The 50 Worst NBA Trades of All Time, Ranked
One year after Nico Harrison, Patrick Dumont and the Dallas Mavericks rocked the sports world by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bleacher Report is here to place the unfathomable deal among the 50 worst in NBA history.
To help compile and rank those trades, we concocted a new metric aptly called LUKA, which is short for "Lost Utility" and "Known Aftermath."
The metric blends two elements: "Lost Utility," which measures the difference in five-year wins over replacement player between the assets traded away and received, and "Known Aftermath," which awards points for major honors like All-Star, All-NBA and MVP. Averaging those two scores produces a single number meant to capture both value lost and how badly the trade looked in hindsight.
Context also mattered. That prompted us to hold two rounds of B/R community voting to help the ranking process, with a run-off determining how the final five shook out.
Here's where the dust settled.
For a full breakdown of how the ranking was determined, check out Introducing B/R's LUKA Metric…to Identify the Worst NBA Trades of All Time
50. 76ers Trade Jeff Hornacek to Jazz (1994)
1 of 50
76ers Get: Jeff Malone, 1st-Rd Pick
Jazz Get: Jeff Hornacek, Sean Green, 2nd-Rd Pick
Most younger NBA fans, to the extent they have much memory of Jeff Hornacek at all, remember him as the third wheel behind John Stockton and Karl Malone.
But Hornacek was an All-Star before the Phoenix Suns traded him for Charles Barkley (more on that later). And in his lone full season with the Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged 19.1 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 39.0 percent from deep.
Meanwhile, Jeff Malone, who made a few All-Star teams in the 1980s, played in just 71 games for the Sixers. He made his last NBA appearance in 1996, two years after the Hornacek trade.
LUKA Rank: 19th
Fan Vote: 54th
49. Trail Blazers Trade Jermaine O'Neal to Pacers (2000)
2 of 50
Pacers Get: Jermaine O'Neal, Joe Kleine
Trail Blazers Get: Dale Davis
The Portland Trail Blazers used a first-round pick on prep-to-pro prospect Jermaine O'Neal, and they tried to develop him for four years.
But he only averaged 3.9 points for the team that drafted him, which made the trade to the Indiana Pacers understandable, though probably no less painful when he turned into a double-double machine.
O'Neal played nearly a decade for the Pacers and averaged 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game there.
On the other hand, Dale Davis remained a solid role player for years after this trade. However, he never reached the heights O'Neal did.
LUKA Rank: 46th
Fan Vote: 47th
48. Hornets Trade Baron Davis to Warriors (2005)
3 of 50
Warriors Get: Baron Davis
Hornets Get: Speedy Claxton, Dale Davis
Baron Davis was already one of the most explosive and analytically adored guards in the NBA when the New Orleans Hornets traded him to the Golden State Warriors.
Shortly thereafter, he became one of the beating hearts of the "We Believe" Warriors in 2006-07. Davis averaged 25.3 points, 6.5 assists and 2.9 steals that postseason, and Golden State upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
His success there was a far cry from what came back to the Hornets. Speedy Claxton played just over a year for New Orleans (and eventually Oklahoma City), and Dale Davis was waived shortly after the trade.
LUKA Rank: 33rd
Fan Vote: 49th
47. Hawks Trade Rasheed Wallace to Pistons (2004)
4 of 50
Pistons Get: Rasheed Wallace, Mike James
Hawks Get: Chris Mills, Željko Rebrača, Bob Sura, 1st-Rd Pick (Josh Smith)
Celtics Get: Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, 1st-Rd Pick
This one may generate a little frustration for early-2000s NBA fans. At the time, there was little to no expectation that the Atlanta Hawks were going to keep Rasheed Wallace when they acquired him from the Portland Trail Blazers.
And sure enough, he only played one game there before finishing his season (and winning a championship) with the Detroit Pistons.
But the fact remains, Wallace was one of the best forwards in the league at the time, and Željko Rebrača and Bob Sura had almost no impact on Hawks history.
That future draft pick eventually turned into Josh Smith, who had a solid run with Atlanta, but he wasn't good enough to keep this deal out of the top 50.
LUKA Rank: 47th
Fan Vote: 46th
46. Wizards Trade Chris Webber to Kings (1998)
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Kings Get: Chris Webber
Wizards Get: Mitch Richmond, Otis Thorpe
In 1998, CBS Sports described Chris Webber as a "problem child," while calling Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe "veteran gentlemen. "It also cited multiple off-court matters for Webber.
But even with those issues, Washington Wizards general manager Wes Unseld sounded like he knew this deal was worth the risk.
"Guys, I make no bones about it," Unseld said. "We gave up a tremendous young talent in Chris Webber."
He was right. Webber, who was in his early 20s when this trade was made, averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals as a Sacramento King.
Richmond had a couple of solid seasons for the Wizards, but he didn't have any more All-Star appearances there and was out of the league by 2002.
LUKA Rank: 24th
Fan Vote: 50th
45. Raptors Trade for Hedo Türkoğlu (2009)
6 of 50
Raptors Get: Hedo Türkoğlu, Devean George, Antoine Wright
Mavericks Get: Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai, Greg Buckner
Grizzlies Get: Jerry Stackhouse, 2nd-Rd Pick, Cash
Magic Get: Cash
The Toronto Raptors going for Hedo Türkoğlu made sense at the time. He was coming off a run to the NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic and looked like one of the league's better point forwards.
But he was also entering his age-30 season and starting to decline a bit athletically (a big deal for someone who didn't have a ton of athleticism to spare).
Türkoğlu's production plummeted during his lone season with Toronto. And though the Raptors didn't give up a ton beyond a post-prime Shawn Marion, the deal was still a relatively clear downgrade.
