NBA Draft: Ranking the 10 Craziest Draft-Day Trades of All Time

Every year, there are a ton of draft day trades that take place and the 2018 NBA Draft was no different than before. Whether it's trading players straight up, trading draft picks for future draft picks, trading picks for cash or any other possible permutation or combination, trades make up quite a huge part of Draft Day.

Many teams in an attempt to make their roster better take bold decisions. When a team trades a future young talent for a scrub or a young prospect for a veteran, we have seen plenty of times how the fortune of a team can change. While its impossible to know how great a young player might develop into, there have been a plethora of draft day trades in the history of the NBA that have changed the course of the franchise and the league itself too.

Plenty of trades happened on the night of the 2018 NBA Draft. Only time will tell which trade turned out best for which team.

For now, let us look at the top 10 craziest draft day trades of all time.

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#10 The Phoenix Suns sell Rajan Rondo

The Pheonix Suns trade Rajon Rondo to the Boston Celtics for cash

The Phoenix Suns had the 21st pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and picked Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo. They then instantly traded the rookie to the Boston Celtics for cash and a 2007 first-round pick. They ended up eventually trading even that 2007 pick to Portland for cash. So, basically, the Suns used the Rondo trade to get some cash. But was it the best move?

Rajon Rondo, as we all know, went onto become an integral part of the Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen Celtics and almost made it a big 4. He was the perfect floor general that the Celtics needed and the big 3 along with Rondo ended up winning the 2008 championship. He played for the Celtics for 9 seasons and averaged 11 points, 8.5 dimes and 4.7 boards along with almost 2 steals per game.

Imagine if the Suns had kept Rondo. He could have learned from Steve Nash coming off the bench and could have been the best six man in the league. When Nash became a free agent, the Suns had no option to replace him with and Rondo could have been their answer then.

#9 Chicago Bulls Trade LaMarcus Aldridge to the Portland Trail Blazers

LaMarcus Aldridge was drafted by the Chicago Bulls

Two of the best big man in the 2006 NBA Draft was Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge and LSU forward Tyrus Thomas. The Chicago Bulls drafted Aldridge with the second overall pick and the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Thomas with the 4th overall pick. But the two teams apparently found each other’s pick to be better because Portland sent Thomas and Viktor Khyrapa to the Bulls for Aldridge and a second-round pick.

LaMarcus Aldridge became the face of the Portland Trail Blazers for the next 9 years as he played some of the best basketball of his career averaging 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He received the All-Star recognition stage for 5 consecutive years as a Trail Blazer.

Thomas played only for two and a half seasons before being shipped to the Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls should have gone with their gut and kept LaMarcus Aldridge in Chicago. A possible combo of the MVP Derrick Rose combined with young LaMarcus Aldridge, surrounded by the right supporting cast, could have formed a deadly team.

#8 The San Antonio Spurs trade George Hill for Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard was drafted by the Indiana Pacers

After the 2010-11 season, the San Antonio Spurs had been knocked out of the first year for three straight years and were looking for a change and the infusion of youth. They changed the trajectory of their franchise with a draft-day trade in 2011.

George Hill was one of the favourite players of Popovich but the Spurs at that point of time needed to get bigger. So the Spurs just went ahead with the deal and traded the then-reserve guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for the 15th pick in the draft. They used that pick to draft Kawhi Leonard. It was, according to Popovich, the toughest decision of his coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs.

Kawhi since then has blossomed into one of the best two-way players in the game and became the face of the Spurs franchise last year. Leonard’s transformation into a top 5 talent revitalized the Spurs. Although the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were the cornerstones that lead to the back to back Finals run in 2013 and 2014, it was Leonard's versatility that helped them win the championship in 2014, leading to him winning the Finals MVP.

While George Hill became a solid two-way point guard and went to two conference Finals with the Pacers, he never became the monster that Kawhi Leonard has turned into and therefore the tough decision for Popovich was worth it. Although Leonard leaving the Spurs might be inevitable, this draft day trade definitely worked in the favour of the Spurs.

#7 The Minnesota Timberwolves trade Ray Allen for Stephon Marbury

Ray Allen was traded to the Bucks for Stephon Marbury

Ray Allen was drafted in the famous 1996 NBA Draft as the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the same draft, Stephon Marbury was selected 4th by the Milwaukee Bucks. The two were immediately swapped with the Bucks also acquiring a future first-round pick.

While Marbury was a talented prospect, he turned out to be a problem for every team he played in the league. He lasted only 3 seasons with the Timberwolves. Allen on the other hand, as we all know became one of the best shooters the game has ever seen. Ray Allen won 2 championships and is also NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made.

If Minnesota had decided not to trade Allen, a prime Kevin Garnett and a young Ray Allen could have teamed up and could have won a championship together in the future. The two eventually ended up playing on the same team 10 years later in 2008 and winning their first championship together. That championship could have been 10 years earlier in Minnesota.

#6 Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics

Ray Allen traded to the Boston Celtics

In 2007, the Boston Celtics were in the midst of forming a super team. Kevin Garnett was already heading to Boston to join forces with Paul Pierce. Still, the Celtics needed one more piece to form a championship roster.

