Franchise-shifting trades to draft disasters: Roster mistakes for all 30 NBA teams since 2020

The NBA is famously a league of transactions. Teams indispensable nail their trades, signings and draught picks to vie for the title, and instrumentality involvement successful those dealings is often higher than successful the games themselves.

Some of these transactions effect successful meteoric success. Just look astatine the past 2 NBA champions: The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics traded for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and draught picks that became Jalen Williams, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Other caller champions landed their MVPs with the No. 41 (Nikola Jokic) and No. 15 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) picks.

Yet different transactions occurrence retired spectacularly. It's those rotten deals that we've enactment nether the microscope.

Following ESPN colleagues who person done the aforesaid for NFL, MLB and Premier League teams, we're highlighting the worst determination each NBA squad has made frankincense acold successful the 2020s, ranking them from slightest to astir damaging.

Note that we're ranking the disastrousness of these deals in retrospect, truthful adjacent moves that made consciousness astatine the clip tin beryllium included here. As ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote successful his NFL ranking, "I'm evaluating the outcome. If the process was intelligibly atrocious astatine the time, that's a bonus, but this is measuring the severity of each incorrect choice, not why thing happened."

The process present is the same. Let's instrumentality a look astatine the astir damaging moves NBA teams person made this decade.

Jump to a tier:
Tier 1: Franchise-altering trades | Tier 2: High cost, debased reward
Tier 3: Midtier mistakes | Tier 4: Draft disasters
Tier 5: Small-scale problems

Tier 5: Small-scale problems

30. Cleveland Cavaliers
Biggest mistake: Declining Isaiah Hartenstein's qualifying connection (2021)

The Cavaliers haven't made galore mistakes this decennary portion rebuilding a contender pursuing LeBron James' 2nd departure. They selected Evan Mobley with their apical draught prime of the decennary (and traded astir of the remainder of their first-rounders for Donovan Mitchell), constructed a beardown halfway and locked it up with semipermanent deals. The franchise's past large mistake was hiring John Beilein arsenic coach, but that was successful 2019.

On a smaller scale, Cleveland surely regrets not extending Hartenstein a qualifying connection successful 2021. Already a journeyman astatine that point, Hartenstein had been waived by the Houston Rockets and traded by the Denver Nuggets for JaVale McGee -- ironic fixed Denver has spent the ensuing half-decade searching successful vain for a due backup halfway to Jokic.

Hartenstein flashed his imaginable successful a abbreviated stint successful Cleveland, averaging 17 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists per 36 minutes successful 16 games. Yet aft drafting Mobley, the Cavaliers figured they didn't request Hartenstein anymore -- lone to ticker him crook that imaginable into greater on-court accumulation with the LA Clippers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming a important contributor to an NBA champion successful the process.

29. Indiana Pacers
Biggest mistake: Hiring Nate Bjorkgren arsenic caput manager (2020)

Few NBA coaching stints person gone truthful poorly truthful rapidly arsenic Bjorkgren successful Indiana. A erstwhile G League manager and NBA adjunct -- helium won the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors -- Bjorkgren clashed with Indiana's veterans and mislaid bid of the locker room. In his lone play arsenic the Pacers' caput coach, they missed the playoffs for the archetypal clip successful six years.

This mistake ranks lone 29th due to the fact that it arguably worked retired for the Pacers successful the end. Because they fto Bjorkgren spell aft conscionable 1 season, they were positioned to prosecute a caller manager successful 2021 -- conscionable successful clip for Rick Carlisle to measurement down from the Dallas occupation and rejoin the Pacers.

28. New York Knicks
Biggest mistake: Signing Evan Fournier for 4 years and $73 cardinal (2021)

The Knicks added Fournier via a sign-and-trade connected the spot of a two-year tally successful which helium averaged 18 points per crippled and made 40% of his 3s. But aft averaging a respectable 14 points successful 80 games successful his archetypal play successful New York, Fournier's crippled fell apart. He averaged conscionable 6 points successful 27 games successful his 2nd play and missed New York's playoff tally due to the fact that of an injury, past averaged 4 points successful 3 games successful his 3rd play earlier moving to Detroit astatine the deadline.

The Knicks signed Fournier for 4 years, but ultimately, helium was retired of the NBA and playing successful Europe aft conscionable three.

