Best NBA Trades of All Time: The 10 Deals That Changed Basketball

March 14, 2026 - Jason Park - 8 min read

Some trades change a franchise. Some trades change the entire league. Here are the 10 most impactful trades in NBA history — the deals that altered the course of basketball.

1. Celtics trade for Kevin Garnett (2007)

Boston sent Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, and two first-round picks to Minnesota for KG. The trade transformed the Celtics from a lottery team to a championship contender overnight. Garnett, paired with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, won the 2008 championship and restored the Celtics to glory.

2. Lakers trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975)

The Bucks traded the greatest scorer in NBA history to the Lakers for four players. Kareem went on to win five championships in LA and became the all-time leading scorer. This trade set the foundation for the Showtime Lakers dynasty of the 1980s.

3. Raptors trade for Kawhi Leonard (2018)

Toronto traded DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. It was a massive gamble — Kawhi had played only 9 games the previous season and was a one-year rental. The gamble paid off spectacularly: Kawhi led the Raptors to their first championship in 2019.

4. Nets trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (2013)

This is the worst trade in NBA history from Brooklyn's perspective. The Nets sent three unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap to Boston for aging veterans KG and Pierce. Those picks became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and other assets that built the current Celtics dynasty. Brooklyn got two years of mediocrity; Boston got a decade of contention.

5-10: More game-changers

5. Clippers trade for Paul George (2019): Gave up a historic haul of picks. 6. Rockets trade for James Harden (2012): OKC traded a future MVP for pennies. 7. Cavaliers trade for Donovan Mitchell (2022): Revitalized the franchise. 8. Grizzlies trade for Pau Gasol (2001): Draft-day steal that built Memphis basketball. 9. Lakers trade for Pau Gasol (2008): Gave Kobe his second championship partner. 10. Warriors trade for Andrew Wiggins (2020): Wiggins became a key piece of the 2022 championship team.

Thunder Clinch Series 2-1: SGA Dominates Cavaliers
NBA Standings Analysis: Week 17 Trends and Title Contenders
Suns vs Mavericks: Western Conference Clash Preview