10 Most Impactful Trades In NBA History

#4 Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia 76ers to Los Angeles Lakers)

Wilt Chamberlain

This trade had most of the world scratching their heads. In the 1968 season, Chamberlain had just averaged 24.3 points, 23.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. He also led the 76ers to a championship in 1967.

The Lakers, led by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor had just lost the 1968 NBA finals to the Boston Celtics and were looking for the final piece of their puzzle to beat the seemingly immortal Celtics.

This led to them sending Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrall Imhoff to Philadelphia for Chamberlain.

The Lakers took some time to gel as a unit. They found it particularly tough in Wilt's first season in L.A. He was even benched a few times during the regular season. Los Angeles made the finals in 1969 and 1970 but lost both times.

Finally, it all paid off in the 1971-1972 season when the Lakers went an incredible 69-13 and won the NBA Finals by beating the New York Knicks.

This can be considered as the worst trade ever made by a team when looking at it from Philadelphia's perspective. The three players they received had a combined total of two All-Star appearances while playing for the 76ers.