27. Portland Trail Blazers
Biggest mistake: Re-signing Jerami Grant for 5 years and $160 cardinal (2023)

Just 1 time aft the Trail Blazers and Grant agreed to a caller declaration successful summertime 2023, quality broke that Damian Lillard had requested a commercialized retired of Portland. All of a sudden, an costly but understandable semipermanent woody looked horribly retired of place, arsenic the seasoned guardant nary longer acceptable connected a retooling roster.

Two years later, Grant's accumulation has cratered -- shooting a career-worst 37% from the tract past play -- and helium has fallen down the overmuch younger Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara successful Portland's perimeter pecking order.

Grant's declaration hasn't gotten successful the mode of immoderate different Trail Blazers moves yet -- but with the Blazers rising, Jrue Holiday's hefty woody present successful the fold and Grant inactive owed different $102.6 cardinal implicit the adjacent 3 seasons, it mightiness soon beryllium a tricky roster-building obstacle.

26. Utah Jazz
Biggest mistake: Not trading Lauri Markkanen (2023-24)

Three years into their rebuild pursuing the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades, the Jazz are inactive cellar dwellers, with by acold the worst roster successful the Western Conference. It's unclear whether Markkanen, present 28, inactive makes consciousness successful Utah, fixed the team's protracted timeline.

But the occupation is helium had overmuch much commercialized worth 2 years ago, aft helium broke retired and won Most Improved Player, than helium does present aft signing a large caller declaration and declining from his short-lived All-Star level. Markkanen averaged 26 points per crippled connected 50% shooting successful 2022-23 but fell to 19 points connected 42% shooting past season.

25. Charlotte Hornets
Biggest mistake: Signing Gordon Hayward for 4 years and $120 cardinal (2020)

The Hornets aren't typically large spenders successful escaped agency, but they made a sizable splash with a sign-and-trade successful 2020. In six offseasons this decade, lone 2 escaped agents person signed for much wealth portion changing teams than Hayward: Paul George (to Philadelphia) and Fred VanVleet (to Houston).

But arsenic Hayward's wellness deteriorated, helium fell acold abbreviated of the Hornets' expectations. The seasoned helping played successful conscionable 59% of Charlotte's games portion helium was connected the roster, and his accumulation declined each year. Charlotte ne'er made the playoffs with Hayward, and helium was inactive for some of the Hornets' play-in games during that span.

Eventually, Charlotte traded Hayward successful the last twelvemonth of his contract, receiving a bundle headlined by Tre Mann and second-round picks.

24. LA Clippers
Biggest mistake: Never processing young perimeter endowment (2020-25)

If we started this workout a twelvemonth earlier, the Clippers would fertile adjacent No. 1 connected this database due to the fact that of 2019's momentous commercialized with the Thunder, which sent Gilgeous-Alexander and a raft of picks to Oklahoma City. But successful the 2020s, there's not 1 circumstantial determination to item arsenic a large mistake from the LA beforehand office.

Rather, the team's mistake is much general: failing to make immoderate young perimeter endowment to enactment Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. (The Clippers were overmuch much palmy astatine center, with Ivica Zubac and 1 play of Hartenstein). Until the Clippers acquired James Harden, their starting backcourts successful the playoffs this decennary featured Reggie Jackson, Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet, Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon -- not precisely championship-caliber guards.

To beryllium fair, the Clippers didn't person immoderate premier draught picks this decade, owed to the 2019 woody with Oklahoma City. But they besides whiffed connected the 2 precocious first-rounders they landed (Keon Johnson and Kobe Brown), and they didn't find immoderate perimeter diamonds successful the rough, either. The closest they came was with Terance Mann, a second-round prime successful 2019, but aft flashes of committedness aboriginal successful his career, helium ended up being traded -- successful portion due to the fact that of his declaration -- doubly successful the span of a fewer months earlier this year.

Tier 4: Draft disasters

23. Oklahoma City Thunder
Biggest mistake: Trading 4 aboriginal rotation players aft the draught (2020 and 2021)

Even the champion wide managers suffer trades. Such is the lawsuit with Sam Presti, a masterful designer of a title roster and imaginable dynasty, but an error-prone trader nonetheless.

Three draught deals bespeak Presti's all-too-human fallibility. In 2020, helium dealt the No. 25 and 28 picks for No. 17, thereby giving distant aboriginal starters Immanuel Quickley and Jaden McDaniels, portion bringing Aleksej Pokusevski to Oklahoma City. In 2021, helium traded up from No. 36 to No. 32, reaching for Jeremiah Robinson-Earl alternatively of being contented with utile backup Miles McBride. Worst of all, besides successful 2021, Presti traded No. 16 prime Alperen Sengun -- a European imaginable who, dissimilar Pokusevski, panned retired -- to Houston for 2 aboriginal picks, which helium utilized a twelvemonth aboriginal successful a bundle for Ousmane Dieng.

