NBA History: 5 Trades that changed the NBA forever

#3 The Seattle SuperSonics trade Scottie Pippen to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice and draft picks

Pippen almost played for the SuperSonics

This trade is not only one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, but it also changed the league forever. The deal involved the Sonics trading their draft pick, who on to become an NBA champion. The next trade that changed the NBA was the Sonics sending Scottie Pippen to the Chicago Bulls.

In 1987, the Sonics had the fifth pick of the draft. They used this pick to draft a future Hall of Fame player in small forward Scottie Pippen. However, Pippen didn't stay with the Sonics for long. The Bulls orchestrated a deal that helped them acquire Pippen from the Sonics.

The Bulls had the eighth pick of the 1987 draft but wanted Pippen, but he was gone by their pick. So, the Bulls took matters into their own hands and acquired him in a trade. In this trade, the Bulls traded center Olden Polynice, who they drafted eighth to the Sonics in exchange for Pippen. They also gave Seattle many draft picks.

During his time with the Bulls, Pippen became a key player. He was the "Robin" to Michael Jordan's "Batman". He even became the Bulls go-to scorer after Jordan retired before the 1993-94 season.

The duo achieved great success and went on to win six championships. Pippen's contributions on both ends of the floor played a critical part in the Bulls' success. If Jordan and the Bulls did not have Pippen, they might not have reached the success they had. Jordan and Pippen made a great duo, and with other pieces around them, they became legendary.

While Pippen played for other teams in his career, his time with the Bulls was his most memorable one. On top of his championships with the Bulls, he made numerous All-NBA teams and had his jersey retired by the Bulls.

Pippen did great things with the Bulls, but it nearly didn't happen. If the Sonics/Bulls trade hadn't happened, fans wouldn't have witnessed the Bulls dynasty. This trade changed the NBA and changed it for the better.