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Due to recent news, the topic of 'The worst trade in NBA history' has been mentioned a lot lately, and by many people who lack the necessary context. Obviously, we don't know what will happen in the future -- not wishing anyone any harm, but Doncic could, for example, blow out his Achilles in his next game, and turn into Brendan Fraser during his rehab, and never be the same. As could Davis. That said, some of the competition for this "title" is impressive.
Probably the current worst was when on October 18, 1976, the Portland Trail Blazers traded 21 year-old Moses Malone to Buffalo for a single first-round pick, which they turned into journeyman Rick Robey. Malone had already been an ABA All-star at 19 -- posting 19/15 -- so it isn't like Portland didn't know what they had. Malone would win the first of his 3 MVPs two years later, and almost everything else that exists to be won. This trade is compounded by the facts that Portland chose to keep Bill Walton instead of Malone, and then spent the next couple decades trying to acquire a center with functional legs.
Astoundingly, the second-worst trade might have been 6 days and 2 games and only 3 minutes of play later (!!) when Buffalo turned around and flipped Malone to Houston for just two first-round picks -- although they did turn one of those into Michael Ray Richardson, who was quite good.
Other candidates include:
In 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers traded 23 year-old Adrian Dantley to Utah for 30 year-old Spencer Haywood and 20 pounds of cocaine. Actually, Haywood just brought the coke with him -- and later consumed much of it before trying to kill his coach __during the NBA Finals__. Dantley went on to become the most-efficient high-volume scorer that basketball has yet seen. The Lakers were so ridiculously loaded with talent that they won a bunch of titles anyway, but this trade was horrific -- almost literally, since it nearly got someone killed.
In 1965, San Francisco traded 28 year-old Wilt Chamberlain -- in the midst of a 35/12/3 season -- to Philadelphia for Connie Dierking ( a journeyman center ), Paul Newman ( a decent point guard ), the rights to a guy who hadn't played in years and never did again, and cash. Chamberlain took the Sixers to their first title two seasons later ( they also won 1 as the Nationals ).
In 1972, Houston traded 26 year-old Elvin Hayes -- 12th leading scorer of all-time -- to Baltimore straight-up for Jack Marin. Marin was a real good player, and 2-time All-star, but his best days were already behind him, and Hayes would be top-10 in MVP voting for the next 5 years running.
In 1976, the New York Nets outright sold Julius Erving to Philadelphia for $6M -- after the Knicks turned down buying Erving for $3M (!!).
There are some other candidates, too. Anyway, the most-likely scenarios for Doncic-Davis probably don't wind up making the Top 5 of Worst NBA Trades. The first Malone trade will be the worst for a long time. The only case to date of a 21 year-old future-multiple-MVP-winner being swapped straight-up for a journeyman. Also one of unimaginably few cases where we know that a team accepted half of the value, because 6 days later the same player was flipped for twice as much, despite playing only 3 minutes in the interim.
Probably the current worst was when on October 18, 1976, the Portland Trail Blazers traded 21 year-old Moses Malone to Buffalo for a single first-round pick, which they turned into journeyman Rick Robey. Malone had already been an ABA All-star at 19 -- posting 19/15 -- so it isn't like Portland didn't know what they had. Malone would win the first of his 3 MVPs two years later, and almost everything else that exists to be won. This trade is compounded by the facts that Portland chose to keep Bill Walton instead of Malone, and then spent the next couple decades trying to acquire a center with functional legs.
Astoundingly, the second-worst trade might have been 6 days and 2 games and only 3 minutes of play later (!!) when Buffalo turned around and flipped Malone to Houston for just two first-round picks -- although they did turn one of those into Michael Ray Richardson, who was quite good.
Other candidates include:
In 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers traded 23 year-old Adrian Dantley to Utah for 30 year-old Spencer Haywood and 20 pounds of cocaine. Actually, Haywood just brought the coke with him -- and later consumed much of it before trying to kill his coach __during the NBA Finals__. Dantley went on to become the most-efficient high-volume scorer that basketball has yet seen. The Lakers were so ridiculously loaded with talent that they won a bunch of titles anyway, but this trade was horrific -- almost literally, since it nearly got someone killed.
In 1965, San Francisco traded 28 year-old Wilt Chamberlain -- in the midst of a 35/12/3 season -- to Philadelphia for Connie Dierking ( a journeyman center ), Paul Newman ( a decent point guard ), the rights to a guy who hadn't played in years and never did again, and cash. Chamberlain took the Sixers to their first title two seasons later ( they also won 1 as the Nationals ).
In 1972, Houston traded 26 year-old Elvin Hayes -- 12th leading scorer of all-time -- to Baltimore straight-up for Jack Marin. Marin was a real good player, and 2-time All-star, but his best days were already behind him, and Hayes would be top-10 in MVP voting for the next 5 years running.
In 1976, the New York Nets outright sold Julius Erving to Philadelphia for $6M -- after the Knicks turned down buying Erving for $3M (!!).
There are some other candidates, too. Anyway, the most-likely scenarios for Doncic-Davis probably don't wind up making the Top 5 of Worst NBA Trades. The first Malone trade will be the worst for a long time. The only case to date of a 21 year-old future-multiple-MVP-winner being swapped straight-up for a journeyman. Also one of unimaginably few cases where we know that a team accepted half of the value, because 6 days later the same player was flipped for twice as much, despite playing only 3 minutes in the interim.
