Ranking the Worst Trades in Sports This Century
Pour one out for Dallas sports fans. In the year 2025 alone, their favorite teams have been on the wrong end of two of the most lopsided trades in recent memory.
In February, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. Six months later, the Dallas Cowboys followed suit by sending star edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Both deals left Dallas fans heartbroken and had the rest of the sports world pointing and laughing.
The man behind the Dončić trade, Nico Harrison, has been fired. This got us thinking: What are the worst trades across all sports this century?
We didn't just look at how the trades appeared on paper at the time. Instead, we factored in:
While we know how many of these deals aged over the years, the Luka and Parsons trades are still relatively fresh. We can only judge those based on compensation and immediate reaction.
20. Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers
1 of 20
The trade: Calgary sent Matthew Tkachuk and a 2025 fourth-round pick to Florida for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and a 2025 first-round pick.
The internet initially roasted the Panthers for this move. Whoops!
To be fair, this felt like a bold deal on paper. Both sides were moving stars. Huberdeau was coming off a career-best season. Weegar added value as a solid defenseman.
Calgary felt like it was replenishing talent. Instead, Huberdeau's production cratered, and Weegar was not enough to balance losing Tkachuk.
Meanwhile, Florida immediately unlocked Tkachuk's potential. He became one of the league's premier power forwards and carried the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
What separates this from more lopsided trades is that the Flames did not whiff entirely. They got players who at least had name recognition. But the disparity in impact between Tkachuk and the return makes this one of the clearest examples of "best player wins the deal."
19. A.J. Brown to the Eagles
2 of 20
The trade: Tennessee sent A.J. Brown to Philadelphia for a 2022 first-round pick (No. 18 overall) and a 2022 third-round pick (No. 101 overall).
The Titans traded Brown because they did not want to sign him to a long-term extension. The Eagles happily stepped in.
Brown immediately blossomed into Jalen Hurts' top weapon and turned Philadelphia into one of the league's most dangerous offenses. His physical dominance and ability to stretch defenses gave the Eagles the kind of No. 1 receiver that changes an entire unit. In his first three years in Philly, the Eagles went to two Super Bowls and won one.
Meanwhile, Tennessee spent the No. 18 overall pick on Burks, who failed to pan out. After three injury-ravaged, ineffective seasons, the Titans waived him in late July 2025.
This was a case of moving on from a proven star in his prime for draft picks that offered only potential. The Eagles capitalized instantly, while the Titans moved backward.
This isn't the ugliest trade on our list, but its impact was immediately apparent.
18. Juan Soto to the Padres
3 of 20
The trade: Washington sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego for a package including CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood and Robert Hassell III.
At the time, San Diego looked like it had secured the biggest star of his generation. Soto's bat was already historic, and adding him gave the Padres one of the most feared lineups in baseball.
However, the Padres never turned that firepower into postseason glory. They wound up trading Soto to the Yankees less than 18 months after acquiring him. Meanwhile, the Nationals built a promising young core with Abrams, Gore and Wood, who have already started producing in the majors.
While the Soto era in San Diego was exciting, the long-term imbalance is clear. The Nationals gained controllable talent to set up their future, while the Padres made a short-term splash and have little to show for it today.
This is not the most lopsided deal in recent memory because Soto is still great, but the imbalance between future-building and fleeting stardom heavily favors Washington.
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17. Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors
4 of 20
The trade: San Antonio sent Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
This trade completely reshaped the modern NBA landscape.
Even though Leonard only had one year left on his contract, the Raptors gambled on him. That decision paid off handsomely. Kawhi delivered one of the greatest postseason runs in modern history and guided the Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship in 2019, although he left in free agency that summer.
Meanwhile, the Spurs received DeRozan, a proven scorer whose arrival coincided with the end of their NBA-record 22-year streak of playoff appearances in 2020. Poeltl became a solid starting center (who ironically is now back with the Raptors), but neither player replaced Leonard's Hall-of-Fame shot-making.
This deal is ranked highly here because it illustrates how one bold move can redefine a franchise's history. Toronto gave up a fan favorite in DeRozan, but the reward was immortality.
While Toronto clearly won this deal, San Antonio at least got rotation pieces, unlike trades above this spot where the return was essentially worthless.
16. Micah Parsons to the Packers
5 of 20
The trade: Dallas sent edge-rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay for Kenny Clark, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick.
It's still early, but it sure looks like the Packers fleeced the Cowboys.
Parsons is one of the NFL's most destructive defenders. He collapses pockets and single-handedly disrupts offenses with his edge-rushing prowess. The Cowboys got back Kenny Clark, who's a dependable interior lineman but is nowhere near Parsons' tier.
