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The NBA history is filled with terrible trades that jeopardized the futures of various franchises and players.
Whether they were lopsided trades or resulted in a dissent between the traded player and the team, some transactions never seemed sensible, no matter how you looked at them. The Rajon Rondo to Dallas Mavericks trade is one such move that comes to mind.
Every NBA offseason, some trades make fans and analysts question the decision-making of the franchise. Sometimes these moves work out, but they mostly end up being a terrible experience for all parties involved.
On that note, here are the five worst trades of the 21st century:
#5 New York Knicks getting Andrea Bargnani in 2013
Andrea Bargnani had an underwhelming 2012-13 NBA campaign with the Toronto Raptors, averaging just 12.7 points per game. However, the New York Knicks decided to pull off a ridiculous trade for him, which sent Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson and three draft choices to the Raptors.
Bargnani is known to be one of the greatest busts of all time, as he was drafted by the Raptors with the first overall pick in 2006, but failed to achieve anything of note. It was a similar story in New York, as the Italian continued to struggle with injuries and poor form in his two-year stop with the Knicks.
#4 OKC Thunder sending James Harden to Houston Rockets in 2012
At one point, OKC Thunder had the best young core in the NBA, with the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden plying their trade for the team. The trio reached the NBA Finals together and were expected to dominate the league's landscape for years to come.
Harden was a free agent in the summer of 2012, but instead of extending him an offer according to market value, the Thunder low-balled him to avoid the luxury tax.
Harden spurned them, and the Thunder ended up trading the player to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, a package of picks that ultimately netted a top prize of Steven Adams.
The rest, as we all know, is history.
#3 Brooklyn Nets indirectly helping Portland Trail Blazers land Damian Lillard in 2012
In 2012, a shaky-looking Brooklyn Nets team made the ill-advised move of trading away an unprotected first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gerald Wallace. The reason behind the Nets' decision to do so was their assessment of that draft year's draft class, which the Brooklyn front office deemed to be weak.
The Portland Trail Blazers turned that pick into Damian Lillard, who is now revered as one of the best point guards in the NBA and amongst the best shooters of all time.
#2 Cleveland Cavaliers trading Kyrie Irving to Boston Celtics in 2017
The definition of a lose-lose trade, the Kyrie Irving to Boston Celtics move will go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history. Fresh off a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving requested a trade, and the Cavs granted his wish by sending him to the Celtics.
The Cavs were a strong contender with Irving, but became a punching bag for the Warriors in the subsequent NBA Finals after LeBron James lost his partner-in-crime. James parted ways with the franchise after two years, while Irving had a less than productive spell with Boston. Irving later moved to the Brooklyn Nets.
#1 Brooklyn Nets mortgaging their future for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013
The Brooklyn Nets dug themselves a deep grave by mortgaging their future by signing off on a deal that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to them in exchange for the measly price of three future first-round picks - 2014, 2016, and 2018 - and swap rights in 2017 and five players.
Expected to mount a title charge, the Nets instead ended with an underwhelming 44-38 record that season. To rub insult to injury, all three players - Garnett, Terry, and Pierce - ended up leaving after just one year. The Celtics, meanwhile, were able to draft franchise cornerstones, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with their picks.
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