NBA trades are a fickle thing. Some teams may end up trading a future star just because they are limited on what they could offer them financially down the road while others are just downright awful in evaluating young talent.
In today’s list, we will take a look at 10 Players These NBA Teams WISH They NEVER Traded Away.
Chicago Bulls – Jimmy Butler (traded to Minnesota in 2017)
Coming off an all-star season with the Bulls along with its first All-NBA selection, Chicago’s decision to trade Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves baffled fans in 2017. There were reports prior to the trade that Butler was butting heads with then-Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg.
In Chicago’s defense, Butler had a bit of a reputation during his younger years and they just want to go into a full-scale rebuild with Derrick Rose already out town. But they never quite imagined that he would become one of the fiercest competitors in the league today.
Oklahoma City Thunder – James Harden (traded to Houston in 2012)
This was really an unfortunate scenario for a small market team like OKC. After they signed Serge Ibaka to a hefty extension, they tried to extend Harden’s contract with the team but the total amount was way off in terms of his market value.
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After a failed negotiation between both camps, Harden was hastily traded to the Rockets in 2012. As we all know by now, Harden became one of the best scorers in league history during his time in Houston. If OKC kept him instead of Ibaka, they would probably be a bigger dynasty than Golden State.
Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O’Neal (traded to Miami 2004)
Although Shaq was getting on with age, he was still one of the best big men in the league by the time he was traded from LA to Miami. Even though his displeasure with the Lakers(particularly sharing the spotlight with Kobe Bryant) was an open secret from fans and the media, everybody was still shocked when the trade was announced.
Had Shaq stayed with the Lakers and diffused his situation with Kobe, the Lakers could have won an additional championship or two as the latter was just entering his prime years in the league during that time.
Portland Trail Blazers – Jermaine O’Neal (traded to Indiana in 2000)
Believe it or not but during the late 90s and early 2000s, the Blazers were considered title contenders. A young Jermaine O’Neal was having a hard time cracking the team’s rotation due to the plethora of established big men the Blazers had in their team back then.
At just 22 years old, the Blazers opted to forgo O’Neal’s potential and dealt him to the Pacers in a move that surprised everybody. With the Pacers, O’Neal became one of the best power forwards in the league and the face of the Pacers’ franchise in the mid-2000s.
Charlotte Hornets – Kobe Bryant (traded to the Lakers in 1996)
To be fair to the Hornets, they never wanted to draft Bryant in the first place. They got their eyes set on Vlade Divac, a beloved Lakers big man. But this definitely stung for them as Kobe eventually became one of the best ever to play the game of basketball.
Contrary to the popular belief that Kobe never wanted to play in Charlotte, a deal was already in place between the Hornets and the Lakers ahead of the 1996 NBA draft. If Bryant was still available by the time the Hornets are picking, the trade deal with the Lakers will push through.
Atlanta Hawks – Luka Doncic (traded to Dallas in 2018)
No offense to Trae Young as he’s also a star in his own right, but Luka Doncic is just on a different tier as a player. The Hawks desperately wanted to draft a college star in 2018 and they made the deal with Dallas to acquire Young and an additional first-round pick in exchange for Luka.
While Hawks fans may remain adamant that their team made the right decision in 2018, they are also envious of Doncic’s rapid ascension and success in his career with the Mavs. Had they kept Luka, Atlanta would be contenders in the East by now.
Charlotte Hornets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (traded to the Clippers in 2018)
With their second appearance on this list, you might wonder if the Hornets truly know how to evaluate young talents ahead of the draft. Everybody may not remember that SGA was originally selected by the Hornets in the 2018 NBA draft.
He was immediately traded to the Clippers in exchange for Miles Bridges and a couple of second-round picks. While SGA didn’t blossom with the team he was originally traded to, he has since become an MVP-caliber player with OKC today.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Kyrie Irving (traded to Boston in 2017)
When the Cavs acquiesced to Irving’s trade demands in 2017, everybody knew back then that LeBron’s time with the Cavs was numbered. Irving wanted to be the number one option on the team but with LBJ still wearing a Cavs jersey, he had to look elsewhere for a gig as a franchise cornerstone.
Had the Cavs convinced Kyrie to stay and continue his partnership with James, it’s not too far-fetched to say that the Cavs might have squeezed another championship with the trio of James, Irving and Love still in town.
Miami Heat – Steve Smith (Traded to Atlanta in 1994)
When Steve Smith was dealt by the Heat to the Hawks in 1994 in what the media deemed as a fire sale, fans of the then-young franchise were outraged. The return Miami had for a budding star like Smith? Kevin Willis.
Steve Smith was already primed to be the Heat’s franchise player and it was not a surprise to anyone that he blossomed further with the Hawks, eventually becoming an all-star during his time with the team.
Seattle SuperSonics – Scottie Pippen (traded to Chicago in 1987)
Ahead of the 1987 NBA draft, the Sonics had their eyes set on Virginia’s Olden Polynice. They thought that drafting him at 5th would be too high so they made a deal with the Bulls to trade down and get their man.
Little did they know that Pippen – a former walk-on player in college – would blossom into one of the greatest small forwards the game has ever seen. Imagine the possibilities if Pippen had a chance to play alongside Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp for the Sonics in the 1990s.