LUKA Rank: 53rd
Fan Vote: 44th
44. Pelicans Trade for Dejounte Murray (2024)
7 of 50
Pelicans Get: Dejounte Murray
Hawks Get: Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, 2 1st-Rd Picks
This one was driven up the rankings by the fan vote. Injuries have limited Dejounte Murray to only 31 games as a New Orleans Pelican, while Dyson Daniels immediately hit a new level upon his arrival to the Atlanta Hawks.
Last season (his first in Atlanta), Daniels nearly tripled his scoring average, led the league in steals per game and took off as a playmaker.
If we redo this exercise in a few years, it could look even worse for the Pelicans. One of the picks that went out doesn't convey until 2027.
LUKA Rank: 50th
Fan Vote: 41st
43. Cavs Trade Kyrie Irving to Celtics (2017)
8 of 50
Celtics Get: Kyrie Irving
Cavaliers Get: Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, 1st-Rd Pick, 2nd-Rd Pick
This is another deal that was seriously impacted by an injury, which can be impossible to predict.
But the Cleveland Cavaliers were aware of Isaiah Thomas' hip problems (at least to a degree) before they agreed to the foundation of this deal. Boston eventually had to send an additional second-rounder after IT's physical with the team, but they pushed it through anyway.
And although Kyrie Irving wanted out, it's hard to imagine there wasn't at least one other team out there that could've beaten this offer.
Ultimately, the deal was the beginning of the end for the second LeBron James era in Cleveland.
LUKA Rank: 45th
Fan Vote: 42nd
42. Suns Trade for Kevin Durant (2023)
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Suns Get: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren
Nets Get: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, 4 1st-Rd Picks, 2 1st-Rd Swaps, 2 2nd-Rd Picks, Juan Vaulet
Pacers Get: George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora, 3 2nd-Rd Picks, Cash
Bucks Get: Jae Crowder
Kevin Durant's individual production really drove down this deal's LUKA. He averaged 26.8 points and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 57.1 percent on twos and 42.7 percent from deep as a Phoenix Sun.
That and his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time probably helped him with the fan vote, too.
But neither side of the equation fully captures the impact on team chemistry. The Suns had a mostly young, up-and-coming team in the NBA Finals in 2021. They gave up two key players from that core in the Durant deal.
And while that LUKA score is low now, there's plenty of opportunity for it to balloon. Three of the future first-round picks have yet to convey.
LUKA Rank: 59th
Fan Vote: 39th
41. Warriors Trade Tim Hardaway to Miami (1996)
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Heat Get: Tim Hardaway, Chris Gatling
Warriors Get: Bimbo Coles, Kevin Willis
The LUKA on this one was huge.
The Golden State Warriors had already lost the "M" (Mitch Richmond) from the "Run TMC" trio a few years earlier. In 1996, they traded a multi-time All-Star (and the "T" from that group) to the Miami Heat for two veterans whose best days were already behind them.
In Miami, Hardaway regained his All-Star form. He averaged 20.0 points and 6.8 assists over his first three playoff runs there and even made second-team All-NBA in 1999.
LUKA Rank: 11th
Fan Vote: 45th
40. Spurs Trade Dennis Rodman to Bulls (1995)
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Bulls Get: Dennis Rodman
Spurs Get: Will Perdue
Dennis Rodman had already become one of the league's more mercurial players by the time the San Antonio Spurs decided to trade him to the Chicago Bulls, but the drop-off in raw production from him to Will Perdue was staggering.
During his two seasons with the Spurs, Rodman averaged a whopping 17.1 rebounds per game. He went on to lead the league in that category in each of his first three seasons with the Bulls, all of which ended with championships.
Meanwhile, Will Perdue played four seasons with San Antonio, where he averaged only 5.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.
LUKA Rank: 40th
Fan Vote: 38th
39. Bucks Trade Ray Allen to Sonics (2003)
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SuperSonics Get: Ray Allen, Ronald Murray, Kevin Ollie, 1st-Rd Pick
Bucks Get: Desmond Mason, Gary Payton
This trade happened during Ray Allen's age-27 campaign. He'd already established himself as perhaps the best outside shooter in the league, was a multi-time All-Star and still seemed to be on the rise.
And the Milwaukee Bucks traded him, two other players and a first-round pick that later became Luke Ridnour for a way-past-his-prime Gary Payton and Desmond Mason, whose biggest claim to fame may be his dunk-contest performances.
To make matters worse, Payton proved to be a rental for Milwaukee. He left in free agency a few months after this trade. Meanwhile, Allen made All-Star teams in each of his four seasons in Seattle.
LUKA Rank: 44th
Fan Vote: 37th
38. Kings Trade Tyrese Haliburton to Pacers (2022)
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Pacers Get: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson, 2nd-Rd Pick
Kings Get: Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis' raw numbers as a Sacramento King really affected the LUKA on this one, but he isn't the level of offensive engine that Tyrese Haliburton is. The voters clearly realized that.
Sacramento has barely outscored its opponents with Sabonis on the floor, and the team is headed toward a full-scale teardown and rebuild. The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, made back-to-back conference finals and one NBA Finals with Haliburton running the show.
When the Kings made the playoffs in 2023, it felt like this deal might go down as a win-win, but it's aged horribly since then.
LUKA Rank: 57th
Fan Vote: 34th
37. Suns Trade Jason Kidd to Nets (2001)
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Nets Get: Jason Kidd, Chris Dudley
Suns Get: Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, Soumaila Samake
Given his career resume and how well he produced at seemingly every stop, it's sort of surprising that Jason Kidd's team decided to trade him on three different occasions.
