James Harden, Biggest Stars to Be Traded in NBA History After Nets Deal

It finally happened. 

James Harden, disgruntled superstar, was traded by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a massive four-team deal that rocked the NBA and changed the complexion of the title chase this season:

It's a huge, landmark deal. But where does it rank among some of the biggest trades in NBA history?

You don't have to go back too far to find some absolutely enormous NBA trades. In 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks (unprotected in 2022, 2024, 2026 picks; an unprotected 2021 selection from Miami and a protected 2023 selection from Miami) and pick swaps in 2023 and 2025 to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George. 

What made that deal so important was that it also inspired Kawhi Leonard—whose trade to the Toronto Raptors the offseason prior helped them win their first title in franchise history, and surely deserves some mention here—to sign with the Clippers, as he wanted a star to pair with before committing to L.A. in free agency. 

Earlier in 2019, the Lakers also shook up the NBA landscape, landing Anthony Davis to pair with LeBron James. The return for that deal? Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, three first-round picks and two potential first-round pick swaps. Davis and running mate LeBron James would go on to win the 2019-20 NBA title. 

The Nets are no stranger to giving away huge numbers of draft picks. In 2013, they acquired Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry for first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, a first-round pick swap in 2017 and Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Kris Joseph and Keith Bogans. 

The aging trio of Pierce, Garnett and Terry fizzled out, while the Celtics turned those draft picks into James Young (2014), Jaylen Brown (2016) and Jayson Tatum (2017). They also flipped the 2018 pick in a trade to acquire Kyrie Irving (now, of course, on the Nets, bringing this all full circle). Brooklyn lost almost half a decade of draft selections and had to rebuild without crucial draft capital, while the young duo of Brown and Tatum are Boston's current franchise cornerstones. 

How about beyond the past decade?

Well, the Lakers are no strangers to big deals. Literally big, given the Hall of Fame centers they've acquired throughout their history. The Lakers traded for Wilt Chamberlain in 1968, giving up Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers and cash, pairing him with fellow Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Chamberlain led them to the NBA Finals four times, winning a chip in 1972. 

The Lakers didn't waste much time replacing him once he retired, trading Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975. The Lakers won five NBA titles with Abdul-Jabbar. 

There are countless other trades that could be mentioned, both for the sheer quantity of assets exchanged (the Milwaukee Bucks gave up three first-round picks and two pick swaps for Jrue Holiday, though that price point seems more justified after Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a long-term extension with the Bucks) and for the impact they would have on NBA history (draft-day trades helped fuel dynasties, with players like Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen being acquired in such deals). 

Even The Decision was technically a trade. When LeBron James infamously moved to the Miami Heat, it was a sign-and-trade deal that netted the Cleveland Cavaliers two first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-rounder. The Heat got two titles out of the deal. 

Harden's deal will always be remembered in the pantheon of huge deals, either because the Nets win a title or the entire deal crashes and burns and Houston ends up with a number of valuable lottery selections. Either way, an enormous move.