10 Most Impactful Trades In NBA History

#2 Kobe Bryant (Charlotte Hornets to Los Angeles Lakers)

Kobe Bryant (Center)

The 1996 NBA draft was stacked with huge names such as Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Antoine Walker, Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen.

The Lakers at the time were trying to snatch Shaquille O'Neal from Orlando and couldn't really afford to use any more cap space to get themselves a trade for a player in the lottery but West was convinced that the seventeen-year-old Kobe Bryant would be the perfect partner for O'Neal.

With many teams skeptical of drafting a player straight out of high school, there wasn't any real interest from teams for Bryant.

Charlotte, who had the 13th pick, required a big man to replace Alonzo Mourning. The Lakers had Vlade Divac. The deal seemed perfect for the Hornets who had no intention of drafting Bryant with their pick.

The deal was agreed the night before the draft and the Lakers informed the Hornets whom to draft five minutes before the pick had to be made.

This deal resulted in the Lakers freeing enough cap space to sign O'Neal as well to form one of the greatest duos in NBA history. This also cemented Jerry West as not only one of the greatest players of all time, but also one of the greatest executives the league had ever seen.