In 2001, it was the Phoenix Suns who sent him to the New Jersey Nets. In fairness to them, Stephon Marbury was the younger (by four years) and arguably better (or at least more aggressive) scorer, but the results spoke for themselves.
Kidd took the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals in his first two years there. Marbury's Suns teams missed the playoffs once, got eliminated in the first round and then traded him during his third season there.
LUKA Rank: 25th
Fan Vote: 40th
36. Raptors Trade Vince Carter to Nets (2004)
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Nets Get: Vince Carter
Raptors Get: Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, 2 1st-Rd Picks
This one requires the context that the fans were expected to bring to their votes.
By the end of his time with the Toronto Raptors, the relationship between Vince Carter and the organization felt untenable. Both sides needed to move on, but the aftermath has hurt Toronto far more than it did Carter.
Landing Chris Bosh helped the Raptors make a couple of playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008, but that was it until the Kyle Lowry era. Alonzo Mourning never played a game for the Raptors, and Joey Graham (one of the future first-round picks), Eric Williams and Aaron Williams' respective impacts were minimal at best.
VC's run with the Nets went just a little better. When he showed up in New Jersey, his effort level seemingly skyrocketed, and he averaged 23.6 points and 4.7 assists over four seasons and change there.
LUKA Rank: 7th
Fan Vote: 43rd
35. Nets Give Up Pick That Becomes Damian Lillard (2012)
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Trail Blazers Get: Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, 1st-Rd Pick (Damian Lillard)
Nets Get: Gerald Wallace
Of course, there was no way for the Nets to know they were making the trade that would hand Portland its best player in franchise history, Damian Lillard. And there's no guarantee they would've gotten anywhere near the same value had they kept and made that pick themselves.
But trading first-rounders can be extremely risky, and this deal is one of the most vivid illustrations of that.
Gerald Wallace was nearing the back end of his prime when this trade was made. He was out of the league just three years later. And during the season in which he was moved, he was shooting 26.5 percent from deep for Portland.
The next year, the only full season he played for the Nets, Wallace averaged just 7.7 points.
LUKA Rank: 34th
Fan Vote: 36th
34. Bucks Trade for Damian Lillard (2023)
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Bucks Get: Damian Lillard
Trail Blazers Get: Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, 1st-Rd Pick, 2 Pick Swaps
Suns Get: Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson, Nassir Little, Jusuf Nurkic
The Milwaukee Bucks were already stretched thin on assets thanks to the trade that landed them Jrue Holiday, but they went even further all-in to move him in a deal that returned Damian Lillard.
At the time, it felt like a borderline no-brainer. It was easy to imagine the offensive synergy between Dame and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But those who liked this deal clearly underestimated the defense and intangibles Holiday provided to the 2021 championship team. Shortly after this trade, he was re-routed to the Boston Celtics, who won it all in 2024.
Meanwhile, Lillard never made it out of the first round with the Bucks, tore his Achilles last season and got waived-and-stretched this past offseason. That saddled Milwaukee with a $22.5 million cap hit both this season and for each of the next four.
LUKA Rank: 55th
Fan Vote: 31st
33. Nets Trade Harden to 76ers (2022)
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76ers Get: James Harden, Paul Millsap
Nets Get: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, 2 1st-Rd Picks
The Brooklyn Nets superteam with James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant quickly ran its course. By the time they moved him in 2022, a Harden trade felt borderline inevitable.
But at the time, he was still averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 assists. The most notable player in the return for him, Ben Simmons, had just missed the first half of that season due to a back injury and/or a holdout. And he'd already had his infamous postseason meltdown against the Atlanta Hawks.
By the time he made his way to the Nets, Simmons' NBA career seemed near its end. He wound up playing just 90 games and averaging 6.5 points for them. As of now, he's no longer in the league anymore.
This deal could get a little better for the Nets. One of those future first-rounders is still on the way. But right now, it looks pretty bad.
LUKA Rank: 28th
Fan Vote: 35th
32. Bulls Trade LaMarcus Aldridge to Trail Blazers (2006)
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Trail Blazers Get: LaMarcus Aldridge, 2nd-Rd Pick
Bulls Get: Viktor Khryapa, Tyrus Thomas
Crushing teams for draft-night decisions always feels a little unfair. And in this case, Tyrus Thomas was entering the NBA with plenty of hype.
Prior to his selection, DraftExpress read, "In terms of physical attributes, there are few players in the NBA right now who can match Thomas' combination of length and athletic ability."
In his lone season at LSU, he averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and a conference-leading 3.1 blocks in just 25.9 minutes.
But Thomas' skills never caught up to those physical gifts in the NBA. He finished his career with a sub-44 field-goal percentage and an average of 7.7 points.
Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge went on to be one of the best players in Portland Trail Blazers history. The five-time All-NBA selection turned himself into a fringe Hall of Fame candidate.
LUKA Rank: 48th
Fan Vote: 30th
31. Pelicans Trade Up for Derik Queen (2025)
20 of 50
Pelicans Get: Derik Queen
Hawks Get: Asa Newell, 1st-Rd Pick
Sure, there's probably some recency bias in play here. This trade isn't even a year old, and there's no way to know yet how bad the loss of that 2026 pick will be.
But in defense of the fan vote on this one, the New Orleans Pelicans are currently tied with the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards for the best odds to land the top overall pick in 2026. They have a better-than-50-percent chance to stay in the top four.
Because New Orleans didn't put any protections on that 2026 pick, it could go to the Atlanta Hawks no matter where it lands. Incredibly, that pick also comes with swap rights with the Milwaukee Bucks. Its chances of being the top pick in a draft that will include Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa make it one of the single most valuable assets in the league right now.
Derik Queen is off to a solid start as a rookie, but he might have to be a multi-time All-Star to turn this trade into a win for the Pelicans.