To review, Presti traded an All-Star center, an All-Defensive helping and 2 prime guards for Pokusevski, Robinson-Earl and Dieng. The archetypal 2 are nary longer connected the Thunder, and Dieng is simply a heavy seat player. But due to the fact that Presti besides traded for an MVP and drafted Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams connected the aforesaid night, his squad is present the champion successful the NBA. A fewer large hits tin outweigh each the misses.

22. Boston Celtics
Biggest mistake: Trading Desmond Bane (2020)

This was a tenable determination astatine the time: The Celtics didn't person country connected their roster for different young player, and trading Bane's draught rights allowed them to shed Enes Freedom's salary. Nobody expected the No. 30 prime to make into the benignant of subordinate who'd 1 time bid 4 first-round picks successful a trade.

But Bane did, and Boston surely could person utilized him implicit the past half-decade. A coagulated defender for his presumption and vocation 41% 3-point shooter, Bane would person been a cleanable acceptable successful the Celtics' system.

21. Houston Rockets
Biggest mistake: Drafting Jalen Green implicit Evan Mobley (2021)

Green is simply a amended subordinate than the different mistake picks discussed successful this tier. But the accidental outgo for selecting him was besides higher, due to the fact that aft the Rockets took Green with the No. 2 pick, Mobley went third.

That determination mightiness extremity up rebounding to the Rockets' payment successful the end, arsenic Green was the centerpiece of Houston's commercialized for Kevin Durant this summertime and the Rockets landed a antithetic All-Star large antheral aboriginal successful the 2021 draught successful Sengun. If a Durant-Sengun frontcourt leads the Rockets to the NBA Finals adjacent year, they'll look backmost connected the 2021 draught arsenic a important team-building moment, alternatively than a missed opportunity.

But for now, it's hard not to wonderment what the Rockets would look similar with Mobley alternatively of Green -- particularly fixed the team's antiaircraft individuality with Ime Udoka astatine caput manager and Mobley's presumption arsenic the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. With the imaginable objection of Amen Thompson, Mobley has a higher ceiling than immoderate of the Rockets' young gathering blocks.

20. Orlando Magic
Biggest mistake: Drafting Jett Howard (2023)

Two seasons into his career, No. 11 prime Howard is averaging 3.8 points per crippled and making conscionable 29% of his 3-point attempts. He has played 14 full minutes crossed 2 playoff series.

Howard's enactment was a fiasco for the Magic for 3 reasons. First, helium was a scope astatine the clip (he went 20th successful ESPN's last mock draft), and the gamble hasn't paid off.

Second, his stalled improvement is simply a peculiar occupation due to the fact that Orlando -- which ranked 25th successful 3-point shooting the twelvemonth earlier Howard's arrival, 24th his rookie twelvemonth and 30th past play -- thought helium could assistance close its longtime struggles. He hasn't. And third, players picked soon aft Howard see Dereck Lively II (12th), Gradey Dick (13th), Jordan Hawkins (14th) and Brandin Podziemski (19th), each of whom person contributed overmuch much than Howard successful the NBA.

19. San Antonio Spurs
Biggest mistake: Drafting Joshua Primo (2021)

San Antonio selected Primo with the 12th prime successful the 2021 draft. He averaged 5.9 points per crippled earlier being waived successful October 2022 aft allegations of indecent vulnerability to a pistillate Spurs employee.

The Spurs' different lottery picks this decennary person each worked retired to varying degrees: Devin Vassell (11th), Jeremy Sochan (9th), Victor Wembanyama (1st) and Stephon Castle (4th), with 2025 picks Dylan Harper (2nd) and Carter Bryant (14th) to beryllium determined.

But the Primo prime failed connected aggregate levels. Wings selected soon aft Primo successful the 2021 draught included Moses Moody (14th), Corey Kispert (15th), Trey Murphy III (17th) and Jalen Johnson (20th).

18. Washington Wizards
Biggest mistake: Drafting Johnny Davis (2022)

Among lottery picks from 2020 done 2023, the worst vocation container plus-minus (BPM) belongs to Davis, the No. 10 prime successful 2022. BPM calculates that Davis has made the Wizards worse by a whopping 6.2 points per 100 possessions.

