NBA deals often spark the best fan discussions. Sometimes both sides are delighted with the agreement, and sometimes one gets fleeced.
Fans often shout on social media for their team to make a championship-level deal without giving up anything. Of course, this gives fans a good chance when they place a bet at Eireonlinecasino.
On the other hand, NBA stars seek to be transferred more often than ever to escape terrible situations. While most trades turn out favorable on both teams, some trades turn out ugly.
This post will talk about the most unfair NBA trades of all time; one team got a great deal, while the other team left everyone wondering why they allowed it to happen.
Philadelphia 76ers Traded Charles Barkley for Phoenix Suns’ Tim Perry, Andrew Lang, and Jeff Hornacek
Charles Barkley reportedly asked the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him before 1991–1992. The Sixers have changed since winning the NBA championship in 1983, and Barkley wanted out.
Meanwhile, Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Suns’ general manager, was in the process of rebuilding the franchise. They needed one guy to go through the “hump” in the Western Conference playoffs. Since the Sixers wanted to make Barkley happy, they traded him to the Suns as part of a package that included Sun’s Jeff Hornacek.
Barkley was named MVP in his first year with the Suns, and he led them to their first NBA Final since 1976. They tried hard but lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games.
Hornacek, on the other hand, had a solid first season in Philadelphia. He averaged 19.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 6.9 APG. He was traded to the Utah Jazz earlier than planned the following season.
Meanwhile, Tim Perry averaged 9.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG in his first two seasons with the Sixers. He got injured and left for European leagues. Lang only played for the Sixers for one season.
Houston Rockets Traded Elvin Hayes for Washington Bullets’ Jack Marin
Over the years, the Washington Bullets/Wizards have made many trades that helped the teams they traded with more than their team. But the 1972’s offseason was a different story and sparked debate and criticism.
Jack Marin was one of the league’s top shooters coming off an All-Star season with Houston, while Elvin Hayes had a fragile ego and fought coaches and teammates. This deal seemed to change everything.
Marin had a good year with the Rockets. He averaged 18.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and was an All-Star. After being traded midseason, he never returned to All-Star form.
Hayes and Wes Unseld worked effectively together in Washington because their talents and weaknesses matched. In 1978 and 1979, Unseld and Hayes led the Bullets to the NBA Finals. 1978 champions. Hayes averaged 21.3 PPG and 12.7 RPG in nine seasons with Washington and was one of the team’s best players.
On the other hand, Marin is mainly known for his part in this very unfair trade.
St. Louis Hawks Traded Bill Russell for Boston Celtics’ Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan
Boston Celtics coach, Red Auerbach, swapped All-Star Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan’s draft rights to the St.Louis Hawks for the second overall pick after the 1955–56 NBA season. Then he arranged a deal with the first-place Rochester Royals, who had the first pick in the draft.
In exchange, Rochester got the Ice Capades. Auerbach got into all these troubles for Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco.
Russell had won 11 championships, became MVP five times, and appeared in the All-Stars 12 times. Many people think he was one of the essential players in NBA history.
Meanwhile, Hagan and Macauley were definitely not slackers being All-Stars and All-NBA talents. They even got St. Louis a title in 1958.
But even with all of their success, their combined careers don’t come close to Bill Russell’s legendary status, putting them on the list of the most unfair trades in the history of the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks Traded Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity for Dallas Mavericks’ Robert Traylor
In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks had two top-20 draft picks. The Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki, an unknown German sharpshooter, with the 9th pick. The Bucks didn’t like the 7-footer and got Robert Traylor instead.
Next was even more fascinating: the Bucks also traded Pat Garrity to the Mavericks, which was later traded to the Suns’ point guard, Steve Nash.
Milwaukee fans believed going for Traylor instead of Dirk would pave the way to success. However, Traylor played 93 games with the Bucks and never hit 6.0 PPG.
On the other hand, Nowitzki became one of the best power forwards in the league’s history and a Finals MVP. Although he and Nash never reached the top together, they have reached new heights. Dirk spent his entire career with Dallas, making it a franchise-altering move.
Charlotte Hornets Swap Kobe Bryant for Los Angeles Lakers Vlade Divac
The LA Lakers had no idea who Kobe Bryant was before the 1996 NBA Draft. Then, Jerry West, Lakers icon and the general manager, saw the young player during pre-draft workouts.
After that, allegations of manipulation involving West and Bryant surfaced. Bryant denied these claims and said the Hornets had never wanted him to begin with.
Bryant ended up in the best place, although Hornets head coach Dave Cowens allegedly told Bryant that he didn’t need him. Divac was a center, and that’s what the Hornets wanted.
This trade’s aftermath is well-written. Bryant became one of the most respected people in NBA history over time. He was chosen for most All-Defensive Teams of any guard in history. He also won five championships, two MVPs of the Finals, and one MVP. Even after his untimely death in 2020, people will never forget his attitude and fierce work ethic.
Meanwhile, Divac played with the Hornets for only two years. He averaged 8.6 RPG and 11.7 PPG. He left the team in 1999 to play for the Sacramento Kings. In the early 2000s where he became an essential part of teams that played against Bryant’s Lakers.