LUKA Rank: 54th
Fan Vote: 28th
30. Rockets Trade for Russell Westbrook (2019)
21 of 50
Thunder Get: Chris Paul, 2 1st-Rd Picks, 2 Pick Swaps
Rockets Get: Russell Westbrook
The Houston Rockets trading Chris Paul made some sense. They pushed the dynastic Golden State Warriors as much as anyone, but the skill sets of CP3 and James Harden were a little redundant, and the partnership had maybe run its course.
But trading him for Russell Westbrook, who's even more ball-dominant on offense and less reliable on defense, is where the sense starts to run out.
Russ was still productive. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in Houston. And he was particularly good when the Rockets started deploying him as something of a point center, at least on offense. But this partnership with Harden was all but doomed to fail.
Making matters worse, CP3 then showed he still had plenty left in OKC and Phoenix. He led the former to the playoffs as a veteran mentor and the latter to the NBA Finals in 2021.
LUKA Rank: 49th
Fan Vote: 29th
29. Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook (2021)
22 of 50
Lakers Get: Russell Westbrook
Wizards Get: Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, Isaiah Todd, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, 3 2nd-Rd Picks
Nets Get: Nikola Milutinov, 2 2nd-Rd Picks
Pacers Get: Isaiah Jackson
Spurs Get: Chandler Hutchison, 2nd-Rd Pick
Apparently, we've reached the Westbrook range of the list. This one is even tougher to wrap your head around, because we had a few post-OKC years in which Westbrook's game very clearly wouldn't jell with other ball-dominant players.
But the Los Angeles Lakers broke up much of a championship core for him anyway, and the results were predictably disastrous. Westbrook spent a season and change with L.A., and the team's point differential was comfortably worse when he was on the floor.
Meanwhile, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went on to be an important contributor for the Denver Nuggets' title-winning team, and Isaiah Jackson (the first-round pick) is a rotation-level big man.
LUKA Rank: 51st
Fan Vote: 26th
28. Pistons Trade for Allen Iverson (2008)
23 of 50
Nuggets Get: Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, Cheikh Samb
Pistons Get: Allen Iverson
When the Detroit Pistons traded a 32-year-old Chauncey Billups two games into the 2008-09 season, they were coming off six straight trips to the conference finals, and Billups was barely past his prime (if he was past it at all).
He almost immediately stabilized the Denver Nuggets, who won 54 games that season and 53 the next. In 2009-10, he was an All-Star and even received some love in MVP voting.
As for Allen Iverson, then 33, his stint with the Pistons signaled the beginning of the end of his career. He averaged double-figures there and for two teams (the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers) the next season, but that was it.
His lack of size and defense became problems he couldn't overcome when he lost a hint of athleticism.
LUKA Rank: 18th
Fan Vote: 32nd
27. Timberwolves Trade Kevin Garnett to Celtics (2007)
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Celtics Get: Kevin Garnett
Timberwolves Get: Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, 2 1st-Rd Picks
This is one of those trades where it's pretty hard to fault the team losing the superstar. Kevin Garnett had seemingly taken the small(ish) market Minnesota Timberwolves as far as he could, and the Boston Celtics offered him a shot at immediate contention.
The haul, at least at the time, seemed fairly reasonable too. Al Jefferson was an intriguing prep-to-pro big man. Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair both seemed to still have some potential to uncover. Two picks were headed to Minnesota, too.
But those turned into Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn, neither of whom developed into high-impact players. And while the return for KG was mostly floundering in Minnesota, he was proving he still had a lot left to give.
Garnett won a championship and Defensive Player of the Year in his first season with the Celtics, 2007-08. And he made All-Star teams in each of his first four seasons there, while averaging 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game.
LUKA Rank: 6th
Fan Vote: 33rd
26. Jazz Trade Dominique Wilkins to Hawks (1982)
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Hawks Get: Dominique Wilkins
Jazz Get: John Drew, Freeman Williams
The context on this one is arguably enough to disqualify it from the exercise.
First of all, Dominique Wilkins flat-out refused to play for the Utah Jazz after they drafted him. That at least partially lets the organization off the hook. And as The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann pointed out, Utah was so strapped for cash that it couldn't make payroll without the $1 million in cash that Atlanta sent back in the deal.
A few years later, the Jazz landed John Stockton and Karl Malone. They were eventually fine, but Wilkins was a future Hall of Famer and was one of the game's best and most dynamic scorers within the first few years of his career.
There's no way to know if Utah still would've drafted its future superstars had Wilkins stayed, but the idea of that duo being a trio is certainly intriguing.
LUKA Rank: 35th
Fan Vote: 23rd
25. Cavs Trade Pick That Becomes James Worthy (1980)
26 of 50
Lakers Get: Butch Lee, 1st-Rd Pick (James Worthy)
Cavaliers Get: Don Ford, 1st-Rd Pick
There's no way to know exactly what will come of a future first-round pick when you trade it. The team surrendering the pick may deserve a little grace.
But in this case, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave the selection up for a pick that turned into Chad Kinch, who played a total of 41 NBA games and averaged 2.9 points, and Don Ford, who had a career average of 7.1 points for the Lakers.
What L.A. got back was James Worthy, who was taken first overall in 1982 and supercharged an already dominant Lakers squad that included Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Worthy was immediately an impact player for a title contender. He won three championships in L.A. and capped 1988 with a Finals MVP after averaging 21.1 points and 4.4 assists in the postseason.
LUKA Rank: 20th
Fan Vote: 25th
24. Thunder Trade James Harden to Rockets (2012)
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Rockets Get: James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, Lazar Hayward
Thunder Get: Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, 2 1st-Rd Picks (Steven Adams later selected with one), 2nd-Rd Pick
The Oklahoma City Thunder remained contenders after the James Harden trade. But until they eventually broke through with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it was easy to wonder what might've been had the Thunder kept Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook together a little longer.
