Hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and Michael Scott from “The Office” both stated, “You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.” So when you take that quote to heart, it’s hard to fault teams for making a risky blockbuster trade that doesn’t pan out.
But in the world of sports, there is never living down a big-time trade that ends up setting your franchise back for many years.
Here are 10 recent blockbuster trades that initially looked like pure genius, only to fail miserably over time.
Which blockbuster trades ended up as a massive failure in all four major North American sports?
Broncos Go All-In For Russell Wilson
After losing his faith in head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, Russell Wilson requested a trade from the Seattle Seahawks.
Put in a tough and seemingly no-win situation, the Seahawks honored Wilson’s request and sent him to the Denver Broncos in a mammoth 2022 offseason blockbuster trade.
Seattle sent Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round selection to Denver in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-rounders, a fifth-round pick, QB Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive end Shelby Harris.
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Before he played a snap for them, the Broncos handed Wilson a five-year contract extension worth $245 million.
The Broncos had been held back by mediocre quarterback play for half a decade, and Wilson was supposed to be the final piece needed to get this team over the top. I mean, a Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Javonte Williams-led offense just had too much potential to fail. Or so we thought.
But Wilson never found his footing in the Mile High City. His first year was wasted by unqualified head coach Nathaniel Hackett and a pathetic offensive line.
Though Wilson improved in year two under Sean Payton, the marriage was awkward from day one. Payton never seemed sold on Wilson, and the Broncos benched their veteran QB for the final two games after he refused to adjust the injury guarantees in his contract.
And for good measure, the Broncos released Wilson and took on a record charge of $85 million in dead money. Woof.
Clippers Snag Paul George To Land Kawhi Leonard
After leading the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Championship in 2019, Kawhi Leonard had a tough decision to make in free agency: Run it back with the Raps? Join forces with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers? Or go to the No. 1 team on his desired list all along the Los Angeles Clippers?
Leonard told the Clippers to get Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then he’d sign with them. So the Clippers honored his request and sent FIVE first-round picks, two additional first-round pick swaps, Danilo Gallinari and 21-year-old guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The PG13 trade and Leonard signing were supposed to lead this long-struggling franchise to their first championship. It wasn’t a stretch to believe that LA could have formed the next great dynasty, too.
Unfortunately, injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic limited Leonard and George to a combined 492 regular season games during their five-year run together. The Clippers only won three playoff series with this superstar duo, only getting to the Conference Finals once.
That was in 2021 when the Clippers were ousted by the Phoenix Suns after losing Leonard in round two to a torn ACL. In 2024 free agency, George left the Clippers to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the best players in the entire NBA. He is the new face of the OKC franchise, having guided them to the Western Conference’s top seed in 2024.
And with a 2022 first-round pick obtained in the George trade, OKC drafted another young star in Jalen Williams.
So, the Clippers sold out the future to win now with George and Leonard. They won three playoff series in five years. All we can say to Clippers Nation is that Thunder fans will continue to thank you for years to come.
Erik Karlsson Joins The Sharks’ Frenzy
The San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup window was quickly closing, with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brent Burns, and Joe Pavelski nearing the end of their primes.
So ahead of the 2018-19 season, GM Doug Wilson acquired two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for four players — including prospect Josh Norris — a 2020 first-round pick and 2019 and 2021 second-round picks.
The blockbuster trade looked like a win for San Jose in year one. He helped the Sharks reach the Western Conference Final in 2019, but they were ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games.
Karlsson would sign an eight-year extension worth $92 million in the 2019 offseason.
San Jose bottomed out over the next four years as their core players began to depart. That meant surrendering the No. 3 pick of 2020 to the Senators, who used it on young superstar Tim Stutzle.
Not only has Stutzle emerged as the new face of the Sens’ franchise, but Norris has also become a key cog in their promising future.
Karlsson won his third Norris in the 2022-23 season, and the Sharks capitalized on the chance by dealing him away to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
So, the Karlsson trade bought the Sharks one playoff appearance. In hindsight, this was a brutal trade for the Sharks, who are stuck in a lengthy rebuilding process after missing out on Stutzle and Norris.
And to think everyone was ripping on the Senators at the time of this move…
A’s Go All-In For All-Star-ling Marte
The Oakland Athletics were in the thick of the AL wild-card race in 2021, so they decided to make a rare “win-now” move at the deadline.
They traded promising pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo to the Miami Marlins in exchange for All-Star outfielder and Gold Glover Starling Marte. The A’s went on a tear after the move and stood at 67-and-48 with 47 games to go.
But Oakland inexplicably collapsed over the final stretch, dropping nine of their final 13 games to finish with an 86-and-76 record. They lost Marte to the New York Mets in free agency, and the Athletics decided to kick-start another rebuild by trading star pitcher Chris Bassitt and sluggers Matt Olson and Matt Chapman.
Luzardo, meanwhile, has developed as a reliable No. 2 pitcher in Miami’s rotation. If the Athletics kept him, they could have eventually traded Luzardo for another significant haul to help their rebuild.
Russell Westbrook Joins LeBron James’ & Anthony Davis’ “Lake Show”
After a failed title defense in 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards in a massive deal that sent Kyle Kuzkma, Kentavios Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell to DC.