Davis' aboveground stats don't look immoderate better: 3.5 points, 0.6 assists and 11.4 minutes per crippled with ghastly 40%/27%/56% shooting splits. Not each lottery prime pans out, but fewer bust arsenic dramatically arsenic Davis. Worst of each is who Washington missed by selecting Davis; the adjacent defender taken successful the 2022 draft, conscionable 2 spots later, was Jalen Williams.

17. Golden State Warriors
Biggest mistake: Drafting James Wiseman 2nd (2020)

In retrospect, Golden State's overmuch ballyhooed "two timelines" program was doomed arsenic soon arsenic it began. Blessed with the No. 2 prime aft a spread twelvemonth -- erstwhile Kevin Durant near for Brooklyn and Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry were injured -- the Warriors had the uncommon accidental to adhd a prima imaginable to a contender. If their prime clicked, they could springiness Curry the boost helium needed to instrumentality to the Finals and acceptable the franchise up for longer-term occurrence aft Curry's eventual decline.

At slightest the archetypal portion worked out, though successful spite of Wiseman, not due to the fact that of him. The Warriors won the 2021-22 rubric without the young center, who missed the full twelvemonth due to the fact that of a torn meniscus. Wiseman was raw, inexperienced and a antiaircraft liability, and his injuries didn't assistance him larn however to play successful the Warriors' unsocial system. The adjacent season, Golden State dealt Wiseman for Gary Payton II, who was undrafted but a overmuch amended stake to gain Steve Kerr's trust.

In the Warriors' defense, 2020 was a unusual draught affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But successful selecting Wiseman with their champion prime to acceptable up its future, Golden State passed connected LaMelo Ball (who went No. 3) and Tyrese Haliburton (who went 12th). Haliburton, for his part, said helium believes the Warriors would person drafted him if they had a prime little than No. 2.

Six years later, the Warriors are stuck trying to eke retired much wins portion Curry is inactive adjacent his peak, due to the fact that determination is nary much succession program successful Golden State.

Tier 3: Miscellaneous midtier mistakes

16. Minnesota Timberwolves
Biggest mistake: Trading for D'Angelo Russell (2020)

To immoderate extent, the Timberwolves' commercialized for Russell worked retired successful the agelong run, due to the fact that they yet dealt him for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker en way to back-to-back league finals appearances. But determination indispensable person been a little costly mode to get backcourt help, due to the fact that the Timberwolves archetypal acquired Russell successful speech for Andrew Wiggins and a aboriginal first-round pick.

Wiggins became arguably the second-best subordinate connected the title-winning 2021-22 Golden State Warriors, and that draught prime landed astatine No. 7 and became Jonathan Kuminga.

Meanwhile, Russell ne'er took disconnected successful Minnesota, contempt his well-documented relationship with Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Timberwolves rightly realized they needed a amended enactment astatine constituent defender if they ever wanted to triumph successful the postseason. In his lone playoff bid with Minnesota, Russell averaged 12 points per crippled connected 33% shooting.

15. Denver Nuggets
Biggest mistake: Not trading for immoderate caller players for 2 years aft winning the rubric (2023-25)

Between the Nuggets' rubric successful 2023 and this month, erstwhile they traded Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson, they didn't adhd a azygous NBA subordinate successful a trade. (They did marque a fewer trades involving draught picks.)

That inactivity, which was mostly motivated by fiscal reasons and yet outgo GM Calvin Booth his job, meant Denver was stuck replacing departed veterans from within, oregon from the Dario Saric/Justin Holiday/Russell Westbrook bargain bin successful escaped agency.

Those replacements were either excessively young oregon excessively old, and they couldn't springiness Nikola Jokic the enactment helium needed to scope different Finals. In the 2022-23 postseason, Denver's starters had a plus-9.4 nett rating; this spring, successful the 2024-25 playoffs, it was plus-11.3. But portion each different Nuggets lineups outscored their opponents by 98 points successful 2022-23 acknowledgment to contributions from the likes of Bruce Brown Jr. and Jeff Green, different Nuggets lineups successful 2024-25 had a negative-142 constituent differential.

14. Los Angeles Lakers
Biggest mistake: Losing 3-and-D players from their title squad (2020 and 2021)

The Lakers won the 2020 title with a elemental formula: LeBron James and Anthony Davis positive 3-and-D relation players equals success. But they forgot the aged maxim "if it ain't broke, don't hole it" and exchanged 3-and-D wings for shot handlers successful their quest to triumph again.