After the deal, Harden immediately became an MVP candidate. He finished in the top 10 of MVP voting in each of his eight full seasons with the Houston Rockets, and he won the award in 2017-18.
During that same stretch, he averaged 29.6 points and 7.7 assists, while his old spot in the OKC rotation was sort of a revolving door of players who were nowhere near as productive.
One of the picks that came back to the Thunder turned into Steven Adams, who had a strong run there, but Mitch McGary and Alex Abrines were the other two. So, the pick haul didn't really make up for the loss of Harden, either.
OKC fans didn't have to sit with the failure for too long, but it was undoubtedly a failure.
LUKA Rank: 9th
Fan Vote: 27th
23. 76ers Trade Up for Markelle Fultz (2017)
28 of 50
Celtics Get: 2 1st-Rd Picks (Jayson Tatum later selected with one)
76ers Get: 1st-Rd Pick (Markelle Fultz)
This is another one where hindsight really informs how we feel about the trade now. Today, it's abundantly clear that the Boston Celtics made the right call in trading down from No. 1 and taking Jayson Tatum third.
But at the time, thanks to an electrifying freshman season from Markelle Fultz, it felt like a genuine risk.
At Washington, Fultz put up 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 41.3 percent from three. Mock drafts all over the internet had him as a near-lock to go first overall. It seemed like a no-brainer.
But Boston's front office obviously saw something in Tatum's game that allowed them to make one of the shrewdest trades in NBA history. Seven years later, it led to a championship.
LUKA Rank: 26th
Fan Vote: 22nd
22. Braves Trade Moses Malone to Rockets (1976)
29 of 50
Rockets Get: Moses Malone
Braves Get: 2 1st-Rd Picks (Micheal Ray Richardson later selected with one)
The "Lost Utility" half of the LUKA score actually pegs the Houston Rockets as the loser here thanks to Micheal Ray Richardson's analytics-friendly game.
Over his first four seasons, Richardson made three All-Star teams, averaged 14.2 points, 7.1 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals and led the league in both assists and steals per game in 1979-80.
But three MVPs, a Finals MVP and a decent showing in the fan vote made the Buffalo Braves clear losers after all the criteria came together.
Malone went down as one of the best centers in league history, and the Braves moved him after he played just two games for them.
LUKA Rank: 15th
Fan Vote: 24th
21. Clippers Trade Pick That Becomes Kyrie Irving (2011)
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Cavaliers Get: Baron Davis, 1st-Rd Pick (Kyrie Irving)
Clippers Get: Jamario Moon, Mo Williams
That first-round pick that the Los Angeles Clippers attached to the soon-to-retire Baron Davis, just a few months after this trade was finalized, turned into Kyrie Irving.
And from the moment Kyrie was in the NBA, it was clear he was going to be one of its best point guards. Over the life of his rookie contract with Cleveland, Irving averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 assists and 1.8 threes while shooting 39.0 percent from deep.
Mo Williams was nowhere near as productive for the Clippers. He played just 74 games over two seasons for the organization and averaged 13.8 points.
LUKA Rank: 29th
Fan Vote: 21st
20. Suns Trade for Bradley Beal (2023)
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Suns Get: Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin, Isaiah Todd
Wizards Get: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Bilal Coulibaly, 4 1st-Rd Pick Swaps, 5 2nd-Rd Picks, Cash
Pacers Get: Jarace Walker, 2 2nd-Rd Picks
The LUKA on this one has the potential to really balloon over the next several years. The 2026, 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps that the Phoenix Suns sent to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal have yet to convey. There's no knowing how good some of those outgoing prospects will be.
But even without the full knowledge of how this deal will age, it feels appropriate to see it in the top 20.
The Suns were in the NBA Finals in 2021, with a young core that included Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Deandre Ayton. They blew up much of that group with the Kevin Durant deal, but the Beal trade was the final nail in this truncated Phoenix era's coffin.
Beal played 53 games in each of his two Suns seasons, and he finished with a negative box plus/minus there. The fit between him, KD and Devin Booker never came close to working. To unload him, Phoenix had to use the waive-and-stretch provision, which means it'll have a $19.4 million cap hit on its books for each of the next four seasons.
LUKA Rank: 43rd
Fan Vote: 15th
19. Pacers Trade Kawhi Leonard to Spurs on Draft Night (2011)
32 of 50
Spurs Get: Kawhi Leonard, Davis Bertans, Erazem Lorbek
Pacers Get: George Hill
At the time of this trade, the Indiana Pacers losing a non-lottery pick for George Hill didn't seem like a big deal. It even seemed fine for the first couple of years afterward.
Hill quickly elevated himself to the role of starting point guard in Indiana. And by the end of his second year there, the Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they pushed LeBron James' Miami Heat to seven games.
But by the year after that, it started to become clear that Indiana may have given up an opportunity to develop a star. Kawhi broke out in the 2014 playoffs and won Finals MVP. The next season, he won the first of his two Defensive Player of the Year awards. By 2015-16, he looked like a perennial All-Star, and his offense started to catch up to his defense.
Today, Leonard seems to be known as much for his injuries as anything else. But there have been stretches—including the 2019 playoffs, when he won another Finals MVP and averaged 30.5 points—when he had a real "best player in the league" argument.
LUKA Rank: 12th
Fan Vote: 20th
18. 76ers Trade Charles Barkley to Suns (1992)
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Suns Get: Charles Barkley
76ers Get: Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, Tim Perry
Charles Barkley is one of the 25 greatest players in NBA history. His numbers over a six-year run immediately prior to this trade are eye-popping: 25.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals.