The two future first-rounders that Dallas got for Parsons are wild cards for now. They could end up being lottery tickets that could swing the narrative on this deal years from now. But there's little chance that the Cowboys will end up drafting a player of Parsons' caliber with either of those picks.
For now, the Packers look like clear winners of the Parsons trade. This wasn't Herschel Walker-level bad, but the optics add fuel to the fire of Dallas sports.
15. Mookie Betts to the Dodgers
6 of 20
The trade: Boston sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong.
The Red Sox traded Betts to shed salary. That decision will never stop stinging.
Betts was an MVP in his prime, a five-tool superstar who could anchor a franchise. The Dodgers got exactly that. He's already helped them win three World Series, provided MVP-level seasons and became a face of one of baseball's most successful organizations.
Meanwhile, Boston received a package that produced almost nothing. Verdugo had flashes but never lived up to expectations. Downs did not pan out. Wong has been serviceable but nothing special.
This deal will forever be remembered as a cautionary tale of prioritizing finances over talent.
14. Andrea Bargnani to the Knicks
7 of 20
The trade: Toronto sent Bargnani to New York for Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, Quentin Richardson, a 2014 second-round pick, a 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 second-round pick.
Knicks fans swear by the adage "Once a Knick, always a Knick." Andrea Bargnani may be the only former player to whom that adage doesn't apply.
Bargnani was supposed to be "Dirk-lite" in New York next to Carmelo Anthony. Instead, he nearly undid a decade of Nowitzki's work to reverse the "soft Euro" label.
Bargnani barely contributed, his contract was a burden, and New York essentially handed Toronto the flexibility to reset with a pick that became Jakob Poeltl.
The Italian bust's tenure in New York can be remembered in a single sequence. Bargnani lumbered toward the rim, only to be greeted by two Sixers who barely broke a sweat swatting him back to reality. Bargnani crashed down, injuring himself and punctuating the play with the kind of unintentional comedy that defined his Knicks tenure.
13. Wes Welker to the Patriots
8 of 20
The trade: Miami traded Wes Welker for a 2007 second-round pick and a 2007 seventh-round pick.
The Patriots saw what Miami did not: Welker's ability to dominate from the slot. In New England, he became the prototype for modern slot receivers.
With Tom Brady under center, Welker racked up five 100-plus-catch seasons, providing reliability and production unmatched at the time. He led the league in receptions three times over a five-year span, while Miami got almost nothing of value in return.
Samson Satele, whom the Dolphins selected with the second-round pick that they got in this trade, lasted only two years before they sent him to the then-Oakland Raiders. Abraham Knight, their seventh-round pick, never played a single regular-season snap for them.
Welker was transformative for the Patriots' offense. His ability to move the chains changed drives and seasons. Miami effectively gave a division rival the weapon that kept its dynasty going.
12. Eddy Curry to the Knicks
9 of 20
The trade: New York acquired Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis and a 2006 first-round pick from Chicago for Tim Thomas, Mike Sweetney, Jermaine Jackson, a 2006 first-rounder, a 2007 first-rounder, a 2007 second-rounder, and a 2009 second-rounder.
It must be said: This is not about Eddy Curry. The center was a talented big man and by all accounts a good person. It is about the draft picks.
Before the trade, Curry had missed time with a heart condition and declined to undergo DNA testing that might have revealed serious long-term risks. Rather than back out on the deal, Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas mortgaged the team's future by sending out multiple first-round picks for him. (Those two first-rounders became LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah).
Curry had one solid season in New York, but weight issues and injuries quickly turned the deal into a dead end. It didn't help that Thomas' roster construction made it impossible for any player to thrive in that era for the Knicks.
While the draft price was steep, the long-term damage was more about wasted picks than a superstar giveaway. That keeps it below the truly franchise-changing trades higher up in these rankings.
11. Randy Moss to the Patriots
10 of 20
The trade: Oakland sent Randy Moss to New England for a 2007 fourth-round pick.
The Raiders gave up on one of the greatest receivers of all time at his lowest point. The Patriots recognized that the talent was still there. What followed was the most explosive offense the NFL had ever seen.
Moss and Tom Brady broke records in 2007, coming one win shy of a perfect season. He hauled in a single-season-record 23 catches that year and led the NFL with 13 touchdown receptions two years later as well.
Meanwhile, the Raiders spent the fourth-round pick that they got for Moss on defensive back John Bowie, who played only five regular-season games for them.
It's one thing to lose a trade. It's another to gift a cornerstone to the league's reigning dynasty. This was a masterpiece for New England and a disaster for Oakland.
