10 Athletes Who Could Never, Ever Be Traded
These days, almost every athlete has a price. Logic dictates that business decisions are made, which essentially makes any player "trade worthy" if the dollars make enough sense.
Attempting to defy logic goes beyond those lucrative dollar signs. Certain players out there in the sports realm simply can't be traded. Perhaps it's because of how much they mean to a city. Or it could be the fact that they are flat-out too good to be dealt.
No matter what the circumstances may be surrounding said player, here are 10 athletes that never, ever could be traded to another team.
Honorable Mentions
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There are clearly more than 10 players in sports today that should never be traded. Aside from picking 10 of the very best candidates, we also decided to unveil a handful of honorable mentions.
- Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
- Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
- Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
- Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
- Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
- Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
- Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stephen Curry
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Stephen Curry is far too good of a basketball player to be sent packing. The former Davidson guard has become a significant reason why the Golden State Warriors have turned things around.
He's won a league MVP, helped guide his team to an NBA title last season and this year, his club is out there chasing the 1998 Chicago Bulls for the best single-season record in history.
When you flip the script and peep Curry's worth past the visual barometers we normally use to judge a player, he continues to excel. By ESPN's Hollinger stats, Steph is also the No. 1-ranked player in terms of efficiency. His 31.83 mark is still the number to beat.
As one of the game's most recognizable figures and the unquestioned leader of the best team in basketball, Curry is as untradeable as it gets.
Aaron Rodgers
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Despite the Green Bay Packers' recent struggles—they lost two straight games to end the 2015 NFL season—Aaron Rodgers remains a player that should never be dealt.
What he's done since replacing Brett Favre in 2008 is take this team to even greater heights. The smooth operator wearing No. 12 has passed for 4,000 yards or more in five seasons, has two MVP awards attached to his name and has also claimed a Super Bowl title.
Green Bay's problems run deep. Rodgers isn't one of them. In a league cluttered with conversation about elite quarterbacks, he's near the top. Rodgers is efficient, superb outside of the pocket and when it comes down to it, few can push the ball down the field like No. 12.
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Mike Trout
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Mike Trout isn't simply one of the top all-around players in baseball. He's also quite the bargain in the grand scheme of things.
When Trout re-upped his deal in 2014, the numbers came in at $144.5 million over six years. Though that may look high at first glance, those dollars don't stack up to an accelerating market.
Chris Corcoran of Sports Illustrated discussed why the deal was low in a piece he dubbed the "Deal of the Century." "Writing on the subject of a potential Trout extension back in December, I didn't see how Trout would even listen to an offer of less than $200 million given his potential to land a contract in excess of $300 million upon reaching free agency at the age of 26," Corcoran penned.
Considering how brilliant he's been on the field and the contractual dollars attached to his name, getting rid of Trout is something that should never happen.
Antonio Brown
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Few wide receivers are as dangerous as Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Antonio Brown.
Drink this in for a second: Brown put together one of the greatest pass-catching seasons in NFL history in 2015. By ESPN Stats and Information's reporting, "Antonio Brown became the first player in NFL history to record four games with 175 receiving yards in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau."
He's a go-to target for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger—a guy who is as lethal before the catch as he is after. When you compile back-to-back seasons with more than 128 catches, you deserve immense respect.
Trading Brown would be a brash decision that would greatly hinder the Steelers' offensive attack.
LeBron James
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When you're speaking about guys who simply can't be pushed away from their respective teams, LeBron James is the sole name that comes to mind.
Now look, James was a part of a sign and trade deal in 2010. But what we're talking about is a flat-out trade without unusual circumstances surrounding it.
King James is well, King. He's been a cultural magnet for two cities—Miami and Cleveland—and has done it all with a ferocious streak of dominance. On the court, James has won two NBA titles, four MVP awards and has been called up to play in 11 All-Star Games.
When he's not out there creating, scoring and berating on opposing teams, James is lining his pockets with endorsement deals—including a lifetime agreement with Nike, per ESPN's Darren Rovell.
The overall value of James' on-court and off-the-hardwood worth is way too lucrative of an arrangement for him to be traded—even if his play eventually declines.
Tom Brady
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You don't trade the franchise. And in the case of the New England Patriots, all things circle back to Tom Brady.
Ever since Mo Lewis put Drew Bledsoe out of commission, Brady has stepped in and led the Patriots to monumental success. The team has won four Super Bowls and 12 of the last 13 AFC East division titles.
Logically speaking, he's past the point of being traded anyway. At age 38, he's going to finish his career in a Patriots uniform. That being said, you could make a case for Brady never, ever being dealt. He's coming off a 2015 season in which he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 4,770 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Now that's impressive stuff.
Bryce Harper
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Bryce Harper's evolution into a complete superstar has made him an asset that can't be traded for scrap parts and cash.
The current National League MVP took 2015 and blasted it into the bleachers. His final stat line of 118 runs, 42 home runs, 99 RBI and a .330 batting average put him on a level that few hitters can even touch.
There are still a few seasons to go, but Harper eventually is going to be unleashed into free agency. The Washington Nationals would have to be crazy to let him go. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post explained why Harper could actually be baseball's first $400-million man.
That perceived value alone makes it an extremely smart business decision to keep him around the roster.
Sidney Crosby
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Hockey can be a finicky sport. Wayne Gretzky was traded twice during his illustrious career, making sure the notion "nobody is safe" stuck.
Even so, in today's world it would be stunning to see the Pittsburgh Penguins get rid of Sidney Crosby. He's in the midst of climbing the all-time points, scoring and assist rankings in Penguins' history, he's won a Stanley Cup, and as Adam Gretz of CBS Sports wrote, Crosby is arguably the best player in the world.
Unlike a lot of other names we've talked about so far, Crosby has seen his fair share of trade rumors blossom out of the fertile soil that is the Internet. That doesn't mean he should be dealt, and the brass in Pittsburgh know this.
Anthony Davis
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Coming across a dominant big man in today's NBA is very rare. That's the main reason why the New Orleans Pelicans can never part ways with Anthony Davis.
Davis is an historically good talent. Even in what can be perceived as a "down" year, Davis has managed to average 23.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He turned into a non-comparable centerpiece for the Pelicans—a guy that you can essentially build a contender around.
Very few big men in today's game stack up to Davis. And at age 22, he has a lot of quality years ahead of him.
Cam Newton
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Cam Newton may not have been on this list a few seasons removed from his astounding rookie year. But 2015 changed everything.
A depleted Carolina Panthers offense on paper—wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin was lost after he tore his ACL last August—put a grim outlook on this season. Newton responded by putting up incredible totals in an MVP-like year.
The 26-year-old threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns. To top that off, he also ran for 636 yards and 10 TDs. That's 45 total scores for Newton in one season.
Oh yeah, the Panthers also finished the regular season 15-1. Something tells us you can't get rid of a talent like this. Newton seems to have reached his peak, and from the looks of it, he still has plenty of mojo left in the tank.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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