Shortly aft winning the title, they traded Danny Green and a precocious first-round prime (which became Jaden McDaniels) for Dennis Schroder. A twelvemonth later, they lowballed Alex Caruso successful escaped agency, starring him to motion with the Chicago Bulls. And the coup de grâce came with an ill-fated blockbuster trade, arsenic they traded Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for post-prime Russell Westbrook.

Each of those moves was worse than the last, with Westbrook successful peculiar failing to acceptable into the Lakers' James-centric ecosystem. They missed the playoffs successful Westbrook's archetypal play with the squad and traded him -- on with a aboriginal first-round prime -- midway done the 2nd season. But the wide effects of the beforehand office's misguided alteration successful attack are clear: The Lakers won 4 playoff bid successful 2020, but they've won conscionable 2 full playoff bid successful the 5 seasons since.

13. Detroit Pistons
Biggest mistake: Hiring Monty Williams arsenic caput manager (2023)

In 4 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Williams reached the Finals, won a Coach of the Year grant and won 63% of his games. He's a well-respected manager and a longtime NBA voice.

But his tenure was a catastrophe successful Detroit, wherever helium was hired soon aft the Suns fired him pursuing a second-round playoff loss. Given what was, astatine the time, the largest coaching declaration successful NBA past (six years and $78.5 million), Williams didn't look to person a grasp connected his caller players' strengths and weaknesses, and his rotations boggled the mind. He lambasted his players successful public. His two-big lineups cramped the Pistons' spacing. He started draught bust Killian Hayes implicit promising sophomore Jaden Ivey.

Amid each that turmoil, Detroit mislaid a grounds 28 consecutive games and finished 14-68, the worst grounds successful franchise history. It wasn't conscionable a mislaid play but a measurement backward for a squad successful request of guardant momentum. The concern became truthful untenable that Williams was fired aft the season, contempt inactive being owed $65 million.

If anything, Williams' tenure looks adjacent worse successful retrospect. Williams' replacement, J.B. Bickerstaff, finished 2nd successful Coach of the Year voting arsenic helium cleaned up Williams' mess, starring the Pistons backmost to the playoffs and helping Cade Cunningham make into an All-NBA player.

Tier 2: Too precocious a outgo for excessively small reward

12. Miami Heat
Biggest mistake: Trading for Terry Rozier (2024)

Despite his estimation for prima hunting, Heat majordomo Pat Riley isn't a reckless trader. Rather, helium typically pulls the trigger connected lone game-changing moves. To wit, implicit the past 15 years, the lone players Miami has acquired portion trading a first-round prime are LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler ... and Rozier.

The archetypal 4 of those players each made All-Star teams successful Miami and helped pb the Heat to the Finals. Rozier, conversely, averaged 12.5 points connected 40% shooting, didn't look successful a azygous playoff crippled and fell retired of manager Erik Spoelstra's rotation, arsenic good arsenic became embroiled successful a national gambling investigation.

Making matters worse successful the large representation is that Rozier represented the Heat's past large plaything to springiness Butler different co-star, earlier helium asked retired of Miami. Now they're stuck, with nary evident way backmost to relevance -- and they inactive beryllium a aboriginal first-rounder to the Hornets arsenic outgo for Rozier.

11. Toronto Raptors
Biggest mistake: Repeatedly trading first-round picks for relation players (2022-2025)

At each of the past 4 commercialized deadlines, the Raptors person dealt a first-round prime contempt not being a playoff squad successful 3 of those years and not having home-court vantage successful the fourth. Here's the database of those acquisitions:

2022: Thaddeus Young (pick landed astatine No. 20, Malaki Branham)
2023: Jakob Poeltl (pick landed astatine No. 8, Rob Dillingham)
2024: Ochai Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk (pick landed astatine No. 29, Isaiah Collier)
2025: Brandon Ingram (pick belongs to Pacers successful 2026)

It's not arsenic if those picks person landed immoderate can't-miss prospects, but the accidental outgo for Toronto is steep. And nary of the players the Raptors acquired has boosted them into contention. Young, who joined the Raptors for their lone postseason quality since 2020, averaged 3.3 points successful 14.5 minutes per crippled successful those playoffs.

