The NBA trades have garnered immense attention from basketball aficionados from all over the world, where the most prominent teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have made efforts to fill the gaps in their roster or acquire a basketball superstar. While the NBA trades have been a talking point for the hardcore fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the beginning of the tournament, a few of these trades have left the fans divided and have also caused numerous controversies in the arena of the National Basketball Association.
From Chris Paul’s ‘Lob City’ block in 2011 to Anthony Davis’ Lakers trade in 2019, the history of the National Basketball Association has been witness to numerous shocking trades where prominent players were unexpectedly moved to new teams overnight, often leaving their fans disheartened and agitated. Have you ever wondered about the top four most controversial trades in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA)? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four most controversial NBA trades ever witnessed by the fans.
Top 4 Most Controversial NBA Trades Ever
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Luka Dončić
The 26-year-old Slovenian professional basketball player Luka Dončić, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, is at the first spot in our list of the top four most controversial trades in the history of the NBA. Luka Dončić entered the NBA 2018 edition when the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 3rd overall pick but immediately traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young.
The trade instantly became a fuming controversy as Luka established himself as one of the most prominent NBA players in the world and was awarded the Rookie of the Year honour and as also a multiple-time All-Star. A majority of the fans believed that Atlanta made a major mistake letting go of Luka Dončić.
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
At the second spot in our list of the top four most controversial NBA trades ever witnessed by the fans, we have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s trade for the NBA 1975 season. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers after he openly expressed his desire to leave the franchise.
At the time of his trade, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in the prime of his career and had already won an NBA championship, an NBA Finals MVP, and multiple MVP awards. After joining the Lakers, Kareem Abdul-Jammar continued to dominate the basketball tournament and clinched a record total of five NBA championship titles, establishing himself as one of the greatest players of the tournament.
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Kevin Garnett
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four most controversial trades in the history of the NBA, we have the legendary American former professional basketball player Kevin Garnett’s trade in 2007. After spending a record total of twelve NBA seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics while he was already an NBA MVP, a multiple-time All-Star and regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Therefore, Kevin Garnett’s trade to the Boston Celtics caused numerous controversies among the fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves. After joining the Boston Celtics, Levin Garnett formed the infamous “Big Three” unit with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and successfully led the team to a sensational 2008 NBA Championship title.
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James Harden
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four most controversial NBA trades ever witnessed by the fans, we have the legendary American professional basketball player James Harden, who is still hailed as one of the most prominent shooting guards in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely referred to as “the Beard”, James Harden was traded by the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets after requesting a move in 2021.
At the time of his trade, James Harden was hailed as the top scorer in the history of the game, a former MVP, and a multiple-time All-Star. As a consequence, the Houston Rockets faced a brutal backlash from the hardcore fans for letting go of one of the most prominent and influential players of the team in the trade.