10. Filip Forsberg to the Predators
11 of 20
The trade: Washington sent Filip Forsberg to Nashville for Martin Erat and Michael Latta.
This is widely known as one of the worst trades in NHL history.
Forsberg became a perennial 30-goal scorer, the kind of winger who can anchor a franchise, while the Capitals effectively got nothing. Erat lasted less than a year in Washington, and Latta was irrelevant.
The Predators essentially received a franchise cornerstone for spare parts. The imbalance is a textbook case of why patience with young talent is critical.
The Forsberg trade ranks ahead of the Moss deal because Washington received two players who provided zero impact, while Oakland at least moved on from a frustrated veteran.
9. Trent Richardson to the Colts
12 of 20
The trade: Cleveland traded Trent Richardson to Indianapolis for a 2014 first-round pick.
Richardson averaged only 3.6 yards per carry as a rookie, but the Colts gambled on his draft pedigree. The result was one of the biggest busts of the era.
The 2012 No. 3 overall pick lasted less than two years in Indianapolis. He had 316 carries for only 977 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and six touchdowns during his time with the Colts.
The Browns at least got a first-rounder in exchange for Richardson, which is remarkable considering his trajectory. They did not make the most of it, but cashing in when they did gave them a rare win.
For Indianapolis, this was a costly swing that wasted resources during Andrew Luck's prime years. It was the definition of buying high and selling low.
The imbalance went beyond production. It was about opportunity cost.
8. Russell Wilson to the Broncos
13 of 20
The trade: Seattle sent Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick to Denver for Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 fifth-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick.
This one unraveled faster than anyone expected.
The Broncos thought they were getting the final piece to compete for a Super Bowl. Instead, Wilson struggled from the outset. The offense never clicked, coaches came and went, and the five-year, $240-plus million contract extension that he signed after the trade made things worse.
Denver gave up premium draft capital and had little to show for it. Meanwhile, Seattle used those picks to restock quickly. Devon Witherspoon and Charles Cross, whom the Seahawks selected with the first-round picks that they got from the Broncos, became foundational players.
The Wilson era in Denver will be defined by lackluster play, a bungled final season, a lopsided trade, and a fortune wasted to remain stuck in the quarterback void.
7. James Harden to the Rockets
14 of 20
The trade: The Thunder dealt James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, a 2013 first-round pick, a 2013 second-round pick and a 2014 first-round pick.
This one hurts because it killed a dynasty before it ever fully got off the ground.
Oklahoma City had three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Harden, all of whom were in their mid-20s. However, Harden wouldn't take a slightly below-max extension, so the Thunder decided to trade him to the Rockets.
Harden earned eight straight All-Star nods in Houston while leading the league in scoring three times and winning MVP in 2017-18. He brought the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals twice, although they were felled by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors both times.
The Thunder only received role players in return for Harden, none of whom came close to replicating his production. Few trades are this haunting.
The Thunder likely would have won a championship had they prioritized signing Harden over Serge Ibaka. We could have been looking at a potential dynasty. Instead, they altered the course of the NBA by sending him to the Rockets.
The Harden trade ranks above the Moss and Forsberg deals because the Thunder had the chance to build a dynasty, but they chose money over legacy. The long-term ripple effects across the league make it even more damaging.
6. Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers
15 of 20
The trade: Miami traded Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for Dallas Trahern, Burke Badenhop, Frankie De La Cruz, Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller and Mike Rabelo.
Detroit landed one of the greatest hitters of the 21st century. Cabrera won a Triple Crown along with a pair of MVPs and led the Tigers to deep playoff runs. The Marlins got six prospects, none of whom made a major impact.
It's one thing to trade a star. It's another to give away a Hall of Fame bat in his prime effectively for nothing.
This deal is a staple in lopsided trade conversations because the gap between Cabrera's career and what Miami got in return is pathetic in scale.
The Cabrera trade edges ahead of the Harden deal since OKC at least netted role players in the Harden trade. Miami's entire return collapsed. It was a complete miss for an all-time hitter.
5. Markelle Fultz for Jayson Tatum
16 of 20
The trade: The Celtics traded the 2017 No. 1 overall pick (Fultz) to the Sixers for the No. 3 overall pick (Tatum) and the Sacramento Kings' 2019 first-round pick.
Let's take a moment of silence to contemplate how Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid would look together in Philly. OK, now back to reality.
Embiid's health has hampered him in recents seasons after a decade-plus of carrying the Sixers offensively. Fultz remains unsigned and out of the league. Meanwhile, Tatum has reached the NBA Finals twice and won a championship in 2024.