10. Philadelphia 76ers
Biggest mistake: Committing $399 cardinal successful caller wealth to Paul George and Joel Embiid (2024)

It's hard to blasted 1 peculiar transaction for each of the 76ers' playoff failures this decade, arsenic the franchise is inactive searching for its archetypal league finals quality since 2001. Ben Simmons washed out. Embiid was repeatedly injured. The squad mislaid Game 7 successful the 2nd circular twice.

But astatine slightest Philadelphia was making the playoffs and contending for the archetypal fractional of the decade. In 2024-25, though, the 76ers finished 24-58, their worst grounds since the "Process" days a decennary earlier, and present their aboriginal looks arsenic uncertain arsenic ever. Summer 2024 -- erstwhile they were wide declared offseason winners -- is responsible.

The 76ers signed the 34-year-old George distant from the Clippers for 4 years and $211.6 million, and they extended the injury-prone Embiid for 3 years and $187.6 million, adjacent though helium inactive had different 2 years and a subordinate enactment connected his existing contract. Then George struggled done his worst play successful a decade, and Embiid played conscionable 19 up-and-down games.

Now the 76ers person George connected the books for different 3 years, portion Embiid's newest hold doesn't footwear successful for different year. And neither seasoned looks poised to beryllium past play was a fluke, arsenic some mightiness miss the commencement of the 2025-26 play due to the fact that of injuries.

9. Chicago Bulls
Biggest mistake: Trading for Nikola Vucevic (2021)

The Bulls' biggest mistake this decennary mightiness beryllium a broader one, arsenic they've continually aimed for the mediate of the standings alternatively than pursuing the tank-and-rebuild rhythm that astir NBA teams employment erstwhile they person small anticipation of contention. But Chicago's malaise began with the Vucevic trade, the archetypal of pb enforcement Arturas Karnisovas' tenure, which sent Wendell Carter Jr. and 2 aboriginal first-round picks -- some of which landed successful the lottery -- to Orlando successful speech for Vucevic.

Vucevic is simply a coagulated player, a two-time All-Star who was successful the midst of a vocation play successful Orlando erstwhile helium was traded. But due to the fact that of his antiaircraft difficulties, there's a steadfast ceiling connected a squad with Vucevic successful the middle, truthful his acquisition symbolizes the Bulls' larger deficiency of ambition. Indeed, Chicago finished with a full of 1 playoff triumph with Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

Meanwhile, Orlando utilized the archetypal of its other draught picks connected Franz Wagner, who would person been the champion young subordinate successful Chicago since Jimmy Butler. (The 2nd other prime went for Jett Howard, discussed earlier arsenic a large mistake for the Magic.)

8. Memphis Grizzlies
Biggest mistake: Trading for Marcus Smart (2023)

After consecutive seasons with 50-plus wins and the No. 2 seed, the Grizzlies sought the last subordinate they thought could vault them implicit the top. They targeted Smart, a Defensive Player of the Year who played successful the NBA Finals with the Celtics, and paid a dense outgo to brace him with Ja Morant successful the backcourt: 2 first-round picks and Tyus Jones, possibly the league's apical backup constituent guard.

But arsenic the remainder of the Grizzlies' rotation was waylaid by injuries and suspensions, Smart was portion of the occupation alternatively than a fix. He played conscionable 39 games successful 1½ seasons with the Grizzlies earlier they traded him -- utilizing a third first-round prime to dump his declaration -- astatine the 2025 deadline. According to VORP (value implicit replacement player), Smart provided precisely zero worth implicit a replacement subordinate during his clip successful Memphis.

7. Atlanta Hawks
Biggest mistake: Trading for Dejounte Murray (2022)

6. New Orleans Pelicans
Biggest mistake: Trading for Dejounte Murray (2024)

First things first: It's not Murray's responsibility helium has been the people of 2 of the worst trades of the decade. He's a one-time All-Star and All-Defensive honoree.

But we're grouping these 2 moves due to the fact that of his cursed transaction tree.

First, the Hawks, seeking to find a backcourt spouse for Trae Young and regain the magic that had propelled them to a astonishing league finals berth successful 2021, acquired Murray from the Spurs successful speech for 3 aboriginal firsts and a prime swap. One of those picks (via the Hornets) didn't extremity up conveying, but the Spurs landed Carter Bryant (the No. 14 prime past month) from this deal, and they inactive power the Hawks' unprotected picks successful 2026 and 2027.

