10 Most Impactful Trades In NBA History

#9 Dirk Nowitzki (Milwaukee Bucks to Dallas Mavericks)

What could have been?

This is one of the most lop-sided trades in the history of the league.

In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks held the ninth pick in the Draft and went with the young twenty-year-old German. They decided to trade up though, for the number six pick Robert Taylor. This would go on to become the biggest mistake the franchise had made since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Robert Traylor was in the league only for another eight years. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career and the Bucks traded him after just two seasons.

Dirk, on the other hand, is currently in his twentieth season with the Mavericks and has become an icon not only in the franchise but among the current and following generations of stretch-forwards.

He won a championship and Finals MVP in 2011. He is a thirteen-time All-Star and was named the regular season MVP in 2007. He will also retire as arguably the greatest player to come from Europe. It's safe to say that the Mavericks made a smart decision to trade down to the ninth pick and show their faith in a young twenty-year-old European sharpshooter.