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Not every NBA trade and transaction turns out to be a success. There are often occasions when the front office makes a poor decision regarding a player.
The 2020 NBA off-season was the shortest in league history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortened off-season period meant many teams had to make decisions in a hurry, and trades went through quicker than usual. That also meant the likes of the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics let go of players they shouldn't have, while other teams found diamonds in the rough.
There were a total of 35 registered trades in the 2020 NBA off-season. Most of them were three or four-team deals and involved many NBA players and future draft picks. Focusing only on off-season trades and not the ones that took place during the March NBA trade deadline, let's take a look at five such trades that turned out to be busts.
#1 Denver Nuggets - Detroit Pistons
On November 22nd, the Detroit Pistons agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with Jerami Grant of the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets also gave rights to Nikola Radicevic (NBA Pick No. 57 in 2015), and in return, they got cash considerations.
The Denver Nuggets instantly regretted giving up on Grant, as his departure created a hole in their defense. He was the team's bonafide defender, who used to guard the opponent's best player.
Their defensive rating fell significantly early in the 2020-21 NBA season. To exacerbate matters for the Nuggets, Grant started balling out for the Detroit Pistons. He was a career 9.3 points-per-game-scorer before the trade but started averaging 22.3 points per game for the Pistons.
#2 Atlanta Hawks - Detroit Pistons
This was a trade that did no good for either franchise. The Detroit Pistons traded Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dewayne Dedmon.
Snell averaged 8p/2r/2a for the 2019-20 NBA season, but those numbers dropped to 5p/2r/1a for the Hawks. Although he is an average defender, he didn't see any decent production. He played 47 games for the Hawks, averaging 21 minutes per game, and there was negligible change in the team's net rating with him on the floor.
Khyri Thomas and Dewayne Dedmon didn't make any significant impact at the respective teams and were later traded to different teams, which their initial trade a bust.
#3 Cleveland Cavaliers - LA Lakers
JaVale McGee was a key piece in the LA Lakers' title run in the 2020 NBA playoffs. He provided size and hustle for the team while bothering opposition big men at the defensive end. However, the LA Lakers decided not to sign him for the next NBA season and traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie.
McGee was eventually traded to the Denver Nuggets, and Jordan Bell later re-joined the Golden State Warriors. Alfonzo McKinnie played 39 games for the LA Lakers, averaging 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in just 6.6 minutes of playing time.
JaVale McGee played 33 games for the Cavaliers and was traded to the Nuggets at the NBA trade deadline. The LA Lakers often missed McGee's production this season and had to bring in another big man, Andre Drummond. So the McGee trade did no good for both teams.
#4 Boston Celtics - Charlotte Hornets
The Boston Celtics just couldn't make it work with Gordon Hayward, as their offense took a significant hit when they let him go. Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets agreed to a sign-and-trade deal. The Boston Celtics got Charlotte's 2022 protected second-round pick and, in exchange, gave up their 2023 and 2024 second-round picks.
The Charlotte Hornets got Hayward for just 44 games, as his injury issues continued. He is an extremely injury-prone player who has missed a lot of game time in the past few years. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics certainly missed Hayward's production, as he had developed great chemistry with his teammates there. Jayson Tatum and co. have often said Hayward was an important part of the lineup.
#5 Houston Rockets - Washington Wizards
The only reason this trade is mentioned here is that it didn't quite work out for the Houston Rockets.
The Washington Wizards got a big star in Russell Westbrook, who just had a historic 2020-21 NBA campaign, leading his team to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets got John Wall, who was absent from action for a major chunk of the season. He has been injury-prone since he tore his Achilles and often found himself out of the lineup.
Although he averaged 20 points in 40 games, he doesn't fit the rebuilding timeline of the young Houston Rockets, so he could be let go. The Rockets are considering to trade him out, and even a buyout possibility has been considered.
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