Despite that precocious cost, Murray didn't get Atlanta anyplace person to contention. The Hawks didn't decorativeness with a winning grounds successful either play that Murray was connected the roster, and lineups with Young and Murray playing unneurotic were outscored some years.

Atlanta's redeeming grace is that New Orleans made an adjacent much lopsided commercialized for Murray conscionable 2 years later, nabbing the All-Star defender successful speech for Dyson Daniels and 2 first-round picks (one of which the Hawks dealt successful the Kristaps Porzingis trade, the different acceptable to convey successful 2027).

If that woody were conscionable a straight-up swap of Murray for Daniels, Atlanta would person won it. Murray tore an Achilles arsenic the Pelicans finished 21-61 past season, portion Daniels, who's 7 years younger, won the Most Improved Player grant and finished arsenic the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. That the Pelicans besides surrendered 2 firsts lone makes their broadside of the commercialized look worse.

Tier 1: Franchise-altering unspeakable trades

5. Sacramento Kings
Biggest mistake: Having Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox, past losing them some wrong 3 years (2022 and 2025)

The Kings faced an enviable dilemma successful 2022: In 24-year-old Fox and 21-year-old Haliburton, they had 2 promising young constituent guards connected the roster, and they needed to determine whether to physique astir 1 oregon both. They chose one, and they chose wrong, with the shocking swap of Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis.

For a time, this woody seemed similar it mightiness person been a win-win, arsenic Haliburton blossomed successful the Pacers' backcourt portion the Fox-Sabonis duo led the Kings to the NBA's champion discourtesy and the West's No. 3 effect successful 2022-23. It was the franchise's archetypal playoff quality successful 17 years.

But Sacramento could lone airy the beam for truthful long, and aft a seven-point nonaccomplishment to the Pelicans, the Kings missed the playoffs successful 2023-24, past traded a disgruntled Fox successful 2024-25 and missed the playoffs again.

Just a mates of years aft their champion tally successful decades, the Kings erstwhile much person an ill-fitting roster with nary wide direction, and they've gone from 2 constituent guards to zero. Meanwhile, Haliburton led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals and Game 7 of the NBA Finals successful consecutive years, becoming 1 of the league's champion passers and clutch scorers successful the process.

4. Brooklyn Nets
Biggest mistake: Trading for James Harden (2021)

There are truthful galore what-ifs that could person flipped the Harden commercialized from debacle to triumph. What if Harden and Kyrie Irving hadn't been injured successful the 2021 postseason? What if Kevin Durant's ft hadn't touched the 3-point enactment erstwhile helium tied Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks with a turnaround jumper? What if Irving hadn't refused the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the Nets' three-star experimentation to a abrupt end?

But each of those what-ifs went the incorrect way, and the Harden commercialized did, too. In speech for 1½ drama-filled seasons afloat of much hypothetical wins than existent ones, the Nets traded Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, 3 first-round picks and 4 swaps (two of which didn't extremity up exercising).

Houston has already utilized its bounteous instrumentality to draught Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard and to assistance commercialized for Durant from the Suns. There is much to come; successful a aboriginal deal, the Nets besides had to springiness Houston more picks to claw immoderate of their selections back, erstwhile they realized the Durant-Harden-Irving epoch was implicit and they needed to tank.

Adding insult to injury, erstwhile Harden demanded a commercialized successful 2022 and the Nets submitted by trading him to Philadelphia, the centerpiece of their instrumentality was Ben Simmons, who ne'er recaptured the two-way worth that made him an All-NBA honoree successful 2020. Simmons averaged 16 points per crippled during his tenure arsenic a 76er, versus conscionable 6.5 points per crippled during scattered periods of availability with the Nets.

3. Milwaukee Bucks
Biggest mistake: Trading for Damian Lillard (2023)

Perhaps much than immoderate different transaction connected this list, the Bucks' commercialized for Lillard seemed astute astatine the time. They needed a shakeup aft a shocking 8-over-1 upset nonaccomplishment to the Heat successful the 2023 playoffs, their discourtesy needed an upgrade, and Lillard seemed similar a cleanable acceptable adjacent to Giannis Antetokounmpo -- who signed an hold soon aft the Bucks traded Jrue Holiday (who was rerouted to Boston, wherever helium won a title), Grayson Allen, a aboriginal first-round prime and 2 swaps successful speech for Lillard.

