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A trade is a transaction between two or more teams. In NBA it may be exchange of players, future draft picks or cash. Example of a trade could be given by the recent Lakers deal, in which they signed Anthony Davis in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks.
Winning the NBA Championship is not easy, 30 teams fight for it but only one comes out on top. Trades play a huge role in basketball, as they help a team to acquire the missing link it needs to make them better or in some cases challenge for the title (like Raptors and Warriors).
This list will include the biggest trades in the NBA since 2010(not including free-agent signings). These rankings are based on the contributions made by the player in the overall improvement of their team or titles won.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
#5 Kevin Love to Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Wesley Love is known for his rebounding and shooting skills. He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies as the fifth pick of the first round of 2008 Draft, but was soon traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he was a key member.
Even after scoring as high as 26 points (2013-14) and averaging up-to 15 rebounds per game (2010-11), he was not able to book a single playoffs berth for the team.
Coming off a career high in scoring, it was time for Love to move on. He was involved in a three team trade between Cleveland, Philadelphia and Minnesota.
Love moved to Cleveland and Timberwolves received Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett (both from Cavaliers) and Thaddeus Young (from Philadelphia), while the 76ers received Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved(from Minnesota) and a 2015 first-round draft pick (from Cleveland).
Kevin Love formed a star-studded trio with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. In his second season, K-Love's contribution helped the team win the NBA Title, ending a 52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland.
#4 Andre Iguodala to Golden State Warriors
Andre Iguodala was traded to the Golden State Warriors before the start of the 2013-14 season as part of a three-team trade.
The Denver Nuggets (Andre's former team) received guard Randy Foye and the Utah Jazz got Golden State's first-round picks in 2014 and 2017 and second-round picks in 2016 and 2017 and Denver's second-round pick in 2018.
The addition of Iggy turned the Warriors into a Title contenders. With the splash brothers (Curry and Thompson), Andre led the team to their first NBA Championship(2015) in over 40 years.
He was named Finals MVP, averaging 16.3 points, 4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. Iguodala is the only player to win the award without starting a game during the Finals and the regular season.
This move turned out to be very successful for the Warriors and Iguodala. The team went on to win two more titles in 2017 and 2018.
#3 James Harden to Houston Rockets
James Harden signed with the Houston Rockets on October 27, 2012 after failing to agree a contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Houston also received center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward while OKC acquired guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
At Thunder, Harden played behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Houston saw him as a future star. During his first season with the team, he started 78 games averaging 25.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Harden is considered one of the most formidable and consistent scorers in the NBA today. He is a two time scoring champion(2018,19) and was named as 2018 NBA MVP. Last season he was announced finalist for the MVP award and made a record for scoring 30 or more points for 31 consecutive games, tying Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in NBA history.
As a focal point of this team, he gives his best performance every game. It is safe to say that The 'Beard' has turned the struggling Rockets into a strong side.
#2 Kawhi Leonard to Toronto Raptors
Kawhi Leonard spent seven years of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. He won the NBA Title in 2014 and was named Finals MVP, he was also named Defensive player of the year for consecutive years.(2015,16). For most of the 2017-18 season, he was injured and played only nine games.
After the injury plagued season, Kawhi requested for trade. On July 18, 2018 Leonard and Danny Green were traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick.
Leonard's move turned out to be an instant success, his impressive performance on both ends of the court led the team to the playoffs. The Raptors won their first ever NBA Championship (with Kawhi winning his second NBA Finals MVP) as they defeated the mighty Warriors 4-2.
The Klaw has done his job for the Raptors and decided not to sign again with them. Recently he joined the LA Clippers along with Paul George, making them a new NBA championship favorite.
#1 LeBron James to Miami Heat
LeBron James is often considered the best basketball player in the world and regarded by some as the greatest player of all time.
Even after giving his best, he was not able to win the NBA Title with Cleveland. In July 2010 James became an unrestricted free agent and decided to form the 'Big three' by signing with Miami Heat. At the time it was regarded as one of the most controversial move (just like Kevin Durant joining the Warriors).
LeBron's move to Miami Heat in 2010 was seen by many as a free-agent signing. But it was a sign-and-trade. This move saw the Cavaliers acquiring two future conditional first-round picks, two future second-round picks, an option to swap 2012 first-round pick and a trade exception.
With the help of fellow All-Stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, King James led the strong Miami team to the Finals four times in a row, winning back to back NBA championships(he was named league MVP and NBA Finals MVP in both championship years).
James came back to Cleveland and helped them win 2016 NBA Title. After successfully completing his mission for the Cavs he moved on to Los Angeles, where he is the top guy and is looking to win the Championship this year.