Danny Ainge, the General Manager for the Boston Celtics, made a master move and acquired Ray Allen and the 35th overall draft pick from the Seattle Supersonics for the No. 5 pick Jeff Green, Wally Sczerbiak and Delonte West. To add to Danny Ainge’s fortune, the 35th overall pick turned into Glen Davis.

With just one trade, the Celtics had acquired the third member of the Big 3 and also a valuable role player in Davis. That seems to be better than most drafts.

The big 3 in Boston went onto win their first championship the following season in 2008 as they defeated they arch rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in 6 games and won their first title since 1986.

#5 Milwaukee Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki for Robert Traylor

Dirk Nowitzki traded to the Bucks for Robert Traylor

The Milwaukee Bucks are known for making bad trade decisions in NBA History and this is one big example of that. The Bucks drafted Dirk Nowitzki as the 9th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. But before the German had a chance to try on his jersey, he and Pat Garrity were traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Taylor.

Robert Traylor played only 2 years for the Bucks and six years in the NBA before he died unfortunately through a tragic heart attack in 2011. He averaged 4.8 points per game in his career.

On the other hand, Nowitzki has been the best player for the Mavericks since he joined them and has become a franchise player for them. In an illustrious 20 year career, Dirk has earned the respect of probably being the best international player and definitely one of the best players the game has ever seen. He is considered one of the best big shooting men in the history of his league.

He also won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 by defeating the heavily favoured big trio of the Miami Heat and won the Finals MVP award for his spectacular performance in the Finals. Thus, another bad move by the Milwaukee Bucks as Dirk could have been a franchise player for them.

#4 The Golden State Warriors trade Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to the Boston Celtics

Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Larry Bird

Red Auerbach is an NBA legend, and this deal shows why.

Auerbach traded the first and the 13th overall picks in the 1980 NBA Draft to the Golden State Warriors for the third overall pick and Robert Parish. The Celtics ended up drafting Kevin McHale as the third overall selection. And just like that, Auerbach built a nucleus for three championship teams.

With the addition of Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to the Celtics, the two along with Larry Legend formed one of the most formidable and intimidating trios there ever has been. They won 3 titles together in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

The Warriors drafted Joe Barry Carroll with the first pick and Rickey Brown with the 13th. Carroll turned into a pretty solid piece for them, but not the likes of Parish or McHale. The Celtics proved to be big time winners from this draft-day trade.

#3 Seattle Supersonics trade Scottie Pippen

The Seattle Supersonics trade Scottie Pippen to the Chicago Bulls

This trade is one of the most shocking ones considering what the Sonics got in return from this trade. The Seattle Supersonics drafted Scottie Pippen in 1987 NBA Draft with the fifth overall pick. But the Sonics traded Pippen to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice and future draft picks.

Who's Olden Polynice? Exactly.

Most of us would have never heard of his name ever. The Bulls got a Hall of Famer and one of the best players of all time for a player who averaged 7 points a game in his career. And the rest we all remember. Scottie Pippen joined forces with ‘his Airness’ Michael Jordan to form a formidable Bulls squad that three-peated twice to win 6 championships.

If the Supersonics had held onto Pippen, they could have formed a trio along with Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton which most probably would have had the best chance to win multiple championships. Instead, they went ahead with the trade and never won a title. The Supersonics are now no longer in Seattle.

#2 Charlotte Hornets Trade Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers

The Charlotte Hornets trade Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers

This trade has become a mystical tale around the NBA and always comes into importance whenever the talks turn to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Charlotte Hornets had selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall draft pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. But Kobe wasn’t thrilled with the draft as he had always dreamt of playing for the purple and gold as a child. Jerry West, then the general manager of the Lakers didn’t need much time to make up his mind about Kobe from what he saw during his workout with Los Angeles and engineered a trade. So, the Hornets traded Bryant to the Lakers for Vlade Divac and the rest is history.

The deal seemed good on paper with the Hornets receiving a strong center and also saved themselves from a deal with the risk of a high school player. Divac lasted only two years in Charlotte before being traded to Sacramento where he helped them become one of the better teams in the NBA.

Kobe became one of the best players this game has ever produced and continued the legacy of this great Lakers franchise for the entirety of his career. Kobe Bryant won 5 championships, 2 NBA Finals MVP Award, 2008 Most Valuable Player Award and was an 18 time NBA All-Star.

If the Hornets had held onto Kobe, they probably would not have moved from Charlotte. One small trade seemed so innocent, but with far-reaching consequences.

#1 Boston Celtics trade for Bill Russell

The Boston Celtics trade for the great Bill Russell

This was without a doubt the greatest draft-day trade in the history of the NBA.

Boston Celtics had the number third pick in the 1956 NBA Draft, but they had their eyes set on Bill Russell. St. Louis took Russell as the number two pick.

Red Auerbach showed once again why he is one of the all-time greats. He manufactured a deal that would send Ed McCauley and Cliff Hagan for Russell. Although McCauley ended up with a Hall of Fame career, he was no Bill Russell.

Bill Russell went on to become one of the best players to have ever played the game. He is was center around which the great Celtics dynasty that won 10 out of their 11 tiles between 1959 and 1969 was built.

Russell revolutionized the game of basketball and made the Boston Celtics one of the premier teams in sports history. He averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field in his career. He won 11 championships, 5 MVP Awards and was a 12-time All-Star.

The Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968 which never would have happened if Russell would have been there.