But 2 main issues meant the Bucks didn't conscionable neglect to vie for different rubric with Lillard aboard, they didn't triumph a azygous playoff series. The archetypal contented was that adjacent erstwhile some players were healthy, Lillard and Antetokounmpo didn't mesh arsenic good successful signifier arsenic they did successful theory. The 2 aboriginal Hall of Famers ran lone 20.2 picks per 100 possessions, per GeniusIQ, which ranked a middling 46th retired of 83 pick-and-roll combinations implicit the past 2 seasons (minimum 500 full picks).

The 2nd occupation was that some players were ne'er steadfast erstwhile it mattered astir (with apologies to the Bucks' NBA Cup triumph). Antetokounmpo missed each of the 2023-24 postseason, portion Lillard missed parts of some the 2023-24 and 2024-25 playoffs, the second owed to an Achilles teardrop that ended his Bucks tenure prematurely.

Months aft his injury, the Bucks made the astonishing determination to waive and agelong the remainder of Lillard's declaration to springiness them the indispensable headdress abstraction to motion escaped cause halfway Myles Turner. But present the Bucks person an yearly $22.5 cardinal complaint for Lillard done 2029-30, and they don't power their first-round prime until 2031.

2. Phoenix Suns
Biggest mistake: Trading for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal (2023)

Mat Ishbia officially assumed controlling involvement arsenic Phoenix's caller proprietor connected Feb. 7, 2023. Just implicit 24 hours later, the Suns traded for Durant. So-called caller proprietor syndrome had ne'er earlier manifested truthful quickly: Ishbia pushed his squad to springiness up a monolithic haul for Durant -- Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, 4 unprotected first-round picks and a swap -- mounting into question a concatenation of events that person each but wrecked a squad that reached the NBA Finals successful 2020-21 and won a league-best 64 games successful 2021-22.

It wasn't conscionable the Durant commercialized that was the problem; it was the Suns' insistence connected doubling down again and again, mortgaging each facet of their aboriginal for progressively agelong likelihood of winning successful the present. That summer, Phoenix traded Chris Paul for Bradley Beal, who had a no-trade clause and much than $200 cardinal remaining connected his contract.

The full outgo for Durant and Beal, counting the other picks that Brooklyn and Washington landed erstwhile they rerouted Bridges, Johnson and Paul, was 12 first-round picks and six swaps, positive by acold the astir costly roster successful the NBA and bonzer punishments wrought by the 2nd apron.

And the reward for each of that assertive spending? A second-round playoff nonaccomplishment successful Durant's archetypal season, a first-round expanse successful his 2nd (Beal's first) and an 11th-place decorativeness successful the West past season.

Now Durant has been traded distant for overmuch little than what brought him to Phoenix; Beal has been bought retired and stretched, and volition number $19.4 cardinal against the Suns' headdress for the adjacent half-decade; and the Suns don't power their first-round prime until 2032. No franchise successful the NBA is successful a worse semipermanent concern than Phoenix.

1. Dallas Mavericks
Biggest mistake: Trading Luka Doncic (2025)

Could immoderate different transaction beryllium No. 1? The astir caller introduction connected this database is besides the worst, and possibly the astir shocking, transaction successful NBA history.

The different trades astatine the apical of this database are mostly astir teams trading excessively galore assets to bring successful a star. The Doncic deal, conversely, came erstwhile a squad traded away a beloved incumbent prima who had led that enactment to the Finals the erstwhile summertime and made a grounds 5 first-team All-NBA appearances done property 24.

Because the Mavericks' post-Doncic illness successful the 2024-25 play meant they ended up successful the lottery, wherever they miraculously lucked into the No. 1 prime and Cooper Flagg, their aboriginal looks brighter than that of the Suns, Bucks, Nets oregon Kings. Flagg and Anthony Davis -- the centerpiece of Dallas' instrumentality for Doncic -- could pb Dallas backmost to contention with speed.

But lone 1 transaction this period was truthful astonishing that it sparked questions astir whether ESPN's Shams Charania's societal media relationship been hacked erstwhile helium reported it. Only 1 transaction was truthful absurd that it became a flashbulb memory, and fans crossed the satellite volition remember, for decades to come, wherever they were erstwhile they learned the news. Only 1 transaction, astir of all, was truthful outrageous that it sparked a wide revolt from its instrumentality base.

That, much than thing else, is wherefore the Doncic commercialized ranks No. 1: It transcended emblematic transaction reactions and penetrated the precise bosom of sports fandom. That takes a peculiar benignant of once-in-a-century mistake.