Immediately after the deal, he won an MVP for the Phoenix Suns, with averages of 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He took his new team to the NBA Finals (where it ran into prime Michael Jordan).
And while Jeff Hornacek (the best player on the other side of the deal) should probably go down as one of league history's more underrated players, his impact as a Sixer wasn't close to Barkley's as a Sun. Hornacek averaged 19.1 points and 6.9 assists in his first season in Philly, but he was traded to the Utah Jazz halfway through the next one.
LUKA Rank: 13th
Fan Vote: 19th
17. Hawks Trade Luka Dončić for Trae Young on Draft Night (2018)
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Mavericks Get: Luka Dončić
Hawks Get: Trae Young, 1st-Rd Pick
Last year's Luka Dončić trade was so spectacularly bad that it's easy to forget it wasn't the first one.
Luka had perhaps the best predraft resume of any prospect in NBA history. As a teenager, he was the best player for Real Madrid, one of the best basketball organizations outside the NBA. He'd already won a EuroBasket tournament for Slovenia and a EuroLeague MVP for his club team.
No one is truly a can't-miss prospect, but Dončić was about as close as anyone can get. And yet, the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings both made the unimaginable choice (even at the time) to pass on him, giving the Atlanta Hawks a chance to land and develop one of the best playmakers of all time.
Instead, Atlanta traded the third overall pick for a future first (which turned into Cam Reddish) and moved back and took Trae Young.
Young is a great creator and distributor himself, but his lack of size made him a completely different prospect from Luka. And his impact on winning has never approached Dončić's.
LUKA Rank: 27th
Fan Vote: 16th
16. Royals Trade Oscar Robertson to Bucks (1970)
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Bucks Get: Oscar Robertson
Royals Get: Charlie Paulk, Flynn Robinson
Oscar Robertson was already nearing the end of his career when the Cincinnati Royals traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks. But over the three seasons prior to the deal, Robertson averaged 26.3 points and 9.2 assists, led the league in assists twice and led it in scoring once.
Then, in his very first season in Milwaukee and alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Bucks won the championship.
Charlie Paulk, meanwhile, played just two seasons in the NBA after the trade. Flynn Robinson was a little better, playing four and averaging 10.1 points. But of course, those two, even combined, didn't come close to the impact Robertson had during his four seasons as a Buck.
LUKA Rank: 16th
Fan Vote: 17th
15. Nets Trade for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce (2013)
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Nets Get: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White, 1st-Rd Pick, 2nd-Rd Pick
Celtics Get: Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, 4 1st-Rd Picks (Jaylen Brown later selected with one), Pick Swap
A lot of the future picks involved in this deal didn't come back to bite the Brooklyn Nets. And had they still had the one that turned into Jaylen Brown, there's no guarantee they would've drafted him.
But it's easy to see why this trade climbed as high as it did in the fan vote.
Brooklyn gave up control of its future for years for Kevin Garnett on the verge of his age-37 season and Paul Pierce on the verge of his age-36 campaign. Both had already shown signs of slowing down with the Boston Celtics, and Garnett had started struggling with nagging injuries.
The superteam era in Boston was an unequivocal success, but the one in Brooklyn only lasted a year. And that lone season ended with a second-round loss at the hands of LeBron James' Miami Heat.
LUKA Rank: 60th
Fan Vote: 8th
14. Warriors Trade Robert Parish, Pick That Became Kevin McHale (1980)
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Celtics Get: Robert Parish, 1st-Rd Pick (Kevin McHale)
Warriors Get: 2 1st-Rd Picks (Joe Barry Carroll later selected with one)
This trade is an example of the player you know being better than the prospect you don't.
Over his last two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Robert Parish averaged 17.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. After joining the Celtics, he immediately started making All-Star teams and winning championships.
But of course, what really pushes this deal over the top is the fact that the draft pick that came over with Parish turned into Kevin McHale, who won multiple Sixth Man of the Year trophies with Boston and was one of the best players on three championship teams.
Joe Barry Carroll entered the NBA with plenty of hype and finished his career with an average of 17.7 points, but he never came close to the impact of either McHale or Parish. And Rickey Brown, the man selected with the other pick, was in and out of the league in five years.
LUKA Rank: 8th
Fan Vote: 18th
13. Pacers Trade 1984 Pick That Became No. 2 in Michael Jordan Draft (1981)
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Pacers Get: Tom Owens
Trail Blazers Get: 1st-Rd Pick (Sam Bowie)
In 1980-81, Tom Owens was 31 years old and averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Those are solid numbers for a role player, but they don't scream "trade a first-round pick for me."
Owens played two seasons after the deal and was out of the league before the pick conveyed. It wound up being second overall in 1984. The Portland Trail Blazers, of course, took Sam Bowie, but reigning National Player of the Year Michael Jordan was still on the board.
Had the Pacers still had that selection, they would've had the opportunity to take the greatest player in NBA history.
LUKA Rank: 52nd
Fan Vote: 9th
12. SuperSonics Trade Scottie Pippen to Bulls (1987)
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Bulls Get: Scottie Pippen, 1st-Rd Pick
SuperSonics Get: Olden Polynice, 2nd-Rd Pick, 1st-Rd Pick
Olden Polynice had a solid 15-year career as an NBA role player. In the middle, he had four seasons averaging double figures. He appeared in 37 playoff games.
The player whom he was traded for at the draft, Scottie Pippen, had a slightly different run.
It took him a couple of years to get going, but Pippen eventually developed into one of the best defenders and arguably the best No. 2 of all time for the Chicago Bulls.
