, 23.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game.
Niners Opt out of Owens
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Philadelphia Received: Terrell Owens
San Francisco Received: Brandon Whiting
Baltimore Received: A second-round Pick from San Francisco and a fifth-round pick from Philadelphia
By March 16, 2004, the San Francisco 49ers had experienced enough of Terrell Owens, shipping the loudmouth wideout to Philadelphia in exchange for defensive end Brandon Whiting.
The move, however, was hardly an indictment of No. 82's on-field play.
By the end of 2003—his last season by the Bay—Owens was already an established four-time Pro Bowler ('00, '01, '02, '03). In his final four years with the Niners, the mercurial star averaged 1,316 receiving yards and 13 TDs per season.
Seattle Surrenders Griffey Jr.
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Cincinnati Received: Ken Griffey Jr.
Seattle Received: Brett Tomko, Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez, Jake Meyer
On February 10, 2000, the Seattle Mariners made a once unthinkable move, sending Ken Griffey Jr. home to Cincinnati in exchange for four mid-level assets.
And though it seems like a distant memory now, Griffey was still a superstar when the trade went down.
During his 11-year reign (pun intended) in Seattle, The Kid won 10 Gold Gloves, made 10 All-Star appearances, took home seven Silver Slugger awards and was named the 1997 AL MVP! Not to be forgotten, he was also a four-time AL home run champion, a three-time Home Run Derby champion and the 1997 AL RBI champion too.
During it all, he hit .299 while averaging 36 homers and 105 RBI per season.
In his final year with the Mariners (1999)—which was, of course, the season directly preceding the trade—Griffey knocked in 134 runs and led the AL with 48 bombs (we should note, he hit 112 homers and 293 RBI in '97 and '98 combined)!
Minnesota Moves Moss
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Oakland Received: Randy Moss
Minnesota Received: Napoleon Harris, first- (seventh overall) and seventh-round picks in 2005
Though Randy Moss could have made our list for two separate trades—both Minnesota and Oakland traded the talented wideout during his prime years—we've elected to spotlight the first deal, when the Vikings sent their disgruntled star to Oakland on March 2, 2005.
Though Moss admittedly had a relatively down year the season prior—he finished 2004 with 767 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 13 games—he was still considered the most dangerous pass-catcher in football, and by a wide margin.
Consider this: From his rookie season in 1998 through his second-to-last season with Minnesota in 2003, Moss made five Pro Bowls while averaging 1,396 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns per year.
In 2003 alone, the freak hauled in 111 passes for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns! That's who Minnesota traded and Oakland thought it was getting.
Rangers Deal Rodriguez
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New York Received: Alex Rodriguez, $67 million
Texas Received: Alfonso Soriano, Joaquin Arias
On February 15, 2004, the Texas Rangers sent Alex Rodriguez to New York in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. And though A-Rod is struggling on the field and widely disliked now, neither was at all true at the time.
In fact, he was arguably baseball's top talent heading into the 2004 season, fresh off a 2003 campaign that saw him win a Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award—which, by the way, he won all three years he was in Texas—as well as AL MVP!
To put things in even better perspective, while suiting up for the Rangers from 2001 to 2003, Rodriguez played lights-out defense and managed a .305 batting average while also contributing a historic 52 homers and 132 RBI per season!
Washington Watches Bailey Go
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Denver Received: Champ Bailey, second-round pick in 2004
Washington Received: Clinton Portis
Amid contentious contract disputes—Champ Bailey's deal had expired, and the disgruntled corner threatened to boycott training camp if Washington exercised its franchise tag—the Redskins decided to part ways with Bailey prior to the 2004 season.
And though Clinton Portis was awfully good at the time—he rushed for 3,099 yards and 29 touchdowns during his two seasons in Denver—Bailey was the best defensive back in football and young.
When Washington decided to move on from the 25-year-old star, the former Bulldog had already made it to four consecutive Pro Bowls.
Bruins Bail on Esposito
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New York Received: Phil Esposito, Carol Vadnais
Boston Received: Brad Park, Joe Zanussi, Jean Ratelle
Heading into the 1975-76 hockey season, Phil Esposito was unquestionably one of the best hockey players in the world. In the seven years prior—while suiting up for the Boston Bruins—he averaged a ridiculous 130.3 points per season, leading the league on five separate occasions.
Thanks to his efforts, Boston won the Stanley Cup in '70 and '72, while Esposito won the Hart Memorial Trophy in '69 and '74.
Still, the Bruins decided it was time to move on from their 33-year-old, seven-time All-Star.
Just 12 games into the '75-76 campaign—it's worth noting, Esposito had an impressive 10 assists and 16 points at the time—Boston dealt the future Hall of Famer to New York in exchange for three players, including two promising assets in defenseman Brad Park and center Jean Ratelle.
Philly Calls on 'The Doctor'
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Philadelphia Received: Julius Erving
New York Received: $3 million
In 1976, Roy Boe—the owner of the ABA's New York Nets—had dreams of moving his franchise to the more prestigious NBA. He, however, did not have the necessary funds to do so.
As a result, in a last-ditch effort to pay the NBA's expansion fee, Boe sold his best player—Julius Erving—to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for $3 million.
