Culture of Hoops

Top 5 NBA trade deadline deals of the last 15 years

Image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.

The NBA trade deadline has always been an important date. It’s still unknown why teams choose to wait until the very last day, sometimes even the very last hour or moment to perform deals. The certain fact is that we have seen lots of significant moves through the history of the league occurring at the trade deadline. With the trade window of the 2013-14 season about to close, let’s travel back in time to see the top 5 trade deadline deals of the last 15 years.

No. 1: Rasheed Wallace to the Detroit Pistons (2004)

Rasheed Wallace played for a total of three teams during the 2003-04 season. His last one, the Detroit Pistons, was the one he found success with. In a complex three-team deal, the Detroit Pistons landed the big man, who had a major part in the Pistons’ unexpected push all the way to the championship back in 2004. The Pistons beat the favored Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals and the Rasheed Wallace deadline move fulfilled its exact purpose.

No. 2: Dikembe Mutombo to the Philadelphia 76ers (2001)

The Philadelphia 76ers needed a star to combine with Allen Iverson back in 2001. And they found him in Dikembe Mutombo, whom they acquired through a trade deadline deal with the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks received Theo Ratliff in exchange for Mutombo. The 76ers earned a trip to the NBA Finals and Mutombo had a huge contribution to this success.

No. 3: Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers (2011)

The Los Angeles Lakers have a front office that just knows how to manage a team. One of the many times this was confirmed was back in 2011, when the Lakers traded with the Memphis Grizzlies for the Spaniard center Pau Gasol. The Lakers also received Devin Ebanks while the Grizzlies got Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol and a few more role players. At that time, this trade dramatically helped the Lakers, as Gasol paired with Kobe Bryant and went on to win two championships in a row.

No. 4: Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks (2011)

In this blockbuster deal with the Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks sent away a bunch of players, including Danilo Gallinari, Landry Fields and Wilson Chandler, in order to acquire megastar Carmelo Anthony. The New York Knicks entered a new era with Melo onboard. Although they never made it to the NBA Finals since the trade, this move helped New York change its course, while Denver reaped a number of valuable supporting players.

No. 5: Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder (2011)

In a move that surprised lots of people around the league, the Boston Celtics decided to trade away starting center Kendrick Perkins for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jeff Green. Green missed the entire next season due to a heart issue. The Thunder instantly became a championship contender and Perkins had a role in that transformation.

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