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

#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.