In exchange for Tatum and a future first-round pick, Philadelphia wound up with a player whose broken jumper defined his tenure and left the organization with nothing but regret. What makes this misstep so painful for Philadelphia is how avoidable it was.
The Sixers had a clear path to pair Embiid with another superstar, which could have given them the best duo in the league for a decade. Instead, then-Celtics president Danny Ainge took advantage of a bumbling front office and landed one of the best future Celtics of all time.
Given the long-term fallout for both franchises, this deal continues to age worse and worse. The only silver lining for the Sixers is that they eventually traded Fultz for the pick that they'd spend on Tyrese Maxey.
4. Deshaun Watson to the Browns
17 of 20
The trade: Houston dealt Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick to Cleveland for a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Deshaun Watson missed the entire 2021 season after nearly two dozen women filed lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct or harassment. That didn't stop the Browns from trading a package including three first-round picks for him, though. Not only that, but they also gave him the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history (five years, $230 million) as part of the trade.
That backfired spectacularly. Watson was suspended for 11 games in 2022 and has scuffled through injury-ravaged seasons since. He's currently recovering from a torn Achilles, and it appears unlikely that he'll ever play another snap for Cleveland.
In March 2025, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam conceded the trade was a "big swing-and-miss." Meanwhile, the picks they sent to Houston helped the Texans establish the foundation for their quick rise out of the rebuilding ashes.
The Browns' desperation to find a franchise quarterback led them to trade for Watson despite his off-field issues, which could haunt them for years to come. The volume of picks the Browns gave up and the fully guaranteed contract they gave Watson made it arguably the worst NFL trade in recent memory, which is why we have it in the top five here.
3. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets
18 of 20
The trade: The Celtics traded Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White and a 2017 second-round pick for Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, a 2014 first-round pick, a 2016 first-round pick, a 2017 first-round pick swap and a 2018 first-round pick.
A decade later, everyone knows how this trade turned out. The Celtics rebuilt around those picks, eventually landing the superstar tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who powered them to a championship in 2024. Meanwhile, Brooklyn got one playoff run with KG and Pierce and then fell into years of irrelevance.
The Nets mortgaged their future for aging stars who were way past their prime. There's a reason why Danny Ainge has the reputation he does as the league's most difficult negotiator. He really kicks you when you're down in trade negotiations.
Garnett and Pierce were shells of themselves in Brooklyn, where they teamed up with Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson in an era where front offices would try to cram as many big names onto a roster as possible. Meanwhile, Boston played the long game, building around its star wings with depth and defense.
This deal ranks above the Fultz/Tatum swap because Boston used the Nets' picks to build an entire new era that ended up winning a championship. Philly's mistake hurt, but Brooklyn ushered in its own collapse while setting the Celtics up for a title.
2. Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Picks
19 of 20
The trade: The Clippers acquired Paul George for SGA, Danilo Gallinari, a 2021 first-round pick (via Miami), a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick (via Miami), a 2023 first-round pick swap, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick swap and a 2026 first-round pick
At the time, Clippers fans talked themselves into this trade. It's the reason the Clippers were able to convince Kawhi Leonard to leave the Toronto Raptors and sign with them in free agency.
However, the gamble did not pay off. Injuries and postseason disappointments by "Playoff P" followed.
Meanwhile, this deal already resulted in one championship for the Thunder, and they're perhaps poised to become the NBA's next great dynasty.
Not only did the Thunder get SGA, who became one of only four players in NBA history to win the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, a scoring title and an NBA championship in the same season, but they used the Clippers' 2022 first-round pick to select Jalen Williams, who's fresh off his first All-Star appearance.
The Clippers only owe one more first-rounder to the Thunder from this deal, but it's already among the most lopsided in sports history. George wound up leaving the Clippers as a free agent in 2024, while the Thunder are on a quest for back-to-back titles.
The Clippers mortgaged their entire future for the George-Leonard duo. They're still digging their way out of that decision.
1. Luka Dončić to the Lakers
20 of 20
The trade: Dallas sent Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
You knew this was coming. Nico Harrison's ineptitude is as inevitable as Thanos.
This deal was shocking on every level. Luka was 25 and already a generational superstar. Players of his caliber almost never get traded in the NBA, particularly if they haven't requested one.
Anthony Davis was still elite but injury-prone. Christie was a project. Getting those two and one first-rounder was a light return for a top-three player in the league.
The Lakers walked away with a decade-defining cornerstone. No matter how this deal ages, the optics were devastating.
This tops the list because this is not about hindsight, unlike the George or Celtics-Nets deals. Everyone knew in real time how bad this was for Dallas. It is the clearest, most baffling fleece in sports history.
Anyone who disagrees likely has their checks signed by Mavs governor Patrick Dumont.
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