But Westbrook flopped so badly with the Purple and Gold that fans began calling him “Westbrick.” In less than two seasons with the Lakers, Westbrook shot just 43.4 percent from the field and an atrocious 29.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The chemistry between Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis went nowhere. LA finished a horrible 33-and-49 in the 2021-22 season, leading to the firing of head coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers mercilessly traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2023 deadline. He was then bought out by the Jazz before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Lo and behold, the Lakers returned to form after the Westbrook trade and advanced all the way to the conference finals as a seventh seed, where they fell to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
Seahawks Land Jamal Adams From The Jets
All-Pro safety Jamal Adams became unhappy with the New York Jets and requested a trade in the 2020 offseason. Finally, they agreed to deal the two-time Pro Bowler and a 2022 fourth-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for two firsts, a third-rounder, and safety Bradley McDougald.
Adams was one of the NFL’s premier defensive players at the age of 25. The Seahawks also had a lousy defense, so it made sense to acquire the do-it-all safety in a win-now move to accommodate Russell Wilson.
Adams had a good first year in the Emerald City, earning Pro Bowl and second-team all-pro nods. His 9.5 sacks set a new single-season record for a defensive back, as Seattle won 12 games to claim the AFC West division crown.
That was the peak of Jamal Adams in Seattle, however. Injuries limited him to 22 total games over the next three years. He didn’t have a single sack over those three years, either, and the Seahawks cut him during the 2024 offseason in a cap-saving move.
Oh, and the Jets turned that draft capital in the trade into superstar wide receiver ‘Sauce’ Gardner and stalwart guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. A rare win for the Jets, brought to you by the Seahawks!!!
Maple Leafs Swap Nazem Kadri For Tyson Barrie
Though Kadri was a reliable two-way center for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the organization gave up on him when he received multi-game suspensions in the opening round of their 2018 and 2019 postseason losses to the rival Boston Bruins.
Toronto needed to bolster their blue line anyway, so they made a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 offseason. Kadri, Calle Rosen, and a third-round pick were sent to the Avs in exchange for standout defenseman Tyson Barie, forward Alexander Kerfoot, and a sixth-round pick.
Barrie had put up 50-plus points three times with the Avalanche. He had just 39 in his one season with Toronto before signing with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency. The Leafs didn’t even qualify for the 16-team postseason in 2019-20, even though the Barrie trade was supposed to help them emerge as title contenders.
Kadri took his game to another level in Colorado, tallying a career-high 87 points in 2021-22. He helped the franchise to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, cementing the Avs as the major winners of this trade.
Cleveland Browns Sell The Farm For Deshaun Watson
After missing out on the postseason in 2021, the Browns were convinced that they were one elite quarterback away from emerging as a powerhouse in the AFC.
In the 2022 offseason, the Browns acquired Pro Bowl QB Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans in exchange for THREE (!) first-round picks, 2023 third and 2022 and 2024 fourth-round selections.
The Browns then handed Watson a five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. The trade was controversial, given his disturbing off-the-field allegations. From a purely football standpoint, the move felt like one that would finally get Cleveland over the top.
An 11-game suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023 have limited Watson to 12 games over his first two seasons. He has 14 touchdowns vs. nine interceptions with a lackluster quarterback rating of 81.7.
Worse yet for Watson, the Browns’ offense functioned a lot better with backups Jacoby Brissett in 2022 and Joe Flacco in 2023. So somehow, Watson actually makes Cleveland worse when he’s on the field.
Another classic example of this trade looks like a great idea at the time…
Nets Go For It With James Harden Trade
The Brooklyn Nets’ championship window was supposedly wide-open with the super tandem of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Looking to maximize their opportunities, the Nets acquired a third superstar James Harden, from the Houston Rockets.
The trade also involved the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Brooklyn sent two quality roster players in Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince to Cleveland. Young star Caris LeVert was sent to Indiana, and the Nets gave up four first-round picks to Houston for Harden.
The Nets’ title hopes ended with a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 conference semis. Ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, they sent Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal that brought Ben Simmons over to Brooklyn.
That trade also wound up being a lose-lose for both teams. The Nets eventually waived the white flag and traded Durant and Irving to the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, respectively.
And that Harden trade destroyed the Nets’ chances of rebuilding efficiently in the post-KD and Irving era. Yikes.
Raiders Swing-And-Miss On Antonio Brown
After quitting the Pittsburgh Steelers near the end of the 2018 season, Antonio Brown demanded and received a trade to the Oakland Raiders. The move felt like a coup for the Raiders since they only had to give up third and fifth-round picks for the perennial Pro Bowler.
But the move quickly became problematic for Oakland. Brown nearly came to blows with GM Mike Mayock during practice after being fined for missing team activities without explanation. He suffered frostbite in a cryotherapy session after not wearing proper footwear, too.
After continuously clashing with the Raider brass and players, the All-Pro wideout was mercilessly released. He then signed with the New England Patriots but wound up being cut after just one game after disturbing allegations against AB surfaced.
And by the way, that third-round pick the Raiders traded to Pittsburgh in 2019 became future Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson. And yet, we were all grilling the Steleers for this trade at one point??