Over his last seven seasons in Chicago, Pippen averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals. He won six championships and went down as one of the 30 best players in NBA history.
LUKA Rank: 31st
Fan Vote: 13th
11. 76ers Trade for Andrew Bynum (2012)
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Lakers Get: Dwight Howard, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon
76ers Get: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
Magic Get: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Christian Eyenga, Josh McRoberts, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, 1st-Rd Pick, 2nd-Rd Pick
Nuggets Get: Andre Iguodala
It's not hard to see where the Philadelphia 76ers were coming from on this one.
Andrew Bynum was coming off an age-24 campaign in which he averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, made the All-Star team and was Second Team All-NBA. He was a key role player for two Los Angeles Lakers championship teams.
There's a universe in which his move to Philadelphia facilitated a superstar breakout.
But Bynum had already had plenty of struggles with availability prior to this deal, and injuries prevented him from making a single appearance for the Sixers. By 2014, he was out of the league entirely.
In hindsight, losing Andre Iguodala (the bridge from the Allen Iverson era) for that and one season of post-prime Jason Richardson was a disaster.
LUKA Rank: 23rd
Fan Vote: 14th
10. Hornets Trade Kobe Bryant to Lakers (1996)
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Lakers Get: Kobe Bryant
Hornets Get: Vlade Divac
It may sound like the proverbial broken record at this point, but there was truly no way for the Charlotte Hornets to know what they were giving up here.
The chances of a 13th overall pick turning into a top-10-15 player in league history were basically nonexistent. But that's exactly what happened.
Even with a relatively quiet first few years and Vlade Divac having an analytics-friendly game, Kobe's career generated a hefty LUKA for this deal, thanks to his MVP and two Finals MVPs.
Today, he ranks fourth all-time in career playoff points and 20th in career playoff assists. And he won as many championships as Tim Duncan (five).
Divac is a Hall of Famer who helped pave the way for playmaking 5s like Nikola Jokić, but his two years with Charlotte (in which he averaged 11.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals) weren't in the same universe as Kobe's impact on the Los Angeles Lakers.
LUKA Rank: 14th
Fan Vote: 11th
9. 76ers Trade Wilt Chamberlain to Lakers (1968)
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Lakers Get: Wilt Chamberlain
76ers Get: Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark, Darrall Imhoff
As is the case with every trade here, there's a lot of context that can't really be captured or given the credit it deserves by any numbers.
Leading up to the deal, the near-32-year-old Wilt had grown dissatisfied with the organization. He reportedly wanted an ownership stake upon his retirement and wanted a pay raise that the Philadelphia 76ers didn't think they could afford.
Ultimately, they decided to move him and the 27.3 points, 24.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists he averaged over the three seasons immediately preceding the trade. Four years later, he won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The return Philly got for him wasn't terrible. Archie Clark, in particular, was pretty productive for the Sixers. But the three who came back never approached anything that even remotely resembled Wilt.
LUKA Rank: 17th
Fan Vote: 10th
8. Jazz Trade Pick That Became Magic Johnson to Lakers (1976)
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Lakers Get: Magic Johnson, 2 1st-Rd Picks, 2nd-Rd Pick
Jazz Get: 1st-Rd Pick, 2nd-Rd Pick
Magic Johnson was the product of another draft pick that came back to haunt the team that traded it.
The two picks that the then-New Orleans Jazz received never played a single game for them. Through a few subsequent trades, they eventually got Spencer Haywood, but he only played 34 games there.
And while there's no guarantee Magic would've had the career he did for the Jazz, plenty of fans have to see what he did for the Los Angeles Lakers and wonder, "what if?"
Upon his arrival, Magic was immediately one of the best players in the NBA. He won three MVPs, three Finals MVPs and five championships for the Lakers.
The Jazz have yet to win a single Finals.
LUKA Rank: 1st
Fan Vote: 12th
7. Clippers Trade SGA, More for Paul George (2019)
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Clippers Get: Paul George, 1st-Rd Pick
Thunder Get: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, 5 1st-Rd Picks (Jalen Williams later selected with one), 2 Pick Swaps
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who could honestly say that they were out on this trade for the Los Angeles Clippers at the time it was made.
Kawhi Leonard had a real argument to be considered the best player in the world in 2019. The idea of pairing him with Paul George seemed like a no-brainer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was good as a rookie, but 10.8 points per game didn't predict multiple future MVPs (he's likely months away from his second) and a Finals MVP.
Yes, the cost was huge, but it was reasonable to expect the Clippers to contend for championships for years after this deal was finalized. Except they didn't.
George isn't with the team anymore. Kawhi has been healthy at the end of a Clippers playoff run twice. And this trade didn't just send SGA to OKC.
One of those picks became Jalen Williams. Another is Jaime Jaquez Jr. (who doesn't play for the Thunder, but may have for the Clippers).
Hindsight paints a lot of the perspective on this one, but it looks truly terrible.
LUKA Rank: 38th
Fan Vote: 2nd
6. Hawks Trade Bill Russell to Celtics (1956)
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Celtics Get: Bill Russell
Hawks Get: Cliff Hagan, Ed Macauley
Part of the decision to limit the window for outgoing value in the LUKA calculations was driven by this trade.
Yes, Bill Russell's 11 championships look pretty damning to the St. Louis Hawks, who traded his rights before he was drafted. But there's no way to guarantee (or come anywhere near a guarantee) that Russell would've won a single title there, let alone 11.
His supporting cast and head coach with the Boston Celtics were instrumental in him building the legacy he did.
This trade still rises to sixth in these rankings for good reason. Russell was a brilliant individual player who would've found some level of success no matter where he played. He won five MVPs and is arguably the greatest defensive player in league history.