Of course, Dr. J was more than just Boe's most valuable player; he was the ABA's most valuable asset, too.
In five memorable ABA seasons, Erving brought credibility to the league while winning two championships, three MVP trophies and three scoring titles. Over the five-year span, The Doctor sported a gaudy stat line, too, averaging 28.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.4 steals and two blocks per game.
Rams Raid Indy
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St. Louis Received: Marshall Faulk
Indianapolis Received: second- and fifth-round picks in 1999
Thanks to problems that Marshall Faulk referred to at the time as "misunderstandings," the Indianapolis Colts decided to trade the explosive running back to the St. Louis Rams in 1999.
The move was a surprising one, considering Faulk's status as a premier playmaker.
In his five seasons suiting up for the Colts, the versatile Faulk made it to three Pro Bowls while averaging 1,064 yards rushing and eight touchdowns per year.
In 1998—his last season in Indy—Faulk rushed for 1,319 yards, caught 908 yards worth of passes and scored 10 touchdowns. It's worth noting, his 2,227 yards from scrimmage that season led the NFL.
Cincy Cuts Ties with Robinson
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Baltimore Received: Frank Robinson
Cincinnati Received: Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun, Dick Simpson
In 1965, the Cincinnati Reds made the huge mistake of trading Frank Robinson to Baltimore in exchange for three players you've likely never heard of.
Though Robinson's best season was still to come—in 1966, the outfielder was named World Series MVP en route to leading Baltimore to its first-ever championship and AL MVP after winning the Triple Crown batting title—he was nonetheless a certifiable star when the trade was made and still just 30 years old.
To be exact, Robinson was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1956, a Gold Glove winner in 1958, the NL MVP in 1961 and an eight-time All-Star by the time Cincinnati moved him in 1965.
In his 10 seasons with the Reds, he sported a .303 batting average while contributing 32 homers and 101 RBI per year!
Lakers Shun Shaq
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Miami Received: Shaquille O'Neal.
Los Angeles Received: Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, first-round pick in 2006
In 2004, the Lakers were faced with a seriously difficult decision, forced to choose between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, a contentious duo that had led L.A. to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002.
Of course, as we all know by now, the Lakers chose Kobe and eventually shipped Shaq to South Beach.
In doing so, they spurned the NBA's 2000 MVP, the game's most dominant force at the time—in his final two seasons in L.A., The Diesel averaged 24.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game—and the most important piece in their recent championship three-peat. Shaq was named Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002!
Rams Relinquish Dickerson
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Indianapolis Received: Eric Dickerson
Los Angeles Received: Greg Bell, Owen Gill, Buffalo's first-round picks in 1988 and '89, Buffalo's second-round pick in '89, Indianapolis' first-round Pick in '88, Indianapolis' second-round picks in '88 and '89
Buffalo Received: Cornelius Bennett
The 1987 trade may have included four players and six draft picks—that makes 10 players in total—but Eric Dickerson was the principal reason for all the subsequent fuss.
During his time in Los Angeles—which spanned from 1983 to 1987—the 1983 NFL MVP made it to four Pro Bowls and led the league in rushing on three separate occasions ('83, '84 and '86).
Yet despite his on-field dominance, contract disputes convinced the Rams to part ways with the best 'back on the planet.
Mets Shop Seaver
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Cincinnati Received: Tom Seaver
New York Received: Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman
On June 15, 1977, the New York Mets dealt with a disgruntled Tom Seaver once and for all, trading the eventual Hall of Famer to Cincinnati for a mediocre four-man bunch in return.
While the Mets didn't know what they had in Nolan Ryan when they traded the ace away in '71, Seaver, in contrast, was already a well-established superstar by '77. In his 12 years in New York, the '67 NL Rookie of the Year won three Cy Young Awards and led the NL in wins twice, in complete games once, in ERA three times and in strikeouts on five occasions.
Milwaukee Jettisons Abdul-Jabbar
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L.A. Received: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Wesley
Milwaukee Received: Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, Brian Winters
In a sport where quality centers are a hot commodity, trading away the game's very best is far from a commonplace occurrence. Yet that's exactly what the Bucks did in 1975, when they sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers in exchange for Brian Winters and three average pieces.
And Kareem's superstar standing at the time could not be questioned: He was statistically dominant—in six seasons with the Bucks, he averaged 30.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.4 blocks per game—and led Milwaukee to its first and only NBA championship in '71.
Of course, Milwaukee's major loss was L.A.'s major gain: The Hall of Fame center spent the next 14 seasons in L.A. and led the Lakers to five NBA titles.
Oilers Trade 'The Great One'
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L.A. Received: Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley, Mike Krushelnyski
Edmonton Received: Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, first-round Picks in 1989, '91 and '93, $15 million
Though Marty McSorley was a solid player with versatility and Jimmy Carson was a promising talent at the time, Wayne Gretzky was clearly the centerpiece of the now historic trade.
The shocking deal went down on August 9, 1988, just 12 weeks after Gretzky had led the Oilers to their fourth Stanley Cup championship in five seasons.
And despite proving tradeable, at the time, The Great One was unquestionably the sport's top talent: In the nine seasons preceding his move to L.A., Gretzky led the NHL in points eight times—we should note, he finished second in the one outlying season—and in assists during all nine campaigns.
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