Even with the Hawks getting back two Hall of Famers who won a championship together two years after the trade, this is one of the most lopsided deals in league history.
LUKA Rank: 21st
Fan Vote: 5th
5. Warriors Trade Wilt Chamberlain to 76ers (1965)
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76ers Get: Wilt Chamberlain
Warriors Get: Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer, Cash
During the 1964-65 campaign, three years after he averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds, 28-year-old Wilt Chamberlain was putting up another gaudy stat line (38.9 points and 23.5 rebounds), but his San Francisco Warriors were one of the absolute worst teams in the league. They finished that season 17-63.
So, in spite of Wilt's otherworldly production, the team sent him back to Philadelphia (the Warriors had recently moved from there), where he promptly won three straight MVPs and secured a championship in 1967.
None of the three players who went back to San Francisco had significant impacts on that franchise, and they were all out of the league by 1971.
LUKA Rank: 2nd
Fan Vote: 7th
Runoff Vote: 5th
4. Bucks Trade Dirk Nowitzki to Mavericks on Draft Night (1998)
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Mavericks Get: Pat Garrity, 1st-Rd Pick (Dirk Nowitzki)
Bucks Get: 1st-Rd Pick (Robert Traylor)
It may not be fair to beat up the Milwaukee Bucks over this one. Dirk Nowitzki was the ninth pick in the 1998 draft, which means several other teams passed on him. Dirk had yet to smash the general perception of European players, so teams weren't exactly lining up to get him.
But Don Nelson saw something in Dirk that others didn't, traded down to land him and brought one of the best players of all time to the Dallas Mavericks.
Dirk is one of the few players across history who legitimately changed the way the game is played. When you see modern big men shooting threes and creating on the fly, you can thank Nowitzki at least in part for the shifts that led to today's game.
He won an MVP and a Finals MVP with Dallas and ranks seventh all-time in career points scored.
Robert Traylor, on the other hand, is known primarily as the player who was traded for Dirk. He played seven seasons in the NBA and finished with a career average of 4.8 points.
Again, there was no way for the Bucks to know exactly how this would turn out. Traylor had a solid, three-year career in college for Michigan. But the sheer size of the chasm between outcomes warrants this spot on the list.
LUKA Rank: 5th
Fan Vote: 6th
Runoff Vote: 4th
3. Nets Trade Julius Erving to 76ers (1976)
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76ers Get: Julius Erving
Nets Get: Cash
This one may stretch the definition of a trade a bit. As you can see, the Nets didn't get a player back for sending Julius Erving's rights to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Because of hefty fees demanded by the NBA to join the league shortly after its merger with the ABA, the Nets were in desperate need of the cash Philadelphia sent them. The move simply may not have happened without it.
But that didn't make the loss of the talent any less painful.
Dr. J was the best player in the ABA. He was coming off a third straight MVP of that league when the merger took place. And he almost immediately adapted to the NBA.
In his first five seasons with Philly, Erving averaged 23.4 points and 4.2 assists. The run culminated in an NBA MVP nod in 1981. Two years later, he won an NBA title.
LUKA Rank: 3rd
Fan Vote: 3rd
Runoff Vote: 3rd
2. Bucks Trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lakers (1975)
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Lakers Get: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Wesley
Bucks Get: Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, Brian Winters
The poor Milwaukee Bucks have already been hammered in these rankings over the Ray Allen and Dirk Nowitzki trades. Neither of those quite measure up to this one.
Yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade before Milwaukee sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers. That absolves the organization of some of the aftermath.
But Kareem was undoubtedly the best player in the league at the time he was moved. He'd already won three MVPs and one Finals MVP. And the players who were sent back to the Bucks for him, despite some strong seasons from Junior Bridgeman and Elmore Smith, were never going to make up for the loss of one of the three greatest players of all time.
Over the first 11 seasons after this trade, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 blocks. He ultimately won five titles with L.A.
LUKA Rank: 4th
Fan Vote: 4th
Runoff Vote: 2nd
1. Mavs Trade Luka Dončić to Lakers (2025)
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Lakers Get: Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Mavericks Get: Anthony Davis (who, after being traded one year later, became Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks), Max Christie, 1st-Rd Pick
Jazz Get: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2 2nd-Rd Picks, Cash
This exercise was completed before the Dallas Mavericks traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards for a pretty impressive haul (listed above). When that's rolled into the return for the original Luka trade, it doesn't look near as bad as it did.
But it's important to remember that a subsequent AD deal was never a part of the thinking for Nico Harrison. And when judged on its own merits, it's not hard to see how the Luka deal rose all the way to this spot.
We named the new metric after this trade, for crying out loud. A year later, it makes no more sense than it did at the time it happened. And it started from a baseline of total nonsense.
Luka Dončić, barely 26 years old at the time, was already one of the greatest playmakers of all time. He was a perennial first-team All-NBA player. He's one of the most productive playoff performers ever. And he'd taken two Dallas Mavericks teams through much deeper playoff runs than they had any business making.
Dončić was arguably the single most valuable trade asset in the NBA. And Dallas moved him without negotiating with anyone but the Los Angeles Lakers. All the Mavs got back was a post-prime and injury-prone big man (in an era when playmakers are far more valuable), one potential role player and one first-round pick.
It's more than fair to declare this the worst trade in NBA history. And there's still plenty of time for it to look worse. Accolades and championships aren't guaranteed, but if they eventually start piling up for Dončić, that LUKA score is going to rise.
Dallas may have been bailed out by the miracle of the 2025 draft lottery and Washington's interest in Davis, but even Cooper Flagg is going to have a hard time erasing the sting of this trade.
LUKA Rank: 39th
Fan Vote: 1st
Runoff Vote: 1st
Transaction information provided by Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
